Pauls Valley, OK, Pauls Valley Democrat

Front Page

Discussion

January 18, 2013

Farm project with unique slant

Barry Porterfield Pauls Valley Democrat

bporterfield@pvdemocrat.com — A number of factors have come together to create a rather unique agricultural research project right in the heart of Garvin County.

Potential cost savings for farmers and the impact of drought conditions are a couple of things that played a part in an OSU Extension project now underway that looks at the differences between traditional and no-till farming methods.

Around 100 acres of land at a site between Pauls Valley and Wynnewood has already been offered up by its owner for a project meant to see if no-till farming can help cut costs while still yielding big harvests of different crops.

“We’re planning a long-term project, and we’ll study it over the next few years,” said Bob Leadford of the OSU Extension office here in Garvin County.

“We’ll be crunching the numbers and looking at the difference between the two farming methods,” he said.

“As an extension agent for OSU this has the potential to be some of the most groundbreaking information for any project I’ve been involved in.

“I think that over the next few years we’re going to see some interesting data. Data we get off this will be used everywhere.”

According to Leadford, the idea came from property owner Trey Lam, who suggested that OSU Extension do a no-till research project on some of his acres.

A planter clinic on no-tilling conducted about a year was attended by a number of farmers in the county as some switched over to this method right away.

The project then began to take shape, which Leadford said is the first one OSU has ever done away from research facilities and on “a guy’s individual farm.”

Put simply the project is looking to study the difference in the costs it takes to plant and harvest a crop using these two different types of farming methods.

Leadford says they already know the costs and crop yields using the traditional disc tilling system.

Studying things like the costs of fuel, equipment and labor, the number of passes on a field using farm equipment, moisture conservation and the benefits of organic matter left in the soil, the project will collect data on the no-till system to see which method is most cost efficient for farmers.

Leadford says it’s typical with the traditional method to make three or four passes with equipment to disc and cultivate a field in preparation for planting.

“With the no-till it’s only the one pass to cut and plant seeds,” he said.

For the project there are two areas between PV and Wynnewood split by U.S. Highway 77.

One side has about 55 acres, which after a crop of corn was harvested officials went in and used the no-till method to plant wheat with soybeans to come later.

Alfalfa is now on the other section, which this spring will get corn by way of no-till.

From there it’s a matter of comparing the two methods over the next few years.

“This will be an interesting project, and I look forward to see some of the results,” Leadford said.

“It’s a matter of looking at the numbers. It’s all about the cost.”

Text Only
Local News
Making Crafts for VBS

Bringing a colorful angle to the Vacation Bible School scene this past week, these girls were some of those who participated in the summer pastime at Pauls Valley’s Church of Christ. Here they decorate t-shirts with craft paint before moving to the next station.

Sports
PV Tennis Camp

A student winds up for a swing during a tennis camp this week at the Pauls Valley courts. Students from PV, Ardmore and Western Heights took part in the camp conducted by OSU tennis coach Chris Young.

Obituaries
  • Clarence E. Rogers

    Clarence E. Rogers of Purcell, formerly of Pauls Valley, was born December 24, 1939 in Coffeyville, Kansas to Robert Vernon and Nora Alice Rogers. He passed away June 13, 2013 in Purcell, Oklahoma at the age of 73 years.

    June 18, 2013

  • Rachel Denise (Snow) Luker

    Rachel Denise (Snow) Luker, 29, of Byng passed away on June 11, 2013 in Ada, Oklahoma. Rachel was born on April 12, 1984 to Robert Garcia and Benita Lenker in Enid, Oklahoma.

    June 18, 2013

  • Darla Sue (Susie) Lee

    Darla Sue (Susie) Lee of Pauls Valley was born October 9, 1965 in Denton, Texas. She passed away June 16, 2013 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma at the age of 47 years.

    June 18, 2013

  • Donnie Jack Whitefield

    Donnie Jack Whitefield, 72, of Stratford was born Oct. 4, 1940 in Wynnewood to Wesley and Rosa (Dehart) Whitefield. He passed away June 15, 2013 in Oklahoma City.

    June 18, 2013

Community News
State News
  • Moore city budget likely to change

    The Moore City Council approved an $89.7 million budget with no fund balance used and no public comments, but most of the discussion at Monday night’s city council meeting focused on tornado response and recovery.

    June 4, 2013

  • Gov. signs measure to limit state bond debt

    House Speaker T.W. Shannon and Sen. Josh Brecheen’s measure to limit bond indebtedness has been signed into law by Gov. Mary Fallin....

    June 4, 2013

Business
Business Marquee
Entertainment Reviews
Escape from Planet Earth

DVD artwork for "Escape from Planet Earth."

  • ‘Escape from Planet Earth’ crashes on planet bland

    For all of the classic adventures we’ve rooted for no less than a thousand times in all the familiar fables, I never tire of an attempt to try and flip the roles of the characters in a slightly different twist.

    June 14, 2013 1 Photo

Must Read
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
AP Video
Unusual Heat Wave Bakes Alaska Raw: Massive Protests Fill Brazilian Streets Fans Cheer Dramatic Heat Comeback Raw: Volcano Erupts Near Mexico City Raw: Car Jumps Curb in NYC, Injures 8 Raw: Arizona Wildfire Scorches 8 Square Miles Hoffa Mystery Still Fascinates After 4 Decades Tiger on Sergio: 'It's Time to Move On' Hunt for Ex-Teamster Boss Hoffa's Remains Ends Raw: NASCAR Driver Jason Leffler Dies in Wreck Raw: German President Welcomes President Obama Raw: Huge Fire Near Yosemite National Park 3 Charged in Ohio With Enslaving Mom, Daughter Raw: 1 Dead in Shooting at Mo. Apartment Complex Ex-NFL Star Chad Johnson Out of Jail Car Crash in NYC's East Village Injures 8 Obama Renews Call for Nuclear Reductions Failed Cuba-to-Florida Swimmer Won't Try Again Today in History June 19 Raw: Obama Arrives in Berlin
Stocks