New Mexico Ag. Resources

Below you will find a wide variety of specialty crop resources to help you navigate your farming operation. These publications are brought to you by the peer-reviewed, experts of New Mexico State University, and are specifically relevant to the climate, soil, and unique challenges of New Mexico agriculture. The New Farmer Network is currently working to compile much of this research, in addition to farm business planning, into a New Farmer Toolkit that will be accessible to all.

Irrigation

Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is an approach to pest management that uses cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical controls to suppress pests in a way that limits environmental and health risks. Below are methods that can be integrated into your very own garden or small farm!

Due to the aridity of the climate in New Mexico, plants must endure low precipitation coupled with high temperatures and poor soil quality. Understanding the best growing practices— whether it be for aesthetics or human consumption— can help us work towards a more sustainable future. Through the use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), we can better improve pollinator habitat and other beneficial insect populations, as well as increase predation services—aiding in the removal of unwanted pests and removing/minimizing the need for chemical intervention.

Integrated Weed Management

Invasive weeds pose a serious and increasing threat to New Mexico’s environment and economy. These weeds are tough competitors and can spread rapidly, creating large stands that can persist for many years in the environment and cause many negative impacts to our ecosystems. While these impacts are species-specific, weeds have been documented to cause the following: displacement of native plants and animals, increased fire danger, increased soil erosion, increased flood severity, increased soil salinity, and decreased water quality. In agricultural and rangeland settings, these weeds can cause severe economic impacts by decreasing crop yields and lowering available forage for range animals, resulting in a decrease in livestock health.

Soil Health

Soil health is the capacity of the soil to function effectively and provide ecosystem services on a sustainable basis. An important ecosystem service that the soil provides is to support crop production, upon which humans and many animals depend for subsistence. Healthy soil will be able to support crop production on a sustained basis and be less prone to erosion. Other important aspects of soil health include aggregate stability, infiltration rate, salinity, sodicity, and mineralization potential, need to be addressed to attain the goal of sustainable crop production.

Crop Selection

Crop Harvesting

Season Extension Methods

Composting

Making compost is a sped-up way of imitating nature’s cycle of life and death. The end product in the composting process is a dark, loose, partially decomposed form of organic matter that reveals no hint of its origin. The only difference between finished compost and forest humus created by nature is time. The actions of various microorganisms and invertebrates convert raw organic matter in a compost pile into finished compost. Maximum decomposition occurs when these organisms are exposed to an appropriate balance of oxygen, moisture, and nutrients. Products of the composting process include finished compost, carbon dioxide, heat, and water.