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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pendleton, Oregon » Columbia Plateau Conservation Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #167422
Title: LONG-TERM EXPERIMENTS AT CBARC-PENDLETON, 2002 AND 2003

Author
item MACHADO, STEPHEN - OREGON STATE UNIV
item RHINHART, KARL - OREGON STATE UNIV
item Albrecht, Stephan
item PETRIE, STEVE - OREGON STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Annual Report
Publication Type: Experiment Station
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2004
Publication Date: 6/1/2004
Citation: Machado, S., Rhinhart, K., Albrecht, S.L., Petrie, S. 2004. Long-term experiments at CBARC-Pendleton, 2002 and 2003. Columbia Basin Agricultural Research Annual Report, Ag. Expt. Sta., Oregon State University, SR 1054. p. 61-77.

Interpretive Summary: Long-term research guides future agricultural development by identifying the effects of crop rotation, variety development, fertilizer use, aerial and surface contamination, and organic amendments on soil productivity and other beneficial soil properties. Comprehension and evaluation of many changes often requires 10-20 years to identify and quantify. For example, soil microflora and soil-borne plant pathogens require from 2-8 years in a new cropping sequence or tillage system to reach a stable equilibrium. Thus, long-term experimentation is required to understand interactions among soil, water, and plant factors for both agronomic and agricultural policy decisions. The oldest experiments in the Pacific Northwest are at the Pendleton Experiment Station. This report includes the objectives of each of the long-term experiments and a brief description of the management practices for each experiment. Also, the crop production results obtained in the 2002 and 2003 crop years are presented. While the treatments have changed over the years, the descriptions refer to current procedures. Detailed descriptions of the protocols, and how they have changed over time, have been compiled into a database, and data collected from 1998 through 2003 has been reviewed and data summaries for all experiments were prepared.

Technical Abstract: Long-term research guides future agricultural development by identifying the effects of crop rotation, variety development, fertilizer use, and organic amendments on crop productivity and soil properties. The oldest experiments in the Pacific Northwest are at the Pendleton Experiment Station. In both conventional and no-till cropping systems, spring barley produced the highest yield followed by winter wheat and then spring wheat. There was no difference in winter wheat yield between conventional and no-till systems; however, spring wheat and spring barley produced higher yields under conventional tillage than in a no-till cropping system. Field burning without N application resulted in the lowest yields of all treatments. For wheat, highest yields were produced when plots were plowed in the fall or spring. The highest peas yield was produced under no-till system and the lowest yield was produced when plots were plowed in the fall. This report also includes the objectives of each of the long-term experiments and a description of the management practices for each experiment.