Annual Cropping may be a possibility in
Morrow County
Many farms In southern Mor
row County may have the poten
tial for annual cropping during
years of favorable moisture.
Generally, this portion of the
county has shallow soils (about
two feet deep), receive 12 Inches
or more annual precipitation, and
is in a wheat-summer fallow
rotation. During average or
above average moisture years,
farms meeting the above criteria
should evaluate their recropping
potential. The following soil ser
ies fall into the adapted recrop
area: 1) Valby silt loam, 2)
Morrow silt loam, 3) Waha silt
loam. The Valby series is prob
ably marginal for recropping,
while the Morrow and Waha
series have a higher potential.
Collwtively, these three soils
have unique management prob
lems. The soil surface textures
are heavy silt loams grading into
silly clays in the subsoil. Because
of this, crusting and sealing at
the soil surface has to be dealt
with. Farmers combat the prob
lem by using tillage to keep the
' soil loose. Often, by seeding time,
tillage has left inadequate resi
due cover for erosion protection.
Another management problem is
that these soils tend to stay wet In
the spring, making early seeding
difficult. Finally, most of the
Morrow and Waha soils are on
slopes above 10 percent, so the
water erosion hazard is particu
larly severe during summer fal
low. The decision to recrop should
begin after harvest. The reason
for this is to examine the soil for
restrictive layers. If a field has
been traditionally worked wet, it
may be wise to evaluate the soil's
condition. Tillage pans are estab
lished when the ground is worked
above 75 percent of field capa
city. For a silt loam, this soil
moisture percentage leaves your
hand moist when a sample .is
squeezed. A severe tillage pan
will direct the majority of roots to
grow along the pan's face. This
condition should be treated by
ripping or chiseling to fracture
the restriction. As effectively as a
pan can stop roots, it also reduces
soil moisture intake.
If the soil appears in good
condition after harvest, the best
way to store the maximum
amount of soil water is to leave
the stubble standing over winter.
MOWtow Co.
1' IC'
I -1
I
Standing stubble deflects evap
orating winds and traps snow.
Research has shown that a 12
inch stubble height withstands a
13 mph wind without appreciable
air movement at the ground
surface. With bare ground, only a
slight breeze removes soil moisture.
Moisture storage in the soil
profile should be checked by the
end of February or in March. Soil
Conservation Service field offi
cers have charts available which
relate squeezing a soil sample in
your hand to percent soil moi
sture. This simple method gives
an immediate answer as to whe
ther recropping is feasible or not.
If each foot in the soil profile is at
or near field capacity, then addi
tional soil moisture will not be
gained by fallowing.
The Soil Conservation Service
is excited about the prospects of
annual cropping in Morrow
County. If previously summer
fallowed ground can be annual
cropped, then the impact on
reduced soil erosion will be tre
mendous. The length of time land
is vulnerable to erosion without
fallow is greatly diminished.
Furthermore, with recropping,
there is potential for no-till farm
long. The technology of no-till is
changing rapidly, and it will
become progressively better
adapted over a broader range of
seeding conditions.
Special Farm Section, Thursday, February 24, 1OT3 Page 7
Miller & Sons announces
completion of No-Till Drill
Miller and Sons Welding in
Heppner announces the comple
tion of their No-Till Drill. Re
search on the drill began last fall
and the construction started in
January. According to Joe Mil
ler, owner, the drill will be ready
for rental purposes in two weeks.
The Millers' No-Till Drill con
struction was based on the Pen
dleton Agricultural Experiment
Station's experimental drill. The
specs include Three Ranks, 10
inch spacing with 30 inches be
tween them for stubble clear
ance. It also has Split Packer
wheels which packs dirt along
side the seed but won't seal over
the plant.
"The main idea for all of. this is
it's cost effective by reducing the
number of tillage operations,"
said Miller, "It also reduces soil
erosion."
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MILLER & SONS WELDING
Linden Way Heppner 676-9613