No-till Grain Production in Wyoming: Status and Potential

In dryland cropping systems, optimal yields require that nutrient supply matches the soil’s yield potential supported by available moisture. Conservation tillage systems that leave at least 30 percent of the soil surface covered by residue dramatically increase moisture retained in the soil compared to crop-fallow systems. This enables producers to plant two, three, or four consecutive crops, or continuously, without fallow, but water and nutrient needs are much more closely balanced with supplies, so more intensive management is required. As soil organic matter lost during decades of frequent tillage recover, soil water holding capacity, infiltration, and nutrient supplying ability increase. Crop nutrients come from organic residues decomposing inseason, often stimulated by fertilizer additions. Excess water and plant-available nutrients accumulated during year-long fallow periods are eliminated. This season-long nutrient supply increases grain protein. Since crop nutrient needs are more closely balanced with soil nutrient supply rates, in-season assessment of nutrient status and addition of fertilizer can be necessary. New technologies for nutrient assessment, such as specialized satellite imagery, are important tools in the intensified and diversified conservation cropping systems. Rates of adoption of conservation tillage practices in Wyoming lag behind surrounding states. Relatively low cropland acreage has prevented development of a strong extension program in Wyoming, but collaborative research and educational programs, both on-farm and at Wyoming’s research & extension centers, have potential to increase the number of producers using conservation tillage.