En el desierto de baja altitud de Arizona, los céspedes de temporada cálida (césped bermuda, césped zoysia y césped San Agustín) entran en estado de dormancia y típicamente pierden su color verde durante el invierno. La sobresiembra de césped bermuda con un césped de temporada fría proporciona un césped verde durante todo el año. Un césped invernal sobresembrado proporciona un paisaje estético y funcionalmente ofrece un césped recreativo.

The nature of agriculture has always been evolving with the needs of the people. As a result of the public’s concern over climate change, conservation strategies like cover cropping have been investigated to note any ecosystem services they may provide, allowing those in the industry to tally their many benefits. On a regional scale, cover crops may improve soil health and quality, additionally contributing to soil conservation; globally, cover crops may aid carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The importance of arid agriculture in this context cannot be overlooked. Many researchers, policymakers, and agricultural stakeholders in the US Desert Southwest have begun to realize that though cover crops may not be suitable for green manuring in the region due to strict water budgets, they may, however, be suitable for use as alternative forage crops to fetch additional economic gains while acting as physical barriers to prevent soil erosion and support beneficial ecosystem services ultimately improving soil health in desert agroecosystems.

Deficit irrigation is often considered an effective irrigation strategy to conserve water and has been tested in different crop production systems and under different environments. In this research study, we explored the impact of deficit irrigation in the arid Southwest region, particularly in central Arizona, on the production of durum wheat and grain barley using flood irrigation. The experiment was conducted at the University of Arizona Maricopa Agricultural Center in Maricopa, Arizona. We examined irrigation deficits of 12.5% and 25% and observed that a 12.5% deficit in irrigation led to 30% and 45% decline in grain yield for durum wheat and barley, respectively; however, the yield did not decline further under the 25% deficit irrigation treatment. Additionally, we did not record any changes in soil chemical properties or soil health. Our study concluded that under flood-irrigated durum wheat and barley, deficit irrigation may not be an economically viable strategy for water conservation in desert agroecosystems. However, this research also highlighted the need for similar research on drip- and sprinkler-irrigated small grain production systems.

“Germination” means the emergence and development from the seed embryo of those essential structures that, for the kind of seed in question, are indicative of the ability to produce a normal plant under favorable conditions.” (3 A.A.C. 04). In biological terms, this is the stage of plant development where the seedling emerges from the seed coat or similar. In seed production, germination is the process to test the percentage of seedling emergence from a pre-determined number of seeds in a controlled environment. The germination rate is expressed as an emergence percentage.

The Arizona Cooperative Alfalfa Forage Yield Trial Program, administered by the Arizona Agricultural Experiment Station and Arizona Cooperative Extension, conducted alfalfa forage yield trials at the University of Arizona's Agriculture Centers in Maricopa and Tucson. The Maricopa location is at 1188 ft elevation and has a sandy loam soil. The Tucson location is at 2352 ft elevation and has a very fine sandy loam soil. Very non-dormant cultivars are well-adapted to this environment, which is typical of agricultural areas of the low elevation deserts of Arizona where 8 to 10 harvests of alfalfa are common each year and stands typically remain productive for 2 to 4 years. All fields were laser-leveled and alfalfa was irrigated using the border-strip methods.

To promote optimal growth and production of your citrus tree, use the chart to determine the correct amount of fertilizer to apply.

Cover crops are grown to cover the soil surface. They are planted between main crops or as an alternative to cash crops and provide many benefits ranging from soil erosion control, improved soil fertility, soil health (Reeves, 1994; Wang and Nolte, 2010), and increased biodiversity (Drinkwater et al., 1995). The use of cover crops among small-scale farmers can be challenging due to the limited space, resource, equipment needs, and the nature of operations. In high tunnel production systems, the use of tractors is limited, and growing cover crops requires careful crop selection, termination timing, and management for maximum benefits. High tunnels are plastic-covered structures that provide a partial controlled environment passively heated in winter and ventilated in summer. For environmental protection and control, high tunnels are between the open-field (natural environment) and completely controlled environments in a greenhouse. Compared to a standard greenhouse, a high tunnel is a low-cost structure, often with in-ground production, and low operating costs. This study determined biomass production and shoot mineral composition of mixed summer cover crops (buckwheat, cowpeas, and teff grass) to determine the optimum termination time while minimizing management inputs and obtaining maximum soil health benefits from the cover crops. Recommendations outline how small-scale farmers can grow cover crops in high tunnels.

The concept of “Zone Management” in US agriculture emerged in the early 2000’s; it derived from the paradigm shift towards site-specific management of production inputs. The technological driver that fueled this change was the introduction of satellite-based global positioning systems (GPS) of sub-meter precision. Since then, Precision Agriculture (PA) has evolved as an academic discipline to study the relationships between digital technology, its user interface, and the characteristics of the farming system where it is intended to be implemented. Moreover, PA is an intensively practical and applied discipline, embraced by a large segment of practitioners and service providers in the US agricultural community and abroad.

This enterprise budget estimates the typical economic costs and returns to grow cotton using flood irrigation in southern Arizona. It should be used as a guide to estimate actual costs and returns and is not representative of any farm. The assumptions used in constructing this budget are discussed below. Assistance provided by area producers and agribusinesses is much appreciated.