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Project : USDA ARS.

6©2@900

Research Project: Development of Sustainable Production Systems and Water Management
Technology for the Mid South

Location: Crop Production Systems Research

2009 Annual Report

1a. Objectives (from AD-416)

Design improved irrigation application technologies and scheduling techniques using automated technology to detect crop
water status and provide site-specific application guidelines. Develop cropping systems, conservation management practices
and crop rotations with improved water management and enhanced economic and environmental sustainability.

1b. Approach (from AD-416)

Improved irrigation scheduling and application technologies and water management tools will be developed and delivered to
producers to improve water use and crop yield and quality. The research will develop production systems and identify
management practices that improve soil quality and increase profitability by incorporating conservation production practices,
alternative crops and crop rotations. Profitability of management practices and production systems will be tested with economic
analysis. Fundamental principles of successful production systems will be delineated, and examined for impacts on risks,
competitiveness and environmental impacts.

3. Progress Report

Progress has been made on development of irrigation tools for producers. Collaborations have been established with University,
industry, and NRCS colleagues to assist in the development and delivery of the irrigation tools and training. Currently available
web-based and stand-alone irrigation scheduling tools and methods have been reviewed, noting useful items to include and
pitfalls to avoid. Information from public data bases has been collected to incorporate into the tools for ease of selection of fields
and soils. A comparison of various irrigation scheduling methods showed that for the humid environment of the Delta, similar
water use and crop yields were observed irrespective of specific irrigation method used. It was noted, however, that rainfall
information was needed on an individual field scale to accurately account for water use. The variable-rate center pivot irrigation
system was tested for proper function and uniformity, and management zones were delineated based on soil characteristics. A
wireless network of automated soil-moisture sensors was installed and tested for range and capability. Development of cropping
systems and conservation management practices with improved water management and enhanced economic and
environmental sustainability has progressed by examining effects of tillage, cover crops, planting density, and irrigation on
cotton, soybean and com yields. Changes in soil organic matter with cover crops and tillage have been determined. A
cooperative agreement with a University scientist has been established to thermodynamically determine the energy content of
cover crop and crop residue. Effects of conservation management practices on crop quality has been determined for soybean oil
content and cotton fiber properties, and the impact of ginning on cotton quality. The Integrated Agricultural workgroup met with
producers to examine production systems in Orono, ME, and Madison, WI. In collaboration with colleagues in Mandan, ND, a
dynamic model was developed to explore quantitative and qualitative aspects of production systems, and determine relative
sustainability based on indices of economic, environmental, and social sustainability. Preliminary results indicate the potential
economic, environmental, and societal benefits from integrated production systems. The group presented the impact of drivers
on developing unique characteristics of production systems, and the potential of agriculture to contribute ecosystem services
beyond traditional agricultural products.

4. Accomplishments
1, Determination of Factors Impacting the Economic & Environmental Sustainability of Agriculture. In the past, American
agriculture was focused solely on its ability to produce sufficient food, fuel and fiber to meet local, national and global demands.
While productivity will continue to be a major factor in food production systems, increased societal demands for environmentally
sound management, the need for rural community viability, and a rapidly changing global marketplace have resulted in
challenges for the current agricultural system. Researchers at Stoneville, MS, Auburn, AL, Orono, ME, and Mandan, ND, met with
producers to examine agricultural production systems common to the southeast U.S. to identifying key principles, components,
and drivers that influence the development of production systems. The researchers found that internal and external social,
political, and environmental drivers played a central role in forming the characteristics of individual production systems.
Economic factors were often overriding factors that limited management choices. The research indicates development of new
production systems around the concepts of dynamic and integrated agricultural systems expands the income stability and risk
reduction and provides producers with increased flexibility. This flexibility will impact agricultural production throughout the U.S.
by giving producers the ability to adjust o unknown future conditions and enhance the sustainability of their production system
New production systems developed around principles of integrated agricultural systems may assist in addressing some of the
future challenges and provide greater economic sustainability to producers.

2. The Role of Technology in Developing Sustainable Agricultural Production Systems. Technological advances in biology,
engineering, and knowledge systems have contributed to impressive yield gains and have greatly altered U.S. agriculture.
Although these technological advances have addressed concems of a growing world-wide population, these impressive yield
gains have come ata cost to natural resources and the farming community. Led by scientists in Stoneville, MS, a
multidisciplinary group of researchers explored the processes of innovation and adoption of technologies, how these
innovations shaped current U.S. production system, and what will be needed for future agricultural technologies. The
researchers concluded that future technologies will need to address emerging issues in land use, decline in work force and
societal support of farming, global competition, changing social values in both taste and convenience of food, and increasing
concerns for food safety and the environment. The research identified challenges for farmers and researchers to develop
technologies through multidisciplinary problem solving approaches that balance the needs of producers with the expectations of
society and create economically and environmentally sustainable production systems. Integrated farming systems will impact
U.S. production by allowing producers to optimize an array of factors, including environmental and financial, rather than simply
focusing on yield alone. By carefully examining current production systems and the influences that have shaped them, scientists
and producers can cooperatively develop future technologies that will address sustainability with the needs of farmers, society
and the environment in mind.

3. Agricultural Production Systems for Enhanced Ecosystem Services & Environmental Sustainability. The success of
industrialized agriculture has had the unintended consequence of decoupling the production and consumption processes as.

https:/web.archive.org/web/20161019184836/https //www.ars.usda.gov/research/project/?accnNo=414418&fy=2009


12/12/2016

https:/web.archive.org/web/20161019184836/https //www.ars.usda.gov/research/project/?accnNo=414418&fy=2009

Project : USDA ARS.

fewer people remain directly involved in agriculture. Though there has been an increasing cognizance of the impact of human
activity on natural resources, sustaining our environment requires an examination of both production and consumption to solve
problems of natural resource overuse and contamination. Scientists at Stoneville, MS, Mandan, ND, Orono, ME, and Madison,
‘WI, explored the ecological impact of agricultural systems and identifying potential ecosystem services. Integrated agricultural
systems were found to have the potential to reduce the impact of agriculture on the environment. Even with the advantages,
however, adoption of integrated agricultural systems is limited. To become sustainable, the scientists identified the need to
rethink societal views of agriculture and modify production practices to enhance ecosystem services that agriculture can provide
beyond traditional production. Closing the circle of consumption and production will impact U.S. producers and consumers and
can serve to reduce the ecological footprint by more completely integrating the entire agricultural system. This knowledge will
allow farmers and researchers to orient farming systems towards environmental sustainability, while maintaining economic
feasibility

4. Spatial Variability of Cotton Fiber Quality. Awareness of the importance of cotton fiber quality has increased as advances in
spinning technology require better quality cotton fiber. Recent advances in geospatial information allow us to study the extent
and causes of spatial variability in cotton fiber parameters. However, these studies are often harvested by hand and ginned on
small research gins, resulting in different fiber properties from those that are machine-harvested and ginned on production-scale
equipment. Researchers in Stoneville, MS, have developed a method of correcting for error introduced into cotton fiber quality
parameters from samples as a result of harvest and ginning methods. Some improvement in accuracy of ber properties was
attained using the correction factors developed here. However, some fiber properties showed no improvement with correction.
This error in measurement will need to be recognized in studies exploring differences in spatial distribution of agronomic
properties. The results of this research will improve management of cotton production through enhanced knowledge of factors
contributing to variability of cotton fiber quality.

5. Economic Benefits of Crop Rotations. Crop rotations have been shown to have agronomic benefits, and are often considered
for the economic benefits as well. ARS scientists in Stoneville, MS, in collaboration with university scientists, explored the
economic return and risk of cotton rotated with corn for different tillage systems. Results showed that cotton yields were
increased when rotated with corn. Gross returns were higher in a monoculture minimum til cotton system. Net returns were
larger in a system that included minimum tillage and a corn rotation. The highest net returns and lowest risk were obtained from
a minimum till system of cotton rotated with corn every other year. For those producers required to use a no til system, a one
year corn-two year cotton rotation provided the highest net retums and least risk. These results will impact the economic return of
producers by allowing them to select tillage and crop rotation systems with higher net return.

6. Irrigation Scheduling Methods for Humid Environments. Irrigation scheduling is an important tool in the management of any
irrigated crop. Proper timing of irrigations decreases water stress, increasing crop yield and quality, and encourages greater
water-use efficiency. Many scheduling tools exist, and differ in the approach (modeling versus measuring) to determining optimal
times to apply water. Experiments were conducted using a variety of irrigation scheduling methods to irrigate research plots
planted to cotton to test the ease of use, performance, and applicability of the methods under local conditions. The various
methods produced similar irrigation schedules, result imilar water use and crop yields. The necessity of measuring rainfall
at the individual field level was stressed in order to provide an accurate water balance. These results will impact the efficiency of
irrigation, and can potentially improve crop production.

Review Publications

Sassenrath, G.F., Hanson, J.D., Hendrickson, J.R., Archer, D.W., Halloran, J.M., Steiner, J.J. 2009. Principles of Dynamic
Integrated Agricultural Systems: Lessons learned from an examination of Southeast Production Systems. Agroecosystem
Management for Ecological, Social, Economic Sustainibility, Advances in Agroecology Series. pp 259-269

Hendrickson, J.R., Hanson, J.D., Tanaka, D.L., Sassenrath, G.F, 2008. Principles of Integrated Agricultural Systems: Introduction
to Processes and Definition. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. 23(4):265-271.

Hendrickson, .R., Sassenrath, G.F., Archer, D.W., Hanson, J.D., Halloran, J.M. 2008. Interactions in Integrated Agricultural
Systems: The Past, Present and Future. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. 23(4):314-324.

Martin, S.W., Hanks, J.E. 2008. Economic Analysis of No Tillage and Minimum Tillage Cotton-Corn Rotations in the Mississippi
Delta. Soil & Tillage Research. doi:10.1016/.stll.2008.08.09

Hendrickson, J.R., Liebig, M.A., Sassenrath, G.F, 2008. Environment and Integrated Agricultural Systems. Renewable Agriculture
and Food Systems. 23(4):304-313.

Sassenrath, G.F. 2009. Developing Accurate Spatial Maps of Cotton Fiber Quality Parameters. Applied Statistics In Agriculture
Conference Proceedings,CD-ROM

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