Cottonwood District Newsletter Spring 2020 Newsletter | Page 14

New research on strategic tillage in dryland no-till systems

K-State Research & Extension is doing research studies in Garden City, Hays, and Tribune on evaluating strategic or occasional tillage (one or two tillage operations every three years in a wheat-sorghum-fallow rotations compared to no-till to determine the effect of low-frequency tillage in the cropping system.

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of strategic tillage in long-term NT systems on:

1. Soil water content at winter wheat planting

2. Winter wheat and grain sorghum yields

3. Effectiveness of ST to redistribute soil nutrients, reduce soil acidity, and control perennial grass and herbicide-resistant weeds

4. Determine soil quality following tillage of an otherwise long-term NT soil

Take-home message – thus far

This study is on-going but the results so far, suggest strategic tillage could provide a mitigation option for herbicide-resistant weeds in no-till crop production with little impact on crop yields and soil chemical properties.

For more detailed information on this study, please refer to: “Strategic Tillage in Dryland No-tillage Crop Production Systems,” Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports: Vol. 5: Iss. 4. https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.7756

Hays Daily News

Every Sunday’s edition of the Hays Daily News (HDN) I put in a news column related to agriculture production relevant to our area—whether it be pest alerts (insects, diseases, weed control) to our crops, management tips, upcoming programs & field days, etc.

If you aren’t a subscriber to HDN there is a free app. You can get on your smart phone.

Dog Training Lessons

Lesson 1: Training a dog to Heal

Lesson 2: Training a dog to Lay Down

Lesson 3: Training a dog to Roll Over

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