1. Soil Water Management Through Cropping Systems Chris Augustin NDSU Soil Health Extension Specialist Chris.augustin@ndsu.edu 701-857-7682

2. Think Landscapes Recharge Impermeable Layer Throughflow Runoff This was the best ground in 88! Discharge

3. How do you manage water? Drainage Tillage Fallow Crops – Cash Crops – Cover Crops – Perennial Crops Where in the landscape is the issue?

4. NDAWN Season Long Crop Water Use Crop Total Rainfall Alfalfa Sugar beet Corn Turf Grass Soy- bean Potato Sun- flower Dry Bean WheatBarley Inches of Water Used 20.0524.4121.7118.4918.1617.0416.3715.4214.4314.2112.70 Surplus or Deficit -4.36-1.66+1.56+1.89+3.01+3.68+4.63+5.62+5.85+7.35 http://ndawn.ndsu.nodak.edu/crop-water-use.html Water use was from May 1 – Oct 15 at Rugby NDAWN

5. Water Management With Tillage Evaporation Water Management Spring Wheat Cover Crop Range Average Cover Crop Tilled Fallow Inches of Water Used 4.31.4 – 3.32.10.6 Jun 17 – Aug 12 of 2009 James Staricka 2011 Water Management With Tillage Evaporation

6. Water Management With Tillage Water Management Spring Wheat Safflower N- deficient Wheat 3 Annual Legumes Green Manure Legume Tilled Fallow Inches of Water Used 4.4 4.1 Measurement time is shorter than growing season 3.73.22.10.1 10 Year Average from mid-May to mid-Aug James Staricka 2011

7. Fallow vs. Crop Water Use Courtesy of Jim Staricka, WREC

8. Fallow vs. Crop Water Use Courtesy of Jim Staricka, WREC

9. How Should I Plan Cover Crops? Erosion control? Water Management? Nitrogen? O.M.? Compaction? Cost? Salinity Time of Year? Grazing? Future/Past Rotation? Mix/Cocktail?

10. Root Architectures

11. http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=20323

12. Season Long Cover Crop Water Use Dragseth et al., 2009 Additional 3.19 inches of rainfall during this period.

13. Cover Crop Costs Cover Crop TypeCost $/acCocktail Description Barley, Lentil20.75 Peas, Oats, Safflower19.95 Barley, Peas, Turnip, Radish19.45 Soybean, Oats, Millet, Sunflower 19.51 Agassiz Blend33.00 Pulse USA – Original N Builder32.67 Soybeans, Lentils, Peas, Purple Top Turnip, Bio Till Radish, Crimson Clover, German Millet, Oats, Sunflowers Pulse USA Early N Builder38.20 Pulse USA Early Small Seeded25.65 Crimson Clover, Purple Top Turnip, Bio Till Radish, Rape Seed, Annual Ryegrass, Millet Pulse USA Early Grazer35.83 Forage Peas, Lentils, Oats, Millet, Radish, Turnip, Clover Pulse USA – Prevent Plant25.44 Dragseth et al., 2009

14. Late Season NDAWN Crop Water Use Crop Total Rainfall Sugar beet Corn Soy- bean Sun- flower Dry Bean WheatBarley Inches of Water Used 6.184.904.925.026.416.316.657.09 Surplus or Deficit +1.28+1.26+1.16-0.23-0.13-0.47-0.91 http://ndawn.ndsu.nodak.edu/crop-water-use.html Estimate is for Aug 5 emergence to Oct 15 at Rugby NDAWN

15. Late-Late Season NDAWN Crop Water Use Crop Total Rainfall Sugar beet Corn Soy- bean Sun- flower Dry Bean WheatBarley Inches of Water Used 3.831.291.211.261.63 1.792.00 Surplus or Deficit +2.54+2.62+2.57+2.20 +2.04+1.83 http://ndawn.ndsu.nodak.edu/crop-water-use.html Estimate is for Sept 5 emergence to Oct 15 at Rugby NDAWN

16. Winter Wheat and Cover Crop Water Use Crop Total Rainfall Winter Wheat Aug 1 Cover Crop Sunflowers Inches of Water Used 20.0514.216.41 Surplus or Deficit +5.85-0.56 http://ndawn.ndsu.nodak.edu/crop-water-use.html Mix of cool season grass and warm season broadleaf

17. Summary Tillage and crops manage water. Tillage has a short term quick effect on drying up the soil. However, evaporation can make your soils more prone to salinization, erosion, and loose O.M. And crops utilize more water than tillage and have greater benefits for the soil.

18. Works Cited Dragseth, K., C. Hill, and J. Staricka. 2009. WREC cover crop study. NDSU-WREC/MSU- EARC 2009 Agricultural Research Update. Williston Research Extension Center, Williston, ND. J. Staricka. 2011. Plant crops to dry out excessively wet fields. WREC Report. Williston Research Extension Center, Williston, ND.