Crop agronomic performance under a six-year continuous organic no-till system and other tilled and conventionally-managed systems in the northern Great Plains of Canada

2015 ◽  
Vol 213 ◽  
pp. 121-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Halde ◽  
Keith C. Bamford ◽  
Martin H. Entz
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Agronomic Performance ◽  
No Till

Revegetating Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula)-Infested Rangeland with Native Tallgrasses

1998 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 381-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Masters ◽  
Scott J. Nissen
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Leafy Spurge ◽  
Plant Residue ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Big Bluestem ◽  
Perennial Weed ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
No Till

Degradation of Great Plains rangelands can be linked to past management practices that reduced native species diversity and accelerated establishment and expansion of exotic weeds and less desirable native species. Leafy spurge is an exotic perennial weed that infests more than 1 million ha in the northern Great Plains and reduces rangeland carrying capacity by competing with desirable forages and causing infested areas to be undesirable to cattle and wildlife. Research was conducted to determine the feasibility of using herbicides to suppress leafy spurge and other resident vegetation, which facilitated planting and establishment of native tallgrasses. Four experiments were conducted where 0.28, 0.56, and 0.84 kg ai/ha imazapyr and 0.1 kg ai/ha sulfometuron were applied alone and in combination and 0.84 kg ai/ha glyphosate was applied to leafy spurge-infested range sites in fall 1991 near Ainsworth, NE, and in fall 1991, 1992, and 1993 near Ansley, NE. Research areas were burned about 200 d after herbicide application to reduce plant residue. Monoculture stands of big bluestem and switchgrass were then no-till planted in each experiment and indiangrass was no-till planted in experiments initiated at Ansley in 1992 and 1993. Yields of the planted grasses, leafy spurge, and other vegetation were measured in August at each location starting the year after planting. Imazapyr was an essential component of treatments applied before planting to facilitate establishment of highly productive stands of the tallgrasses. Generally, yields were maximized by fall treatments of 0.28 kg/ha imazapyr + 0.1 kg/ha sulfometuron for big bluestem, 0.84 kg/ha imazapyr for indiangrass, and 0.84 kg/ha imazapyr + 0.1 kg/ha sulfometuron for switchgrass. Yields of the planted grasses were frequently four times greater where these herbicides were applied compared to where glyphosate or no herbicide were applied. Leafy spurge yields were usually reduced in areas where tallgrass yields were greatest. The sequential combination of suppressing vegetation with fall-applied herbicides, burning standing dead plant residue, then no-till planting desirable native tallgrasses in the spring increased productivity of these leafy spurge-infested range sites.

Weed Community and Species Response to Crop Rotation, Tillage, and Nitrogen Fertility

1998 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 531-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randy L. Anderson ◽  
Don L. Tanaka ◽  
Al L. Black ◽  
Edward E. Schweizer
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Common Lambsquarters ◽  
Weed Density ◽  
Species Response ◽  
Alternative Crop ◽  
No Till ◽  
Green Foxtail ◽  
Tillage System

Producers in the northern Great Plains are exploring alternative crop rotations, with the goal of replacing spring wheat-fallow. We characterized the weed associations occurring with tillage system and nitrogen level in two rotations, spring wheat (SW)-fallow (F) and SW-winter wheat (WW)-sunflower (SUN). Weed density was measured 10 yr after initiation of the study. With both rotations, weed community density was highest with no-till. For SW-F, green foxtail, yellow foxtail, and fairy candelabra comprised 99% of the weed community, whereas 13 species were observed in SW-WW-SUN. Fairy candelabra, a rangeland species, was observed only in the no-till system of SW-F. In SW-WW-SUN, no-till favored kochia, Russian thistle, and foxtails, whereas common lambsquarters and annual sowthistle were more common in tilled systems. Nitrogen fertilizer increased crop competitiveness in SW-WW-SUN with no-till, subsequently reducing weed density. Cultural strategies that disrupt weed associations will aid producers in managing weeds.

Organic zero-till in the northern US Great Plains Region: Opportunities and obstacles

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick M. Carr ◽  
Randy L. Anderson ◽  
Yvonne E. Lawley ◽  
Perry R. Miller ◽  
Steve F. Zwinger
Keyword(s):  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Cash Crops ◽  
No Till ◽  
The Us

AbstractThe use of killed cover crop mulch for weed suppression, soil erosion prevention and many other soil and crop benefits has been demonstrated in organic no-till or zero-till farming systems in eastern US regions and in Canada. Implements have been developed to make this system possible by terminating cover crops mechanically with little, if any, soil disturbance. Ongoing research in the US northern Great Plains is being conducted to identify cover crop species and termination methods for use in organic zero-till (OZ) systems that are adapted to the crop rotations and climate of this semi-arid region. Current termination strategies must be improved so that cover crop species are killed consistently and early enough in the growing season so that subsequent cash crops can be grown and harvested successfully. Delaying termination until advanced growth stages improves killing efficacy of cover crops and may provide weed-suppressive mulch for the remainder of the growing season, allowing no-till spring seeding of cash crops during the next growing season. Excessive water use by cover crops, inability of legume cover crops to supply adequate amounts of N for subsequent cash crops and failure of cover crops to suppress perennial weeds are additional obstacles that must be overcome before the use of killed cover crop mulch can be promoted as a weed control alternative to tillage in the US northern Great Plains. Use of vegetative mulch produced by killed cover crops will not be a panacea for the weed control challenges faced by organic growers, but rather one tool along with crop rotation, novel grazing strategies, the judicious use of high-residue cultivation equipment, such as the blade plow, and the use of approved herbicides with systemic activity in some instances, to provide organic farmers with new opportunities to incorporate OZ practices into their cropping systems. Emerging crop rotation designs for organic no-till systems may provide for more efficient use of nutrient and water resources, opportunities for livestock grazing before, during or after cash crop phases and improved integrated weed management strategies on organic farms.

Profitable, Effective Herbicides for Planting-Time Weed Control in No-till Spring Wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Weed Science ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
William W. Donald ◽  
Tony Prato
Keyword(s):  
Nonionic Surfactant ◽  
Weed Control ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Net Returns ◽  
Wild Mustard ◽  
No Till

High herbicide costs and uncertainty about annual weed control at planting have limited adoption of no-till spring wheat production systems in the northern Great Plains. Chlorsulfuron, metsulfuron, and CGA-131036 at 10 to 20 g ai ha–1plus nonionic surfactant generally controlled both emerged kochia and wild mustard equally well (>80%) whether or not combined with glyphosate at 250 g ha–1plus nonionic surfactant. In two of three trials persistent phytotoxic residues of these sulfonylurea herbicides in soil controlled both weeds better in midseason and early summer 1 yr after treatment than did glyphosate, which has only foliar activity. While the absolute net returns of different treatments varied among herbicides, relative net returns were insensitive to changes in either herbicide or wheat price. Herbicide use tended to boost net returns for no-till spring wheat in years with good weather but depressed net returns in a drought year. Chlorsulfuron at 10 and 20 g ha–1increased net returns in all three trials. Metsulfuron and combinations of either metsulfuron or chlorsulfuron with glyphosate had variable effects on net returns.

Primary Tillage for Foxtail Barley (Hordeum jubatum) Control

1990 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 318-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
William W. Donald
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Inexpensive Method ◽  
No Till ◽  
Primary Tillage ◽  
Hordeum Jubatum

Primary tillage is an inexpensive method to control foxtail barley, a perennial bunchgrass which is an increasing concern to no-till cereal farmers in the Northern Great Plains. Moldboard plowing or chisel plowing in fall followed by field cultivation-harrowing in spring effectively controlled established foxtail barley on previously untilled sites before planting spring wheat. In contrast, chisel plowing in spring followed by field cultivation-harrowing did not control this weed completely.

Established Foxtail Barley,Hordeum jubatum, Control with Glyphosate Plus Ammonium Sulfate

1988 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 364-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
William W. Donald
Keyword(s):  
Ammonium Sulfate ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Perennial Weeds ◽  
No Till ◽  
Cereal Production ◽  
Bunch Grass ◽  
Hordeum Jubatum ◽  
Grass Weed

The spread of perennial weeds, such as foxtail barley, is a prime deterrent to adoption of no-till cereal production in the Northern Great Plains. In a 3-yr study, the isopropylamine salt of glyphosate at 0.56 kg ai/ha plus nonionic surfactant at 0.25% (v/v) did not control established perennial foxtail barley in early spring. However, adding ammonium sulfate at 2.8 kg/ha to glyphosate plus surfactant improved the effectiveness and year-to-year consistency of glyphosate for killing this weed. This spring treatment fits into no-till farm practice in the Northern Great Plains, providing no-till farmers with a defined strategy to manage this perennial bunch-grass weed.

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