Growing Knowledge at Powell Farm
Powell Farm is more than a working farm. It's becoming a place where agricultural research, education, and hands-on learning can take root.
This season, Powell Farm is working with Penn State Extension on an on-farm trial comparing two approaches to growing pumpkins: conventional tillage and no-till planting. The trial was recently highlighted during a twilight meeting at the farm, giving Penn State Extension and others an opportunity to see the work firsthand and talk about what's happening in the fields.
Putting no-till to the text
The trial compares pumpkins grown using conventional tillage with pumpkins planted directly into a cover crop without working the soil.
In the no-till field, Powell Farm planted a winter rye ahead of the pumpkin crop. Instead of plowing, disking, and tilling the field, the rye was crimped and rolled flat, creating a mat across the soil.
To make the trial possible, Powell Farm borrowed a crimper from Thiele Farms in Armstrong County and a no-till seed drill from Soergel Orchards. The pumpkins were then seeded directly into the rolled rye.
The rye mat serves several purposes. It can act as a physical weed barrier, help protect the soil from erosion during rain events, and keep developing pumpkins cleaner by creating a layer between the fruit and the soil. The trial is also exploring whether this approach could reduce the amount of herbicide needed for weed control.
The conventional field was plowed, disked, and tilled before planting and followed a conventional herbicide program. The other treatments were kept the same between the two fields to allow for a meaningful comparison of the planting methods.
The results are still growing
So far, the two fields are showing some noticeable differences.
The pumpkins growing in the no-till field are cleaner, while the plants and pumpkins in the conventional field are larger. However, the conventional plants have produced so much foliage that it is difficult to see how much fruit is developing underneath.
That means harvest will be an important part of the story.
For Powell Farm and Penn State Extension, the goal isn't simply to determine which method produces bigger plants. The trial provides an opportunity to see how different growing practices perform under actual field conditions and what those results might mean for farmers.
The work will continue next season, too. Powell Farm has already seeded 2027's pumpkin field with 70 pounds of winter rye per acre, with plans to try the no-till approach again and potentially create a thicker rye mat.
Building a lasting agricultural partnership
The pumpkin trial is part of a larger vision for Powell Farm.
Powell Farm hopes to develop an ongoing working relationship with Penn State Extension, creating opportunities for annual trials of various fruits and vegetables. Those trials can help bring agricultural research out of the lab and into a working farm, where results can be observed, discussed, and shared with the agricultural community and interested members of the public.
That connection is especially meaningful for Western Pennsylvania farmers. Agricultural research and Extension services can provide farmers with information, resources, and practical knowledge to help them navigate changing growing conditions and explore different approaches to managing their land.
By working with Penn State Extension, Powell Farm can serve as a place to test those ideas in the field.
The pumpkin trial is just one example of what that partnership could make possible in the years ahead.
At Powell Farm, the harvest isn't the only thing we're watching grow. We're growing knowledge, collaboration, and opportunities for agricultural research right here in our community.
