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ARS Home » Plains Area » Mandan, North Dakota » Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #375476
Research Project: Sustainable Agricultural Systems for the Northern Great Plains

Location: Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory

Title: Feasibility of growing annuals in an existing alfalfa stand

Author
item Hendrickson, John
item Archer, David
item Clemensen, Andrea
item Liebig, Mark
item Christensen, Rachael

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/8/2020
Publication Date: 11/8/2020
Citation: Hendrickson, J.R., Archer, D.W., Clemensen, A.K., Liebig, M.A., Christensen, R. 2020. Feasibility of growing annuals in an existing alfalfa stand. Meeting Abstract. 1.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Including perennials in annual crop rotations provides soil quality benefits and reduces input requirements but there are potential opportunity costs for producers, especially when crop prices are high. Therefore, we evaluated whether annual crops could be grown with an existing perennial. All phases of a four-year crop rotation (field pea-winter wheat-spring wheat-canola) were established at the Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory in Mandan, ND in plots with and without alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Alfalfa and winter wheat were established in 2016 and the remaining crops in 2017. Alfalfa persisted in 2017, yet none of the plots produced enough grain for harvest. Field pea and canola did not produce a harvestable crop from 2017 to 2019. In 2018, grain yield for spring wheat in alfalfa plots was 964 kg ha-1 versus 1565 kg ha-1 in plots without alfalfa. Winter wheat in plots with alfalfa, only produced about 12% of the winter wheat yield in plots without alfalfa in 2018. In 2019, winter wheat in alfalfa plots produced 2483 kg ha-1 compared to 3381 kg ha-1 in plots without alfalfa. Due to heavy annual weed infestation, spring wheat yields were suppressed in plots with and without alfalfa (192 and 556 kg ha-1 respectively). Both winter and spring wheat tended to have greater protein content in plots with alfalfa compared to those without alfalfa. Increases in protein fluctuated from 3% in 2018 to 1% in 2019. The data demonstrates that small grains can be produced in existing alfalfa stands although greater management intensity is needed.