ARS | Publication request: CONVERSION OF CRP GRASSLANDS TO DRYLAND CROP PRODUCTION IN THE NORTHERN PLAINS

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: October 31, 1999
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: The Food Security Act of 1985 established the Conservation Research Program (CRP) to put highly erodible land (HEL) into permanent vegetative cover for a period of ten years. A concern was whether HEL soils could be managed to sustain crop production after the ten year CRP contracts had expired, and if so, under what conditions or constraints. Objectives of our research were to develop high-residue management techniques to convert CRP soils to sustainable crop production systems. Hayed and non-hayed treatments were whole plots and N fertilizer (0 to 67 kg/ha) and residue management practice (conventional-, minimum-, and no-till) as strip-plots were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. A three-year crop production system was used (spring wheat-winter wheat-dry pea). For the first two years of the study, conventional-till produced about 10% more grain than no-till. Grain production for the third and fourth years was 17% greater for no-till than conventional till. After four years, no-till was better able to sustain crop production and produced 8% more total grain. Minimum-till was intermediate.