A Study of Spotted and Fallowed Wheat Fields in West Central Kansas

Abstract

During the spring of 1947, spotted growth areas appeared in many wheat fields in west central Kansas. Such spots had been noted prior to 1947 when the weather was favorable. Seasonal conditions most favorable for such growth are drought in late summer and early fall, followed by ideal growing conditions in late fall and winter. This produces ample vegetation for pasturing of wheat by livestock. The major causes of spotted wheat fields in the past 25 years have been studied by the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Stations'l particularly in those areas of the state where rainfall is relatively light. Research by Lipman(2) and others revealed a great deal about nitrogen supply and deficiency but little about calcium and phosphorus of the soil and their relationship to the grain produced on fallowed fields, and those continuously cropped containing small areas of taller dark green wheat. The areas selected for study were on a farm four miles north of Hays, Kansas, and the project was conducted with the cooperation of the farm operator, Mr. J. D. Fellers. Two fields were chosen for study: A, a continuously cropped field (Fig. 1) and B, a fallowed field adjacent to Field A (Fig. 2). Both of the areas had been farmed by Mr. Fellers and as far as could be determined, the two fields were comparable as to soil type, topography and erosion. Field A (the continuously cropped area) had been in wheat since 1943. In both fields, the seedbed had been prepared by moldboard plowing, spring-toothing to pack the soil and kill volunteer wheat, and harrowing to level the soil just before seeding. Stubble burning had not been practiced in either field. Fields A and B were seeded to Comanche wheat, September 20, 1946. Thirty-four pounds of wheat per acre were used in seeding each field. When wheat pasture was available, both fields had been grazed heavily by a dairy herd during the three years previous to this study. Further reference to the areas studied will be given by the symbols: G for the green spots in the continuously cropped area,