Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T05:47:14.518Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Farming systems and conservation needs in the Northwest Wheat Region

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 October 2009

R.I. Papendick
Affiliation:
Collaborator, USDA-ARS Soil Scientist, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 215A Johnson Hall, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6421.
Get access

Abstract

The Northwest Wheat Region is a contiguous belt of 3.3 million ha in Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Its climate varies from subhumid (<650 mm annual precipitation) to semiarid (<350 mm), with more than 60% of the annual precipitation occurring during the winter. Winter wheat yields range from a high of 8 t/ha in the wetter zones to a low of 1.5 t/ha in the drier zones. Winter wheat is grown in rotation with spring cereals and pulses where annual precipitation exceeds 450 mm; winter wheat-fallow prevails where annual precipitation is less than 330 mm. Tillage practices are designed to maximize infiltration and retention of water through soil surface and crop residue management. Because of the combination of winter precipitation, steep topography, and winter wheat cropping, much of the region is subject to a severe water erosion hazard, accentuated by freeze-thaw cycles that increase surface runoff and weaken the soil structure. Wind erosion is a major problem in the drier zones, where cover is less and soils are higher in sand. Residue management, primarily through reduced tillage and no-till systems, is the first defense against both wind and water erosion, but yields often are higher with conventional intensive ti llage. Factors that limit yields with conservation farming include weed and disease problems and th e lack of suitable tillage and seeding equipment. Conservation strategies must shift from relying on traditional tillage methods to development of complete no-till systems. Spring cropping as a replacement for winter wheat also needs to be investigated. In some cases, tillage for water conservation must be made compatible with tillage for erosion control.

Type
Selected Papers from the U.S.-Middle East Conference on Sustainable Dryland Agriculture
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Hammel, J.E., Papendick, R.I., and Campbell, G.S.. 1981. Fallow tillage effects on evaporation and seedzone water content in a dry summer climate. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 45:10161022.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Horner, G.M., McCall, A.G., and Bell, F.G.. 1944. Investigations in erosion control and the reclamation of eroded land at the Palouse Conservation Experiment Station, Pullman, Wash., 1931–42. Technical Bull. No. 860. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Washington D.C.Google Scholar
3.Leggett, G.E. 1959. Relationships between wheat yield, available moisture, and available nitrogen in eastern Washington dryland areas. Bull. 609. Washington Agric. Exp. Sta., Washington State Univ., Pullman.Google Scholar
4.McCall, M.A., and Holtz, H.F.. 1921. Investigations in dry farm tillage. Bulletin No. 164. State College of Washington, Agric. Exp. Sta., Pullman.Google Scholar
5.Naffziger, L.M., and Horner, G.M.. 1958. Effect of cropping and tillage practices on runoff and erosion in the Palouse area of Washington and Idaho. Trans. Amer. Soc. Agric. Engineering 1:3435.Google Scholar
6.Papendick, R.I., and Miller, D.E.. 1977. Conservation tillage in the Pacific Northwest. J. Soil and Water Conservation 32:4956.Google Scholar
7.Papendick, R.I., Lindstrom, M.J., and Cochran, V.L.. 1973. Soil mulch effects on seedbed temperatures and water during fallow in eastern Washington. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc. 37:307314.Google Scholar
8.Papendick, R.I., McCool, D.K., and Krauss, H.A.. 1983. Soil conservation: Pacific Northwest. In Dregne, H.E. and Willis, W.O. (eds). Dryland Agriculture. Agronomy Monograph 23. Amer. Soc. Agronomy, Crop Sci. Soc. Amer., and Soil Sci. Soc. Amer., Madison, Wisconsin, pp. 273290.Google Scholar
9.Papendick, R.I., and Moldenhauer, W.C.. 1995. Crop Residue Management to Reduce Erosion and Improve Soil Quality: Northwest. CRR-40. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
10.Ramig, R.E., Allmaras, R.R., and Papendick, R.I.. 1983. Water conservation: Pacific Northwest. In Dregne, H.E. and Willis, W.O. (eds). Dryland Agriculture. Agronomy Monograph 23. Amer. Soc. Agronomy, Crop Sci. Soc. Amer., and Soil Sci. Soc. Amer., Madison, Wisconsin, pp. 105124.Google Scholar
11.Rao, A.C.S., Smith, J.L., Jandhyla, V.K., Papendick, R.I., and Parr, J.F.. 1993. Cultivar and climatic effects on protein content of soft white winter wheat. Agronomy J. 85:10231028.Google Scholar
12.U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. 1978. Palouse Co-operative River Basin Study. Soil Conservation Service, Forest Service, and Economics, Statistics and Cooperative Service. U.S. Government Printing Office: 1979-797-658.Google Scholar
13.U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. 1993. Agricultural Statistics. National Agricultural Statistics Service, Washington, D.C.Google Scholar