Leveraging Farmer-Reported Data to Improve Yields, Water-Use Efficiency, and Profitability in Kansas Wheat Systems

Commodities

Practices

Leveraging Farmer-Reported Data to Improve Yields, Water-Use Efficiency, and Profitability in Kansas Wheat Systems:

To overcome yield stagnation and declining water levels of the Ogallala aquifer, improved management recommendations are needed for winter wheat production in Kansas. This study will survey both dryland and irrigated commercial wheat fields across Kansas, the largest wheat-producing state in the US, to identify management practices associated with greater yield and water use efficiency (WUE). Participating farmers will provide field-specific information, including but not limited to yield, inputs, irrigation, and production costs. Data will be collected through online and in-person interviews conducted between the graduate student and the farmer, fostering engagement and ensuring consistency of data collection. The data will be used to calculate field-specific WUE in irrigated and dryland systems, define management practices linked to enhanced yield and increased WUE, and assess the economic viability of these management practices.

Survey data is generally well-received by producers because the data comes from their peers at commercial production scale. With the collaboration of extension specialists and the Kansas Wheat Commission and the Kansas Crop Improvement Association, the results of this study have the potential to reach a wide audience. Findings will be shared through extension workshops, newsletters, and academic journal publications. The results of this project will provide producers with actionable management practices that can be implemented to conserve water, improve yields, and increase profits. The impacts will be measured through the adoption of recommended practices across Kansas farms and monitored through continuous engagement with farmers at extension events.

Researchers and farmers will gain improved knowledge of management practices and their interactions in winter wheat systems. This knowledge can be applied to increase yields and improve water-use efficiency in profitable ways. The research will be especially relevant for irrigated wheat growers, who often rely on research conducted in dryland experiments that may not reflect their unique management challenges. By prioritizing irrigated fields while still including dryland systems, this project's findings will inform a wide range of growers.

Learning outcomes include increased awareness among growers on how to manage with both yields and WUE in mind. Farmers will learn how specific practices that are already adopted in commercial operations, such as irrigation scheduling, planting date, or sprinkler type, impact productivity and resource use efficiency. Researchers and extension personnel will improve their understanding of management interactions to develop more relevant and field-tested recommendations.

As a result of this knowledge, farmers will change their current management or adopt new practices, in light of the findings of this research. For example, a grower who irrigates their field to produce seed may learn to manage irrigation scheduling to reduce labor costs and preserve water, while maintaining yields. Extension agents and researchers will also revise recommendations and consider these findings for future research questions.

The graduate student will maintain close contact with extension collaborators to evaluate outcomes. Including regular dialogue with extension collaborators, documenting feedback from workshops, follow-up conversations, and field observations. This qualitative evidence will document shifts in knowledge and changes to practices.