Alternative production systems for traditional monoculture wheat acres in the southern plains for two farm sizes

Scope and Method of Study. The net returns of five alternative cropping systems, for conventional tillage and no-till, for two farm sizes; 640-acres and 2,560-acres were determined. The five cropping systems included: early September wheat for dual-purpose (ESD); early September wheat for forage-only (ESF); early September wheat for forage-only double cropped with foxtail millet (ESFM); late September wheat for dual-purpose (LSD); October wheat for grain-only (OG).;Findings and Conclusions. Average wheat grain yields were significantly lower on the no-till plots. However, fall-winter wheat forage yields were significantly greater on the no-till plots. For both farm sizes and both tillage systems, the early planted dual purpose wheat produced the greatest expected net returns on average. For the small farm, the expected net returns for each of the five production systems were greatest for conventional tillage. The expected net returns for four of the production systems were greater for the no-till system for the large farm.