Wednesday, November 15, 2006
245-12

Spring Wheat Production as Influenced by Previous Crop Sequence.

Donald Tanaka, Joseph Krupinsky, Stephen Merrill, Mark Liebig, and Jonathon Hanson. USDA-ARS, "PO Box 459, Hwy. 6 South", Mandan, ND 58554, United States of America

Agricultural producers are in an era of change.  Dynamic cropping systems help producers manage change by letting them choose appropriate crop sequences for their management style.  Our research determines the influence of previous crop sequence on spring wheat production.  The crop sequence was first year residue - second year residue - spring wheat.  First and second year residues were all combinations of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench), canola (Brassica napus L.), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), corn (Zea mays L.), dry pea (Pisum sativum L.), grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.), lentil (Lens culinaris Medik), proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.), sunflower (Helianthus annus L.), and spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) with four replicates.  Spring wheat was seeded over all treatments in 2004 and 2005.  Growing season precipitation (May through September) was 78% and 116%, respectively, of the long-term average of 29cm.  Results suggest spring wheat seed yields were 1) highest or near highest when first year residues were grain sorghum or proso millet, 2) highest or near highest when second year residue was dry pea, 3) lowest or near lowest when first year residue was sunflower, and 4) lowest or near lowest when second year residues were grain sorghum, sunflower, or spring wheat.

Handout (.pdf format, 3349.0 kb)