500,000 ha (2017). While farmers are currently experiencing a softening of demand for wheat and barley, these crops have stabilized farm incomes and made gains in sustainability by reducing summerfallow. Though this project has focused much less on oilseed crop research, canola in particular, is poised to occupy a much more significant area on the Montana landscape. Genetic advances with heat and drought tolerance, and pod shattering resistance, has improved the fit for canola in the northern Great Plains. Importantly, targeted reduction in malt barley production has created an urgent need for alternative, high value crops, especially in irrigated areas. Achieving crop diversification at an ecological level that permits highly efficient pest and soil fertility management eludes much of conventional agriculture. Ecological approaches to farming engage a level of complexity which, although it may promise greater rewards to management, can increase financial risk. Adoption of diversified cropping systems within no-till farming provided an ecological solution that coincidentally enhanced timeliness of farm operations, and reduced labor needs, creating a rare win-win situation for ecology and economics. Organic farming, aside from the major vulnerability of tillage, has long been engaged in ecological farming practices. Crop diversification is a vital building block in organic systems but currently creeping rooted dicot perennial weeds (creeping thistle and field bindweed) are major threats to organic farming in Montana. Research in this realm is needed urgently and is limited only by human and infrastructure investment. Organic farming offers a high value option for Montana farmers, but at substantial risk. Currently there is developing interest in cover crops, especially mixed species cover crops, which requires diligent scientific exploration. The cover crops concept fits well the too-little-studied theme of crop-livestock integration. Again, only human and infrastructure investment limit this exploration. Decadal-scale climate variability presents overwhelming fundamental challenges to northern Plains agriculture, and especially livestock producers. How can annual cropping systems help to buffer this economic variability? This AES project is engaging these topics to develop knowledge pieces to best position northern Plains agriculture in an uncertain future. Such knowledge is in demand by farmers; in the last month alone I have been invited to present research results at Organic and Pulse Crop conferences in Montana, as well as a regional irrigated crops conference.' />
Source: MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
SUSTAINABLE CROPPING SYSTEMS THROUGH DIVERSIFIED CROPPING STRATEGIES IN THE NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1015810
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jul 1, 2018
Project End Date
Jun 30, 2023
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
BOZEMAN,MT 59717
Performing Department
Land Resources & Environmental Sciences
Non Technical Summary
Crop diversification is a key element of agricultural sustainability and is the focus of this AES research project. Diversity is not a simple thing. Every crop has unique growth habits, production challenges, and a unique set of inputs. Diversified systems offer complexity and economic resilience that promises real reward to management; but complex systems are rife with potential 'pilot error' that can quickly undermine profitability. Practical knowledge advances are made based on cropping systems field research with multiple crops, sequences, and rotations, in a dryland context suited to the northern Great Plains. Farmers seek operational guidance with regard to nitrogen- and water-efficient crop rotations, and strategies to enhance soil productivity. To help solve these challenges, field research spans simple questions asked in small scale plot studies to more complex questions in large-plot, long-term studies. Active engagement with farmer collaborators at the field scale is used to ground-truth multi-factor plot studies. The major outcomes from this research are knowledge pieces that can be assembled to solve the puzzle of sustainability, in a profitable manner. These pieces include screening adaptation of alternative crops and assessing genetic variability or optimizing agronomic management within targeted pulse and oilseed crops. Intermediate goals pertain to understanding system components; specifically the interaction of diverse crops, typically in 2 to 4 yr cropping sequences. There the focus is on biological interactions (disease, insect, and weed pests), energy budgets, and impacts on key soil constraints (nitrogen, water). Long term goals examine functional cropping systems with a view toward resource use efficiency (water, nitrogen, energy) and impacts on the environment (greenhouse gas balance, soil quality). Written products resulting from this project are easier to count but the most important outcomes from this project are reflected visibly on the landscape of the northern Plains; crop diversification. Coincident with the time span of this AES project, pulse crop area has increased from less than 5,000 ha (1998) to > 500,000 ha (2017). While farmers are currently experiencing a softening of demand for wheat and barley, these crops have stabilized farm incomes and made gains in sustainability by reducing summerfallow. Though this project has focused much less on oilseed crop research, canola in particular, is poised to occupy a much more significant area on the Montana landscape. Genetic advances with heat and drought tolerance, and pod shattering resistance, has improved the fit for canola in the northern Great Plains. Importantly, targeted reduction in malt barley production has created an urgent need for alternative, high value crops, especially in irrigated areas. Achieving crop diversification at an ecological level that permits highly efficient pest and soil fertility management eludes much of conventional agriculture. Ecological approaches to farming engage a level of complexity which, although it may promise greater rewards to management, can increase financial risk. Adoption of diversified cropping systems within no-till farming provided an ecological solution that coincidentally enhanced timeliness of farm operations, and reduced labor needs, creating a rare win-win situation for ecology and economics. Organic farming, aside from the major vulnerability of tillage, has long been engaged in ecological farming practices. Crop diversification is a vital building block in organic systems but currently creeping rooted dicot perennial weeds (creeping thistle and field bindweed) are major threats to organic farming in Montana. Research in this realm is needed urgently and is limited only by human and infrastructure investment. Organic farming offers a high value option for Montana farmers, but at substantial risk. Currently there is developing interest in cover crops, especially mixed species cover crops, which requires diligent scientific exploration. The cover crops concept fits well the too-little-studied theme of crop-livestock integration. Again, only human and infrastructure investment limit this exploration. Decadal-scale climate variability presents overwhelming fundamental challenges to northern Plains agriculture, and especially livestock producers. How can annual cropping systems help to buffer this economic variability? This AES project is engaging these topics to develop knowledge pieces to best position northern Plains agriculture in an uncertain future. Such knowledge is in demand by farmers; in the last month alone I have been invited to present research results at Organic and Pulse Crop conferences in Montana, as well as a regional irrigated crops conference.
Animal Health Component
88%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
10%
Applied
88%
Developmental
2%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1110110106010%
2050199106050%
2050430106010%
2130199106010%
1020199106020%
Knowledge Area
102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships; 111 - Conservation and Efficient Use of Water; 205 - Plant Management Systems; 213 - Weeds Affecting Plants;

Subject Of Investigation
0110 - Soil; 0430 - Climate; 0199 - Soil and land, general;

Field Of Science
1060 - Biology (whole systems);
Goals / Objectives
Goal 1. Investigate adaptation, genetic diversity, and agronomic practices for alternative crops in the semiarid northern Great Plains. Within this goal, specific objectives proposed are to:Obj. 1-1 - Explore alternative crops for adaptation to dryland or irrigated environments,Obj. 1-2 - Release new lines of fababean for use in cover crop mixtures,Obj. 1-3 - Revisit the potential of winter canola when sown mid-summer in chem fallow or suitable companion crops,Obj. 1-4 - Optimize agronomic management of lentil for dryland production; seed density, roll timing, and no-till seed opener.Goal 2. Evaluate cropping sequence effects and intercropping/mixed cropping strategies within dryland cropping systems that optimize soil N and water use relative to net profit, with special emphasis on the role of cover crops in this region, or manage crop pests (in collaboration with C. Jones, C. Zabinski, J. Rupp, D. Weaver).Obj. 2-1 - In collaboration with C. Jones and C. Zabinski, measure cover crop effects from different plant functional groups on biological, chemical, and physical soil properties, and subsequent wheat yield and qualityObj. 2-2 - In collaboration with J. Rupp, explore intercropping strategies that optimize crop yield and quality, such as flax-chickpea to avoid foliar fungicide applications, and seek over-yielding production.Obj. 2-3) In collaboration with D. Weaver, investigate the role of cover crop nectar provision in the wheat stem sawfly - Braconid parasitoid insect complex. This may uncover additional value for incorporating cover crops in wheat systems.Goal 3. Explore optimal input/management strategies with regard to agroeconomic potential, soil carbon accrual and nitrogen cycling, and integrated pest management in long-term dryland cropping systems under no-till or organic management (in collaboration with A. Bekkerman, P.Carr, R. Engel, S. Ewing, C. Jones, and F. Menalled).Goal 4. Support colleague's investigation of agricultural constraints and trade-offs for crop adaptation strategies to mitigate potentially harmful effects of climate change (in collaboration with J. Brookshire and P. Stoy).Goal 5. Share knowledge gained from this research project with research and extension colleagues, and through direct and indirect communication with farmers and students (in collaboration with C. Jones, K. McVay and F. Menalled).
Project Methods
Obj. 1-1 - Explore alternative crops for adaptation to dryland environmentsFor example, in 2017 the following crops were grown for observational or seed-freshening purposes:1) niger, 2) flax, 3) turnip, 4) tillage radish, 5) Brassica carinata, 6) yellow mustard, 7) canaryseed, 8) sorghum, 9) safflower, 10) multi-headed sunflower, 11) buckwheat, 12) hairy vetch, 13) common vetch, 14) chickling vetch, 15) grasspea, 16) chickpea, 17) open-pollinated purple corn, 18) multi-colored o.p. corn, 19) sweet corn, 20) hollyhocks, 21) German and 22) proso millet.Obj. 1-2 - Release new fababean for use in cover crop mixtures.A small black-seeded fababean (14-24 SB Faba) was developed for the cover crop market using single seed descent methodology and increased to 700 kg in 2017 to enable testing by potential private partners prior to subsequent commercialization.Obj. 1-3 - Explore winter canola survival and productivity.In 2018, glyphosate-tolerant winter canola will be sown mid-June for harvest in 2019. In collaboration with Dr. Stamm (Kansas St. Univ.), we evaluate fall-sown winter canola genotypes biannually in standard replicated trials.Obj. 1-4 - Optimize agronomic management of lentilPending funding, collaborative studies in Montana and North Dakota will explore seeding rate, roll timing, K and S fertilizer response, rhizobial inoculant formulation, and fungicidal seed treatments in no-till farming systems.Obj. 2-1 - Measure cover crop effects on soilWith funding from USDA-NIFA Western SARE, and continuing funding from the Montana Fertilizer Advisory Committee, a cover crop project was conducted from 2012 to 2017. Plant functional groups include: i) Brassica species (tillage radish and winter canola), ii) Fibrous rooted crops (canaryseed and oat), iii) Legumes (pea and lentil), and iv) Tap roots (safflower and turnip). Eleven main plot (i.e. Year-1) treatments include each functional group, a full mixture including all functional groups, full mixtures minus each functional group, and sole pea and chem fallow controls. In Year-2, wheat is grown using 0, 60, or 120 kg N ha-1 of urea fertilizer mid-row banded at seeding. The fourth cycle will be completed in 2018-19, with a strategic battery of soil biological, chemical, and physical assessments made in spring 2019, prior to sowing the final spring wheat response crop.Obj. 2-2 - Explore intercropping strategies that optimize crop yield and qualityWe will seed flax-chickpea intercrops in a conventional no-till system and two organic systems in 2018 in 15 x 85 m replicated plots to gain preliminary yield data to support future grant proposals.Obj. 2-3) Investigate cover crop nectar provision for Braconid parasitoids Two graduate projects comparing different sources of nectar for invigorating parasitic wasps of wheat stem sawfly will be completed in 2018 under the direction of Dr. Weaver. Nectar provisioning must occur sufficiently early in the growing season to meaningfully enhance Braconid parisitoids. The best candidate species, buckwheat, is early flowering (~45-50 days) but represents a serious threat to Montana's wheat industry through grain contamination (pers. comm., C. Watters, 2016). Pending funding, we will explore potential cover crop species, such as cowpea, with extrafloral nectaries active prior to anthesis, which may provision nectar suitably early.Obj. 3-1) Long-term agroeconomic assessment of alternative cropping systems.In collaboration with Drs. Engel, Ewing, and Jones, two long-term single-phase cropping systems studies measure economic returns; 1) the Greenhouse Gas Rotation Study (GGRS), begun at Bozeman, MT, in 2003, and the 2) Long Term N Management (LTNM) study, begun at Big Sandy, MT, in 2012. Annually renewable funding from the Montana Fertilizer Advisory Committee has provided crucial support. The GGRS includes nine cropping systems comparing alternative pea-wheat systems with wheat-only systems (main plots), managed at full and half recommended N rates (subplots) in a RCB design in a split-plot arrangement. Subplot size is 3.6 x 21 m with four replications. In 2013, the CRP-representative system was converted to annual cropping, and, in 2017, an organic system was converted to a conventional system to measure legacy effects from previous management. In addition to economic assessment of cropping systems, soil organic carbon is measured every four years. The LTNM study contains four cropping systems from GGRS as main plots; chem fallow, pea brown manure, pulse crops, and spring wheat in rotation with winter wheat. Four N rates form subplots ranging from no fertilizer added to 150% of recommended, based on measured soil nitrate-N to a 0.9 m depth and presumed legume N credits. Subplot size is 1.8 x 24 m, in four replications.Obj. 3-2) Agroeconomic assessment of grazing strategies to reduce tillage in organic cropping systems. Begun in 2013 under the leadership of PI's F. Menalled and P. Hatfield, and with significant supporting funding from the USDA-NIFA Organic Research and Education Initiative (OREI) and the Organic Transitions Program, this AES project is examining the potential to integrate grazing strategies to reduce tillage and improve nutrient cycling in organic cropping systems. The study site is located near Bozeman. Large plots (15 x 90 m) are used to facilitate field-scale tillage equipment and crop harvesting operations, occupying ~8 ha in total. Three cropping systems [1. Conventional Tilled Organic (CTO), 2. Reduced Till - Grazed Organic (RTGO), and 3. Conventional No-Till (CNT)] are randomized within a 3 x 3 lattice design with systems as main plots and rotational phases as subplots; 1) Mustard (undersown to biennial sweet clover - Melilotus officinalis ), 2) Sweet clover cover - 3) Winter wheat - 4) Chickpea-flax intercrop - 5) spring wheat. Crop yield and quality, and weed ecology parameters are measured in each management system. After 5 yr, creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense), an untenable weed for organic farmers, has overwhelmed two plots in the RTGO system, and is threatening several more plots in both Organic management systems. In 2018, a proposal focused on perennial weed management was submitted to the OREI program which will decide the fate of this long-term organic study.Obj. 3-3) Long-term agroeconomic assessment of SOC accrual rates by alternative cropping systems In collaboration with Drs. Ewing and Jones, the Carbon Accrual Rotation Block (CARB) was begun in 2018 with supporting funding from the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee. This study builds on the C accrual findings of GGRS (Engel et al. 2017), with a stated goal of pushing the limits for C accrual by annual crops while comparing cropping system representative of different regions of Montana. Each system is split into two seeding methods; 1) tall (~40-50 cm) wheat stubble sown directly with low-disturbance disk-openers and 2) short (15-20 cm) wheat stubble sown directly with medium-disturbance knife openers. Soil carbon accrual will be compared among cropping systems, and between no-till seeding methods. Baseline soil carbon measurements were made in fall 2016 in depth increments of 0-10, 10-20, 20-50, and 50-100 cm. Soil carbon will next be measured in 2022, and thereafter at 4-yr intervals.Obj. 4-1) Understand biofuel crop tradeoffs with food production in the U.S. northern Great Plains I am engaged in an EPSCoR Track II program with junior colleagues, Drs. Brookshire and Stoy, to provide oversight with respect to current cropping practices in the NGP, and assess potential trends with 2nd generation biofuel crop adaptation, and associated N management.

Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences for this research are agricultural producers in the semiarid northern Great Plains, and associated public and commercial knowledge brokers and peer knowledge generators. These audiences are engaged directly via various agricultural commodity, Extension, and scientific meetings/conferences within and outside the NGP region, and by personal responses via email and telephone. A secondary, but no less important target audience is represented by undergraduate and graduate students at Montana State University, who will provide future direction to U.S. agriculture. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Kristin D'Agati has very nearly completed her M.Sc. thesis requirements for her study of cover crop effects on soil properties and Sydney Atencio has completed the 2-yr field phase of her M.Sc. study examining the link for fusarium root disease with fertility and seed-coat fungicides in lentil. Samuel Koeshall began a Ph.D. program in 2020 that investigates fundamentals of pea protein concentration from the plant to field-scale, and assesses soil organic carbon response to dryland cropping systems. Isaac Asgaard is an undergraduate in the Ag Education program and is gaining familiarity with the research underbelly that leads to recommended agricultural practices. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Perry Miller and Extension colleagues (eg. Clain Jones) contributed presentations at producer conferences around Montana in 2019/20, one national conference, and one field day, indicating sustained interest in cropping systems information. A Crops and Soils article on cover crop management in dryland Montana was published. Covid19 has caused an important pause in this activity that we hope can resume safely soon. Intermittent discussion is held with Montana NRCS personnel with respect to optimizing cover crop management in semiarid Montana, quietly influencing policy, and facilitated greatly by a former M.Sc. student (Susan Tallman) becoming a regional agronomist for NRCS who increasingly serves as the science lead for cover crops in Montana. Additionally Perry Miller appears twice annually on a live PBS television program called 'Montana Ag Live' that serves as a phone-in question show targeted at 400,000 households. Last fall's program was a special feature on pulse crops while the spring program focused on general agronomy. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continued advancement under all stated goals, as resources permit. We are in the 2nd year of a 4-yr lentil agronomy project and the 2nd year of a 5-yr organic study exploring perennial weed management, which is THE major threat to organic crop production in Montana. Our cover crop research reached a crucial juncture in 2019 when we measured effects on soil properties following four cycles of cover cropping with alternative plant functional groups. Effects were generally absent, or small. We will focus on disseminating those results and continue to employ covers in at least one long-term study of soil carbon, but will be otherwise be discontinuing focused cover crop research, recognizing that soil water use is a steep cost that is difficult to overcome in low rainfall wheat growing regions of Montana. Cover crops are best equated to annual forage or wildlife food plots in Montana. Planned intercropping research has been overtaken by colleagues at MSU research centers, which I have helped to facilitate. There is demand for basic agronomic research in hemp but, as yet, lack of funding opportunity prevents serious exploration. Also, it is increasingly recognized by Montana farmers that research in forages, especially perennial grasses and sainfoin, is a serious void, and that BECCS strategies rely on perennial biomass, and so I plan, again, as resources allow, to steer this cropping systems program to include perennial forage research.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1. In 2020, more than 30 cereal, oilseed, pulse and specialty crops were grown in a demonstration trial at Bozeman, MT, to provide educational opportunities for students (AGSC 242 Crop Identification), colleagues, and ag clientele at the 2020 Post Farm Field Day which was cancelled. Recognizing a need for data on comparative crop growth rates, we staged each crop at least weekly using the BBCH universal crop scale. We will report growth rates to cumulative thermal time after the 2020 data has been processed. Niger (Guizotia abyssinica), a popular birdseed, was noted for special attraction for pollinators in 2020 and seed is being increased to explore this aspect. Line 14-24 SB fababean (Vicia faba) was released to Great Northern Ag as a new legume cover crop option. Preliminary research in 2017 on seeding rate and roll timing in lentil was parlayed into a large lentil grant (USDA - NIFA Specialty Crop Research Initiative 2018-51181-28366) where agronomic research of lentil (Lens culinaris) and pea (Pisum sativum) continues at seven locations in Montana and North Dakota through 2021. New research was begun examining micro- to macro-scale patterns for protein concentration in pea, as well as the linkage of pea leaf weevil (Sitona lineatus) management to protein concentration in pea (pea leaf weevil larva feed exclusively on legume nodules). Hemp (Cannabis sativa) research continued on a very small scale for the 3rd year, exploring the interaction of variety and plant growth stage with THC concentration in plant material. Grower interest in canola (spring and winter) (Brassica napus) is surging in Montana with over 140,000 acres harvested in 2019, and more than 20,000 acres of winter canola sown in 2020. However, seed of modern canola cultivars is very expensive often costing growers more than $30/kg ($14/lb). A 2019 seeding rate study at Bozeman showed the economically optimum rate was less than 1 kg/ha (2.1 lb/ac), much lower than the commonly recommended 4 to 8 lb/ac seeding rates. Similarly, there is surging interest in sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) for perennial legume forage but very little research specific to sainfoin. In 2020, forage was harvested from a sainfoin establishment study with three seeding dates and four seed placement depths. In 2020, 50 early accessions of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) were observed, and seed obtained from the 10 earliest, with plans to expand sorghum lines demanded for cover crops and wildlife habitat. Goal 2. In 2020, results are being analyzed and reported from an 8-yr study of cover crops focusing on four functional plant group types in semiarid Montana. Various effects on soil properties were minimal and loss of grain yield in subsequent wheat (Triticum aestivum) was sometimes consequential due to soil water use by cover crops. Legume species often had the greatest biomass, increased soil N, had variable effects on subsequent wheat yield, and consistently increased grain protein of subsequent wheat. Preliminary chickpea (Cicer arietinum)-flax (Linum usitatissimum) intercropping research at Bozeman in 2018 was combined with a similar study at Williston, ND, (Clair Keene) and presented at the 2019 American Society of Agronomy annual conference in San Antonio, TX. A key limiting disease of chickpea, ascochyta blight (Ascochyta rabeii), was lessened due to intercropping at both locations. This research has been continued by collaborators at MSU's out-state research centers. Goal 3. Greenhouse Gas Rotation Study (GGRS): 2020 was the 18th and final year of this cropping system study with an emphasis on crop economics and soil response. Nine cropping systems were employed with varying inclusion rates and management for grain legumes (mostly dry pea) in wheat-based systems, all split-managed with full and half recommended rates of nitrogen supply. Visually assessed 2020 winter wheat response varied strongly amongst cropping systems but grain yield data has not yet been processed. Soil carbon samples were taken in mid-October to determine carbon change amongst these systems and N management strategies. Organic Cropping Systems: In 2020, we conducted the 8th year of a crop rotation study at Fort Ellis, MT, comparing conventional tilled organic and no-till chemical-reliant systems by testing the response of spring wheat sown at three seed densities following five legume treatments managed at field-scale. The reduced tillage/grazed organic system was discontinued after five years due to epidemics of creeping thistle and some of those large plots have been converted into a small plot study begun in 2020 that measures the effects of tillage intensity and crop sequence in conditioning thistle demographics. A subset of four cropping sequences, using only the standard tillage system, was also initiated on a local farm field near Belgrade. Carbon Accrual Rotation Block: 2020 was the 4th year of this study that includes eight crop rotations emblematic of different regions of Montana, managed with low and medium disturbance direct-seeding systems, and with and without cover crops. Overwinter soil water replenishment was large with manual probing indicating 4 ft of moist soil on May 1. The growing season was generally cool and dry except for a rainy period June 7-29 when more than three inches of rain was received. Winter wheat yielded well below target levels at 75 to 85 bu/ac due to a combination of overwinter rodent damage (various species) to seedlings and tan spot (Drechslera tritici-repentis) foliar disease. Spring wheat yields were surprisingly large in this drier than average year, averaging 91 bu/ac. Grain protein levels indicated sufficient nitrogen to support full yield potential. Fall cover crop plantings have failed to generate measurable biomass in all three years attempted thus far and so this aspect of the study will be reevaluated. Soil carbon will be measured at the 6-yr mark following harvest of winter wheat in September 2022. Goal 4. Research results were shared with students in multiple classes at Montana State University. Owing to Covid19, face to face communication venues with producers were not available in 2020.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Jones, C., K. Olson-Rutz, P. Miller and C. Zabinski. 2020. Cover crop management in semi-arid regions: Effect on soil and cash crop. Crops & Soils. 53:42-51. https://doi.org/10.1002/csro.20065
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Warne, T., S. Ahmed, C. Byker Shanks and P. Miller. 2019. Sustainability dimensions of a North American lentil system in a changing world. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 3:1-22. DOI 10.3389/fsufs.2019.00088
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Romero, C.M., R.E. Engel, J. D'Andrilli, P.R. Miller and R. Wallander. 2019. Compositional tracking of dissolved organic matter in semiarid wheat-based cropping systems using fluorescence EEMs-PARAFAC and absorbance spectroscopy. J. Arid Env. 167:34-42.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Carr, P.M., D.L. Boss, C. Chen, J.M. Dafoe, J.O. Eberly, S. Fordyce, R.M. Hybner, H.K. Fryer, J.A. Lachowiec, P.F. Lamb, K.A. McVay, Q.A. Khan, P.R. Miller, Z.J. Miller and J.A. Torrion. 2020. Warm-season forage options in northern dryland regions. Agron. J. 112:3239-3253. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20261


Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences for this research are agricultural producers in the semiarid northern Great Plains, and associated public and for-profit knowledge brokers and peer knowledge generators. These audiences are engaged directly via various agricultural commodity, Extension, and scientific meetings/conferences within and outside the NGP region, and by personal responses via email and telephone. A secondary, but no less important target audience is represented by undergraduate and graduate students at Montana State University, who will provide future direction to U.S. agriculture. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two students, Kristin D'Agati and Sydney Atencio, are earning their M.Sc. degrees on research related to cover crop effects on soil properties and lentil agronomy, respectively. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Perry Miller and Extension colleagues (eg. Clain Jones) contributed presentations at several producer conferences around Montana in 2018/19, and one national conference, indicating sustained interest in cropping systems information. Intermittent discussion is held with Montana NRCS personnel and the Montana Salinity Control Association, with respect to optimizing cover crop management in semiarid Montana, facilitated greatly by a former M.Sc. student (Susan Tallman) becoming a regional agronomist for NRCS and increasingly serving as the science lead for cover crops in Montana. Additionally Perry Miller appears once or twice annually on a live PBS television program called 'Montana Ag Live' that serves as a phone-in question show targeted at 400,000 households. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continued advancement under all stated goals, as resources permit. We have received significant funding for two new projects; one focused on optimizing lentil agronomy and the other exploring perennial weed management in Organic cropping systems, which is THE major threat to organic crop production in Montana. Our cover crop research reached a crucial juncture in 2019 when we measured effects on soil properties following four cycles of cover cropping with alternative plant functional groups. Effects were generally absent, or small. We will continue to employ covers in at least one long-term study of soil carbon, but will be otherwise be discontinuing cover crop research, recognizing that soil water use is a steep cost that is difficult to overcome in low rainfall wheat growing regions of Montana. I plan to engage intercropping research in the future once collegial, financial, and time resources permit. Also, it is increasingly recognized by Montana farmers that research in forages is a serious void, and that BECCS strategies rely on perennial biomass, and so I plan, again as resources allow, to steer this cropping systems program to include perennial forage research.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1. In 2019, 30 cereal, oilseed, pulse and specialty crops were grown in a demonstration trial at Bozeman, MT, to provide educational opportunities for students (AGSC 242 Crop Identification), colleagues, and ag clientele at the 2019 Post Farm Field Day. Recognizing a need for data on comparative crop growth rates, we staged each crop at least weekly using the BBCH universal crop scale. We will report growth rates to cumulative thermal time after we have collected at least three years of data. Many species were also harvested for seed renewal. Line 14-24 SB fababean (Vicia faba) was released to Great Northern Agriculture as a new legume cover crop option. Preliminary research in 2017 on seeding rate and roll timing in lentil was parlayed into a large lentil grant (USDA - NIFA Specialty Crop Research Initiative 2018-51181-28366) where agronomic research of lentil was begun at seven locations in Montana and North Dakota. Grower interest in canola is surging in Montana with over 100,000 acres in 2018. However, seed of modern canola cultivars are very expensive often costing growers more than $30/kg ($14/lb). We Initiated a preliminary seeding rate study at Bozeman and the economically optimum rate was less than 1 kg/ha (2.1 lb/ac), much lower than the commonly recommended 4 to 8 lb/ac seeding rates. Similarly, there is surging interest in sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) for perennial legume forage but very little research specific to sainfoin. In 2019, we initiated a sainfoin establishment study with three seeding dates and four seed placement depths. Goal 2. In 2019, the final cover crop was conducted at Amsterdam and Conrad, MT, completing the 4th and final cycle of a cover crop study investigating soil changes due to different cover crop functional groups (brassicas, cereals, legumes, and tap roots). In this 8-yr study, biological, chemical, or physical soil change due to cover crops was limited. Potentially mineralizable nitrogen (PMN) was increased for cover crops vs summer fallow, and was greater for 6-species mixes than 2-species groups. Spring wheat yield averaged approximately 300 kg/ha (~10%) greater on summer fallow at Amsterdam, but did not differ from cover crop treatments at Conrad. Legume covers increased wheat yield 450 kg/ha at Conrad, but not at Amsterdam. Legume covers also increased wheat protein by more than two percentage points at both locations, important to Montana's wheat markets. The brassica group increased wheat yield by 400 kg/ha at Amsterdam, but not at Conrad. In 2017, the brassica group increased winter wheat yields at both sites. Unlike the case for N-fixing legumes, the brassica response is not well understood. Preliminary chickpea-flax intercropping research at Bozeman in 2018 was combined with a similar study at Williston, ND, (Clair Keene) and presented at the 2019 American Society of Agronomy annual conference in San Antonio, TX. A key limiting disease of chickpea, ascochyta blight (Ascochyta rabeii), was lessened due to intercropping at both locations. We would like to expand this research but are searching for a plant pathology collaborator. Goal 3. Greenhouse Gas Rotation Study (GGRS): 2019 was the 17th year of this cropping system study with an emphasis on soil response. This growing season was highly unusual, with cool summer temperatures and well timed summer rain creating a near ideal growing season, except for delayed seeding in spring due to wet soils and wet harvest weather. Austrian winter pea (AWP) yields were the highest we'd ever recorded at this site, approaching 3,000 kg/ha in some plots, but were zero in the system which had grown AWP the most often, due to a soil-borne disease thought to be Fusarium but not confirmed. An innovative approach to establishing winter canola was attempted by undersowing it beneath corn at the V-6 growth stage. Unfortunately an unusual frost on June 12 damaged the corn severely, preventing it from competing properly with the seedling canola, which led to elevated crowns on the winter canola, strongly compromising winter survival and resulting in thin stands with low yields ranging from 700 to 2300 kg/ha. Long-Term Nitrogen Management: In 2019, we managed the 8th and final year of this trial which represents a subset of treatments from the GGRS above, but conducted in a much drier off-station site, and with greater emphasis on nitrogen management. Winter wheat yield data have not been analyzed. It is likely that the pulse grain - winter wheat rotation will remain economically superior over the 8-yr period. Organic Cropping Systems: In 2019, we conducted the second year of a second 5-yr crop rotation at Fort Ellis, MT, maintaining the management structure for an organic system [Organic Tilled (OT)], as well as the conventionally managed No-Till system (NT). Legume effects were compared using sweet clover as a green manure, winter and spring pea as green manures, and winter and spring peas harvested for seed yield. Spring wheat will be sown uniformly on these plots in 2020, fertilizing as appropriate, based on soil test values in the NT system, but not in the OT system. A new study was initiated in former organic system plots to compare 8 cropping sequences and two tillage systems for their effects on creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense) demography. A subset of four cropping sequences, using only the standard tillage system, was also initiated on a local farm field near Belgrade. Carbon Accumulation Rotation Block: Spring lentil, safflower, a cover crop mixture, or chem fallow appeared in the third year of this study near Bozeman, intended to test the limits for soil carbon accumulation. Record high lentil yields for this site averaged approximately 2,500 kg/ha, similar to safflower. As we promote maximum stubble retention and volunteer and sown crop cover in the fall period, rodents have gravitated to this study in significant densities, causing concern for crop damage and future soil sampling. This is especially true of the perennial plots, varying mixtures of wheatgrasses [Intermediate (Thinopyrum intermedium) and Tall (Thinopyrum ponticum)] and sainfoin to represent maximum carbon accumulations, with and without annual harvesting for forage. Rodenticides were applied fall 2019 and will be again in 2020. Goal 4. Research results were shared with students in multiple classes at Montana State University and in presentations at various farm conferences and field days in Montana. Also, research results were shared with colleagues at the American Society of Agronomy annual conference Nov 10-13 in San Antonio, TX.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2019 Citation: Warne, T., S. Ahmed, C. Byker Shanks and P. Miller. 2019. Sustainability dimensions of a North American lentil system in a changing world. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. Galley proofs Sep 26, 2019. doi:10.3389/fsufs.2019.00088
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Romero, C.M., R.E. Engel, J. D'Andrilli, P.R. Miller and R. Wallander. 2019. Compositional tracking of dissolved organic matter in semiarid wheat-based cropping systems using fluorescence EEMs-PARAFAC and absorbance spectroscopy. J. Arid Env. 167:34-42.
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: S.S. Briar, P.M. Carr, G.G. Gramig, F.D. Menalled, and P.R. Miller. 2019. Current status and soil biology impacts of organic conservation tillage in the U.S. Great Plains. p. 11-23. In C. Sarath Chandran, S. Thomas, and M.R. Unni (ed.) Organic Farming: New Advances Towards Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Springer International Publishing AG. ISBN 978-3-030-04656-9
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Miller, P., A. Bekkerman, C. Jones, J. Holmes, and R. Engel. Agro-economic returns were reduced for four years after conversion from perennial forage. Agron. J. Accepted Feb 14, 2019.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Burkhardt, A., S. Briar, J.M. Martin, P.M. Carr, J. Lachowiec, C. Zabinski, D.W. Roberts, P. Miller, and J. Sherman. 2019. Perennial crop legacy effects on nematode community structure in semi-arid wheat systems. Applied Soil Ecology. Available online 5 January 2019


Progress 07/01/18 to 09/30/18

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences for this research are agricultural producers in the semiarid northern Great Plains, and associated public and for-profit knowledge brokers and peer knowledge generators. These audiences are engaged directly via various agricultural commodity, Extension, and scientific meetings/conferences within and outside the NGP region, and by personal responses via email and telephone. A secondary, but no less important target audience is represented by undergraduate and graduate students at Montana State University, who will provide future direction to U.S. agriculture. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Two students, Kristin D'Agati and Sydney Atencio, are earning their M.Sc. degrees on research related to cover crop effects on soil properties and lentil agronomy, respectively. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Perry Miller and Extension colleagues (eg. Clain Jones) contributed presentations at several producer conferences around Montana in 2017/18, and one national conference, indicating sustained interest in cropping systems information. Intermittent discussion is held with Montana NRCS personnel and the Montana Salinity Control Association, with respect to optimizing cover crop management in semiarid Montana, facilitated greatly by a former M.Sc. student (Susan Tallman) becoming a regional agronomist for NRCS and increasingly serving as the science lead for cover crops in Montana. Additionally Perry Miller appears once or twice annually on a live PBS television program called 'Montana Ag Live' that serves as a phone-in question show targeted at 400,000 households. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Continued advancement under all stated goals, as resources permit. We have received significant funding for two new projects; one focused on optimizing lentil agronomy and the other exploring perennial weed management in Organic cropping systems, which is THE major threat to organic crop production in Montana. Our cover crop research will reach a crucial juncture in spring 2019 after we have measured effects on soil properties following four cycles of cover cropping with alternative plant functional groups. We have shown that most often there are significant negative short term effects on soil water and nitrogen and on subsequent cereal crop yield when sowing cover crops during the normal summer fallow period but 2019 will represent our longest term view to date. I would like to engage intercropping research in the future once collegial, financial, and time resources permit.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Goal 1. In 2018, 30 cereal, oilseed, pulse and specialty crops were grown in a demonstration trial at Bozeman, MT, to provide educational opportunities for students (AGSC 242 Crop Identification), colleagues, and ag clientele. Recognizing a need for data on comparative crop growth rates, we staged each crop at least weekly using the BBCH universal crop scale. We will report growth rates to cumulative thermal time after we have collected at least three years of data. Many species were also harvested for seed renewal. Line 14-24 SB fababean (Vicia faba) was tested in 2018 by potential commercial partners for release as a new legume cover crop option. Preliminary research in 2017 on seeding rate and roll timing in lentil was parlayed into a large lentil grant (USDA - NIFA Specialty Crop Research Initiative 2018-51181-28366) where agronomic aspects of lentils will be researched at seven locations in Montana and North Dakota beginning in 2019. Goal 2. In 2018, the final cover crop was conducted at Amsterdam and Conrad, MT, initiating the 4th cycle of a cover crop study investigating soil changes due to different cover crop functional groups (brassicas, cereals, legumes, and tap roots). At both sites, cover crop yields were limited by nitrogen, which was especially notable at Amsterdam. At the 60 kg/ha N rate, the full 8-species mix had 1580 kg/ha at termination at Amsterdam, compared with 2130 kg/ha at Conrad. Measured at the 60 kg/ha nitrogen fertility rate, non-N-fixing treatments averaged 900 and 1450 kg/ha at Amsterdam and Conrad, respectively, compared with 2390 and 2890 kg/ha for N-fixing treatments, highlighting the importance of legumes in semiarid regions. Soils will be sampled in April 2019 prior to final planting of a spring wheat response crop, and analyzed for key biological, chemical, and physical aspects. Preliminary intercropping research was initiated at Bozeman in 2018 with a focus on chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and flax (Linum usitatissimum) seed mixtures as a strategy for managing a difficult to manage disease, ascochyta blight of chickpea. Treatments included 10 chickpea:flax seed ratios with varying supporting nitrogen fertilizer rates, as well as three other crop companions [canola (Brassica napus), mustard (Sinapis alba), and Austrian winter pea (Pisum sativum)] with chickpea. Canola yielded 70% greater than flax while mustard and winter pea yields did not differ. The greatest intercropped chickpea yields occurred with a flax companion crop but chickpea yield decreased from 2690 kg/ha as a sole crop to 640 kg/ha when intercropped with flax, both sown at half rates. Sowing chickpea at 75% of sole seeding rate, and flax at 25% of sole rate reduced chickpea yield to 1170 kg/ha, indicating that even a weakly competitive crop such as flax impacted chickpea yields significantly. The trial was sprayed twice with the same carboxamide family fungicide at recommended rates on June 21 and July 16. Ascochyta blight was reduced by intercropping, averaging 6.0 out of 10 for proportion of plants with foliar disease symptoms, compared with 2.9 for chickpea intercropped with flax. Pending collegial interest from a plant pathologist, we plan to use this data to support a grant proposal to investigate intercropping optimization in dryland Montana, with a specific focus on understanding the mechanism by which intercrops decrease ascochyta blight in chickpea, and to explore varied time of sowing along with sowing ratios and wider row spacings. Goal 3. Greenhouse Gas Rotation Study (GGRS): 2018 was the 16th year of this cropping system study with an emphasis on soil response. This growing season was highly unusual, with a near-record 21.3" of annual precipitation but punctuated by a 5-week drought (June 29-Aug4) in the heart of the growing season. Despite this ill-timed drought, preliminary analysis showed that spring wheat set a new yield record for this study, exceeding 100 bu/ac (6,000 kg/ha) in two systems. An innovative approach to establishing winter canola was attempted by undersowing it beneath corn at the V-6 growth stage. Unfortunately an unusual frost on June 12 damaged the corn severely, preventing it from competing properly with the seedling canola, which may limit winter survival of the canola due to excess seedling growth. The four-year yield drag for annual crops following a 10-yr perennial plot appears to have ended, coincident with wetter than normal crop years in 2017 and 2018. Long-Term Nitrogen Management: In 2018, we managed the 7th year of this trial which represents a subset of treatments from the GGRS above, but conducted in a much drier off-station site, and with greater emphasis on nitrogen management. Yield data have not been analyzed. In September, we sowed winter wheat that will represent the final phase of this study for this project. Organic Cropping Systems: In 2018, we initiated the first year of a second 5-yr crop rotation at Fort Ellis, MT, maintaining the management structure for two organic system [Organic Tilled (OT) and Organic Reduced Till / Grazed (ORTG), as well as the conventionally managed No-Till system (NT)]. Rotational changes were enacted to enable stronger competition with key weed species; creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense), downy brome (Bromus tectorum), and prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola). Yellow mustard grew very poorly under organic management due to insufficient nitrogen. Khorasan spring wheat (Triticum turanicum aka Kamut ™) was surprisingly competitive with creeping thistle and a late-sown intercrop of chickpea and flax competed with weeds better than lentil (Lens culinaris) in that previous spot in the rotation. We also experimented with a chaff collector to remove weed seeds at harvest and provide a low quality feed source. Funding from the USDA-NIFA Organic Research and Extension Initiative has tentatively been secured to allow a strong focus on understanding the biology and management options for creeping thistle, which is a show-stopping weed at this location. The ORTG system accumulated the greatest densities of creeping thistle and the large 50 x 300 ft (15 x 90 m) plots will be sacrificed to enable small plot research with a focus on creeping thistle demographics in response to agronomic management. Carbon Accumulation Rotation Block: Winter wheat was grown uniformly during the second year of Bozeman study intended to test the limits for soil carbon accumulation. Due to near-record annual precipitation, preliminary yield measurement exceeded 120 bu/ac (7,200 kg/ha) in at least one system. The lowest grain yields occurred following canola, likely due to a cooler, wetter microclimate in that tall stubble which induced greater seedling disease compared with other treatments. Selected systems were augmented with fall-sown barley to increase plant carbon inputs to soil, but a cool, wet fall severely limited fall growth. Perennial plots with varying mixtures of wheatgrasses [Intermediate (Thinopyrum intermedium) and Tall (Thinopyrum ponticum)] and sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) to represent maximum carbon accumulations, with and without annual harvesting for forage. Goal 4. Research results were shared with students in multiple classes at Montana State University and in presentations at various farm conferences and field days in Montana. Also, research results were shared with colleagues in an invited seminar in Apr 2018 at the SARE National Conference - Our Farms, Our Future - in St. Louis, MO.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Romero, C., R. Engel, J. D'Andrilli, C. Chen, C. Zabinski, P. Miller, and R. Wallander. 20185. Patterns of change in permanganate oxidizable soil organic matter from semiarid drylands reflected by absorbance spectroscopy and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. Organic Geochem. 120:19-30.