Agronomic management and how we improve production Josh Lofton Cropping Systems Specialist

Where are we going today? Crop rotation Why rotate What we have that works Why Tillage Advantages Disadvantages Planting practices Bringing it all together

What we grow Crops in Oklahoma Why would we change? Small grain or cereals We know how to grow it How to make it profitable (sometimes), especially with cattle Why would we change? “Input now, payback later” Benefits to the system IPM Yield and profit High input = yield stagnation Lower input = yield decline

Historic wheat yields 1800-1950s 1950-1980 1980s-current 0.4 tons/ac 1950-1980 0.9 tons/ac Semi-dwarf varieties Improved fertilization 1980s-current Increased only 5.8 lbs/year in the Great Plains Oklahoma -1.0lbs/year How can we improve these yields

Yield Adding crop diversity has been shown to drastically increase crop yields In Oklahoma Adoption of canola in wheat production systems 10-20% increase in wheat yields 20-25% increase in forage yields Increase net profits

Just in Oklahoma? Or Wheat? Seen in most production systems Midwest Corn and soybean Southeast Sugarcane and soybean Rice and soybean Southern US Wheat and soybean Northern Lentil/Peas and cereals Why yield benefits?

Rotational benefits The benefits of rotations are basic Monocot-Dicot Diversity in management/systems Break cycles Allows for rotation of management Spreads risk/labor Diversity in crop profiles Rooting profiles

What could be add to our system? Old reliable systems Grain sorghum The old reliant in our system Crop failure is a minimized Out of 75 years, it has only been a complete crop failure in a single year Lower cost option for the typical return on investment Increased grazing opportunities Still a grass in a typical grass based production system Decreases many of the rotational benefits Challenging with limited herbicide options in-season

What could be add to our system? Soybean Profit potential is high Great rotation with most small grains and cereals Fits well into a complete summer crop rotation as well Flexible for our typically production systems Risk is high Probably the most high risk crop we can move into Water demand Corn falls into the same aspect of soybean in nearly all categories

What could be add to our system? Cotton Increasing interest in the crop Vast weed control options Decent yield potential with increasing infrastructure Weed control options because they have been an issue Yields are good now but we failed to cut for nearly 4 years in the drought Hard to do on small acres

What could be add to our system? New faces Sesame Outstanding market Greatly yield potential and even better profit margins Herbicide outlook is grim Contract based Small acres will find it challenging Knowledge base on management of most of our producers

What could be add to our system? Summer edible beans and peas Growing market Farm-to-table does not seem to be going away anytime soon Fresh market is not the only option Some are Grown just like soybean with better drought tolerance Contracting and selling is tough

Crop rotations Remember this is just the beginning This is only the one aspect of crop rotations Many thing vary Management can change greatly Tillage

Tillage A lot of choices with tillage There is not right and wrong answer Advantages and Disadvantages of both systems Sometimes one fits or sometimes both could fit What helps you decide your tillage system? Residue stability Erosion potential Surface compaction Pest management Drainage

Tillage Advantages Costly Prepares the seedbed adequately for some crops Help remove problem areas of the field Incorporates residue, chemistry, and fertilizers Pest management Costly

Tillage Advantages Costly Prepares the seedbed adequately for some crops Help remove problem areas of the field Incorporates residue, chemistry, and fertilizers Pest management Costly

Tillage Advantages Costly Prepares the seedbed adequately for some crops Help remove problem areas of the field Incorporates residue, chemistry, and fertilizers Pest management Costly

No-till systems Advantages Costly Have to plant early and late Erosions control Few trips across the field Moisture retention Soil health Can have increase resilience Costly Have to plant early and late

No-till systems Advantages Costly Have to plant early and late Erosions control Few trips across the field Moisture retention Soil health Can have increase resilience Costly Have to plant early and late

In-between? So is there a system that incorporates aspects of both? Strip-till Seedbed preparation Minimizing in-row weeds Allows for no-till advantages between the rows

More importantly yield

Bringing it all together Probably a fraction of what should be fully discussed Integrating new crops into the system Not necessarily new crops Sorghum, cotton, corn Adding diversity into the system Agronomic benefits Farm benefits

Bringing it all together Cover crops Adds the benefits of crop rotation Not the economic benefit Pest management Proven to increase soil seedbank on some weeds Including that cover crops can often been considered weeds Crop rotation with no-till production Management increases greatly Decisions become critical Heavily reliant on pesticides or high intensive management Depends on scale

Questions? Josh Lofton Cropping Systems Specialist Osucrops.com Twitter: @osu_oilseeds