scholarly journals Modeling Ecological Dynamics of a Major Agricultural Pest Insect (Melanoplus sanguinipes; Orthoptera: Acrididae): A Cohort-Based Approach Incorporating the Effects of Weather on Grasshopper Development and Abundance

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Owen Olfert ◽  
Ross M Weiss ◽  
David Giffen ◽  
Meghan A Vankosky
Keyword(s):  
Pest Management ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Cultural Control ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Melanoplus Sanguinipes ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
The Status

Abstract Grasshoppers have been a chronic problem for agriculture on the Canadian prairies, the northern limits of the Northern Great Plains, since settlement of the region in the mid-1800s. Grasshopper pest management tools include biological control, cultural control, and insecticides. This article describes a mechanistic, or process-based, modeling approach used to assess the development and abundance of the migratory grasshopper, Melanoplus sanguinipes (Fabricius), based on a complex of environmental drivers. The purpose of the study was to develop and validate a model (using extensive field data) to quantify the effects of interannual weather variation on M. sanguinipes development and abundance in Saskatchewan, Canada. Overall, the accuracy of model predictions improved for later instars and adults such that predictions regarding adult populations were highly similar to field-collected data. The model provides greater understanding of how M. sanguinipes oviposition is related not only to adult densities, but also to the first appearance of adults and to weather conditions during the oviposition period. The model output can be used to provide accurate within-season updates of the status of grasshopper populations in western Canada to optimize pest management.

Rearing the wheat stem sawfly on an artificial diet

2005 ◽  
Vol 137 (4) ◽  
pp. 497-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuilo B. Macedo ◽  
Paula A. Macedo ◽  
Robert K.D. Peterson ◽  
David K. Weaver ◽  
Wendell L. Morrill
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Insect Pest ◽  
The United States ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Yield Losses ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Wheat Stem Sawfly ◽  
Head Weight ◽  
Harvest Efficiency

The wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymenoptera: Cephidae), is an insect pest in dryland wheat cropping systems in the southern Canadian Prairies and the northern Great Plains of the United States (Morrill 1997). Yield losses caused by C. cinctus are due to reduced head weight (Holmes 1977; Morrill et al. 1992) and lodging, which decreases harvest efficiency. Estimates of yield losses in Montana alone are about US$25 million per year.

Production characteristics of the mixed prairie: constraints and potential

1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 765-778 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. D. Willms ◽  
P. G. Jefferson
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Bouteloua Gracilis ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Plant Litter ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Forage Production ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Mixed Prairie

The mixed prairie represents the most arid region of the Northern Great Plains in Canada. Approximately 6.5 M ha of the original total of 24 M ha have retained their native character. The native prairie supports about 5.3 M animal–unit–months or about 15% of all beef cattle present on the Canadian prairies. A large portion of the area is dominated by either needle-and-thread (Stipa comata Trin. + Rupr.) or western wheatgrass (Agropyron smithii Rydb.), both cool season grasses, and associated with blue grama [Bouteloua gracilis (H.B.K.) Lag. ex Steud.] a warm season grass. These species define the major plant communities of the mixed prairie and determine their production potential. However, their production is limited by available water during the growing season and by soil nutrients; factors which also influence their species composition. Grazing imposes a significant impact on the grasslands by altering the water and nutrient cycles, through defoliation and reduced plant litter, and eventually by affecting the species composition. Removing litter may reduce forage production by up to 60% and repeated defoliation will favour the more drought tolerant but less productive species. Forage production may be increased by seeding introduced species, which have a greater shoot to root ratio than native grasses, or with fertilizer application. Livestock production may be increased with the use of grazing systems. However, the benefits of each practice on the mixed prairie must be assessed in terms of their cost, their impact on the environment, and the reduced or lost value for other users. Key words: Biomass, above-ground, below-ground, water-use efficiency, reseeding, soil fertility, grazing efficiency

Agro-morphology and forage nutritive value of white prairie clover [Dalea candida(Michx.) Willd.] populations native to the Canadian prairies

2018 ◽  
Vol 98 (6) ◽  
pp. 1234-1244
Author(s):  
Nityananda Khanal ◽  
Michael P. Schellenberg ◽  
Bill Biligetu
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Seed Yield ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Forage Crop ◽  
Randomized Complete Block Design ◽  
Acid Detergent Fibre ◽  
Provincial Park

White prairie clover [Dalea candida (Michx.) Willd.] is native to the dry prairies and hillsides of the Northern Great Plains. A study was initiated in 2012 with six white prairie clover populations collected from the Canadian Prairies. Plant growth characteristics, forage biomass, seed yield, and forage nutritive values were evaluated using a randomized complete block design in a field near Swift Current, SK. Three populations from Argyle, Carlowrie, and Big Grass Marsh (NCP588) in Manitoba displayed erect-type growth while those from Douglas Provincial Park and Stewart Valley in Saskatchewan and Writing on Stone Provincial Park in Alberta exhibited prostrate growth. The populations did not differ for mean biomass yield (79–104 g plant−1, p = 0.54) and mean seed yield (6.6–9.1 g plant−1, p = 0.69); however, they differed for bloom stage nutritional parameters such as acid detergent fibre (25%–30%, p = 0.04), neutral detergent fibre (34%–41%, p < 0.01), crude proteins (15%–18%, p < 0.01), phosphorus (0.24%–0.29%, p = 0.02), and iron content (144–360 ppm, p = 0.01). To our knowledge, this is the first report of comparative phenotypic, nutritional, and propagation study of native white prairie clover populations of Canada. The constraints and opportunities for successful domestication of white prairie clover as a forage crop are discussed.

scholarly journals Kentucky Bluegrass Invasion in the Northern Great Plains and Prospective Management Approaches to Mitigate Its Spread

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 817
Author(s):  
Rakhi Palit ◽  
Greta Gramig ◽  
Edward S. DeKeyser
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Propagule Pressure ◽  
Poa Pratensis ◽  
Kentucky Bluegrass ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Ecological Interactions ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Management Approaches

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) is one of the most aggressive grasses invading Northern Great Plains (NGP) grasslands, resulting in substantial native species losses. Highly diverse grasslands dominated by native species are gradually transforming into rangelands largely dominated by non-native Kentucky bluegrass. Several factors potentially associated with Kentucky bluegrass invasions, including high propagule pressure, thatch formation, climate change, and increasing nitrogen deposition, could determine the future dominance and spread of Kentucky bluegrass in the NGP. Because atmospheric CO2 is amplifying rapidly, a C3 grass like Kentucky bluegrass might be photosynthetically more efficient than native C4 grasses. As this exotic species shares similar morphological and phenological traits with many native cool-season grasses, controlling it with traditional management practices such as prescribed fire, grazing, herbicides, or combinations of these practices may also impair the growth of native species. Thus, developing effective management practices to combat Kentucky bluegrass spread while facilitating the native species cover is essential. Modifying traditional techniques and embracing science-based adaptive management tools that focus on the ecological interactions of Kentucky bluegrass with the surrounding native species could achieve these desired management goals. Enhancement of the competitiveness of surrounding native species could also be an important consideration for controlling this invasive species.

AC Sundancer™ poplar

2013 ◽  
Vol 93 (6) ◽  
pp. 1285-1287 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Schroeder ◽  
Raju Soolanayakanahally ◽  
Carl Lindquist
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Growth Habit ◽  
Hybrid Poplar ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Development Centre ◽  
Poplar Tree

Schroeder, W., Soolanayakanahally, R. and Lindquist, C. 2013. AC Sundancer™ Poplar. Can. J. Plant Sci. 93: 1285–1287. AC Sundancer™ is a male, winter-hardy hybrid poplar tree released by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Agroforestry Development Centre for the Canadian prairies and United States northern Great Plains. The name AC Sundancer™ was chosen as it depicts the striking upright growth habit of the tree.

Controlling Kentucky Bluegrass with Herbicide and Burning Is Influenced by Invasion Level

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (01) ◽  
pp. 80-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corie B. Ereth ◽  
John R. Hendrickson ◽  
Donald Kirby ◽  
E. Shawn DeKeyser ◽  
Kevin K. Sedivec ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Poa Pratensis ◽  
Kentucky Bluegrass ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Native Grass ◽  
Sheyenne National Grassland ◽  
High Site ◽  
Restoration Strategies

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) invades northern Great Plains rangelands. On the Sheyenne National Grassland in southeastern North Dakota, three research sites, each with a different level of Kentucky bluegrass invasion, were chosen to evaluate effectiveness of burning and burning–herbicide combinations to control Kentucky bluegrass. Initial Kentucky bluegrass invasion levels were 37%, 77%, and 91% for LOW, MODERATE, and HIGH invaded sites, respectively. Within each invaded site, four replicated strips (20 by 60 m) were established, with half of each strip burned in late October 2005 and the other half burned in early May 2006. Herbicide treatments of (1) no herbicide, (2) 2.24 kg ha−1 of glyphosate, and (3) 0.43 kg ha−1 of imazapic were randomly assigned to 10 by 20 m subplots within each burn. Control plots were established at the same time. Relative basal cover of native grass, native forb, and Kentucky bluegrass was estimated annually using 50 10-point frames within each subplot. On the HIGH site in 2006, fall-burned plots with a spring glyphosate application had three times the native grass cover and only one fourth of the Kentucky bluegrass cover compared with controls. Similar results with the same treatment occurred at the MODERATE site. Native grasses became the most abundant plant community on these plots in the MODERATE and HIGH sites within 1 yr. Treatment differences were transitory, and the LOW site differed from the MODERATE and HIGH sites. In 2007, on fall-burned plots with spring glyphosate application, the amount of Kentucky bluegrass was 14% and 30%, and native grass species were 52% and 42% on the MODERATE and HIGH sites, respectively, which was similar to the initial values on the LOW site. These data emphasize the importance of initial invasion level in developing restoration strategies and provide evidence burning and herbicide combinations can be valuable management tools even on heavily invaded grasslands.

Crop yield and soil nutrient status on 14 organic farms in the eastern portion of the northern Great Plains

2001 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 351-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. H. Entz ◽  
R. Guilford ◽  
R. Gulden
Keyword(s):  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Green Manure ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Nutrient Status ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Organic Farms ◽  
Soil Nutrient Status ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Soil P

Cropping records from 13 organic farms in the eastern Canadian prairies and one in North Dakota (1991 to 1996) were surveyed to determine crop rotation pattern, yields and soil nutrient status. Major crops included cereal grains, forages, and green manure legumes. Organic grain and forage yields averaged from one-half to almost double conventional yields. Soil N, K and S levels on organic farms were generally sufficient; however, levels of available soil P were deficient in several instances. Key words: Crop rotation, weeds, forages, green manure crops

scholarly journals Characterizing the long-term variability of snow-cover extent over the interior of North America

1995 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 45-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross D. Brown ◽  
Marilyn G. Hughes ◽  
David A. Robinson
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Snow Cover ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Temperature Sensitivity ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Snow Cover Extent ◽  
Show Evidence ◽  
Seasonal Analysis ◽  
Continental Interior

Historical and reconstructed snow-cover data show evidence of a gradual increase in snow cover over the continental interior of North America (NA) during much of the 20th century, primarily in response to increasing snowfall. A rapid decrease in Canadian-prairies snow cover after 1970 is not observed over the Great Plains. Analysis of snow-cover-climate relationships revealed systematic increases in the sensitivity of snow cover to Northern Hemisphere (NH) temperatures over the 1940-65 period. This change is mainly due to an increase in snowfall-temperature sensitivity during this period. Seasonal analysis revealed that the observed increase in snow-cover and snowfall temperature sensitivity is primarily a spring phenomenon. A marked increase in the importance of the spring period is observed around 1960, which coincides with a well-documented change in atmospheric circulation over NA. The post-1960 period is characterized by a significant inverse relationship between snow cover and hemispheric air temperature over the Canadian prairies and northern Great Plains regions.

scholarly journals Lessons Learned from the 2017 Flash Drought across the U.S. Northern Great Plains and Canadian Prairies

2020 ◽  
Vol 101 (12) ◽  
pp. E2171-E2185
Author(s):  
Andrew Hoell ◽  
Britt-Anne Parker ◽  
Michael Downey ◽  
Natalie Umphlett ◽  
Kelsey Jencso ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
Early Warning Systems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Seasonal Forecasts ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Drought Early Warning ◽  
The U.S

AbstractThe 2017 flash drought arrived without early warning and devastated the U.S. northern Great Plains region comprising Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota and the adjacent Canadian Prairies. The drought led to agricultural production losses exceeding $2.6 billion in the United States, widespread wildfires, poor air quality, damaged ecosystems, and degraded mental health. These effects motivated a multiagency collaboration among academic, tribal, state, and federal partners to evaluate drought early warning systems, coordination efforts, communication, and management practices with the goal of improving resilience and response to future droughts. This essay provides an overview on the causes, predictability, and historical context of the drought, the impacts of the drought, opportunities for drought early warning, and an inventory of lessons learned. Key lessons learned include the following: 1) building partnerships during nondrought periods helps ensure that proper relationships are in place for a coordinated and effective drought response; 2) drought information providers must improve their understanding of the annual decision cycles of all relevant sectors, including, and beyond, direct impacts in agricultural sectors; and 3) ongoing monitoring of environmental conditions is vital to drought early warning, given that seasonal forecasts lack skill over the northern Great Plains.

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