Arkansas - Letters of Interest_May2008

• Basin Roundtable: Arkansas
• Applicant: Various Interested Parties
• Description: Letters of Interest - May 2008
• Board Meeting Date: 5/21/2000
• Alt Ag Water - Doc Type: Letters of Interest

seed, fertilizer and ot her production items.
Proposed Scope of Work . In Year 1 (2009), 25% (2.5 ac) of the land would be planted to corn
and the remainder would be fallowed or simply not irrigated. Production co sts and yields for the
corn acreage would be recorded and the economic costs (weed prevention) and benefits (water
rights leasing) of fallowing the remaining acreage would also be determined. In the Year 2
(2010), 50% of the land (5.0 ac) would be planted to corn and the remaining one-half would be
fallowed. Subsequently, 75% of the land would be planted to corn in Year 3 (2011) and 25%
fallowed. Finally, in Year 4 (2012), all of the land would be fully returned to corn production.
I. Objectives
Task 1
Farm corn areas according to recommended practices necessary to
produce optimum yields and returns in the Lower Arkansas Valley.
Record practices and costs for field operations.
Obtain/analyze soil samples in the fall of 2008 or spring of 2009 to determine
the baseline nutrient levels in each of the planted a nd fallowed areas at depths
of 0-8, 8-16 and 16-24 inches.
Use soil sample analyses to determine the movement of nitrates, salts and
selenium under production corn land and fallowed land to a depth of 24
inches.
Task 2
Determine the practices and costs necessary to maintain the fallowed
lands. This would include preventing weed infestation and protecting these lands
from excessive erosion.
Perform operations as necessary to prevent weed infestation and erosion and
to record practices and costs.
Task 3
Determine nutrient needs and co sts necessary in 2010, 2011 and 2012 to
return these fallowed lands to levels of production comparable to two, three and
four years of continuous corn.
Task 4
Determine the effect of fallowing on the movement of nitrates and salts in
the soil profile.
Use soil sample analyses to determine the movement of nitrates, salts and
selenium under production corn land and fallowed land to a depth of 24
inches.
Task 5
Provide information on the results of these demonstrations through field
days, workshops and reports. Also, make information from the study available to
the public through news releases and on University and related websites.
Hold information events at the Arkansas Valley Research Center and
throughout the Valley and state to pres ent the information to the public.
Task 6
Compile and analyze the results of the study and publish a bulletin
containing the information, conclusi ons and recommendations for proper
practices when fallowing land from corn production for one, two or three years.