
When it Comes to Soybeans--Dig Deep By Tara Weaver February 9, 1999Farmers can boost their soybean
yields in low-rainfall areas by tilling clay soils to a depth of 12 to 16
inches in the fall when the soil is dry, according to
Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
scientists. This tillage practice, called subsoiling, could particularly help farmers in
the Mid-South region, where many soybean crops dont yield enough to make
a decent profit because clay-laden soils block water from reaching plant roots.
Subsoiling allows water to infiltrate deeper into the soil where it can be
stored for thirsty roots. This additional water-holding capacity contributes to
higher yields, and environmental bonuses--less runoff, less soil erosion, and
less sedimentation in lakes and streams. ARS scientists at the
Application and
Production Technology Research Unit in Stoneville, Miss., conducted a
five-year subsoiling study, with both optimum and extremely dry seasonal
weather. They found soybeans planted in this system produced, on average, 43
bushels per acre compared to 29 bushels per acre under the conventional system
with no irrigation. Subsoiling also produced yields similar to those produced in conventional
systems with irrigation--43 versus 45 bushels per acre. Net returns were $129
an acre from nonirrigated deep tillage compared to $48 an acre from
nonirrigated conventional production, and $83 an acre from irrigated
conventional production. ARS researchers say this practice is compatible with conservation tillage
practices, since subsoiling doesnt destroy crop residues on the surface
and is not necessarily required every year. A story about this research appears in the February issue of ARS' Agricultural
Research magazine. The story is also on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/feb99/deep0299.htm Scientific contact: Richard A. Wesley, ARS Application and Production
Technology Research Unit, Stoneville, Miss., phone (601) 686-5354, fax (601)
686-5372, [email protected]. Story contacts Application and Production Technology Research U.S. Department of Agriculture | |