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ARS Home » Plains Area » Sidney, Montana » Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory » Agricultural Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #186969
Title: CROPPING SEQUENCE AND TILLAGE SYSTEM INFLUENCES CROP PRODUCTION AND WATER USE IN SEMIARID MONTANA, USA

Author
item Lenssen, Andrew
item JOHNSON, G - MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
item CARLSON, G - MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Field Crops Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/27/2006
Publication Date: 5/10/2006
Citation: Lenssen, A.W., Johnson, G.D., Carlson, G.R. 2007. Cropping sequence and tillage system influences crop production and water use in semiarid Montana, USA. Field Crops Research. 100:32-43.

Interpretive Summary: A field trial was conducted from 1998 through 2003 comparing crop yield and water use of nine crop rotations in two tillage systems. Crops tested included spring wheat, field pea, lentil, chickpea, yellow mustard, safflower, and sunflower. All rotations included at least one spring wheat phase. Precipitation during the course of the experiment was well below normal compared to long-term precipitation received in north-central Montana. Across the nine rotations, the best performing crop following summer fallow was spring wheat. The best performing recrop was field pea. Yield and postharvest residue of lentil, chickpea, safflower, and sunflower were low. Continuous cropping rotations failed due to insufficient plant available water. Across rotations, zero tillage following summer fallow provided greater amounts of soil water at planting compared to conventional tillage, resulting in great yields, particularly for spring wheat. Lentil, chickpea, safflower, and sunflower performed poorly during this trial, and are not adapted to drought conditions in the semiarid regions of Montana.

Technical Abstract: Available water is typically the biggest constraint to spring wheat production in the northern Great Plains of the USA. The most common rotation for spring wheat is with summer fallow, which is used to accrue additional soil moisture. Tillage during fallow periods controls weeds, which otherwise would use substantial amounts of water, decreasing the efficiency of fallow. Chemical fallow and zero tillage systems improve soil water conservation, allowing for increased cropping intensity. We conducted a field trial from 1998 through 2003 comparing productivity and water use of crops in nine rotations under two tillage systems, conventional and no-till. All rotations included spring wheat, two rotations included field pea, while lentil, chickpea, yellow mustard, sunflower, and safflower were present in single rotations with wheat. Growing season precipitation was below normal most years, resulting in substantial drought stress to crops not following fallow. Preplant soil water, water use, and spring wheat yields were generally greater following summer fallow compared to wheat recropped after wheat or alternate crops. Water use and yield of wheat following summer fallow was greater than for chickpea or yellow mustard, the only other crops in the trial that followed summer fallow. Field pea performed best of all alternate crops, providing yields comparable to those of recropped spring wheat. Chickpea, lentil, yellow mustard, safflower, and sunflower did not perform well and were not adapted to this region, at least during periods of below average precipitation. Following summer fallow, and despite drought conditions, zero tillage often provided greater amounts of soil water at planting compared to conventional tillage.