The objective of this project is to develop profitable crop production systems for Southeast Missouri farmers. Primary emphasis is finding methods to increase crop yields and decrease the input costs.

Soil Fertility Buildup
Soil nutrient buildup from fertilizer was studied in three cropping systems at Portageville, Qulin, and West Plains, Missouri. Cropping systems included continuous corn, continuous soybean, corn/soybean/wheat rotation, rice/soybean rotation, and fescue hay and pasture. We found that crop yield response, fertilizer cost, and crop value determined which build-up program was most profitable. In the fescue test, hay yield doubled with the 1-year buildup P treatment. But, P fertilizer was expensive and hay price was cheap ($30/ton), so 8-year build up the most profitable. In the rice/soybean test, soil tests showed more K was needed than P. Since K was less expensive than P and rice and soybean prices were higher than hay, a short-buildup of 3 years was the most profitable fertility program in this cropping system.

Mid-Season Rice N Monitoring
Highest yields from Cheniere and Francis rice were from one preflood N application of 140 lb N per acre. However, year-to-year environment conditions can cause N losses in rice fields. To help farmers be sure that no additional mid-season is needed, we developed a fast field test for consultants and farmers. Experiments at Qulin and Portageville showed that the method did an excellent job of predicting yield response to mid-season N. In 3 ½ minutes, plant height can be measured and leaf canopy estimated by counting the inch numerals visible on a yardstick floating between rice row drills. No calculations are needed.

Pharmaceutical Tobacco
A safe, cost-efficient alternative to mammalian cell culture drug manufacturing is pharmaceutical tobacco production. Currently, Southeast Missouri is in a prime position to be the leader in the industry. At the Delta Center, we have been cooperating with Chlorogen, Inc. and the Donald Danforth Center in St. Louis to develop pharmaceutical tobacco plants for shrinking cancer tumors.

Soybean Water Tolerance-Growth Stage/Duration
Four factors affecting a soybeans flood tolerance are root survival in the first hours after flooding, ability to change to a "spongy" root structure, resistance to phytophthora root rot, and continued nitrogen fixation by root nodules. Research at the Delta Center showed that genetic diversity among current soybean varieties is probably too narrow to find complete flood tolerance. Yield losses under severe flooding were 40% for the most tolerant varieties and 80% for the most sensitive varieties. In 2006, we began testing plant introductions (PI) which were identified as beginning very flood tolerant by scientists at Columbia. In the future, these PI will be used in breeding programs to develop new soybean varieties.

Acceleration of Rice Straw Decomposition.
Soybeans were planted in the spring following fall residue treatments such as burning, baling, and soil incorporation. Obvious visual differences in spring rice straw were found between treatments, which were verified with sample weights, and digital image analysis. However, soybean yields did not show significant benefits from straw treatments. We learned that rice root balls and lower stem sections (2 to 3 inches above soil) are the most resistant plant parts for microbes to decompose. Unfortunately, burning or baling usually fails to destroy or remove these parts. Even with conventional till soybeans, the rice root balls can be found in the soil in August of the next year. Of all the treatments we have evaluated, a spray treatment after rice harvest using a low rate of N and septic tank bacteria shows the most promise.

Pelletized Lime
Pelletized lime is finely ground limestone, which is made into small pellets for broadcasting with conventional fertilizer equipment. Because pelletized lime is relatively expensive per ton, it is applied at lower rates (<300 lbs/acre) as compared to recommended rates of agricultural lime. In 2005, we began a soybean study on acid soil comparing palletized and ag lime. At 75 and 100% of MU recommended lime rates, yields last year were generally higher with agricultural lime than with pelletized lime. Applying low rates of pelletized lime over or directly in the soybean seed furrow did not increase soybean yields.

2006 Field Day Report