Note: This site is for reviewing legacy plan of work data from 2007-2011. If you are looking for the current plan of work interface, visit pow.nmsu.edu.

Agronomic Crop and Improved Pasture System Development

Plan Goal

Improve the sustainability and production potential of agronomic crops and improved pastures in order to improve the soil tilth, yield capability, crop or forage quality as well as the economic and environmental benefits to the land users.

Situation Statement

Crop output in New Mexico has a value of over $582.3 million with a net income reported in 2004 of over $862.4 million, up 65% from 2003. Agronomic crops, particularly feed crops such as hay, grain sorghum, grain corn and silage corn as well as fiber crops such as cotton, make up over half the total cash receipts for all crops grown across the state and over 13.5% of the total agricultural cash receipts. With either or both agronomic crops and improved pasture in all the counties across the state, more information and research is needed to improve cropping enterprises and benefits to the land and producers.

* This program studies how the plant functions in its environment, and then uses this knowledge to establish improved crop management alternatives to over 50% of the clients throughout the state for increased economic yield and environmental friendliness by providing advanced cropping information through the use of publications, newsletters, email and meetings as well as news releases and other outreach tools.
* This program develops alternate forage-based enterprises that improve yields and quality by 15 to 25%for forage-livestock producers in New Mexico.
* This program responds to targeted agronomic crops to improve the crop responses to water deficits and irrigation; to seeding rates, row spacing, narrow rows; and, to plant growth regulators, crop chemicals, fertilizers and other inputs by improving crop growth efficiency by 10% and lowering cropping costs by 5 to 25%.
* This program is to discover, develop, and evaluate learning systems and managed ecosystems for agricultural environments. The systems emerging through research and disseminated through teaching and outreach programs contribute to improvements in systems thinking and practice, new technology, crop productivity, environmental quality, and profitability to 50% of the learners.
* This program conducts numerous demonstrations across the state to evaluate new forages, crops and management practices at the producer level that represents the current research and extension information on grasses, legumes and other agronomic crops to enhance economic growth, yield, quality and animal production for New Mexico producers on diverse operations.

Target Audience and Actions

* The target audience is both small as well as medium and large scale agricultural operations, businesses, associations, cooperatives, consulting firms and collectives that may or may not be defined as a farm under the USDA economic return criteria, but rather are land owners, managers, consultants, or students that wish to improve agronomic production and efficiency as do and are other audience participants such as Extension agents, farmers, ranchers, other agricultural specialists, private-tribal-state-federal and even nonprofit organizations.
* Providing at least five new PowerPoint programs that can be refined locally by or for county agents within this program will allow a 20% increase in audience awareness of potential improvements to plant management systems so that they can refine their operation to benefit both them and the land.
* Looking at complete crop management systems will outline a better process to optimize resources and reduce input costs by 5 to 15% for clients within the state.

Short-Term Objectives

*at least 30 percent of the producers attending workshops and meetings on crop or pasture improvement will gain an awareness of management alternatives to improve plant production
*at least 15 percent attending meetings will gain a knowledge of crops and pasture grasses and forbs adapted to their region
*the number of producers using multiple year planning for either crops or improved pasture will increase by 10 percent toward the improvement of land utilization and protection
*management input optimization on pasture as well as in crops will improve by 15 percent in 10 percent of the clients
* analyze, interpret and provide crop and pasture system information to county Extension agents and to 10 percent of the clients throughout the state
* assist county Extension agents and clients with information on cropping system development and improvements for use in food, feed, fiber and biofuel development for better alternative crop uses to over 10 percent of the farm households in New Mexico
* provide agent, staff and public training as requested through telephone calls, correspondence, training programs and on-site demonstrations and planning
* respond to county agent and client requests for information and program procedures and materials
* develop an intensive alfalfa production pocket guide for use by county agents and clients in the state
* develop a series of crop information sheets to be used as general guides to agronomic crops grown in New Mexico for use by agents and clients at meetings, on farms and ranches as well as for new agent training in New Mexico
* maintain contacts with other departments, conservation districts, irrigation districts and related land use agencies to provide information as well as keep up to date on emerging issues and improvements
* remain current on the latest research and potential management planning for improved crops and pastures
* respond positively and quickly to agent and client requests for assistance within the state while also maintaining contacts and committments at the national and international level

Medium-Term Objectives

*At least 10 percent of the clients attending educational meetings on crops and pastures will gain a working knowledge of improvements that can be implemented on their land and over 8 percent will implement part of these practices
*Producers participanting in Extension programming for crop and pasture improvement will increase production or grazing potential by 5 percent
* After participation in the whole farm programming within this objective, 10 percent of the producers should be able to identify not only improvements in operation, but also how rotations over multiple years can benefit the sustainability of operations.
* Pasture improvement programming will insure that less than 50 percent of New Mexican land is erodible to wind damage and thus improving the soil tilth by maintaining better water holding capacity, using nutrients more efficiently and choosing better fitted crops and pasture forages for each site.
* By working with clients over a season, the producers understanding and knowledge of the use of total cropping inputs and cost-benefits will be increased by 20 percent and the appreciation of soil improvements will be increased in over 30 percent of the clients.

Long-Term Objectives

• With educational information, over 5 percent of the clients working with crops and pastures will show better soil tilth and plant development and utilization on their land
• Land value and sustainability for clients will improve and management of the land will allow 5 percent of the clients to improve planning and input cost reductions
• The long term objective is to improve the life style and structure of the producer and his family by providing more efficient means of creating greater income and sustainability on over 50 percent of the specific farm sites visited
• Collect information on sustainability for various regions of New Mexico to help over 25 percent of the small as well as 25 percent of the large and medium sized operations to fit into the economic future of the state.
• To introduce new technology for ease and economics to 20 percent of the producers by showing how simple soil and water testing can optimize operational needs to provide a better lifestyle
• To work as a change agent in offering alternatives to current operations that are struggling with sustainability by seeking a better fit enterprise or method to farming and ranching that will help in minimizing input costs and optimizing gains in over 15 percent of the farms in the state through economics, soil tilth, operational efficiency and time spent in practice improvements to farms in the state

Evaluation Plan

Short term evaluation:
• use of meeting evalutions and/or end of session group quiz recapping of information
• after assembling the information for a system plan with individual clients, use of five to ten key priorities for sustainability of operations will be used to evaluate the potential for improvement of a cropping or pasture situation
• by use of priority needs described by the producer or land owner, targeted areas of improvement will be decided upon and these priorities dealt with first as the producer requests. If only a variety recommendation is requested, then this system development profile will be addressed with the client. On the other hand, if more improvement is desired, a priority list of practices to address can be devised and worked on to accomplish the goals needed by both the client and the county agent in the area.
• By use of a check list of items that other programs have developed in the sustainable, environmental and economic arenas that were also used as group programming for farm operations through the use of advisors to whole farm operations in Minnesota and North Dakota, a listing of priorities to possibly address can be derived for the producer to look at and determine if he wants additional information or help in these areas.
• Use of soil and water testing as well as soil type determination, altitude, growing season length and growing degree days expected as well as general field conditions can create a preliminary evaluation of whole operation needs and priorities for the program

Medium term evaluation:
• In order to determine if the information taken to the producer was utilized, a follow up visit by the county agent will allow a quick reevaluation of the practices implemented and continued over time on the operation.

• with an increase in revenue and a decrease of 10% of inputs normally wasted or misused, the program evaluation for optimizing whole farm operations can be evaluated or tailored to new needs of the producer through individual reporting on improvements due to implementation of suggestions

• This dynamic programming technique will allow a continual programming input from the county agent by tailoring his programming to that desired by the client. With time, anticipation of changes in the farm enterprise or new goals or needs by the client can create a new programming strategy and information with specialist input as needed.

• The client(s) will be able to run a self-assessment on their proposed farm operation plans and determine through the use of the whole farm planning sheets, the information they need to choose varieties, determine nutrient input, find out current soil nutrient status, predict irrigation needs while working within equipment, time and seasonal limitations.
• Use of changes reported on conservation planning and implementation in coorination with NRCS where they are actively working too with the cooperator.

Long term evaluation:
• Effectiveness of the programming will be evaluated by review of changes made and implemented on each farm with each producer either with both the agent and the specialist or through the county agent working with the operation.
• By revealing alternative means of operation through the use of demonstrations and information, a long term evaluation will be to see if the practices suggested are not only implemented by the producer but continuing to be part of the operation with continued improvements in management and environmental sustainability.
• Continued use of Extension information and input to the producer will show effectiveness of the program on a farm by farm basis.
• Continued offers to work with the county agent and/or specialist on demonstration and other programming will show effectiveness of the educational efforts made.
• Land use changes and production reported through the New Mexico agricultural statistical service.