Economies of Size for Conventional Tillage and No-till Wheat Production

Production costs and economies of size for both conventional tillage and no-till wheat production were determined. The reduction in the price of glyphosate after the patent expired improved the relative economics of no-till for continuous monoculture winter wheat. Production costs differ across farm size and by production system.Crop Production/Industries,

Alternative Cropping Systems for Traditional Monoculture Wheat Acres in the Southern Plains for Two Farm Sizes

The economics of five alternative crop production systems for the Southern Plains winter wheat production region, for both conventional tillage and no-till, for two farm sizes, was determined. Yield data were obtained from a three-year experiment conducted on three farm fields in the region. Tillage costs differ across farm size.Crop Production/Industries, Farm Management,

Canola-Wheat Rotation versus Continuous Wheat for the Southern Plains

Crop rotations are not common in the wheat belt of the Southern Plains. After years of continuous wheat, weeds have become increasingly difficult and expensive to manage. Yield data were elicited from farmers and used to determine if canola-wheat-wheat rotations are economically competitive with continuous wheat in the region.crop rotation, wheat, canola, elicited yield distributions, Crop Production/Industries, Farm Management, Q10, Q12,

Winter wheat fall±winter forage yield and grain yield response to planting date in a dual-purpose system

Abstract Previous published research suggests that if fall±winter grazing of winter wheat is properly managed, it will not reduce grain yield. However, highly aggregated state average data suggest that fall±winter grazing is associated with lower grain yields. This study was undertaken to determine the trade-o, or substitution in production, between winter wheat fall±winter forage yield and grain yield across planting dates. Data from experiment station trials were used to estimate response functions and to determine optimal planting dates. The estimated response functions suggest relatively large dierences in expected fall±winter forage yield and expected grain yield across planting date. Optimal planting date is sensitive to the value of fall±winter forage relative to the value of wheat grain. Producers will optimally plant wheat intended for dual-purpose use earlier than wheat intended for grain-only. The expected yield from the earlier planted dual-purpose wheat is lower than the expected yield of the later planted grain-only wheat as a result of the earlier planting date.

No-till cropping systems in Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service periodically issues revisions to its publications. The most current edition is made available. For access to an earlier edition, if available for this title, please contact the Oklahoma State University Library Archives by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-744-6311

Cost of Removing and Assembling Biomass from Rangeland Encroaching Eastern Redcedar Trees for Industrial Use

Eastern redcedar trees have encroached on Great Plains grasslands and are spreading at a glacial pace, reducing forage production, destroying native ecosystems, and producing human health harming allergens. The study was conducted to determine the expected cost to deliver a flow of feedstock to an optimal factory location for a business designed to use eastern redcedar biomass harvested from grasslands. Proportion of trees available for removal, quantity of feedstock required, harvest costs, and tree growth rate are critical factors. Assuring investors that a flow of eastern redcedar trees for industrial use would be attainable for 20 years at a reasonable cost may be challenging. © 2017 The Society for Range ManagementThe Rangelands archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information

2011. “A Comparison of Perennial Polycultures and Monocultures for Producing Biomass for Biorefinery Feedstock.” Agronomy Journal

or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Switchgrass has been identified as a model dedicated energy crop species Side-by-side comparisons of biomass yield from monocultures and polycultures are scarce. Tilman et al. (2001, 2006a, 2006b) conducted a controlled experiment in Minnesota that included plots with 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 species. In the year before seeding, they herbicided and burned, removed 6 to 8 cm of soil to reduce the seed bank, plowed, and tilled. Plots were seeded in May of the following year and seeded a second time in May of the next year. Species composition was maintained by hand weeding three or four times per year and by the use of selective herbicides in the first 3 yr after seeding. Plots were burned annually in the spring before growth. Plots that included 16 species produced more aboveground biomass than monocultures. ABSTRACT Before planting millions of hectares to switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) monocultures for producing biomass feedstock for biorefineries, it has been proposed that monocultures be tested against polycultures so, among other issues, the economics of both systems can be compared. This research was conducted to determine the lowest cost lignocellulosic biomass feedstock production system from among four monocultures and four polycultures. Randomized complete block designs with four replications were established at two Oklahoma locations. Plots were managed to represent anticipated production activities if perennial species were established in a low input system and harvested once a year to produce biorefinery feedstock. The four monocultures included switchgrass, sand bluestem (Andropogon hallii Hack.), Old World bluestem (OWB) (Bothriochloa ischaemum L. Keng), and big bluestem (A. gerardii Vitman). The four polycultures included mixtures of four grasses, four grasses and four forbs, eight grasses and eight forbs, and OWB with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Plots were harvested once a year for 3 yr. For every treatment that included a mix of species, a dominant species emerged by the third harvest, suggesting that over time these treatments may not differ greatly from monocultures with minor representation of other species. The average yield was 4.6 Mg ha −1 yr −1 for treatments seeded as monocultures at one location compared with 4.0 Mg ha −1 yr −1 for the treatments seeded as polycultures. At the second location, monocultures averaged 7.9 Mg ha −1 yr −1 and polycultures 6.5 Mg ha −1 yr −1 . Economics favored monocultures for the location and environmental conditions that occurred during the time period studied