Study of More Cost Effective Ways of Crop Production

Note to readers, attached is the complete final report for FNE03-488.

The purpose of the project was to prove that there are some non-traditional, more cost-effective ways of grain farming. Four separate test plots where performed: A cost analysis comparison of growing corn to grain sorghum, the effectiveness of underseeding oats with clover as a source of Nitrogen, the most practical way of producing buckwheat as a double crop and the productiveness of doubling cropping grain sorghum after barley. Because of wet growing conditions of the past two years, some of the results were inconclusive. However, the buckwheat trials were the most successful of the entire test. Buckwheat is most definitely a feasible option as a doublecrop. Underseeding oats (or wheat) with alfalfa proved successful in two ways. The excess Nitrogen lowered input costs and the soil will find great benefits from the additional organic matter. The tests proved that growing grain sorghum after barely is not practical because of the length of growing season. Several of these practices will be incorporated into the regular farming operation of our farm because of the benefits to the soil, the lower input costs and the marketability of the crops.

• FNE03-488 Final Report