Soil Water Management Through Cropping Systems Chris Augustin

Soil Water Management Through Cropping Systems Chris Augustin NDSU Soil Health Extension Specialist Chris. augustin@ndsu. edu 701 -857 -7682

Think Landscapes no Ru Recharge ff This was the best ground in 88! Throughflow Discharge Impermeable Layer

How do you manage water? • • Drainage Tillage Fallow Crops – Cash Crops – Cover Crops – Perennial Crops • Where in the landscape is the issue?

NDAWN Season Long Crop Water Use Crop Total Rainfall Alfalfa Sugar beet Corn Turf Grass Soybean Potato Sunflower Dry Bean Wheat Barley Inches of Water Used 20. 05 24. 41 21. 71 18. 49 18. 16 17. 04 16. 37 15. 42 14. 43 14. 21 12. 70 -4. 36 -1. 66 +1. 56 +1. 89 +3. 01 +3. 68 +4. 63 +5. 62 +5. 85 +7. 35 Surplus or Deficit Water use was from May 1 – Oct 15 at Rugby NDAWN http: //ndawn. ndsu. nodak. edu/crop-water-use. html

Water Management With Tillage • Evaporation Water Management Spring Wheat Cover Crop Range Average Cover Crop Tilled Fallow Inches of Water Used 4. 3 1. 4 – 3. 3 2. 1 0. 6 Jun 17 – Aug 12 of 2009 James Staricka 2011

Water Management With Tillage Water Management Inches of Water Used Spring Wheat Safflower Ndeficient Wheat 3 Annual Legumes Green Manure Legume Tilled Fallow 3. 7 3. 2 2. 1 0. 1 4. 4 Measurement time is shorter than growing season 10 Year Average from mid-May to mid-Aug James Staricka 2011

Fallow vs. Crop Water Use Courtesy of Jim Staricka, WREC

Fallow vs. Crop Water Use Courtesy of Jim Staricka, WREC

How Should I Plan Cover Crops? • • • Erosion control? Water Management? Nitrogen? O. M. ? Compaction? Cost? Salinity Time of Year? Grazing? Future/Past Rotation? Mix/Cocktail?

Root Architectures

http: //www. ars. usda. gov/Services/docs. htm? docid=20323

Season Long Cover Crop Water Use Additional 3. 19 inches of rainfall during this period. Dragseth et al. , 2009

Cover Crop Costs Cover Crop Type Cost $/ac Barley, Lentil 20. 75 Peas, Oats, Safflower 19. 95 Barley, Peas, Turnip, Radish 19. 45 Soybean, Oats, Millet, Sunflower 19. 51 Agassiz Blend 33. 00 Cocktail Description Soybeans, Lentils, Peas, Purple Top Turnip, Bio Till Radish, Crimson Clover, German Millet, Oats, Sunflowers Pulse USA – Original N Builder 32. 67 Pulse USA Early N Builder 38. 20 Pulse USA Early Small Seeded 25. 65 Crimson Clover, Purple Top Turnip, Bio Till Radish, Rape Seed, Annual Ryegrass, Millet Pulse USA Early Grazer 35. 83 Forage Peas, Lentils, Oats, Millet, Radish, Turnip, Clover Pulse USA – Prevent Plant 25. 44 Dragseth et al. , 2009

Late Season NDAWN Crop Water Use Crop Total Rainfall Sugar beet Corn Soybean Sunflower Dry Bean Wheat Barley Inches of Water Used 6. 18 4. 90 4. 92 5. 02 6. 41 6. 31 6. 65 7. 09 +1. 28 +1. 26 +1. 16 -0. 23 -0. 13 -0. 47 -0. 91 Surplus or Deficit Estimate is for Aug 5 emergence to Oct 15 at Rugby NDAWN http: //ndawn. ndsu. nodak. edu/crop-water-use. html

Late-Late Season NDAWN Crop Water Use Crop Total Rainfall Sugar beet Corn Soybean Sunflower Dry Bean Wheat Barley Inches of Water Used 3. 83 1. 29 1. 21 1. 26 1. 63 1. 79 2. 00 +2. 54 +2. 62 +2. 57 +2. 20 +2. 04 +1. 83 Surplus or Deficit Estimate is for Sept 5 emergence to Oct 15 at Rugby NDAWN http: //ndawn. ndsu. nodak. edu/crop-water-use. html

Winter Wheat and Cover Crop Water Use Crop Total Rainfall Winter Wheat Aug 1 Cover Crop Sunflowers Inches of Water Used 20. 05 14. 21 6. 41 +5. 85 -0. 56 Surplus or Deficit Mix of cool season grass and warm season broadleaf http: //ndawn. ndsu. nodak. edu/crop-water-use. html

Summary • Tillage and crops manage water. • Tillage has a short term quick effect on drying up the soil. • However, evaporation can make your soils more prone to salinization, erosion, and loose O. M. • And crops utilize more water than tillage and have greater benefits for the soil.

Works Cited • Dragseth, K. , C. Hill, and J. Staricka. 2009. WREC cover crop study. NDSU-WREC/MSUEARC 2009 Agricultural Research Update. Williston Research Extension Center, Williston, ND. • J. Staricka. 2011. Plant crops to dry out excessively wet fields. WREC Report. Williston Research Extension Center, Williston, ND.