Integrated Cropping Systems
Sustainable agricultural production is a national priority, which can be achieved by reducing environmental footprint, increasing farm profitability, and improving climate resiliency. Large-scale farming operations in the Western Colorado have relied significantly on the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, as well as use of intensive tillage and inefficient furrow irrigation system.
Although these external inputs have assisted the Western Colorado agricultural enterprise like elsewhere in the country in raising the yield bar over many decades, in the event of climate change the agroecological system resiliency requires dynamic nutrient cycling, soil water retention, and reduced nutrient runoff.
Cover crops not only contribute to soil health by fixing nitrogen but also help in suppression and erosion control. Enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizers can optimize nutrient uptake by crops while reducing losses to the environment, thus mitigating the risk of nutrient runoff. Precision nitrogen management allows for more targeted application of nitrogen, matching the timing and dosage with crop needs, which can further reduce waste and environmental impact. We at WCRC-GV attempt to either develop or finetune these strategies, to address immediate concerns about environmental footprint but also ensuring long-term sustainability and resilience in Western Colorado agricultural production. It’s a step towards aligning farming practices with the principles of agroecology, which prioritize the integration of ecological processes into agricultural systems for the benefit of both farmers and the environment.
Contact
Sri Pinnamaneni
Research Scientist
WCRC – Grand Valley
sri.pinnamaneni@colostate.edu
Research Projects
Current research in integrated cropping systems falls into into three categories:
- Enhancing the climate resiliency of crop production systems through improved nutrient and water use efficiency
- Generating research-based information on forage crops and crop mixtures for improved forage quantity and quality with an emphasis on reduced methane emissions in livestock production systems and sustainability.
- Identify alternative crops with high water use efficiency that fit in to the existing crop.
Improving nitrogen use efficiency and cover crop decomposition synchrony for N availability in conventional till and reduced till corn agroecosystems.
Carbon sequestration potential of novel cover crop species in Western Colorado and their economic analysis.
Funded by Solutions to Colorado Commodity Challenges, a joint effort with the Colorado producers and their associations
Identifying high forage and quality lines of sorghum, corn and alfalfa.
Installation of soil moisture sensors in Saving Tomorrow’s Agricultural Resources
Collaborating with farmers in Western Colorado and CO Dept of Agriculture.
Alternative crops for Western Colorado
Many new crop cultivars of Proso millet in collaboration with Dry land Genetics, cowpeas, pearl millet, Japanese millet, Foxtail millet, clover, forage soybeans in collaboration with Greencover, clusterbean are being evaluated for their potential as cover/forage crop.
Bayer Crop Sciences
Research into forages and alternative crops.
Publications
Integrated Cropping Systems Selected Publications
- Anapalli, S.S., Pinnamaneni, S.R., Chastain D., Reddy, K.N. and Simmons, C.D. (2022) Eddy covariance quantification of carbon and water dynamics in twin-row vs. single-row planted corn (Submitted to Agricultural Water Management)
- Pinnamaneni, S.R., Lima, I., Boone, A.S., Anapalli, S.S. and Reddy, K.N. (2022). Effect of sugarcane biochar on rainfed cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) growth, lint yield and quality in the Humid Mississippi Delta (Submitted to Nature Scientific Reports)
- Anapalli, S.S., Pinnamaneni, S.R. and Reddy, K.N. (2022) Impacts of alternate wetting and drying floodwater management on rice water use and methane emissions large-scale farm in a humid climate. Heliyon https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14696
- Pinnamaneni, S.R., Anapalli, S.S. and Reddy, K.N. (2022) Assessing water use efficiency and on-farm profitability of corn production in response to irrigations and planting patterns in humid climates (Accepted in Agronomy J)
- Pinnamaneni, S.R., Partson M., Anapalli, S.S and Reddy, K.N. (2022) Cereal rye cover crop impacts on soybean (Glycine max L.) root growth and soil properties. Frontiers in Soil Science and Soil Management. DOI: 10.3389/fsoil.2022.970380
- Pinnamaneni, S.R., Anapalli, S.S. Molin, W. and Reddy, K.N. (2022) Effect of rye cover crop on weed control, soybean yield and profitability. Frontiers in Agronomy https://doi.org/10.3389/fagro.2022.907507
- Pinnamaneni, S.R., Anapalli, S.S. and Reddy, K.N. (2022) Photosynthetic response of soybean and cotton to different irrigation regimes and planting geometries. Frontiers in Plant Sciences: DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.894706
- Saseendran, S.S, Pinnamaneni, S.R., Reddy K.N. and Singh G. (2022) Eddy covariance quantification of corn (Zea mays L.) water use and yield responses to irrigations on farm-scale fields. Agronomy J https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21130
- Pinnamaneni, S.R., Lima, I.M., Boone, S.A., Beacorn, J.A. and Bellaloui, N., 2023. Effects of pelleted sugarcane biochar applications on growth, yield and economics of rainfed corn (Zea mays L.) in the Mississippi Delta. Industrial Crops and Products, 204, p.117318.
- Pinnamaneni, S.R., Lima, I., Boone, S.A. et al. Effect of continuous sugarcane bagasse-derived biochar application on rainfed cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) growth, yield and lint quality in the humid Mississippi delta. Sci Rep 13, 10941 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-37820-8
- Pinnamaneni, S. R., Anapalli, S. S., and Reddy, K. (2023). Effect of irrigation regimes and planting patterns on maize production in humid climates. Agronomy Journal, 115(3), 1085-1096.
- Anapalli, S. S., Pinnamaneni, S. R., Chastain, D. R., Reddy, K. N., & Simmons, C. D. (2023). Eddy covariance quantification of carbon and water dynamics in twin-row vs. single-row planted corn. Agricultural Water Management, 281, 108235.