Alternative Crop
Research
Research on viable alternative crops that conserve water continues to be crucial to Colorado’s agricultural sustainability, both now and in the future.
Alternative crop research in Colorado’s Eastern Plains
Joel Schneekloth, Water Resource Specialist, leads alternative crop research in the Eastern Plains of Colorado. His work studying black-eyed peas includes:
- Drought resilience
- Decreased water use
- Promising economics for both dryland and irrigated plantings
- Uses for grain and/or forage
- Legume, addition to grass-based cropping system
- Disease, pest, weeds, potential nitrogen contributions to the system
- Nitrogen x Inoculation Study – began 2023
- Nutrient management – Nitrogen
- Row Spacing Study – preliminary in 2024, funded for 2025/2026. Study will look at:
- Increased canopy development
- Reduce weed competition/herbicide usage
- Potential to reduce evaporative losses
- Better residue for wind erosion
- Grain yield impacts of row spacing and optimum population for row spacings
Alternative crop research in the Upper Colorado River Basin
Perry Cabot, Extension Professor, leads alternative crop research research in the Upper Colorado River Basin. His work includes:
- Pulse crops health initiative on winter peas and lentils, compared with conventional cropping systems
- Alternative forage comparing sainfoin, intermediate wheat grass, and silphium in partnership with The Land Institute
- Evaluation of consumptive use with unmanned aerial vehicles and energy-balance modeling
Featured Resources
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Aerial view of the South Platte River west of Weldona, Colorado, June 3, 20113 South Platte Salinity Research
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Agricultural Scenery in the lower Arkansas River Basin in eastern Colorado Irrigation Technologies
