Legume Crops In Low Precipitation Areas of the Pacific Northwest Brian Tuck, Oregon State University Stephen Machado, Oregon State University

No-Till, Reduced Till, Organic

Issues Winter Precipitation (10-14”) – Dryland SF Dry Falls and Hot Dry Springs Limited Irrigation Few Alternatives – Monoculture Wind & Water Erosion

Winter Precipitation (10-14”) – Dryland SF

Dry Falls and Hot Dry Springs

Limited Irrigation

Few Alternatives – Monoculture

Wind & Water Erosion

Legume Rotation/Cover Crops Impact on wheat yields Moisture use Nitrogen Fixation Pest Problems

Impact on wheat yields

Moisture use

Nitrogen Fixation

Pest Problems

Costs Crop Value Moisture Limited Options Issues

Costs

Crop Value

Moisture

Limited Options

Nebraska farmers. This field is an example of two rows of wheat spaced at 10 inches, leaving 20 inches for the soybean crop. Intercropping

Nebraska farmers. This field is an example of two rows of wheat spaced at 10 inches, leaving 20 inches for the soybean crop.

Examples of Intercropping REGION INTERCROP North and North Central US wheat /grasses/ clover Northwestern region, west of the Cascade Range oats/red clover. Southern Oregon wheat/subterranean clover Willamette Valley in Oregon corn /sorghum for silage South Dakota corn, soybean, and spring wheat (alternating strips) Iowa strip-crops oats, corn, and soybean. Nebraska corn/wheat/soybean Parma, ID (Brown Bradford) relay cropping barley and corn Canada corn /soybeans for silage; barley, oats , or triticale are intercropped with clover

Legume Mixes (Yields, N, Soil Health) Winter Peas - mixes, varieties, planting rates, removal and grow out Yield Increase - 12-33% (consistency) Clovers, Hairy Vetch, Medic, Lentils…

Winter Peas - mixes, varieties, planting rates, removal and grow out

Yield Increase - 12-33% (consistency)

Clovers, Hairy Vetch, Medic, Lentils…

N Fixation/Transfer Soil Microflora

N Fixation/Transfer

Soil Microflora

Hairy Vetch Adapted Winter Hardy Purple Bounty N Fixation - First Bloom Nematode, Disease Blends with Wheat

Hairy Vetch

Adapted

Winter Hardy

Purple Bounty

N Fixation - First Bloom

Nematode, Disease

Blends with Wheat

Questions??? Photo by John Aeschliman