ARS | Publication request: DIRECT SEEDING AND INTENSIVE CROPPING RESEARCH IN TYPICAL WHEAT-FALLOW AREAS

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: June 1, 1999
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: A wheat-summer fallow crop rotation is practiced on 1.7 million hectares in the low-precipitation (<300 mm annual) region of eastern Washington and north-central Oregon. Soil organic carbon and associated soil quality have declined under the wheat-summer fallow system because of limited crop residue production, tillage, the unproductive fallow period, and erosion. We are evaluating alternative cropping systems using minimum disturbance direct seeding in long-term research at several eastern Washington farm sites. Rotation crops are fall sown wheat and spring sown wheat, barley, oats, safflower, yellow mustard, and canola. Rotation and planting methods effects on cereal root diseases, weed ecology, insect populations, grain yields, farm economics, and soil quality are measured. Innovations by farmers and research progress on development of intensive alternative dryland cropping systems using direct seeding will be discussed.