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ARS Home » Plains Area » Mandan, North Dakota » Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #143442
Title: CROP SEQUENCES AND DYNAMIC CROPPING SYSTEMS

Author
item Krupinsky, Joseph
item Tanaka, Donald
item Merrill, Stephen
item Liebig, Mark
item Hendrickson, John
item Hanson, Jonathan
item RIES, RONALD - USDA-ARS (RETIRED)

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/13/2002
Publication Date: 2/19/2003
Citation: KRUPINSKY, J.M., TANAKA, D.L., MERRILL, S.D., LIEBIG, M.A., HENDRICKSON, J.R., HANSON, J.D., RIES, R.E. CROP SEQUENCES AND DYNAMIC CROPPING SYSTEMS. p. 58-61. In: Direct Seeding, Knowledge Based Farming, Proc. of 15th Annual Meeting, Conference, and Trade Show of the Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association. Feb. 19-20, 2003. Prairieland Park, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Assoc., Indian Head, Sask. 2003.

Interpretive Summary: Research on cropping systems was conducted to help producers make management decisions. This research involves evaluating the sequence crops are grown as well as making this information readily available to producers. An experimental design was used that allows the simultaneous evaluation of numerous combinations of field crops in the same study under similar weather and soil conditions. During the first year, ten crops (barley, canola, crambe, dry bean, dry pea, flax, safflower, soybean, sunflower, and hard red spring wheat) were no-till seeded in strips. During the second year, the same crops were no-till seeded perpendicular over the residue of the previous year¿s crops. Thus, all ten crops were seeded into the crop residue of the same ten crops, resulting in 100 treatment combinations. Data from this crop sequence project was used to develop an interactive computer information product, the Crop Sequence Calculator (CSC), which helps producers assess crop options and sequencing in their own short-term cropping systems. The CSC program provides an introduction to the crop sequence research project, as well as information on crop production, economics, plant diseases, weeds, insects, water use, and surface soil properties to aid producers in an evaluation of management risks associated with different crop sequences. The program can show the yield effect of the ten crops (listed above) grown in any two-year combination. Overall, cropping systems and the advantages and disadvantages of various crop sequences will be discussed.

Technical Abstract: A dynamic cropping system is defined as a long-term strategy of annual crop sequencing that optimizes crop and soil use options and the attainment of production, economic, and resource conservation goals by using sound ecological management principles. Development of a dynamic cropping systems research program involves crop sequence evaluations and information availability. Because only a limited number of crop sequences can be evaluated in a fixed-cropping system study, experimental designs are needed that allow the simultaneous evaluation of numerous combinations of regionally adaptable crops. A crop sequence research project used a crop matrix as a research tool to allow the evaluation of multiple crop sequences in the same experiment under similar weather and soil conditions. During the first year, ten crops (barley [Hordeum vulgare], canola [Brassica napus], crambe [Crambe abyssinica], dry bean [Phaseolus vulgaris], dry pea [Pisum sativum], flax [Linum usitatissimum], safflower [Carthamus tinctorius], soybean [Glycine max], sunflower [Helianthus annuus], and hard red spring wheat [Triticum aestivum]) were no-till seeded in strips. During the second year, the same crops were no-till seeded perpendicular over the residue of the previous year¿s crops. Thus, all ten crops were seeded into the crop residue of the same ten crops, resulting in 100 treatment combinations. Data from this crop sequence project was used to develop an interactive computer information product, the Crop Sequence Calculator (CSC), which helps producers assess crop options and sequencing in their own short-term cropping systems. The CSC program provides an introduction to the dynamic agricultural systems concept, the crop sequence research project, as well as information on crop production, economics, plant diseases, weeds, insects, water use, and surface soil properties to aid producers in an evaluation of management risks associated with different crop sequences. The program can show the yield effect of the ten crops (listed above) grown in any two-year combination. Overall, dynamic cropping systems and the advantages and disadvantages of various crop sequences will be discussed.