Show diversified craps the importance of a crop rotation for the irrigation farmer uy by W 11 II OLIN university of idaho with oregon short line demonstration train basis of success the basis of farm success is organization system on the farm the basis or organization on the farm is crop management on the successful management of 0 the mhd crop largely rests these I 1 fundamentals fundamental 1 economy ol of business 2 maintenance of soil fertility 3 productivity of the soil 4 subsistence for live stock 5 feln fy m profits at end ot oft season the term rotation of crops crops is used to designate a of crops which gie ghe a recurring succession of field plants plains with deitering diri dit ering plant food requisites reasons for rotation the primary purposes of 0 a crop rotation are ast 1st isi prevention of crop sick soils the result of continuous cultivation of the same crop for a period d of years 2nd and the elimination ot of weeds the insect pests and crop diseases eases 3rd ard increase in the productivity of the field crops by conserving the soil fertility first irrigated crop the first crop to be grown in any appreciable degree under the ditch was wheat wheat followed wheat year after year on the river plain farms of utah and idaho until in some iii instances stances the yield y beld of grain fell 25 and even SO 50 per cent below what it first gave the farmer this was on comparatively ively virgin soil which aich wo we think I 1 la is rich as cream why is this feed ing at the same game depth OU on the same plant food elements absorb tho tilo readily available plant food of c this particular element clement so this class of plants is then sparingly fed like a starved pig pie rt it cannot make bialle its owner the profits the well red fed oneo one do all plants do not feed alike thoy tho either use different foods or the same food from different depths therefore plants feeding at different depths of 0 soil although they may use the some same food elements the deeper feeding plants can follow the shallow feeders without serious immediate loss loas although eventually unless these absorb absorbed eil food elements be restored the available plant food pill become exhausted and the soil will therefore be impoverished the depositor who continues to draw his money from the bank without malting making deposits will at last find his checks returned marked short no bank will permit continued overdrafts we should not be taking off all the time without putting back the food element clement which plants feed some of the time if we do we have a crop sick soil that does docs not pay its checks tor for want of funds the available food elements that havo have been taken through previous withdrawals our utah and idaho soils are either of granite or volcanic rock formation the soils seem to hold bold an abundance |