SUSTAINABLE CROPPING SYSTEMS FOR SMALL SCALE, ORGANIC, AND CONVENTIONAL FARMS IN ARID AGROECOSYSTEMS OF NEW MEXICO

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0229532
• Project Start Date: Apr 1, 2012
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2016
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY
1620 STANDLEY DR ACADEMIC RESH A RM 110
LAS CRUCES,NM 88003-1239

Performing Department
Plant and Environmental Sciences

Non Technical Summary
Current intensive crop production practices in the arid agroecosystems of Southwest U.S. are not sustainable. These will likely produce poor soil quality, reduced crop productivity, and low farm profitability. The cropping systems are less diverse and are based on annual rotations including mostly summer cash crops such as cotton, chile or onions with no crops grown during the winter months. Most of these crops are grown as either monocultures or short rotations and in some cases with perennials such as alfalfa. More diverse cropping systems have been shown to improve crop productivity as well as improved soil quality characteristics in other parts of the nation. However, only few studies have compared soil quality between cropping systems in arid agroecosystems of Southwest U.S. No information is available for crop productivity comparisons of the region. Soils in the Southwest U.S. generally have low soil quality indicators including soil organic matter and soil aggregate stability even with use of organic amendments as observed in preliminary studies in southern and eastern parts of the state.

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

(N/A)

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
102	0110	2061	100%

Knowledge Area
102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships;

Subject Of Investigation
0110 - Soil;

Field Of Science
2061 - Pedology;

Keywords

sustainable agriculture

soil fertility

organic farming

Goals / Objectives
Overall goal of this program is to optimize sustainable crop production systems for small scale, organic and conventional farms in the arid agroecosystems of New Mexico. Individual objectives are: 1) Evaluate crop rotations for transition from conventional to organic production; 2) Screen and evaluate cover crops for adaptability and agronomic suitability in organic and conventional cropping systems of southern NM; 3) Evaluate soil fertility management options for small scale local organic crop production.

Project Methods
Evaluation of crop rotations for transition from conventional to organic will be conducted at a recently established experiment at Leyendecker Plant Science Center in Las Cruces. The rotation treatments include diverse legume and non-legume crops in rotation with cash grain crop of corn. The research will be conducted for a 3-yr transition period following which crop rotations with more frequent cash crops will be evaluated. Observations will be made on soil physical and chemical characteristics; weed density and biomass; and crop yield and nutrient use. In addition, observations will be made on biomass accumulation and nutrient contributions by green manure crops. For cover crop screening study, a set of summer and winter cover crops including legumes, grasses, and brassicas will be evaluated at Lyendecker Plant Science Center for their adaptability into the local cropping systems. Observations will be made on biomass production potential, C: N ratio, and planting and termination time. The selected cover crops that performed well in the initial phase will be selected for further investigation on agronomic management. Evaluation of soil fertility management options for small scale organic broccoli production will be done by testing commercial organic fertilizers with locally available fertility sources in a replicated study at NMSU Fabian Garcia Plant Science Center. Measurements will be made on crop yield, nutrient use, and soil characteristics.

Progress 04/01/12 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:Research results were presented to internaitonal, national and reginal scientific community throught research presentations;and to producers and extension personnnel and clientele through extension presentations. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Attendance and participation in several regional and national conferences: - New Mexico Sustainable Agriculture Conference, Los Lunas, NM (November 30, 2016). - American Society of Agronomy-Crop Science Society of America-Soil Science Society of America International Annual Meeting, Phoenix, AZ, USA (November 6, 2016 - November 9, 2016). - Western Crop Science Society of America Annual Meetings, Albuquerque, NM (July 22-23, 2016). - New Mexico Chile Pepper Conference, Las Cruces, NM (Feb., 2016). - New Mexico Organic Farming Conference, Albuquerque, NM (Feb., 2016). - Visit to Agriculture Research Institutes in India for potential collaborations (Sept.-October, 2016). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated through regional conferences through various extension outlets including workshops, local and regional grower meetings, field days, and extension bulletins. Timely information was also disseminated through online articles or media releases. Need based consultancy was provided in collaboration with county agents or directly to clientele from within and out of the state of NM through personal meetings, phone and emails on various issues in sustainable crop production. Collaborations were also developed with external agencies and institutes including NM Department of Agriculture (NMDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Texas A&M Agrilife, Texas Tech University and eOrganic/ eXtension online communities. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? This program addresses crop production issues of concern to growers including small-scale, socially disadvantaged, and organic growers. Specifically, the program aims to address issues related to designing sustainable cropping systems based on sound agroecological principles. The program is creating a strong impact by providing need based information to the clientele through presenting at conferences, conducting field days and grower meetings. Applied research studies were established to generate region specific information. Competitive funding was obtained to survey organic peanut growers and document challenges faced in sustainable peanut production. Other research projects included crop rotation for transition to organic; summer cover crops for southern New Mexico; green manure options for small scale and organic farms; evaluation of guar as a potential drought tolerant alternative crop in New Mexico. This program has evaluated and identified cover crops that would fit in local farming systems. Dissemination of research based region specific information on sustainable crop production systems is helping clientele understand and implement management practices to achieve their sustainability goals. This is reflected through interest and requests for trainings on topics such as cover crops, green manures, alternative crops and crop rotations at local and regional conferences. The positive impact of the extension program is also reflected in the evaluations obtained at the end of trainings. For instance, at the Sustainable Agriculture Conference at Deming, NM in 2013, 95% participants ranked the workshop very high (4 or 5 on a scale of 1-5); with 85% respondents indicating a high gain in the knowledge of the topic and an intent to use the information in their work. Similarly, at the USDA Sustainable Workshop at Hatch, NM, in 2012, 100% of the 30 respondents rated it very high with 90% of them indicating a high gain in their knowledge. Additionally, in an evaluation of a workshop presented at the NM Organic Conference, 88% of the participants rated the quality of the presentation as very high, and 76-82% participants found the information highly useful and indicated a high gain of knowledge on the topic of cover crops. The responses of the participants to the question, what changes will they make because of what they learned, included: 1) will make cover crops and growing soil the new focus; 2) will use cover crops more aggressively and employ green manures; 3) will grow cover crops between vegetable plantings; 4) include cover crops in rotation. Several follow-up queries and requests for more information have also been received.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Singla, S., Grover, K., Angadi, S., Schutte, B. J., VanLeeuwen, D. (2016). Guar stand establishment, physiology, and yield responses to planting date in southern New Mexico. Agronomy Journal, 108(6), 2289-2300.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Singla, S., Grover, K., Angadi, S., Begna, S., Schutte, B. J., VanLeeuwen, D. (2016). Growth and yield of guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.) genotypes under different planting dates in the semi-arid Southern High Plains. American Journal of Plant Sciences, 7, 1246-1258.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Havlik, C., Grover, K., Bosland, P., Walker, S. (2016). Field Production of Organic Chile (ed.). aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/H258.pdf
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Grover, K. (2016). Enhancing student experiences in Plant Sciences through inquiry-based learning. Proceedings of the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and the Soil Science Society of America.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Grover, K., Singla, S., Angadi, S., Schutte, B. J., VanLeeuwen, D. (2016). Growth and performance of guar genotypes under various planting dates in desert southwest (vol. 218-12). Proceedings of the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and the Soil Science Society of America.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Idowu, O. J., Omer, M. F., Grover, K., Al-Ibraheemi, N., Schutte, B. J., Sanogo, S. (2016). Suitable legumes for cover cropping in the irrigated arid southwest. Albuquerque, 2016: Western Crop Science Society.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Submitted Year Published: 2016 Citation: Omer, M. F., Idowu, O. J., Grover, K., Schutte, B. J., Sanogo, S. Evaluating suitability of legume species as cover crops in irrigated arid systems. Agronomy Journal. Date Submitted: December 2016.
• Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Singla, S. 2016. Growth and yield performance of guar (Cyamposis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.) genotypes under different planting dates in desert southwest.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Grover, K., Singla, S., Angadi, S., Schutte, B. J., Begna, S., VanLeeuwen, D. Growth and performance of guar genotypes under various planting dates in southern and eastern New Mexico. Albuquerque, 2016: Western Crop Science Society.

Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15

Outputs
Target Audience:Research results were presented to internaitonal, national and reginal scientific community throught research presentations; and to producers and extension personnnel and clientele through extension presentations. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate and undergraduate training was provided. Advising included three graduate students as chair (MS), co-chair (PhD) and committee member (PhD) during the year. Academic advising was also provided to 14 undergraduate students during the year. In addition, mentoring was provided to a summer student through the New Mexico Alliance for Minority Program Undergraduate Research Assistantship. Attended conferences, workshops and extension events: New Mexico Organic Farming Conference, Albuquerque, NM February 19-20, 2015 Western Sustainable Research and Education Program", WSARE and NMSU CES, Las Cruces, New Mexico (May 14, 2015). Science Café, Sigma Xi, Honorary Society of Agriculture, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States (April 30, 2015). Seminar, Diversity in faculty at NMSU, NMSU, Las Cruces, NM (February 9, 2015). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results were disseminated through presentations at international, national, state and local level research and teaching conferences. Results were also disseminated through extension trainings, field days and tours. In addition, results were incorporated into the graduate and undergraduate curriculum in sustainable crop production. Presentations were delivered to growers, extension personnel and other stake holders. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Research will be continued, results analyzed and presented through research and extension mediums, and student training will be provided.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Research continued on several issues including alternative crops, cover crops and organic transitions crop rotations. Results were presented at national and international meetings and published as abstracts or peer-reviewed journal articles. Scholarly activities also included proposals submitted to the Internal Review Board and approval obtained to assess impact of the new teaching activities implemented. Graduate and undergraduate training was provided. Several trainings, presentations were delivered to growers, extension personnel and other stake holders. Reviewer services were provided to review numerous journal manuscripts.

Publications

• Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Abidi, N., Liyanage, S., Auld, D., Imel, R. K., Newsman, L., Grover, K., Singla, S., Angadi, S., Trostle, C. (2015). Challenges and opportunities for increasing guar production in the United States to support unconventional oil and gas production. In Uddameri, V., A. Morse and K. Tindle (Ed.),
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Uchanski, M. E., Grover, K., VanLeeuwen, D., Goss, R. M. (2015). Integrating Hoop House Construction and Environmental Data Interpretation into an Undergraduate General Education Plant Science Course. Hort Technology, 25(2), 247-252.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Stringam, B., Shukla, M. K., Grover, K. (2015). In Gerald A. Gibbons, David Gensler, Blair L. Stringam, Susan S. Anderson (Ed.), Using the TI 84 for Irrigation Scheduling Training (pp. 69 - 76
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Grover, K., Stovall, S. M. (2015). Enhancing student experiences in Plant Sciences through inquiry-based learning. NACTA Journal.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Singla, S. (Presenter), Grover, K., Angadi, S., Schutte, B. J., VanLeeuwen, D., Auld, D., (2015). Association of Advancements of Industrial Crops Annual Meeting, Lubbock, TX, "Planting Date Effect on Growth and Yield of Promising Guar Genotypes in Desert Southwest"
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Grover, K., Colin, A., NM Alliance for Minority Participation conference, NMSU, Las Cruces, NM, "Testing of guar in southern NM.".
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Singla, S. (Presenter), Grover, K., Angadi, S., 2015. Graduate Research and Arts Symposium, NMSU, Las Cruces, NM, "Diverse Guar Genotypes Performance under different Planting Dates in New Mexico". (March 18, 2015).
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Singh, S., Angadi, S., Grover, K., Begna, S., Auld, D. (2015). Drought response and yield formation of spring safflower under different water regimes in the semiarid Southern High Plains. Agricultural Water Management. Agricultural Water Management
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Angadi, S. (Presenter), Singh, S., Begna, S., Grover, K., 2015. 3rd. International Plant Physiology Conference, New Delhi, India, "Deep Rooted Crops under Center Pivot Irrigation: Managing Water Stress", December 12, 2015
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Singh, S. (Presenter), Boote, K., Angadi, S., Grover, K., Begna, S., Auld, D., ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, "Field Scale Adaptation of the CROPGRO Model for Spring Safflower", November 16, 2015).
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Singh, S. (Presenter), Angadi, S., Grover, K., St Hilaire, R., Begna, S., ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, "Seasonal Water Withdrawal Patterns of Spring Safflower under Growth Stage Based Irrigation Managements",(November 16, 2015).
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Singh, S. (Presenter), Boote, K., Angadi, S., Grover, K., Begna, S., Auld, D., Association of Advancements of Industrial Crops Annual Meeting, Lubbock, TX, "Simulating growth and yield of spring safflower using CROPGRO model in semiarid New Mexico", (October 20, 2015).

Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14

Outputs
Target Audience: Research results were presented to international, national and regional scientific community through research presentations; and to producers and extension personnel and clientele through extension presentations. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Graduate and undergraduate training was provided. Advising included three graduate students as chair (MS), co-chair (PhD) and committee member (PhD) during the year. Academic advising was also provided to 14 undergraduate students during the year. In addition, mentoring was provided to a summer student through the New Mexico Alliance for Minority Program Undergraduate Research Assistantship. Participated in several conferences, workshops and extension events: 1. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual International Meetings, Long Beach, CA, Nov. 1-4, 2014. 2. Sustainable Agric. Research & Edu. (SARE) Fellowes Tour, Los Lunas, NM, May 20, 2014. 3. National Cover Crops and Soil Health Conference, Las Cruces, NM, February 18, 2014. 4. New Mexico Organic Farming Conference, Albuquerque, NM February 14-15, 2014. 5. New Mexico Chile Conference, Las Cruces, NM, February 4, 2014. 6. Extension In-service Conference, Las Cruces, NM, January 6-8, 2014 7. Onion Field Day, Leyendecker Plant Science Center, Las Cruces, NM. July 16, 2014. 8. Navajo Nation Farm Board Training, Tsaile, AZ, November 17, 2014 9. NM Pesticide Applicator training, Las Cruces, December 4, 2014. Using cover crop mixtures, eOrganic webinar, October 14, 2014. 10. Cover crops: why grow a crop you don't sell? USDA NRCS webinar, March 28, 2014. 11. New USDA cover crop termination policy, webinar, January 23, 2014. 12. Course Design Summer Camp, Online Course Improvement Program, NMSU Teaching Academy, July 21-24 and July 29-31, 2014. 13. NACTA annual conference, Bozeman, MT, June 25-29, 2014. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results were disseminated through presentations at international, national, state and local level research and teaching conferences. Results were also disseminated through extension trainings, field days and tours. In addition, results were incoroporated into the graduate and undergraduate curriculum in sustainable crop production. Several trainings, field day presentations were delivered to growers, extension personnel and other stake holders. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Research will be continued, results analyzed and presented through research and extension mediums, and student training will be provided.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Research was initiated and continued on several issues including alternative crops, cover crops and organic transitions crop rotations. Results were presented at national and international meetings and published as abstracts or peer-reviewed journal articles. Scholarly activities also included proposals submitted to the Internal Review Board and approval obtained to assess impact of the new teaching activities implemented. Graduate and undergraduate training was provided. Several trainings, field day presentations were delivered to growers, extension personnel and other stake holders. Reviewer services were provided to review grant submitted under the USDA, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Small Business Innovation Research Program Small and Mid-Size Farms, February, 2014.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Singh, S., K. Grover, S. Begna, S. Angadi, M. Shukla, R. Steiner and D. Auld. 2014. Physiological response of diverse origin spring safflower genotypes to salinity. Journal for Arid Land Studies 24(1):169-174.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Grover, K., Singla, S. and S. Angadi. 2014. Guar as a potential crop in New Mexico. American Society of Agronomy-Crop Science Society of America-Soil Science Society of America (ASA-CSSA-SSSA) Meeting, Long Beach, CA, November 2-5, 2014.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Idowu, O. J., Schutte, B. J., Uchanski, M. E., Grover, K. (2014). Crop performance, weed community and soil changes in an irrigated organic transition field in the southwestern USA. ASA, CSSA, & SSSA International Annual Meeting
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Singh, S., S. Begna, K. Grover, S. Angadi & D. Auld. 2014. Growth stage based irrigation management of spring safflower. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Meeting, Long Beach, CA, Nov. 2-5, 2014.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Grover, K. 2014. Teaching sustainable crop production through collaborative learning. NACTA Journal 58(2):177-178.
• Type: Other Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Grover, K. In press. Enhancing student experiences in Plant Sciences through inquiry-based learning. NACTA Journal.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Uchanski, M., K. Grover, D. VanLeeuwen and R. Goss. Accepted. Integrating high tunnel construction and data collection into an undergraduate general education plant science course. HortTechnology.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Idowu, J. and K. Grover. 2014. Principles of cover cropping for arid and semi-arid farming systems. Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, NMSU Guide 150.
• Type: Book Chapters Status: Accepted Year Published: 2015 Citation: Liyanage, S., Abidi, N., Auld, D., Newsman, L., Grover, K., Singla, S., Angadi, S., Trostle, C. (in press). Challenges and opportunities for increasing guar production in the United States to support unconventional oil and gas production. In Uddameri, V., A. Morse and K. Tindle (Ed.), Fracturing Impacts and Technologies (eds. Uddameri, V., A. Morse and K. Tindle). Francis and Taylor.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Stringam, B. and K. Grover. 2014. Crop yield function and evapotranspiration comparison for crops near Hatch, New Mexico. Journal for Arid Land Studies 24(1):125-128.

Progress 01/01/13 to 09/30/13

Outputs
Target Audience: Research results were presented tonational and international scientific community through research presentations; and to producers and extension personnel and clientele through extension presentations. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Supervised two Master's students for their thesis work on cover crops and green manures. Trained undergraduate students through special projects in organic agriculture and alternative crops. Provided trainings to extension personnel and growers on various aspects of sustainable crop production. Participated in several conferences, workshops and field days including: 1. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual International Meetings. Nov. 3-7, 2013, Tampa, FL. 2. New Mexico Organic Farming Conference. Feb. 16-17, 2013. Albuquerque, NM. 3. New Mexico Higher Education and Retention Conference, Feb. 20-21, 2013, Albuquerque, NM. 4. New Mexico Chile Conference, Feb. 4-5, 2013, Las Cruces, NM. 5. New Mexico Sustainable Agriculutre Conference, Dec. 3, 2013, Deming, NM. 6. Field Days, New Mexico State University Agricultural Science Centers at Clovis, Los Lunas, and Alcalde, NM. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results have been disseminated through presentations at local, state and national level research and teaching meetings. Results have been also disseminated through extension activities including field days and trainings. Additionally, results have been incorporated into the graduate and undergraduate curriculum in sustainable crop production. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Research will be continued and results analyzed and disseminated through research and extension presentations and student trainings.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Research has been initiated or continued on several aspects listed including cover crops and organic transition crop rotations. Results from the research projects were presented at several national and international conferences and meetings and published as abstracts or peer-reviewed journal publications. Graduate student training was provided in sustainable crop production. Two Masters theses were also completed and published from the research on cover crops and green manures. Research on selection of cover crops has helped in identifying cover crops and green manures that can be integrated into local cropping systems of the desert southwest. Projects were included on experiential learning in curriculum to give students a broader training in cover cropping and sustainable crop production. Several trainings, field day presentations were also delivered to clientele in the state based on results obtained from these projects.

Publications

• Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Omer, M. 2013. Screening of green manure legume cover crops suitable for the irrigated desert southwest of the United States. MS Thesis. New Mexico State University.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Grover, K. 2013. Teaching sustainable crop production through collaborative learning. Abstract. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual International Meeting, Tampa, FL.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Grover, K., Shukla, M. K., Singh, S., Deb, S. (2013). Salinity in agricultural soils under organic farming system. Ciencia en la Frontera, 11, 11-17.
• Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2014 Citation: Stringam, B. and K. Grover. Crop yield function and evapotranspiration comparison for crops near Hatch, New Mexico. 2014. J. Arid Land Studies.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Grover, K., J. Idowu, N. Al-ibraheemi and M. Omer. 2013. Selecting Adaptable Cover Crops for the Desert Southwest Cropping Systems. Abstract. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual International Meeting, Tampa, FL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Grover, K., Singla, S., Angadi, S., Holguin, F. O., Carroll, K. C. 2013. Evaluating Guar for its Adaptability in New Mexico. Abstract. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual International Meeting, Tampa, FL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Idowu, J., K. Grover, M. Omer and N. Al-ibraheemi. 2013. Screening of Green Manure Legumes Adaptable to the Desert Southwest. Abstract. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual International Meeting, Tampa, FL.
• Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Grover, K., M. Shukla, S. Singh and S. Deb. 2013.Soil salinnity and related soil characteristics under long-term irrigated organic agroecosystems in desert southwestern US. Abstract. ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual International Meeting, Tampa, FL.
• Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Al-ibraheemi, N. 2013. Cover crops for sustainable cropping systems in the desert southwest. MS Thesis. New Mexico State University.

Progress 01/01/12 to 12/31/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: A revised rotation experiment was established in 2012 to evaluate crop rotation for transition to organic. A study was established investigating several genotypes of guar. An experiment evaluating different soil fertility sources was completed. A study was established investigating grass, legume and non-legume cover crops. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
The expected outcomes from this project include information that the producers of the southwest region could use for transition to organic systems. New cover crops that could be integrated into the corn based systems to provide soil fertility and reduce weed competition will be identified. Results from the research will help identification of guar genotypes that can grow well and produce seeds in the region. Information generated would help small scale producers improve productivity and sustainability of their operations. Results from the research will help identification and integration of cover crops into the local cropping systems thereby helping improving soil quality and sustainability of farms in the region.

Publications

• Uchanski, M. E., Benitez, J. A., Medina, E., Gutierrez, P., Grover, K., Falk, C. L. 2012. Organic broccoli production at New Mexico State University. Proceedings of the 6th National Small Farm Conference September 18-20, 2012.