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ARS Home » Plains Area » Sidney, Montana » Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory » Agricultural Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #363545
Research Project: Ecologically-Sound Pest, Water and Soil Management Practices for Northern Great Plains Cropping Systems

Location: Agricultural Systems Research

Title: Diversified crop rotation and management system influence durum yield and quality

Author
item LENSSEN, ANDREW - Iowa State University
item Sainju, Upendra
item Allen, Brett
item Stevens, William - Bart
item Jabro, Jalal - Jay

Submitted to: Agronomy Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/20/2020
Publication Date: 5/26/2020
Citation: Lenssen, A.W., Sainju, U.M., Allen, B.L., Stevens, W.B., Jabro, J.D. 2020. Diversified crop rotation and management system influence durum yield and quality. Agronomy Journal. 2020:1-13. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20311.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20311

Interpretive Summary: Durum is the second most dominant crop after wheat grown in dryland cropping systems in the semiarid northern Great Plains. Management practices to enhance durum yield and quality, however, are lacking. Scientists in ARS, Sidney, MT reported that durum growth, biomass, and seed characteristics varied with crop rotations. The improved cultural practice that included a combination of no-tillage, increased seed rate, banded N fertilization, and greater stubble height enhanced durum growth, yield, and quality compared to the traditional practice that included a combination of conventional tillage, recommended seed rate, broadcast N fertilization, and reduced stubble height during wet years. Producers can enhance durum yield and quality by adopting the improved cultural practice, especially during wet years.

Technical Abstract: Diversified crop rotation, sequence of crop in the rotation, and cultural practice may affect 23 durum (Triticum turgidum L.) yield and quality. This study investigated the impact of stacked vs. 24 alternate-year rotation and traditional vs. improved cultural practice on dryland durum growth, 25 yield, and quality from 2008 to 2011 in the northern Great Plains. Stacked rotations were durum-26 durum-canola (Brassica napus L.)-pea (Pisum sativum L.) (DDCP) and durum-durum-flax 27 (Linum usitatissimum L.)-pea (DDFP). Alternate-year rotations were durum-canola-durum-pea 28 (DCDP) and durum-flax-durum-pea (DFDP). A continuous durum (CD) was also included for 29 comparison. Traditional cultural practice included combinations of conventional tillage, 30 recommended seed rate, broadcast N fertilization, and reduced stubble height; improved practice 31 included combinations of no-tillage, increased seed rate, banded N fertilization, and greater 32 stubble height. Stand count was 37% greater for the traditional than the improved cultural 33 practice with DDFP in 2011, but the trend reversed by 31% with DDCP in 2010. Plant height 34 was 4 to 7 cm taller for the improved than the traditional practice with DCDP, DDCP, and 35 DFDP. Plant height, spike number, grain and aboveground biomass yields, N uptake, N removal 36 index, and N-use efficiency were 8 to 46% greater with the improved than the traditional practice 37 in wet years, but the trend reversed by 15 to 26% in dry years. Plant height, spike number, 38 aboveground biomass yield, and seed weight varied with crop rotations and years. Durum 39 growth, yield, and quality varied with crop rotations, but the improved cultural practice enhanced 40 these parameters in wet years.