Project Overview
Commodities
- Agronomic: peas (field, cowpeas), wheat
Practices
- Crop Production: catch crops, continuous cropping, crop rotation, double cropping, fallow, no-till, nutrient cycling, application rate management, stubble mulching
- Education and Training: demonstration, extension, farmer to farmer, on-farm/ranch research, workshop
- Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity, soil stabilization
- Pest Management: biological control
- Production Systems: general crop production
- Soil Management: organic matter, soil analysis, nutrient mineralization, soil chemistry, soil microbiology, soil physics, soil quality/health
- Sustainable Communities: analysis of personal/family life, sustainability measures
Proposal abstract:
Project title. Rotational benefits and agronomic evaluation of field peas in cereal based cropping systems The problem. Farmers in semiarid environments are struggling to sustain fallow year in their rotation due to rapid evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds and declines in soil health caused by a lack of plant biomass production. Planting cover crops to address these issues may not be economically justified in water-limiting environments (unless grazed or harvested for hay) as they use water, which can reduce yield of subsequent cash crop. Field pea may be a solution to this problem as it may provide ecosystem services similar to cover crops, while still being a profitable crop in the rotation. Field pea may also be a viable alternative to corn-soybean rotation in humid environments Farmers in humid environments of NC SARE region may want to consider diversifying their crop rotations to spread financial risks associated with low market prices of corn and soybean and high prices of farm inputs. Approach and methods. Research objectives are to: (1) Quantify the rotational costs and benefits of field pea vs fallow (Rotation study); (2) Evaluate the response of field pea to 3 planting dates and 5 seeding rates (Agronomic study); (3) Test varieties of field pea and short-season sorghum suitable for double cropping in humid environments (Double cropping study). Rotation and Agronomic studies will be conducted in different precipitation zones throughout the semiarid western Nebraska to capture a variety of scenarios for growing field pea in semiarid environment; several parameters including water use, soil health, biodiversity, effects on succeeding wheat crop, and profit will be measured. Double cropping study will be conducted in humid eastern Nebraska. Project outcomes. Farmers will be able to: (1) identify the circumstances upon which replacing fallow with field pea will generate profit, better utilize available soil water and off-season precipitation, and improve soil health and environmental quality ; (2) use optimal seeding rates and planting dates to maximize grain yield potential; (3) select best-matching field pea and grain sorghum cultivars for double cropping to diversify their corn-soybean crop rotation and spread production risks; (4) improve their economic well-being, quality of life, and professional inquiry of issues related to environmental stewardship and long-term sustainability. Project summary table
Project objectives from proposal:
Farmers in semiarid environments will be able to identify the circumstances upon which replacing fallow with field pea will generate profit, better utilization of available soil water and off-season precipitation, and improvement in soil health and environmental quality. Farmers will utilize optimal seeding rates and planting dates to maximize grain yield potential. Farmers in humid regions will able to select best-matching field pea and grain sorghum cultivars for double cropping, diversify their crop rotation and spread production risks. Farmers will improve their economic well-being, quality of life, and professional inquiry of issues related to environmental stewardship and long-term sustainability.