No-Till Seeding of Irrigated Sorghum Double Cropped after Wheat

Abstract

ABSTRACT IRRIGATED grain sorghum was successfully no-till seeded into wheat residue immediately following wheat harvest in the Southern High Plains. Grain sorghum grown with clean tillage and seeding was grown for comparison. No-till seedlings generally emerged faster, grew taller, and matured up to 5 days earlier than controls. Grain yields for a 5-yr study averaged 5,690 kg/ha for no-till and 5,070 kg/ha for clean-till, a 12 percent increase. No-till required only one-fifth as much time between crops to prepare and plant a seedbed. No-till reduced fuel requirements, including harvest, by 55 percent.