Winter wheat and grain sorghum production as influenced by depth of soil water, tillage and cropping system

A 24 year study of five cropping systems was conducted to determine how 1.) cropping systems, 2.) depth of soil water at planting, and 3.) tillage systems affected yields and economic returns. The study involved two crops, winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and grain sorghum (Sorghum biocolor L Moench), in systems of continuous wheat (WWW), continuous sorghum (SSS), wheat/sorghum/fallow (WSF), wheat/fallow (WF), and sorghum/fallow (SF). These systems were farmed under reduced-till (RT) and no-till (NT) on a nearly level, high fertility, Crete silty clay loam soil (fine, smectitic, mesic Pachic Argiustolls) at the Kansas State University Agricultural Research Center-Hays. Depth of soil water at planting had significant effects on yields of all cropping/tillage systems. Tillage systems had limited effects on wheat yield, but significant effects on sorghum yields. Considering all factors, SSS with RT had the highest economic return on this upland fertile soil in the central Great Plains.