Yield and economic responses to phosphorus fertilizer placement in dual-use and grain-only wheat production systems
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Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production in the southern Great Plains is a unique enterprise that provides both highquality forage and a grain crop within the same growing season. However, information on fertility management programs to maximize forage and beef production in a dualuse wheat production system is lacking. A 3yr, fieldscale production study was initiated on a Tillman clay loam near Vernon, TX, in 1999 to (i) determine the influence of P fertilizer and P fertilizer placement on forage, beef, and grain production from dualuse wheat, and (ii) compare economic costs and returns of dualuse and grainonly wheat production systems. Varying numbers of stocker cattle (Bos spp.) were placed in each pasture based on forage availability. Beeftoforage allowance among pastures was kept relatively constant by adjusting cattle numbers monthly. Applying 20 kg P ha1 yr1 increased soil test P in the upper 15 cm two to threefold, forage production 18 to 54%, and animal gains ha1 27 to 29% compared with no P. With respect to forage and subsequent beef production, surfaceapplied P was generally equal to or better than injected P. Average return between the grazeplusgrain and grazeout systems was significant (P < 0.0001) but not among fertilizer treatments (P = 0.26), although surfaceapplied P resulted in numerically higher returns each year. There was no significant system fertilizer treatment interaction. However, during the study period, the grazeplusgrain system was clearly superior to the grazeout system in generating higher net returns ($94 vs. $29 ha1).
