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Title: Rainfed farming systems in the USA

Author
item Franzluebbers, Alan
item Steiner, Jean
item Karlen, Douglas
item Griffin, Timothy
item Singer, Jeremy
item Tanaka, Donald

Submitted to: Springer Verlag
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/29/2008
Publication Date: 8/15/2011
Citation: Franzluebbers, A.J., Steiner, J.L., Karlen, D.L., Griffin, T.S., Singer, J.W., Tanaka, D.L. 2011. Rainfed farming systems in the USA. In: Tow, P., Cooper, I., Partridge, I., Birch, C. editors. Rainfed Farming Systems. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer Publishing. p. 511-560.

Interpretive Summary: A book is being assembled to describe the essential features of rainfed farming systems around the world, how relationships among productivity, profitability, stability, and sustainability are affected by changes in environmental, biological, technological, and management influences, and how rainfed farming systems can be adapted and redesigned to meet future demands. This chapter on rainfed farming systems in the USA describes characteristics of four major rainfed farming regions in the USA: Great Plains wheat-sorghum-cattle region, midwestern corn-soybean-hogs region, southern cotton-peanut-poultry region, and coastal diversified crops-dairy region. Rainfed farming systems in the USA are highly productive, economically important, ecologically diverse, and technologically driven. Management approaches to achieve resource efficiency and agricultural sustainability are described, including the use of crop rotations, appropriate fertilizer application techniques, conservation tillage, and integrated crop-livestock production systems. Issues of climate change, increasing oil and fertilizer prices, and sustainability of soil and water resources are challenges facing agriculture now and into the future.

Technical Abstract: This chapter on rainfed farming systems in the USA describes characteristics of four major rainfed farming regions in the USA: Great Plains wheat-sorghum-cattle region, midwestern corn-soybean-hogs region, southern cotton-peanut-poultry region, and coastal diversified crops-dairy region. Rainfed farming systems in the USA are highly productive, economically important, ecologically diverse, and technologically driven. Management approaches to achieve resource efficiency and agricultural sustainability are described, including the use of crop rotations, appropriate fertilizer application techniques, conservation tillage, and integrated crop-livestock production systems. Issues of climate change, increasing oil and fertilizer prices, and sustainability of soil and water resources are challenges facing agriculture now and into the future.