Drought Resistant Irrigated Crops

We have been getting questions about crops that can do well with lower water so that irrigators can move water to other crops.
I am planning on hosting a dry crops on irrigation webinar in early to mid March, but here is some information so you can get thinking of adjustments.
Fall crops like Hybrid Fall Rye & Winter Wheat would be a good choice so consider that for this coming fall as they use water earlier so take advantage of spring moisture better. Rye has double the root systems of other crops so it is more of a scavenger for water and the hybrids can handle stress better vs non hybrids. 

Water timing:

• In 2020 when we had record dry land yields of 80 bu durum and 70 bu pea averages in our area, most of our water came in mid to late June. I am thinking that time period may be most critical to use most of your water if you are limited? Keep in mind the drylands crops where seeded early to mid April for timing that season.
• I have talked to to a few farms who keep close track of water use and one thought is that fields with additional June water over and above what they thought the crop may need seemed to provide a yield bump in 2023

Yields with reduced water:

• I put some charts together with what reduced water application may mean to that crop type in net returns as a % of normal crops net returns when you short the crop water. Keep in mind these are my educated guesses!
• Chellenges:
  • Some crops are smaller markets or buyers you are not used to dealing with.
  • Weed control is challenging in chickpea, somewhat challenging in a lentil vs a pea crop.
  • Disease is a risk with chickpea (some seed 8 lbs flax with the crop to help that)
• Seeding early may also be an advantage if you can you seed in to moist soil late March or early April and then do a burn off before the crop comes up? We do this on dry land all the time. Pulses can tolerate early seeding as can wheat. durum may be also able to do so as its being studied by Dr Brian Beres and team now for ultra early seeding. https://www.stampseeds.com/blog/ultra-early-seeding1161535

Choices to lower water use:

• Barley - and if you chose an earlier variety like Bill Coors 100 (its as much as 1 week earlier vs some other barley types) you may get more yield per inch of water.
  • (malt contracts are out now) https://www.stampseeds.com/malt---bill-coors-100-malt-barley.html 
    • Contracts: Cody Shick [email protected] or cell (406)-697-3838 (Montanna number)
• Red lentil - lower water needs vs a pea
• Chickpea - very low water needed vs a pea or lentil but is a high maintenance crop (fungicides)
• Pea - a short season like AAC Carver vs a longer season variety
• Mustard - can be lower water use but need to be 5+ years out from a canola crop
• Triticale - can be more of a scavenger for water vs other crops due to its larger and more fibrous root system.
  • For forage triticale is great as it can be silaged earlier vs soft wheat
  • For grain triticale can be more prone to ergot.
  • I have had triticale for grain vs durum on dry land yield about 40% more than the durum beside it.
• Silage - can allow you to turn the water off sooner if your feedlot neighbours neighbours need more feed
  • Barley for short season or triticale for fibrous roots?
• Durum - If you do want to do a durum AAC Succeed VB is almost 1 week earlier vs Stronghold https://www.stampseeds.com/succeed-vb-durum.html
• Fall crops - think fall crops for this summer and how they can spend your risk into 2025