Growing wheat in the Arizona desert

Mar 20, 2023

By Pam Knox

Here is an interesting story from AZCentral that describes how one Arizona farmer is growing wheat and other crops in the desert by careful use of water combined with regenerative agriculture, a process of rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity through cover crops and other conservative methods. By growing his crop organically, he has increased the market value at the same time that he is using much less water and releasing less carbon to the atmosphere than when he grew conventional crops. The health of the soil has also improved and organic matter has increased. You can read more about his methods here.

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Source : uga.edu

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.