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A key problem
in our mid-Atlantic Region is that frequently we encounter droughts
on a regular basis. Many of our soils are shallow or sandy and corn
yields are severely impacted on these soils. As a result we are
often unable to meet the demands for corn in our region. Recently
several land grant researchers in the region have joined forces
to look for ways to manage our variable soils more efficiently.
This project is known as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Cropping Systems
Project, and is funded by the Foundation for Agronomic Research,
through support of numerous industry contributors and the United
Soybean Board.
Dr. Mark Alley, from
Virginia Tech, heads up the project. Other collaborators on the
project are from N. C. State, University of Maryland and Penn State.
The Main Study Site of the project is at the Camden Farm in Port
Royal, Virginia. This is a large corn/wheat/soybean grain farm with
two major soil types: droughty sandy loam Bojac soils and productive
Wickham sandy loam soils.
On these soils 3 different
grain crop rotations have been established: 1) a standard no-till
corn, conventional till wheat, double crop soybean rotation, 2)
no-till corn, no-till soybeans, notill wheat, no-till double crop
soybeans, and 3) no-till wheat, no-till double crop soybeans, no-till
barley, no-till double crop corn. The objective is to determine
the profitability of each rotation the different soils.
In the first year of
the study, 1998, an economic analysis indicated rotation 1, the
corn/wheat soybean rotation would be the most profitable on The
Bojac soils or on a farm with an equal portion of both soils. For
a farm with all of the productive Wickham soils, Rotation 2 would
be the most profitable. These results are based on yields during
the first year (1998) when full season corn averaged 158 bu/Acre,
double crop corn, 78 bu/A, full season soybeans, 35 bu/A, double
crop soybeans, 24 to 29 bu/A, Conv. Till wheat 64 bu/A, notill wheat
55 bu/A and notill barley 92 bu/A.
The other researchers
in the project are studying various components of the system and
new technologies that could improve the base system. At N.C. State,
for example, Ron Heininger and Gail Wilkerson are developing variable
rate N and variable rate weed management systems. We are evaluating
starter fertilizers and plant populations for corn here in Pennsylvania.
The project has established a web site to share the results of the
main study and all of the satellite projects as they progress: www.farmresearch.com.
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