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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pendleton, Oregon » Columbia Plateau Conservation Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #179227
Title: SMALL GRAIN ACREAGE AND MANAGEMENT TRENDS FOR EASTERN OREGON AND WASHINGTON

Author
item SMILEY, RICHARD - OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
item Siemens, Mark
item GOHLKE, TOM - NRCS
item POORE, JOEL - NRCS

Submitted to: Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Annual Report
Publication Type: Experiment Station
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2005
Publication Date: 6/1/2005
Citation: Smiley, R.W., Siemens, M.C., Gohlke, T.M., Poore, J.K. 2005. Small grain acreage and management trends for eastern Oregon and Washington. In 2005 Dryland Agricultural Research Annual Report, 30-50. D.A. Long, S.E. Petrie and P.M. Frank, eds. SR 1061. Corvallis, Oreg.: Oregon State University Agric. Exp. Station in cooperation with USDA-Agric. Res. Service, Pendleton, Oreg.

Interpretive Summary: Although agricultural tillage and cropping practice statistics are collected for each county within a state, it is difficult to find summarized information documenting the changes in these practices over time. The purpose of this study was to acquire crop management data from the past 20 years and organize the information so that changes in management trends could be easily identified. Data of interest in this study were dryland and irrigated small grain crops raised in eastern Oregon and Washington. Acreages of winter wheat, spring wheat and barley were reported as a percent of the total acreage in each region for each state. Also reported are trends for tillage practices, cropping frequency and timing in terms of percent of total acreage. Significant findings were that winter wheat acreage has remained relatively constant over the last 20 years for most regions and comprised over 60 percent of the nearly 3.5 million acres planted to small grains in eastern Oregon and Washington. Acreage planted to barley has generally declined by 175,000 acres, with production shifting to spring wheat. Use of intensive tillage has decreased by over 50 percent in most regions, with production shifting to reduced tillage and no-till. No-till acreage for all wheat increased from 2.5 percent in 1996 to 14 percent in 2004, representing a shift of 500,000 acres of cropland to soil and water conservation farming systems. The information contained in this manuscript provides a valuable resource for better understanding cropping systems and trends in the inland Pacific Northwest.

Technical Abstract: Small grain acreage and management trends over the past 20 years were evaluated for counties and regions in eastern Oregon and Washington. Data was obtained from surveys conducted by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) and National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Small grain acreages of dryland and irrigated winter wheat, spring wheat and barley are reported as a percent of the total acreage in each region of each state. Also reported are trends for tillage practices, cropping frequency and timing in terms of percent of total acreage. Winter wheat acreage has remained relatively constant over the last 20 years for most regions and comprised over 60 percent of the nearly 3.5 million acres planted to small grains in eastern Oregon and Washington. Acreage planted to barley has generally declined by 5 percent, with production shifting to spring wheat. Use of intensive tillage has decreased by over 50 percent in most regions, with production shifting to reduced tillage and no-till. No-till acreage for all wheat in Oregon increased from 1 percent in 1996 to 17 percent in 2004 and from 3 percent to 13 percent in Washington. For spring wheat, no-till acreage increased from 2 to 21 percent in Oregon and from 2 to 18 percent in Washington.