NMSU researcher launches study on strategically-timed tillage

NMSU researcher launches study on strategically-timed tillage
DATE: 09/23/2019
WRITER: Carlos Andres Lopez, 575-646-1955, carlopez@nmsu.edu
CONTACT: Rajan Ghimire, 575-985-2292, rghimire@nmsu.edu
Can strategically-timed tillage improve the efficiency of no-till farming in the semiarid region? That’s a question one researcher from the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at New Mexico State University is hoping to answer with a new study.

Rajan Ghimire, an agronomist and assistant professor based at the NMSU Agricultural Science Center in Clovis, initiated the study after hearing farmers express concerns about continuous no-tillage cropping.

“Farmers are asking: How much damage is done by occasional tillage in continuously no-tilled plots? Is there any room for mixing residue and soils, or any other benefit of strategically-timed tillage in the continuous no-tillage system?” Ghimire said. “To address these questions, we established a study at our long-term tillage demonstration sites.”

Ghimire launched the study, funded by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, in September as a part of ongoing, long-term research comparing conventional tillage, strip-tillage and no-tillage systems.

Conventional tillage is common in eastern New Mexico and involves four to six passes of the moldboard plow, disk plow and cultivator/ripper, which, according to Ghimire, prepares a good seedbed for crops, but has several disadvantages.

He said repeated tillage damages soil structure, causes rapid mineralization and soil erosion by both wind and water, and loss of soil organic matter and nutrients.

In contrast, no-tillage cropping adopted in arid and semiarid regions, including New Mexico, offers many benefits, Ghimire said, such as reducing soil erosion and increasing infiltration, soil organic matter storage and soil water conservation. It also reduces labor and machinery, increasing the economic efficiency of farming.

But no-tillage farming also has its challenges, he said.

Dryland farmers in semiarid regions question the long-term sustainability of such a system because it increases dependence on herbicide for weed control. It also can result in the build-up of herbicide-resistant weed populations, the incidence of soil and stubble-borne diseases, and stratification of nutrients and organic matter in the topsoil. Farmers also experience difficulty due to compaction.

“In this new study,” Ghimire said, “we proposed strategically-managed minimum tillage of continuous no-till plots to maximize the agronomic and ecological benefits by harnessing positive aspects of both tilled and no-tilled systems.”

In early September, Ghimire introduced stubble-mulch tillage to a demonstration plot. It was the first tillage on the site since 2013.

“We collected baseline soil data before tillage,” he said, “and we will continue to monitor changes in soil processes for several months after tillage.”

Ghimire will simultaneously monitor the long-term and no-tilled plots, as well as the adjacent conventional-tilled and strip-tilled plots. He plans to till the latter two plots every year and will wait four years to till the strategic-tillage plots. And, he will maintain the no-tillage plots with no disturbance for much of the study’s duration.

“We will be evaluating how changes occur in soil organic carbon, nutrient pools and dynamics; crop residue decomposition; microbial community composition; soil structure; and overall soil health and resilience,” he said, adding that he will collect samples at tillage-depth and below tillage-depth. “It is also crucial to understand long-term soil carbon sequestration and its relationship with crop yield and productivity.”

Ghimire will introduce another tillage treatment in the two no-tillage plots in 2021, after eight years of no-tillage, he said.

“We are excited to know how strategically-timed minimum tillage in the continuous no-tilled system will affect soil properties and long-term sustainability of dryland farming in eastern New Mexico, and semiarid Southwest,” Ghimire said.

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New USDA Scientific Research Program Promotes Sustainable Agricultural Practices

New USDA Scientific Research Program Promotes Sustainable Agricultural Practices Media Contact: Tara Weaver-Missick, 202-720-2677 WASHINGTON, Sept. 12 – U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Scott Hutchins announced today that the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) has invested $77.8 million in research that will focus on sustaining a more abundant, nutritious, and accessible food supply. “Investing in high-value research that promotes sustainably intensified agricultural practices, while addressing climate adaptation and limited resources, ensures long-term agricultural productivity and profitability and provides unprecedented opportunities for American farmers and producers,” said Hutchins, who leads USDA’s Research, Education and Economics (REE) mission area. “USDA continues to support our nation’s farmers through investments that help strengthen our rural communities.” As part of this funding investment, eight land-grant universities will lead projects aimed at integrating sustainable agricultural approaches covering the entire food production system. Among the eight universities leading these projects, Western Illinois University will lead research aimed at developing pennycress as an oilseed crop that can be used as biofuel. Its goal is to help farmers throughout the U.S. Midwest Corn Belt and in other temperate-regions to grow pennycress as a winter-annual cash cover crop. Pennycress is a unique, high-yielding oilseed crop that can provide environmental benefits including reducing nitrogen runoff and preventing soil erosion. New Mexico State University will focus on improving the efficiency of Southwestern ranches by using systems models and linking the socioeconomic and environmental trade-offs associated with heritage cattle genetics, precision ranching and range finishing. This will ultimately help Southwest producers find more economical and sustainable ways to raise beef cattle using precision farming techniques. North Carolina State University is leading a multi-institutional project that focuses on increasing crop productivity, conserving natural resources, and reducing the agro-ecological footprint using cover crops. This research investment taps into creative intellect from 19 universities and scientific experts from USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. This research investment is part of a new program within NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative’s (AFRI) Sustainable Agricultural Systems program, the nation’s leading and largest competitive grants program for agricultural sciences. AFRI is authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill and addresses major challenges in food, agriculture, natural resources and human sciences. “If we want a sustainable food production system that also safeguards our natural resources, we need approaches that are both innovative and economically viable for our nation’s farmers, ranchers and food producers.  This ultimately benefits our nation’s consumers,” said Hutchins.  A list of the eight universities and their research projects is available on the NIFA website. - 30 – USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

NIFA invests in and advances agricultural research, education, and extension, and promotes  transformative discoveries that solve societal challenges.

NMSU researchers determining amount of water needed to raise wine grapes

NMSU researchers determining amount of water needed to raise wine grapes
DATE: 09/12/2019
WRITER: Jane Moorman, 505-249-0527, jmoorman@nmsu.edu
CONTACT: Gill Giese, 505-865-7340, ggiese@nmsu.edu
BERNALILLO – How much water does it take to grow wine grapes?

A study coordinated by New Mexico State University at Santa Ana’s Tamaya Vineyard north of Bernalillo has learned how much water is used by three varieties of wine grapes.

“We are finding out how much water is used by the plant compared to how much was applied,” said Gill Giese, NMSU viticulture specialist. “This year we gathered data regarding how much water three different varieties used. The next step is to monitor how much water is applied to produce the quantity and quality for the desired production goal, as well as the specific type and style of wine.”

As the multi-year study progresses, the researchers will gather data to provide growers and water regulating government agencies with practical quantities of water needed to grow grapes in the Middle Rio Grande region of New Mexico.

The Santa Ana Agricultural Enterprise is gathering data for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service regarding the amount of water used for growing grapes, alfalfa and corn.

“We received a grant from NRCS to gather data regarding the amount of water we use as well as how much fertilizer and compost is applied,” said Jim Peterson, manager of the Santa Ana vineyard. “We want to learn the optimal amount of times to water with our drip irrigation system.”

NMSU joined in the study to gather additional data.

“This type of study has not been done in this region,” Giese said. “With the wine industry growing in New Mexico, and water availability decreasing, this information will be vital.”

The water requirements of Vitis vinifera wine grapes; Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir, were calculated.

“We want to know how much water the plant is actually using versus how much it really needs at each of the growth stages during a given season,” Giese said.

Grapevine stem water potential and volumetric soil water were measured from bud break through harvest to determine vine water stress.

The data was collected by Elda Quintana, a graduate student intern from the Universidad Technologica de Paquime in Casa Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico.

The stem water potential was determined with a Scholander pressure chamber, also known as a “pressure bomb,” where an increasing level of pressure was placed around a leaf stem until sap bubbled from the stem cut. The higher the pressure applied, the less moisture in the plant, which correlates to degree of plant water stress.

The volumetric soil water was determined with a frequency reflectometry probe measuring percentage of moisture at six depths.

“We compared these measurements with estimated vine water requirements by using growing season reference evapotranspiration adjusted to the grape crop’s evapotranspiration that was influenced by the actual vine canopy size,” Giese said. “This is referred to as the crop coefficient.”

This year’s study was limited to two vines for each variety. Next growing season, Giese plans to replicate the study to gather a wider base of data for statistical analysis.

“We learned that, under this year’s weather conditions, Pinot Noir required less water per vine than the other two varieties,” Giese said. “This result was impacted by the variable soil conditions within the planting and impacted the water required within each variety.”

“This research can serve as a reference for wine growers looking for efficient water management, as well as people who intend to establish a vineyard in a region that has similar characteristics as New Mexico,” Giese said.

“It was nice having Elda working on this study this summer, because the data can eventually be used by grape growers in Chihuahua, Mexico, to make better use of water through the proper management of their irrigation systems in a semi-arid region.”
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