Excerpts: The Rolling Plains, encompassing 20 counties in Oklahoma and 40 counties in Texas, is an important agricultural area. Principally dryland farming, the area contains a variety of farm enterprises ranging from cash crops to cattle grazing. Wide differences characterize the resources and production possibilities in the area. The emphasis on holding down production costs and the extensive character of farming in the region influence production decisions with respect to the level and mix of inputs. For example, insect control is a primary problem in the region, but farmers do not generally emphasize intensive control practices on account of the added cost. There also is a tendency to hold down the use of fertilizer and other chemicals or to substitute other crops, principally wheat, for cotton in the farm organization in efforts to reduce production costs and improve farm income. Further changes in input mix and enterprise combinations may occur in the region in the years ahead as a result of the continuing push by producers to cope with increasing production costs and inflationary pressures.
