Alternative Production Systems for Traditional Monoculture Wheat Acres in the Southern Plains for Two Farm Sizes

Abstract

The net returns of five alternative cropping systems, forconventional tillage and no-till, for two farm sizes; 640-acres and 2,560-acreswere determined. The five cropping systems included: early September wheatfor dual-purpose (ESD); early September wheat for forage-only (ESF); earlySeptember wheat for forage-only double cropped with foxtail millet (ESFM); lateSeptember wheat for dual-purpose (LSD); October wheat for grain-only (OG).Average wheat grain yields were significantly lower on theno-till plots. However, fall-winter wheat forage yields were significantly greateron the no-till plots. For both farm sizes and both tillage systems, the early planteddual purpose wheat produced the greatest expected net returns on average. Forthe small farm, the expected net returns for each of the five production systemswere greatest for conventional tillage. The expected net returns for four of theproduction systems were greater for the no-till system for the large farm.