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Agronomic Crop and Improved Pasture System Development (De Baca County)

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. In DeBaca County, approximately 37.5 tons of hay are produced each year, most of that being alfalfa, on a total of 7,800 acres. In addition, local agiculture cash reciepts for crop production in the county account for upwards of 5 million dollars. With increased production costs and continual limited water resources and availability to local producers, as well as pertinent environmental issues, more information, pertinent research and awareness efforts are needed to improve cropping enterprises and benefits to the land and producers as a means of production sustainablity.

Target Audience and Actions

The target audience are local agronomic county producers, both large and small scale, local FSA, NRCS committee and irrigation district members and advisors, local government officials, related businesses, associations, land owners and managers that wish to improve agronomic production and efficiency.

Short-Term Objectives

*at least 30 percent of the producers attending local workshops and meetings on crop or pasture improvement will gain an awareness of management alternatives and efficient methodology 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;
*At least 30% of producers attending county and area agronomical pest management worshops will gain knowledge in novel practices (mechanical, chemical and biological), sustaining research and cost implications related to these practices as a means of improving decision making towards novel crop production practices and land utilization in crop production.

Medium-Term Objectives

*At least 10 percent of the clients participating in local and area educational programming 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 participating in Extension programming for crop and pasture improvement will increase production or grazing potential by 5 percent;
*Of the local producers who report using updated extension training information and manuals in the area of intenstive alfalfa production and other pertinent crop information sheets, 10% will report an increase in knowledge and understanding towards novel practices identified in the information sheets;
*Of producers participating in intense management educational programs, 20% will report an increased understanding and knowledge of the use of the 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 25% of producers and their families who participate in Extension programming by providing more efficient means of creating greater income and sustainability.

Evaluation Plan

Short term evaluation: • use of meeting evalutions and/or end of session group quiz recapping of information
• 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.
• 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 related specialist or through the county agent working with the operation.
• Continued offers to work with the county agent and/or specialist on demonstration and other programming will show effectiveness of the educational efforts made.