Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING
1000 E UNIVERSITY AVE DEPARTMENT 3434
LARAMIE,WY 82071-2000
Performing Department
PLANT SCIENCES
Non Technical Summary
The primary objective of the project is to acquire a Real-time Kinetic Global Positioning System (RTK-GPS), an automatic steering and guidance system for farm equipment, and a laptop computer for on-site data processing. With this equipment research will be initiated into innovative precision agriculture alternatives to the erosion-prone wide-strip (110-150 feet) dryland wheat production system of the Central Great Plains. Following acquisition of the equipment, research will be initiated to evaluate the effectiveness of no-till narrow fallow and no-till wide-row wheat cropping in: reducing erosional soil loss, weed suppression, increasing soil organic matter, improving soil fertility, improving water use efficiency, and increasing profitability relative to conventional wide strip wheat/fallow cropping. We will apply RTK-GPS technology to existing agricultural equipment in planting, weed suppression, fertilization, and harvest of wheat in the proposed alternative
cropping systems and evaluate its profitability compared to the conventional wheat-fallow system.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The primary objective of the project is to acquire a Real-time Kinetic Global Positioning System (RTK-GPS), an automatic steering and guidance system for farm equipment, and a laptop computer for on-site data processing. With this equipment research will be initiated into innovative precision agriculture alternatives to the erosion-prone wide-strip (110-150 feet) dryland wheat production system of the Central Great Plains. Following acquisition of the equipment, research will be initiated to: 1) Evaluate the effectiveness of no-till narrow fallow and no-till wide-row wheat cropping in reducing erosional soil loss, weed suppression, increasing SOM, improving soil fertility, improving water use efficiency, and increasing profitability relative to conventional wide strip wheat/fallow cropping; 2) Apply RTK-GPS technology to existing agricultural equipment in planting, weed suppression, fertilization, and harvest of wheat in the proposed alternative cropping systems and
evaluate its profitability compared to the conventional wheat-fallow system.
Project Methods
The initial research we propose to perform with this equipment will be conducted at the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Development Center (SAREC) located in Goshen County, Wyoming. The RTK-GPS unit will allow us to develop a precision agricultural system of planting, weed control, and harvest that will reduce erosional soil losses and increase the conservation of soil moisture. Treatments will consist of conventional wheat-fallow (WF), narrow-fallow (NF), and wide-row wheat (WRW) and are designed to be planted, maintained, and harvested with existing equipment. The research will be conducted for 4 years on existing fields that have been in a WF rotation for many years. The first year will be used to establish the new system. The WF treatment will be planted in 7.5-inch rows across standard 110-150 foot wide strips. The NF treatment consists of 30-inch wide strips of wheat alternating with 30-inch fallow strips; the positions of the wheat and fallow will alternate
each year. The WRW treatment will be planted in rows spaced 22.5-inches apart; wheat will be planted in the inter-row space the subsequent year. The same seeding rate (seeds per linear foot of row) will be used for all treatments. The NF and WRW systems require accurate and consistent row spacing from one drill pass to the next and from year to year because each year's crop is planted in the narrow fallow or inter-row spaces of the previous year to capitalize on stored soil water. Weeds will be controlled with the appropriate commercially available herbicides. They will be applied to the NF and WRW with a shielded sprayer that will allow the precision application of non-selective herbicides, such as glyphosate (e.g., Roundup), to the fallow between the narrow wheat strips without damaging the crop. Yields will be measured using a farm-size combine and weigh wagon. Soil water content, temperature, and fertility status will be monitored. Locations of yield, plant, and soil samples will
be recorded with GPS for future spatial analysis in GIS.