Delta Soils Of Southeast Missouri CONT. FROM FRONT PAGE


change has resulted from drainage. Conservation tillage, com-


bined with winter cover crops, has helped increase soil microorganisms and earthworms. In some fields, farmers plant winter cover


ward soil fertility improve- ment. The prevailing opin- ion was that it was not needed. Farmers were more concerned with clearing and draining the land. Where wheat was grown, clover was included for hay and soil improvement. The


more fertile because of more recent sediment deposits. In 1930, potassium fertil- izer began to be used on cotton in Dunklin County. At first, fertilizer was used mainly on the sandy soils. The use of fertilizer in the rest of the Delta began fol- lowing World War II. Crop yields in all lowland subre- gions increased with the application of inorganic fer- tilizers. Today, potassium deficiency in crops is more common than phosphorus deficiency. Anhydrous


ammonia,


Figure 20. GPS guided land grading is used to improve drainage and uniformity of water application with furrow irrigation.


crops for soil health in ad- dition to wind protection (Figure 22). Seed blends in- clude one or more of the fol- lowing: wheat, rye, radish, rapeseed, Austrian winter peas, hairy vetch, and crim- son clover. Most of the alluvial soils


are fertile, deep, and retain productivity under contin- ued cultivation. During the early development period previous to World War II, little effort was made to-


decline in productivity of sandy soils prompted the greater use of lespedeza, vetch, crimson clover, and crotalaria. Production of these resulted in the use of limestone to a small extent, mainly in Scott and Stod- dard Counties. Before the use of inor-


ganic fertilizers, the soils in the Western Lowlands had the least plant nutrients and produced the lowest yields. Soils east of Crow- ley’s Ridge were generally


ammonium nitrate, and urea are the main nitrogen sources for crops. The most common nitrogen fertilizer is urea. Compared to am- monium nitrate, urea has a higher percent nitrogen content which reduces freight costs. The downside to urea is that significant nitrogen losses can occur by volatilization when it is broadcast on wet soil. To re- duce losses, farmers often pretreat urea with a urease inhibitor stabilizer. Limestone is used to neu-


tralize soil acidity in fields. Sandy soils are weakly buffered and need liming more often than clay soils. The optimum pH for most crops is 6.5 to 7.0. The availability of aluminum


and manganese often reach toxic levels in plants when soil pH is below 5.0. In a rice-soybean rotation, farm- ers should lime in the year before soybean to avoid zinc deficiency in rice from short term soil alkalinity. In the past, the conven-


tional wisdom was that enough sulfur becomes available to crops by rainfall deposition or organic mat- ter decomposition. This is less likely to be true today. Reductions in air pollution have increased crop sulfur fertilization. One of the goals of the U.S. Clean Air Act of 1970 was to reduce "acid rain." To comply with Environmental Protection Agency standards for sulfur dioxide gas emissions, many power facilities have switched to burning low- sulfur Western United States subbituminous coal. Sulfur fertilizer is recom- mended for Delta fields when laboratory soil tests show less than 7.5 parts


per million sulfur on soils less than 6.5 CEC (cation exchange capacity). Crops Historically,


large-scale


farming in the Delta region has been limited to crops. Animal production is small compared to the rest of Mis- souri. Early farmers raised horses and mules to pull wagons and plows and chickens, cows, and pigs for feeding their families. Re- cently, poultry production has grown in the northern counties.


chicken houses are located near Sikeston and Dexter. Wheat was one of the first


crops grown in the Delta. In the late 1800’s, grain mills for processing wheat were built in Cape Girardeau, Dexter, Charleston, Sike- ston, Oran, and Advance. Wheat was formerly a major crop, especially on the sandy acreage in Scott County, but production de- clined after World War I. Cotton acreage increased


Commercial


Figure 21. Sand storm near Hayward, Missouri in 1995 (left). Wheat is planted and killed in cotton row middles to reduce blowing sand.


greatly after 1921 and largely replaced wheat. Cot- ton is a dominant commod- ity on well-drained soils in Pemiscot, Dunklin, and New Madrid Counties. In wet conditions cotton seedlings are susceptible to root rot (Pythium and Rhi- zoctonia ). Bosket fine sandy loam, Dundee silt loam, and Dubbs silt loam soil types are important for cotton production in the Senath and Hornersville area. The boll weevil was a major cotton insect pest but was eradicated in a pro- gram sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) start- ing in 2001. Delta farmers are a major producer of fiber for the world despite the loss of the textile indus- try in the United States. New technologies have been adopted by cotton farmers. Earlier maturing varieties, fertilizers, and irrigation have resulted in increased yields. The use of me- chanical pickers and sprayers for weed control changed pro- duction methods. The cost of labor for cultivation and har- vesting has been re- duced, and the time of harvest has been shortened. Corn and soybean


are often grown in ro- tation to maximize


TheMilan No-Till Field Day is going completely virtual.


That means you can access all the presentations, tours and trade show from the comfort


of your home, office, tractor cab or truck! Register now at


milannotill.tennessee.edu. For registering, we'll send you a FREE GIFT while supplies last.


The virtual field day begins on July 23. Everything is online -- no activities will be taking place at the Milan AgResearch and


Education Center that day. Presentations will remain available after July 23, so you can view at your convenience.


Need pesticide recertification points or Certified Crop Advisor continuing education units? We've got you covered. Those points can be earned virtually, too.


T Adventure


River Hills Antique Tractor Club 18th


Anniversary


ractor Ride July 25, 2020


The approx. 32 mile ride begins at the Seminary Grounds, Perryville, MO. The ride will leave at 8:30 a.m., returning about 2 p.m.


Riders and sponsors will enjoy a meal right after the tractor ride.


For more Information Call:


Marsha Lappe: 573-788-2766 or 573.768.0212 Davis Farm Supply: 573-547-4556


12• MidAmerica Farmer Grower www.mafg.net / July 17, 2020


Mark Your Calendars!


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