nw mn cropping system

Northwestern MinnesotaCropping Systems: 

Northwestern Minnesota Cropping Systems Paul Porter Cropping Systems Agronomist Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics University of Minnesota August 25, 2003 pporter@umn.edu

NASS District #10: 

NASS District #10 1. Kittson 2. Roseau 3. Marshall 4. Polk 5. Pennington 6. Red Lake 7. Norman 8. Mahnomen 9. Clearwater 10. Clay 11. Becker USDA-NASS (National Agricultural Statistics Service)

Crops in District #10: 

Crops in District #10 Wheat Barley Oat Rye Corn - grain Corn - silage Alfalfa hay All other hay x x x x x x x x x x x Soybean Sugar beet Sunflower Edible bean Flax Potato Canola

NW MN Cropping Systems: 

NW MN Cropping Systems Minnesota Ag’l Statistical Service presents the data: ..by year…….. ..by county….. ..by crop……. I want to evaluate crop trends: ..across years… ..by groups of crops...

Crops in District #10: 

Crops in District #10 < legume < legume < legume

Slide10: 

All Crops plus CRP CRP = Conservation Reserve Program (25% county maximum) *

% of Land in Harvested Crops (1991 Through 2000): 

% of Land in Harvested Crops (1991 Through 2000) 1. Kittson 47 % 2. Roseau 27 3. Marshall 47 4. Polk 66 5. Pennington 47 6. Red Lake 54 7. Norman 75 8. Mahnomen 38 9. Clearwater 11 10. Clay 69 11. Becker 27 1 3 2 5 6 4 7 8 10 11 9

Slide12: 

All Crops Grasses

Slide13: 

Wheat All crops Grasses

Slide14: 

Wheat

Slide15: 

Wheat Oat

Slide16: 

Wheat Oat Barley

Slide17: 

Wheat Rye Corn grain Corn silage Hay *

Slide18: 

Wheat Oat Barley Rye Corn grain Corn silage Hay *

Slide19: 

Wheat

Slide20: 

Wheat Soybean

Slide21: 

Soybean

Slide22: 

Soybean Alfalfa Edible beans

Slide23: 

Soybean Sunflower

Slide24: 

Soybean Sugar beet Potato

Slide25: 

Soybean Flax Canola

Slide26: 

Soybean Sunflower Sugar beet Alfalfa Canola Edible beans Flax Potato

Slide27: 

Alfalfa Canola Potato Flax Edible beans Sunflower Sugar beet Soybean

District #10 Recap: 

District #10 Recap ~46% of land area is harvested crops, but this varies from ‘county to county.’ Small grains dominated the landscape, but soybean acreage is increasing. Impact on water quality???

Slide29: 

Wheat All crops Soybean

Slide30: 

Grasses Legumes Other Broadleaves

Which Crops are not Annuals?: 

Which Crops are not Annuals? < legume < legume < legume

Crookston – Red Lake Falls – Thief River Falls Planting and Harvest: 

Crookston – Red Lake Falls – Thief River Falls Planting and Harvest Small grain planting: late April – early June (median May 17) Small grain harvest: early Aug. – early Sept. (median Aug. 19) (87 day growing period)

Crookston – Red Lake Falls – Thief River Falls Weather: 

Crookston – Red Lake Falls – Thief River Falls Weather Date of last spring occurrence of <30oF: late April – late May (median May 12) Date of first fall occurrence of < 30oF: mid Sept. – early Oct. (median Sept. 25) (134 days ‘frost-free’)

Crookston – Red Lake Falls – Thief River Falls Weather: 

Crookston – Red Lake Falls – Thief River Falls Weather Annual total Growing Degree Days (GDD): 3,700 GDD (40 baseoF and no maximum) Annual total precipitation: 21.3” Annual amount leaving watershed as streamflow: 3.2” (or 15% of total)

Crookston – Red Lake Falls – Thief River Falls Between Sept. and April (2/3 of year) : 

Crookston – Red Lake Falls – Thief River Falls Between Sept. and April (2/3 of year) Growing Degree Days (GDD): 850 GDD (23% of annual total) Total precipitation: 21.3” (40% of annual total) Amount leaving watershed as streamflow: 1.8” (55% of annual total)

Crookston – Red Lake Falls – Thief River Falls Between Sept. and April (2/3 of year) : 

Crookston – Red Lake Falls – Thief River Falls Between Sept. and April (2/3 of year) If cropping systems in this area were to utilize the natural resources more efficiently, perhaps problems associated with periodic flooding and disaster payments due to an inability to spring plant in a timely fashion could be mitigated.

Slide37: 

All wheat All crops All other hay Alfalfa hay Grasses