By Joe Roberts
Nearly two decades of research at Washington State University’s Wilke Research and Extension Farm is providing new insights into traditional crop rotations in eastern Washington.
Those research findings convinced Aaron Esser, longtime manager of the Wilke Farm, that growers could benefit from changing their approach. Yet doing so would mean shifting away from farming practices that have been common in the region for nearly 100 years.
“I feel very confident telling growers they can take a chance on extending their crop rotations by reducing summer fallow and incorporating more broadleaf crops,” said Esser, a regional Extension agronomist at WSU. “Our research shows that this kind of crop intensification can be economically beneficial over time.”
A typical three-year crop rotation in eastern Washington involves summer fallow, a practice that leaves the field unplanted for a year to conserve moisture. Winter wheat is planted into the fallow fields in the fall and harvested the following summer. During the third year, farmers traditionally grow a spring cereal like wheat or barley.
Research on the Wilke Farm suggests that diversifying crop rotations, planting crops more frequently, and reducing fallow periods offer benefits beyond increased profitability.
Source : wsu.edu