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costlier enterprises.
Research Results to Date: Simplified record books were made available the first year, anL since modified. An educational effort, directed largely at farm wives who commonly manage the record books is. now under way. The records have provided excellent comparative dkta on production practices, identified areas where research is needed and permitted. farmers to compare then own practices from an agronomic and economic standpoint.
A simple, low-cost low horsepower requiring subsoiler was developed the first year to break the soil hardpan. It has potential use for planting summer grains in particular, and will be used in planting tropical corn. Pigeon pea, having a long tap root, was examined to see if it could break through the hardpan. Varied management problems encountered with presently available genotypes have eliminated this crop as a potential alternative crop for the present.
Alternative grain and forage crops--amaranth, pigeon pea, and alyceclover--were investigated on station. They all experienced problems due to biophysical constraints. IFAS researchers are continuing a selection and breeding program with the two promising crops, alyceclover and pigeon pea.
Tropical corn was first planted on farm by the team in 1983. It faced severe insect and drought problems. Farmer enthusiasm toward this corn type has spurred further testing of cultivars, planting dates and fertilization practices. It potentionally offers a good alternative to traditional corn because of its higher resistance to weevil damage in storage, in addition to its ability to grow and produ e following summer planting.
Winter grain work has been quite sccessful. Originally examined as an alternative to corn, winter grains may be more widely used in doublecropping systems and to supplement costly winter forage. Wheat work concentrated on planting date, fertility and grazing studies, resulting in recommendations specific to the regiopon these practices. Wheat can be grazed for 6 weeks in the region, and new varieties such as Florida 302 promise longer grazing. Triticale and new oat cultivars were first examined in 1983-84. They offer greater frost- and disease-resistance than other grains. Microelement.trials should provide sufficient data to make recommendations by late 1984.
Application of 80$#/acre N on wheat was verified by 1982 and now work is focusing on timing of application, especially critical on the shorter season wheats being grown here in Florida. Suffer was identified as critical in 1982 and research demonstrat edthe advantages of adding 20#/acre.
A research effort examining P, K, S and microelement
responses in wheat-soybean doublecropping systems has been going on for 3 years in cooperation with agronomic and soils scientists. Fertilization recommendations thus will soon be available for operations which either monocrop or doublecrop.