Furrow Diking Effects on Yield of Dryland Grain Sorghum and Winter Wheat

Abstract

AbstractDryland sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production in areas where a large fraction of the annual rainfall is received during the fallow period may be improved by rain‐conserving practices. Furrow diking mainly during the growing season has been shown to improve crop production by conserving rainfall in many parts of the Southern Great Plains. The objectives of this study were to determine whether seasonal or year‐round furrow diking increases dryland yields of sorghum and wheat, to test the yield advantage of planting sorghum and wheat on a flat seedbed or on beds, and to analyze the dependence of yield on rainfall. The treatments included nonbedded (FLAT), bedded–nondiked (BND), bedded–diked during the growing season (BDG), bedded—diked during the fallow period (BDF), and bedded–diked during the fallow period and the growing season (BDFG). Relative to BND, the BDFG treatment increased yield by up to 72% in sorghum and 23% in wheat. The BDF treatment increased yield by up to 62% in sorghum and 23% in wheat. Furrow diking during the growing season alone did not significantly increase yield in sorghum or wheat. When annual rainfall exceeded the average, the FLAT treatment in sorghum yielded less than the BND treatment by 39%. Planting wheat on beds was not an improvement over the conventional flat seedbed. Dryland sorghum and wheat production in areas where a significant fraction of the annual rainfall is received during the fallow period may be improved by fallow period or year‐round furrow diking.