1. Agronomic and Economic Comparison of Conventional and Direct-seeding in the Intermediate Rainfall Zone

The predominant dryland cropping system in the low (<12 inch) and intermediate (12- 18 inch) rainfall areas of the Pacific Northwest (PNW) is winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) summer-fallow using conventional tillage. Tillage increases the rate of soil organic matter oxidation which has an adverse effect on soil physical, biological and chemical properties. A field experiment comparing conventional tillage-based summer- fallow with chemical summer-fallow and direct-seeding was... S. Petrie, S. Albrecht, D. Long