Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) sod furrows were established
to stabilize the soil. The furrows were used to irrigate corn
(Zea mays L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgaris
L.), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and sugar beets (Beta vulgaris
L.). The sod strips containing the furrows were 0.3-m wide and
managed as a permanent living entity. A strip mowing machine and
a miniature rotary ditcher were developed to maintain the sod furrows.
Crops were grown in clean tilled strips 0.9-m wide between
the sod strips. Normal use of fertilizer, herbicides, and cultivation
was utilized for the crop rows in the clean tilled strips. This management
system eliminated soil erosion, at least doubled the infiltration
rate of irrigation water, and allowed the production of satisfactory
yields of wheat, barley, dry beans, and corn for silage.
Sugar beet production was unacceptable due to competition from the
sod
