The extended rotation provides the opportunity to use herbicides and mechanical tillage at critical times that are effective in controlling these weeds in the non-wheat years. The millet year provides an additional opportunity to control the broadleaf weeds. To be successful, many of the alternative crops require some reduce till or no-till managed chemical fallow in rotation with winter wheat. For many of the soils in our region and with our limited rainfall no-tillage will insure greater success most years than sweep tilled fallow. This is because with chemical fallow more moisture is stored in the soil profile than stubble-mulch tillage managed fallow.
Weed control using tillage unfortunately drys out the soil more than weed control using chemicals.
Chemical fallow is needed to store enough soil water to grow many of these crops successfully. Yields, typical market prices, cost of production and estimated net returns of alternative dryl and crops grown at the Central Great Plains Research Station. Each farmer should consider the numbers in the tables but should use their own numbers for their farm. The point is that individual changes in management will change the cost budget for an individual crop and farmer. One should also consider the time required to learn how to manage these crops.