IMPROVING SMALL GRAIN (WINTER WHEAT) CROP YIELD AND PRODUCTION THROUGH WEEDS COVER ASSESSMENT AND SMALL-SIZED FARMERS ENGAGEMENT

The overarching goal of the proposal is to decrease the incidence of weeds in winter wheat production system using two tillage management practices. Central to this goal is to develop Knowledge to Action Networks (KTANs) in the hopes of engaging small and socially disadvantaged farmers and veterans to grow small grains, especially winter wheat. The project objectives are: 1) to grow winter wheat under two tillage management practices (i.e. no-till and conventional tillage); 2) to carry out weeds surveillance and identification in the winter wheat plots under two tillage (no-till and conventional) systems; 3) to map and monitor temporal weeds cover in the winter wheat plots using drones; and 4) to develop Knowledge to Action Networks (KTANs) for small and socially disadvantaged farmers and veterans to grow winter wheat.