Resilient: Dryland Farming in The Semi-Arid High Plains

The Lexicon collaborates with DrylandAg.org and Colorado State University’s Department of Soil and Crop Sciences to examine new farming practices in the Semi-Arid High Plains, one of America’s driest farming regions.
Nearly 75 years ago, the Dust Bowl showed farmers the dangers of leaving soil bare. Today, most farmers here grow cycles of wheat and fallow, essentially resting their soil for an entire year after each harvest to give it time to collect enough rainwater to produce another crop. But fallow requires leaving the soil without a growing crop for up to 14 months at a time. If it is tilled, that bare soil is subject to both wind and water erosion, and loses 75% of its water storage to evaporation and weeds.
A growing number of dryland farmers are searching for more resilient ways to farm. Some of their new approaches were inspired by the water-use strategies of the shortgrass prairie. They use crop rotations to enhance diversity, plant cover crops to keep the soil covered and increase soil organic matter, integrate livestock into their cropping systems, and apply no-till farming practices.
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Participants in the project include Gary Peterson, a retired CSU soil scientist; USDA Research Ecologist David Augustine; Lucretia Sherrod, Soil Scientist with USDA ARS; and Nolan Doesken, State Climatologist for Colorado. Dryland farmers in Northern Colorado and Nebraska include Cole Mertens, Steve Tucker, John Heerman and Curt Sayles.
A Rumplefarm production
Produced by Laura Howard-Gayeton
Directed and Photographed by Douglas Gayeton
Written by Steven Rosenzweig
Edited and Animated by Pier Giorgio Provenzano
Music by Steven Rosenzweig

[@sixfigureskibum]

I grew dry farm hemp in utah sand from seed less than 2 inches rain after ground thaw till harvest. Cut 2x at 12 inches for fodder it was 9 feet at harvest with seed.

[@forestmilo5568]

instablaster

[@swrtsolutionsinc.1092]

Results of research completed at Michigan State University and replicated in the USA and other countries have shown that SWRT subsurface membrane technology doubles the water holding capacity of coarse textured soils. Dramatic increases in biomass and crop production are possible and expected when more soil moisture is available throughout the growing season. #irrigation, #waterconservation, #agricultural

[@LongboatAline]

How do you harvest invicidual crops out of the mix? For example turnips, without damaging the other crops?

[@linalitafarm]

Most of these appear to be cover crops that are not necessarily intended to produce a traditional yield. Their job is to keep the soil covered, so that it will not be susceptible to wind or water erosion.

[@MistressOP]

the funny thing is if they crimp the shortgrass prairie at the right time. they could pasture Crop directly into the prairie. Then graze it on the off years every two years. So the roration would turn into wheat, pasture, pasture, then wheat again. Making more money. it's like "duh"

[@MistressOP]

i'd do a soy bean (organic soy, or a pea type crop)

[@MistressOP]

in one of the best area lol to pasture crop on the planet. (short grass) if you do old-style wheat that's long grass wheat. you could do so much. ... so graze it. make money

[@MistressOP]

go organic .. it's shocking not that hard to do.

[@ayubyusuf2975]

why is it so green if there is not enough rain?

[@foodforestfolderol]

@@ayubyusuf2975 Because the plants have learned to use the water there is. This area gets water primarily during the winter. The cover plants keep that water deep in the soil. Some plants use the water in the spring and then go dormant, providing cover for the soil and preventing evaporation. Others then grow the deep roots that can tap into that deep water.

[@CultureTripGuide-HilmarHWerner]

I did not understand: what do they harvest in the end (a mixture?) and how do they harvest (machine?)?

[@joankirby1944]

Dont they build ponds etc to hold on to water for onger. Or plant trees here and there.

[@allanwatts2357]

Great video

[@paulcrook2846]

Anyone out there wants to look at transposing these approaches to the semi-arid lands of the Horn of Africa? Would welcome hearing from you

[@MsPicklesmom]

Alan Savory has done much in Africa

[@ahmedopone4080]

As a person from the region I am interested too!

[@theseus4737]

Has it occured to anyone that maybe growing things in dry climates where you have a large possibility of having to irrigate with wells doing mono or rotation cropping might not be a good idea and should be banned. And maybe permaculture, ie agroforestry and high water retention farming might be a better alternative

[@Beaguins]

Governments have a poor track record when they command or prohibit certain farming practices. Famines have been caused when they jump at the latest wonderful-sounding ideas and force them on farmers. Not all scientists are sold on permaculture because of its vague definitions and standards and resistance to rigorous testing. Silvopasture is an example; scientists have found numerous problems and impracticalities in it that you won't find anything about on popular blogs. Besides, I'm not sure agroforestry is going to work where the natural environment is open plains.

[@davidhorst9203]

Less economically viable

[@lowenlowen9140]

You can't just go around "banning" things you don't agree with. That's tyranny. So take it easy with the righteous authoritarian charade. Many of those you speak against are waaaaay smarter than you are.

[@Hugh-se7qn]

I believe this desert industry is misunderstood.

[@nahlaabu8391]

Who is here because of school?

[@tombeard4711]

What is the name of your school/ education ?

[@nahlaabu8391]

@@tombeard4711 Is.27

[@foodforestfolderol]

Dry farming is NOT new. ROFL.

[@911WASanINSIDEjob420]

they never said it was new... learn to listen

[@yellowbird5411]

@@911WASanINSIDEjob420 Old techniques for growing have to be implemented again in order to keep using areas that have fallen into drought. The old ways work best in a lot of things.