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Rainfed Farming Systems in the USA

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Rainfed Farming Systems

Abstract

This chapter describes characteristics of four major rainfed farming regions and systems in the USA: Great Plains wheat-sorghum-cattle; midwestern corn-soybean-hogs, southern cotton-peanut-poultry, and coastal diversified crops-dairy. Rainfed farming systems in the USA are highly productive, economically important, ecologically diverse and technologically driven. Management approaches to achieve resource efficiency and agricultural sustainability are described, including the use of improved genetic seed sources, crop rotations, appropriate fertiliser application techniques, conservation tillage and integrated crop-livestock production systems. Issues of increasing oil and fertiliser prices, sustainability of soil and water resources, and climate change are current challenges facing agriculture in the USA.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Soil maps of the USA can be found at:

    http://soils.usda.gov/technical/classification/taxonomy/.

  2. 2.

    See glossary of plant names for scientific names

  3. 3.

    PUE and WUE are defined and discussed in Chap. 1

  4. 4.

    Full costs of production include: variable costs (inputs consumed in one production season), cash costs (variable cost plus rent, taxes, insurance, interest), and total economic costs (cash cost plus depreciation, returns to management and land, and family labour).

  5. 5.

    See Glossary.

  6. 6.

    See Glossary for definition.

  7. 7.

    See Glossary.

  8. 8.

    Refer to Glossary for definition.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. J. Phil Campbell Sr. Natural Resource Conservation Center, USDA – Agricultural Research Service, Watkinsville, GA, 30677, USA

    Alan Franzluebbers

  2. Grazinglands Research Labouratory, USDA – Agricultural Research Service, El Reno, OK, 73036, USA

    Jean Steiner

  3. National Soil Tilth Labouratory, USDA – Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA, 50011, USA

    Doug Karlen & Jeremy Singer

  4. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA, 02111, USA

    Tim Griffin

  5. Northern Great Plains Research Labouratory, USDA – Agricultural Research Service, Mandan, ND, 58554, USA

    Don Tanaka

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  1. Alan Franzluebbers
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  2. Jean Steiner
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  3. Doug Karlen
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  4. Tim Griffin
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  5. Jeremy Singer
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  6. Don Tanaka
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Correspondence to Alan Franzluebbers .

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  1. Gawler, South Australia, Australia

    Philip Tow

  2. Alexander Avenue, Bibaringa, 5118, South Australia, Australia

    Ian Cooper

  3. Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia

    Ian Partridge

  4. Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Rese, Leader, Vegetable Centre, Burnie, 7320, Tasmania, Australia

    Colin Birch

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Franzluebbers, A., Steiner, J., Karlen, D., Griffin, T., Singer, J., Tanaka, D. (2011). Rainfed Farming Systems in the USA. In: Tow, P., Cooper, I., Partridge, I., Birch, C. (eds) Rainfed Farming Systems. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9132-2_20

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