Precipitation, Temperature and Tillage Effects upon Productivity of a Winter Wheat–Dry Pea Rotation

Abstract

conditions are unfavorable for fresh pea, dry field pea offers a potential alternative to summer fallowing. Al-Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is grown in rotation with though dry pea is grown in the Palouse region of Washfresh pea (Pisum sativum L.) in the wetter (Ն450 mm) zones of ington and Idaho, it is seldom grown in northeastern the inland Pacific Northwest, and with summer fallow in the drier (Ͻ450 mm) zones. Typically, this cropping system has been tillage-Oregon. The potential benefits of replacing summer intensive. Summer fallow deleteriously affects soil properties, while fallow with a dry pea crop include increased organic fresh pea markets have decreased for decades. Alternative wheatresidue addition, biological N fixation, and erosion probased cropping systems are needed. The objective of this 6-yr study tection (Beck et al., 1991). Substituting legumes for falwas to evaluate the agronomic viability of a winter wheat-dry pea low would also reduce the downward movement of warotation under four tillage systems. Primary tillage operations for ter in the soil, and thereby decrease nutrient leaching. wheat and pea residue, respectively, were: (i) fall disk and chisel plow Additionally, similar to fresh pea, dry pea would aid in (Fall D-CH); (ii) fall moldboard plow and moldboard plow (Fall the control of weeds and disease associated with wheat MBD-MBD); (iii) spring moldboard plow and moldboard plow monoculture. Even in the wetter zones of the inland (Spring MBD-MBD); and (iv) fall sweep and skew-tread (Fall SWP-Pacific Northwest, dry pea may provide an alternative to SKW). Spring precipitation strongly influenced dry pea yield, but tillage had little to no effect. Pea yield could be predicted well by a fresh pea because of their broader domestic and foreign model combining precipitation distribution with a heat stress index. market (Muelbauer et al., 1983). Wheat yield was more influenced by winter than spring precipitation,The potential for soil water erosion is great in many and was ෂ400 kg ha Ϫ1 less for the Fall SWP-SKW treatment. Wheat parts of the inland Pacific Northwest because of steep protein content was also reduced in the Fall SWP-SKW tillage treatslopes and the predominantly winter precipitation that ment. The probable reason for lower wheat yield is poor weed control.often falls on frozen soils . Despite Dry pea is agronomically viable as a rotation substitute for summer this erosion potential, many farmers continue to use fallow or fresh pea. The apparent yield decline of wheat yield in the intensive tillage to reduce heavy crop residues and to minimum tillage system needs to be evaluated in terms of tillage costs, help control insects, pathogens, and weeds. A common and improved technologies for weed, residue, and N management.

Soil water in small drainages farmed with no-tillage and inversion tillage in northeastern Oregon

“…Because water is the limiting factor in crop production in this region, positive changes might therefore be expected in PUE with cropping intensification. Contrary to this expectation, PUE was significantly greater in the inversion tillage (0.02 ± 0.00 ]) grown with disk or plow seed bed preparation in a nearby location (Payne et al 2000), suggesting that our no-tillage methods were not appropriate. Seeding and fertilizer rates were based on pre-seeding soil water and nitrogen (N) test, thus all application rates were the same for W sp and W cf throughout the experiment.…”

“…There are a number of reasons for this slower rate of adoption, including lease agreements with absentee landowners, which can preclude changing from traditional farming practices, or decisions based on familial loyalty and history (Smiley et al 2005;. Ultimately, the enduring popularity of the two year winter wheat-fallow system in the IPNW is because it has historically produced consistent yields in highly variable seasonal and annual precipitation patterns.Adopting no-tillage and increasing the mix of crops and frequency with which they are grown has the potential to improve soil quality and crop productivity (Gollany et al 2011;Machado et al 2015;Payne et al 2000). No-tillage nearly eliminates soil erosion in this region, which has historically experienced some of the highest erosion rates recorded in winter wheat-fallow systems in the United States due to overland flow (50 for these losses include poor germination resulting from a reduction in heat units due to excess residue, increased bulk density, and increased pressure from diseases and weeds (Felton et al 1995;Hammel 1995;Johnson and Lowery 1985;Rasmussen and Parton 1994).…”

Soil Organic Carbon Pools as Early Indicators for Soil Organic Matter Stock Changes under Different Tillage Practices in Inland Pacific Northwest

“…For the last 20 years, all wheat plots received 90 kg N ha −1 as urea ammonium nitrate (32-0-0) shanked 12 cm deep before planting, while ammonium sulfate (21-0-0-24) or ammonium phosphate sulfate (16-20-0-14) was broadcast applied at the rate of 22 kg N ha −1 in pea. Payne et al (2000) and Machado et al (2008) reported further details on crop management prior to 1995. The WP-LTE consisted of four tillage treatments as follows:…”

“…Tillage also enhances microbial decay of SOM by regulating soil temperature, introducing oxygen, and disintegrating soil aggregates (Six et al, 2000). Furthermore, tillage induced alterations on soil edaphic properties can significantly influence crop productivity and ultimately the quantity of residue input in soils (Payne et al, 2000). On the contrary, delaying residue incorporation or leaving it on soil surface may provide a steady substrate for microbial community (Balota et al, 2003;Machado et al, 2006).…”

Influence of Precipitation, Temperature, and 56 Years on Winter Wheat Yields in Western Kansas

“…Precipitation during the growing season is important for successful wheat production, particularly for dryland wheat. In the Pacific Northwest, winter wheat yields were found to be more influenced by winter than spring precipitation (11).…”