www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-19-alabama-and-mississippi-blackland-prairie-case-studies stanley-walters-gallion-alabama Stanley Walters, Gallion, Alabama Editor’s note: This case study was updated in 2018. Stanley Walters farms 6,000 acres of corn and soybeans in the Black Belt region of Alabama in partnership with his son Clay under the name of Walters Farming Company. The farm headquarters is in Gallion, located seven miles east of Demopolis, and it includes locations in […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-19-alabama-and-mississippi-blackland-prairie-case-studies other-considerations Other Considerations Conservation tillage systems are needed in the Blackland Prairie due to the high erosion rates associated with conventional tillage. That said, the rolling topography coupled with clayey soils presents special challenges. A raised-bed system works well for flat, bottomland fields with very little slope. But a winter cover crop may be necessary to preserve the […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-19-alabama-and-mississippi-blackland-prairie-case-studies cover-crops-3 Cover Crops Although most conservation tillage systems include cover crops, cover crops can present unique challenges with the clayey prairie soils. Winter annual legumes such as crimson clover, hairy vetch and lupine do poorly, while Balansa clover (Trifolium michelianum subsp. Balansae (Boiss) “Paradana”) has looked promising as a reseeding winter-legume cover crop in Mississippi tests [3]. Small-grain […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-19-alabama-and-mississippi-blackland-prairie-case-studies tillage Tillage Historically, conventional tillage for many crops included bedding the land in the fall and planting on the “stale seedbed” in the spring. Bedding involves using tillage and plowing to elevate the soil surface of flat land into rows of broad low ridges that are separated by shallow and parallel channels that allow for drainage [26]. […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-18-southern-coastal-plain-and-atlantic-coast-flatwoods-case-studies specific-management-considerations Specific Management Considerations In general, conservation tillage practices in these regions are similar to conservation tillage practices in other regions. On Southern Coastal Plain and Atlantic Coast Flatwoods soils, keys to successful crop production with conservation tillage include: adequate residue cover and residue management good seed/transplant placement and crop establishment timely and aggressive weed control strategies management of […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-18-southern-coastal-plain-and-atlantic-coast-flatwoods-case-studies cash-crop-selection-and-crop-rotations Cash Crop Selection and Crop Rotations Agronomic crops dominate the row crop acreage in the two MLRAs. The primary agronomic cash crops grown are corn, small grains (primarily winter wheat), soybeans, peanuts, cotton and tobacco. Sweet potatoes and many types of fruits and vegetables including onions, cucumbers, watermelons, pumpkins and strawberries are also grown on smaller acreages. Cash crop selection depends […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-17-tennessee-valley-and-sandstone-plateau-region-case-studies specific-management-considerations Specific Management Considerations In the mid-1980s, growers in the region realized the need to adopt conservation practices on highly erodible cropland. However, techniques such as high-residue management, in-row subsoiling and strip tillage, which work well on the sandier Coastal Plain soils of southern Alabama and southern Georgia, did not do as well as conventional tillage with cotton in […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-15-conservation-economics-budgeting-cover-crops-and-government-programs cover-crop-economics Cover Crop Economics This section provides an economic perspective on planting and managing cover crops. Production costs, equipment, management requirements, cover crop choices, termination practices and termination timing are discussed. In addition, the observed and perceived benefits of cover crops to yield and cost saving for the following cash crop are examined. Production Costs Production costs for cover […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-13-insect-pest-management management-of-insect-pests Management of Insect Pests While control practices for insect pests are similar in reduced-tillage and conventional tillage systems, some practices may play a greater role with reduced tillage. An example is increased biological control caused by increased predation in no-till systems. Integrated pest management stresses the balanced use of biological, insecticidal, cultural and host-plant resistance tactics to manage insect […]
www.sare.org publications conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast chapter-12-plant-parasitic-nematode-management nematode-management Nematode Management The options available for plant-parasitic nematode management include sanitation, resistant and tolerant varieties, crop rotation, cover crops, conservation tillage and nematicides. In most cases, a combination of these practices will be needed to keep nematode numbers below the economic threshold. Only use nematicides when other options are not feasible or do not reduce populations below […]