Overview

Charles (Chuck) Mohler joined the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences in 2001 as a Senior Research Associate after 21 years in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell. His research focuses on the ecology of weeds, mechanical and ecologically based weed management and biology of organic cropping systems. He is currently Project Coordinator for the Cornell Organic Cropping systems Project, a large multi-experiment, interdisciplinary investigation into the ecology of organic farming (for more information, see www.organic.cornell.edu/ocs/html/index). He is coauthor with Matt Liebman and Charles Staver of the book "Ecological Management of Agricultural Weeds" (Cambridge University Press, 2001). His long-standing interest in the forests of New York State led to the publication in 2006 of the "Guide to the Plant Communities of the Central Finger Lakes Region", co-authored with Peter L. Marks and Sana Gardescu. This book, lavishly illustrated with color photographs, is intended to satisfy the curiosity of both professionals and lay persons interested in where and why different sorts of forests and wetlands occur in central NY. To order copies, see https://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/store/catalog/. Publication of another book "Crop Rotation on Organic Farms: a Planning Manual" (co-edited with Sue Ellen Johnson) is expected in fall of 2008. He is an active member of the Weed Science Society of America and has taken a leadership role in collaborative interstate weed projects since 1985. For more information on Charles Mohler, see the Cornell University Weed Ecology Research Laboratory HomePage: http://www.css.cornell.edu/WeedEco/.

Research Focus

My research is focused on the ecology of weeds, mechanical and ecologically-based weed management, and the biology of organic cropping systems. Currently, most of my research revolves around two large experiments comparing different systems for growing grain and vegetables organically. Other research includes various experiments to understand how cultivators kill weeds, field studies of nutrient effects on weed populations, and a long term effort modleing the movement, death and emergence of weed seeds in the soil. Other recent projects include studies of affects of organic mulch materials on the emergence of weed seedlings, an investigation of the factors affecting the spatial distribution of weeds, and development of the Residue Saver, a machine that allows retention of crop residue on the soil surface during tillage. I also have research interests in invasive plant species, forest community dynamics, soil health, biomass fuels, and reduced tillage agricultural systems.

Outreach and Extension Focus

My extension work focuses on management of organic farms, especially crop rotation and mechanical and ecologically-based weed management. I also work to provide public understanding of forests in central New York.

Instruction Focus

I give several lectures in AgSci 494, Organic Food and Agriculture, and contribute lectures to Weed Ecology and Management, (CSS 614).

Additional Links

• Cornell Weed Ecology Research Laboratory
• NEON Crop Rotation Manuals and Spreadsheets
• Organic Cropping Systems Project. Organic Agriculture for the Future: Designing Farms for Better Soil and Pest Management
• Link to CALS Research portal
• Link to CALS Impact statements

Selected Publications

• Brainard, D. C., A. DiTommaso, and C. L. Mohler. Interspecific variation in seed characteristics of Amaranthus powellii from habitats with contrasting crop rotation histories. Weed Science, in press.
• Mohler, C. L. and P. L. Marks and S. Gardescu. A Guide to the Plant Communities of the Central Finger Lakes Region. New York State Agricultural Experiment Station: Geneva, NY. 127 p.
• Brainard, D. C., A. DiTommaso, and C. L. Mohler. Intraspecific variation in germination response to ammonium nitrate of Amaranthus powellii seeds originating on organic versus conventional vegetable farms. Weed Science 54:435-442.
• Mohler, C. L., J. C. Frisch and C. E. McCulloch. Vertical movement of weed seed surrogates by tillage implements and natural processes. Soil and Tillage Research 86:110-122.
• Long, Z. T., C. L. Mohler, and W. P. Carson. Extending the resource concentration hypothesis to plant communities: effects of litter and herbivores. Ecology 84:652-665
• Sawma, J. T. and C. L. Mohler. Evaluating seed viability by an unimbibed seed crush test with comparison to the tetrazolium test. Weed Technology 16:781-786.
• Liebman, M., C. L. Mohler and C. Staver. Ecological Management of Agricultural Weeds. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 532 pp.
• Caldwell, B. and C. L. Mohler. Stale seedbed practices for vegetable production. HortScience 36:703-705.
• Teasdale, J. R. and C. L. Mohler. The quantitative relationship between weed emergence and the physical properties of mulches. Weed Science 48:385-392.

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