Supplement to the lleppner Gaiette-Tlmet and the Board man Enterprise, February 24, 1983
982 Morrow Soil & Water
Conservation District Annual Report
Methods explored for
Morrow SWCD receives $1,600
t --rrJTij ' U T'-' -
f ,1.1 w-1
A Bettinson no till drill seeding
straw.
The Morrow SWCD received a
grant of Sl.BOO in March of 1982 to
evaluate the feasibility of no-till
annual cropping A two year
project was proposed to determine-
P if a no till program
would significantly reduce soil
erosion: 2i if the program is a
practical management alterna
tive in the shallow soil, high
precipitation dryland farming
area: 3) if this program will
provide an adequate economic
return to growers; and (4 fertili
zer requirements.
Two sites were selected on the
shallow Morrow silt loam soils
with slopes up to 25 percent.
Spring barley w as seeded using a
Bettinsori no till drill. The drill
Nitrogen and phosphorous fertilizers
. J t l L...11
Hv BOB COSTA
OSl' r'xlritkion Agent.
Murrow County
Annual cropping is an option in
Morrow County. Many wheat
fields in the higher elevation
areas of the county have less
than three feet of soil depth and
receive 12 inches or more of
annual precipitation. These soils
often fill with moisture after the
first winter and a fallow period
adds little additional moisture for
crop use. When fallowed, these
fields are often subject to severe
erosion.
RecroppH winter find spring
grains in Morrow County have
given mixed results. Annual
cropping has generally been ac
complished with conventional til
lage and fertilizer application.
Past experiences Indicated the
need for more information on the
fertilizer requirements for an
nual cropping.
In the fall of 1981, a fertilizer
trial was established at the Frank
Anderson farm on a Morrow silt
loam soil. On October 22, 'Ste
phens' wheat was planted with a
John Deere HZ "split packer"
into undisturbed wheat stubble.
Dry ammonium nitrate, nitrogen
fertilizer was surface applied
along the planted rows on No
vember 20. The nitrogen fertilizer
into 70 bushel wet and matted
had the capability of banding dry
fertilizer with the seed. A contact
herbicide was used for weed
control,
First year results of this pro
ject are summarized as follows:
(11 The application of contact
herbicides should be applied be
fore planting The action of the
double dine openers on the drill
caused plant stress and covered
the foliage of some plants which
reduced the effectiveness of the
herbicide.
2 To no till, the ground should
le relatively free of heavy infes
tations of weeds.
(3) Heavy matted and wet
straw caused problems placing
the seed in contact with the soil
using double disc openers.
was piacea aiong uie wmom w
the furrows to reduce contact
with surface residue and to get
the nitrogen close to the plant
roots. Dry phosphorus fertilizer
(25 lbs. P205 per acre) with the
seed in the drill box and placed
with the seed in the soil. Sulfur
fertilizer was surface applied in
the form of gypsum on March 5.
The rainfall for the 1981-82 crop
year was close to 13 inches at the
Anderson farm. Spring growing
conditions were generally favor
able with some timely rains.
The yields were as follows:
Average Yield
(bushels per acre)
Nitrogen With No Phos
(lbs -ac. ) Phosphorus phorus
0 9.5 8.2
SO 32.0 30.9
100 43.6 40.4
The yields from the annual
cropped, no-till wheat was com
parable to the yields from sur
rounding fields under a wheat
fallow rotation. The average 1982
yield of 'Stephens' wheat on the
nearby fallowed fields was 38
bushels per acre.
Yields increased as nitrogen
rates increased from 0 to 100
pounds of N per acre in the
fertilizer trial. The application of
increased production
4 In wet soils (above 100
percent of field capacity), slots
made by the openers remained
opened causing an undesirable
seed condition.
(5) Standing stubble was much
more desirable for no-till seeding.
Noxious weeds reduce farm
eUoV
tried on no-till winter wheat
phosphorus fertilizer with the
seed at planting time increased
the average yield at all rates of
nitrogen fertilizer. No yield re-
sponse to sulfur fertilizer
evident at the site.
was
Most of the fertilizer materials
were surface applied in the ex
periment. Surface application of
nitrogen fertilizers can be effec
tive but is not recommended for
no-till grains. Other researchers
have shown that the placement of
fertilizer materials in a band m
to 2 inches below the seed at
planting time is the most efficient
method of application.
Current recommendations for
annual cropped small grains in
Morrow County are:
1) apply 1.5 to 1.7 times the rate
of nitrogen fertilizer normally
used in your fallow rotation.
2) Apply 15 to 20 pounds of
phosphate (P205) per acre.
3 (apply 10 to 15 pounds of sulfer
per acre.
4) Apply the fertilizer mater
ials in a band 14 to 2 inches
below or below and to the side of
the seed. Some of the fertilizer
material can be placed right with
the seed, but the amount placed
(6) No-till appears to be very
effective in reducing erosion
problems and water runoff.
(7) Placement, rate, and type
of fertilizer is extremely impor
tant. Generally, rates of 60 lb. of
Nitrogen with phosphorous and
sulphur are necessary.
(8) No-till planting will allow
growers to plant earlier in the
in contact with the seed should be
limited. Some fertilizer materials
can damage seedlings. Ccr.sult
with the Extension agent or your
fertilizer fieldmen for suitable
forms of fertilizer materials. No
till drills allowing band place
ment of liquid fertilizer materials
are being built in Morrow County.
MORROW SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
ANNUAL REPORT
Annual Meeting
Tuesday, March 1, 1983
7:30 p.m.
Lexington Grange Hall
Public cordially invited to meet the directors of the Morrow SWCDj
and participate in our program. j
11th Annual Meeting Morrow SWCD
Tuesday March 1, 7:30 p.m.
Lexington Grange Hall
Program
Featured Speaker Paul Rasmussen
Soil Scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in
Pendleton, ' I
Slide program on fertilization requirements and placement on
fertilizer on conventional, annual and no-till cropping systems. (
( Coffee and donuts will be served j
spring compared to conventional
tillage.
(9) Yields from annual crop
ping can be equivalent to yields
with a wheat-fallow rotation.
The second year plan will focus
on evaluating several fall-seeded
no-till fields and the effectiveness
of the USDA no-till opener to be
used on a number of fields this
spring.
income
By BOB COSTA
OSU Extension Agent
Morrow County
Noxious weeds can seriously
reduce the income of farmers and
ranchers. In response to the rapid
spread of some problem weeds,
Morrow County was declared a
weed control district in March
1982.
The Weed Control District
came about through the efforts
of the Morrow County Resource
Committee. The Morrow County
SWCD serves as the "weed
board" and administers the nox
ious weed control program.
Weeds declared as "noxious
weeds" in the district are Skele
ton weed. Yellowstar thistle, and
Tansy ragwort. These weeds are
targeted for eradication within
the district. At this time, only
Yellowstar thistle is established
in the county, and a cost-share
program to control this weed is
underway.
A primary purpose of the weed
control program is education.
The SWCD prepared and pub
lished a one page poster with
color pictures of seven problem
weeds. Also planned is a newslet
ter outlining control measures for
several problem weeds.
Landowners and operators
should keep their eyes open for
noxious weeds and report any
infestations to the SWCD board or
the Extension agent.
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