Location: Forage and Range Research
Project Number: 2080-21500-002-011-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2021
End Date: Aug 31, 2026
Objective:
Please refer to the ARIS Log 68859 for a detailed description of the project/agreement.
1. Use failed CRP plots to evaluate the potential of different field preparation and seeding rate treatments to reduce weed competition in CRP stands in three different states in the western U.S.
2. Test specific treatments to help address region specific problems in CRP establishment.
Approach:
USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) will:
• Utilize established CRP research plots to 1) test field preparation treatments, 2) seeding rate treatments and 3) region specific treatments.
• Compare field preparation treatments which include a chem-fallow treatment that uses chemicals to reduce weed seed bank during a fallow period prior to seeding to a cover crop treatment, which uses a regionally appropriate cover crop prior to seeding and followed by CRP treatments directly seeded into the cover crop biomass.
• Compare 3 different seeding rate treatments that would consist of 1) a standard seeding rate, 2) an enhanced competition seeding rate where seeding rates would be increased in species that can provide the best competition for weeds and 3) a doubled seeding rate treatment to evaluate whether it is seeding rate or seed mixture composition driving potential reductions in weed competition.
• Test region-specific treatment tailored for unique issue within each region to improve CRP establishment success. In MT, the region-specific treatment will focus on planting date, in CO, it would focus on the use of composed manure while in UT the region-specific treatment would compare different herbicides.
• Collect plant establishment, floral density, rangeland health and biomass productivity data to compare the success of different methods.
Deliverables:
• Analyze the differences between field preparation, seeding rate and region-specific treatments using collected data.
• Annual progress reports.
• A final report that summarized key findings from the project.
