Many growers along the Snake River plain of south western Idaho in Amalgamated Sugar Company's Elwyhee District depend on alfalfa as part of their crop rotation. They struggle with the effort it takes to prepare a field for planting to sugar beets. Often time these fields are prone to strong persistent winds that move soil, thus damage or destroy the young emerging sugar beets. Growers were looking for ways to reduce tillage in alfalfa plus reduce the harmful effects of the winds.These growers were introduced to strip tillage in sugar beets in late 2007. In 2009, two fields, a 75 acre and an 80 acre was strip tilled and planted into established stands of alfalfa by two different growers. Both fields were strip tilled using a 12 row Schlagel strip tiller with GPS guidance system. Removal of alfalfa was achieved by the use of Roundup herbicide. One field was applied post plant while the other field was treated prior to the last cutting in the previous fall. The first field was strip tilled on March 16th and 17th with 22 units of nitrogen, 60 units of phosphate along with some micro-nutrients injected in behind the ripper shank at a depth of 7-8 inches. The balance of the fertilizer was top dressed and water incorporated in late May. Planting was done on April 6th with a John Deere MaxEmerge planter equipped with Yetter trash managers. Seed spacing was set at 51/2 to 6 inches resulting in a beet stand of approximately 142 beets in 100 feet of row. New growth of alfalfa had already started by planting time so an application of 44 oz. of Roundup, 17 lbs. AMS, non-ionic surfactant along with Asana insecticide for cutworms was made by ground rig on the 17th of April. The field was then irrigated to establish a beet stand. The firstin season herbicide application was made around the 12th of May at the rate of 32 oz. Roundup, 17 lbs. AMS, a non-ionic surfactant and an insecticide applied by ground rig. Beet growth at this time was at the 2 to 4 leaf stage. The second in season Roundup application was applied at 8 true leaf stage. A fungicide treatment for powdery mildew was applied by air in late July.
展开▼
