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ARS Home » Plains Area » Mandan, North Dakota » Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #223064
Title: Crop Sequence Calculator, v. 3

Author
item Liebig, Mark
item Tanaka, Donald
item Hanson, Jonathan
item Archer, David
item KRUPINSKY, JOSEPH - ARS-RETIRED;COLLABORATOR
item MERRILL, STEPHEN - ARS-RETIRED;COLLABORATOR
item Nichols, Kristine
item Hendrickson, John
item Anderson, Randal
item Charlet, Laurence
item Stott, Diane

Submitted to: CD ROM
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/19/2008
Publication Date: 2/19/2008
Citation: Liebig, M.A., Tanaka, D.L., Hanson, J.D., Archer, D.W., Krupinsky, J.M., Merrill, S.D., Nichols, K.A., Hendrickson, J.R., Anderson, R.L., Charlet, L.D., Stott, D.E. 2008. Crop Sequence Calculator, v. 3. CD ROM.

Interpretive Summary: Over 12,000 copies of the Crop Sequence Calculator versions 1 and 2 have been delivered to producers and managers. Version 3.0 of the Crop Sequence Calculator is now available. The software package is designed to assist agricultural managers determine workable cropping sequences for the northern Great Plains. Cropping systems need to be inherently flexible to take advantage of economic opportunities and/or adapt to environmental realities. Therefore, this program applies the principles of dynamic cropping systems to help users select cropping sequences best suited to their particular situation. The research data used to develop the Crop Sequence Calculator were collected from no-till farming experiments conducted at Mandan, ND from 1999 to 2006. Version 3.0 contains the all of the information contained in Version 2.2 and adds new information gathered from additional cropping sequence research.

Technical Abstract: Producers need to know how to sequence crops to develop sustainable dynamic cropping systems that take advantage of inherent internal resources, such as crop synergism, nutrient cycling, and soil water, and capitalize on external resources, such as weather, markets, and government programs. Version 3 of the Crop Sequence Calculator is a software package designed to assist agricultural managers determine workable cropping sequences for the northern Great Plains. Cropping systems need to be inherently flexible to take advantage of economic opportunities and/or adapt to environmental realities. The objective of our research was to determine influences of previous crop and crop residues (crop sequence) on relative seed and residue yield and precipitation-use efficiency (PUE) for the no-till production of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench), canola (Brassica napus L.), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), corn (Zea mays L.), dry pea (Pisum sativum L.), grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.), lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.), proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.), sunflower (Helianthus annus L.), and spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in the northern Great Plains. Relative seed yield in 2003 for eight of the 10 crops resulted in synergistic effects when the previous crop was dry pea or lentil, compared with each crop grown on its own residue. Buckwheat, corn, and sunflower residues were antagonistic to chickpea relative seed yield. In 2004, highest relative seed yield for eight of the 10 crops occurred when dry pea was the previous crop. Relative residue yield followed a pattern similar to relative seed yield. The PUE overall means fluctuated for seven of the 10 crops both years, but those of dry pea, sunflower, and spring wheat remained somewhat constant, suggesting these crops may have mechanisms for consistent PUE and were not as dependent on growing season precipitation distribution as the other seven crops. Sustainable cropping systems in the northern Great Plains will approach an optimal scheme of crop sequencing by taking advantage of synergisms and avoiding antagonisms that occur among crops and previous crop residues.