There are many areas that currently require attention when it comes to managing natural resources, whether related to solving new problems or improving previous methods. Trying to address all of these issues individually at the same time can be overwhelming. One study proposes a solution to this problem by addressing three diverse areas simultaneously.
Scientists at Grand Valley, one of three agricultural facilities that make up the Western Colorado Research Center, have been studying the effects of growing peas in the winter for several years now. The project began by looking for ways to conserve water by planting crops in the fall, growing them over the winter, and harvesting them the following summer. This process reduces the number of times you need to water your plants.
“All of our research is aimed at being practically transferable. … We’re not doing things based on theory. We’re actually trying to find very practical applications. -Amanda McQuaid, Interim Manager, Western Colorado Research Center.
“In the fall and winter, there is no water for irrigation anyway. Normally irrigation is done around April, so irrigation is only done a few times before harvest,” said the agronomist and one of the researchers. said one Jessica Davis. researchers.
Basically, this method relies on moisture from the snow to sustain the plants. Although this study is still in the data collection phase, it has been highly successful with respect to this initial goal.
“You’re taking in half as much water,” says Extension professor Perry Cabot, who led the study with Davis and colleague Daniel Mooney. “In rough numbers, instead of a 3-foot-deep block of water spanning an acre, you’re talking about an 18-inch-deep block of water over that acre.”
Peas were not chosen solely for their ability to grow in Colorado’s cold weather, but it was an important early qualifier. While reducing water consumption remains a central focus of the project, benefits to agricultural economics and soil health are also topics of key interest, Davis said.
With the growth of the plant protein market in recent years, the demand for peas is currently increasing. Cultivating them therefore allows farmers to diversify their crops and at the same time jump into new economic opportunities. By conserving water, farmers can benefit from water rights. Essentially, they would be rewarded for using less water, and these saved resources could be applied elsewhere, Cabot said. Another benefit associated with this is that the peas are returned to the soil.
“Legumes have this kind of relationship, a symbiotic relationship, with bacteria in the soil, and the bacteria can essentially exchange nitrogen for carbon from the plants,” Davis said. “As peas are legumes, they are likely to require less fertilizer, which is an important advantage compared to other crops. Nitrogen then remains in the soil and is needed by the next crop you plant. It may even reduce the amount of fertilizer you use.
Five types of peas are currently being tested in hopes of discovering which types work best. The conditions most indicative of maximum plant production have also been observed. As for the long-term goals of this research, it’s all about how farmers can access and use the research results.
“All of our research is intended to be truly transferable,” said Amanda McQuaid, interim manager of the Western Colorado Research Center. “We’re not basing things on theory. We’re actually working towards very practical applications. Once the data collection is complete and processed, the results are It will be compiled and distributed according to modern methods with a focus on supporting the community.”
Contact Hayley Bisant at science@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.
