HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (10) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Juergens, L. A. Articles by Hinman, H. R. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Juergens, L. A. Articles by Hinman, H. R. Agricola Articles by Juergens, L. A. Articles by Hinman, H. R. Related Collections Soil Conservation Dryland Cropping Systems Wheat Other Oil Crops Economics

PRODUCTION PAPER

Economics of Alternative No-Till Spring Crop Rotations in Washington's Wheat–Fallow Region

^a Dep. of Agric. and Resour. Econ., Hulbert Hall 101, Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA 99164-6210
^b Dep. of Crop and Soil Sci., Washington State Univ., Dryland Res. Stn., Lind, WA 99341

^* Corresponding author (dlyoung{at}wsu.edu).

Received for publication January 6, 2003. Winter wheat [Triticum aestivum L.] (WW)–summer fallow (SF) is the dominant cropping system in the low-precipitation (<300 mm annual) region of the inland Pacific Northwest (PNW), USA. Intensive tillage during SF often leaves soil vulnerable to wind erosion. While no-till cropping is well known for wind erosion control benefits, previous research in the inland PNW showed that annual no-till hard red spring wheat (HRSW) trailed WW–SF in profitability by $113 ha^–1 yr^–1. Our objective was to assess the agronomic and economic feasibility of alternative no-till spring grain and oilseed rotations in a 5-yr experiment near Ritzville, WA. Spring crops were soft white wheat (SW), barley [Hordeum vulgare L.] (SB) yellow mustard [Brassica hirta Moench] (YM), and safflower [Carthamus tinctorius L.] (SAF) grown in three rotation sequences. Net returns from WW–SF on 10 neighboring farms during the 5-yr period averaged $21.52 ha^–1 yr^–1. The most profitable no-till spring cropping sequence was continuous SW, which averaged net returns of $12.11 ha^–1 yr^–1, equivalent to WW–SF and much more competitive than previous HRSW results. No-till SW–SB and a 4-yr rotation of SAF–YM–SW–SW averaged –$12.10 and –$31.45 ha^–1 yr^–1, respectively. Although all no-till spring crop rotations had higher annual income variability than WW–SF, positive net returns for continuous SW is the first economic good news for continuous annual cropping using no-till in the low-precipitation region of the inland PNW.

Abbreviations: HRSW, hard red spring wheat • PNW, Pacific Northwest • SAF, safflower • SB, spring barley • SD, standard deviation • SF, summer fallow • SW, soft white spring wheat • WW, winter wheat • YM, yellow mustard

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. L. Nail, D. L. Young, and W. F. Schillinger Government Subsidies and Crop Insurance Effects on the Economics of Conservation Cropping Systems in Eastern Washington Agron. J., April 4, 2007; 99(3): 614 - 620. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. F. Schillinger Tillage Method and Sowing Rate Relations for Dryland Spring Wheat, Barley, and Oat Crop Sci., October 27, 2005; 45(6): 2636 - 2643. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. F. Schillinger and D. L. Young Cropping Systems Research in the World's Driest Rainfed Wheat Region Agron. J., July 1, 2004; 96(4): 1182 - 1187. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]