U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Agricultural Systems Research: Sidney, MT
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    Careers


        


                    NPARL
                        NPARL
                                    Pest Management Research
                                    Grasshoppers: Their Biology, Identification and Management:Search small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Plains Area Sidney, Montana Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory Agricultural Systems Research Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            LENSSEN, ANDREW - Iowa State Universityitem
                                            Sainju, Upendraitem
                                            HATFIELD, PATRICK - Montana State University
  Submitted to: Field Crops Research
                                    Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 3/14/2013
                                    Publication  Date: 5/1/2013
                                    Citation: Lenssen, A.W., Sainju, U.M., Hatfield, P. 2013. Integrating sheep grazing into wheat-fallow systems: Crop yield and soil properties. Field Crops Research. 146: 75-85.Interpretive Summary: Conventional tillage and herbicide applications are the general practices used to control weeds during fallow periods in the wheat-fallow system. Both of these practices can increase cost of wheat production by increasing the cost of fuel or chemical used for weed control. While tillage can reduce soil quality by increasing organic matter mineralization and soil erosion, herbicide application can be a health hazard to both human and animal health. Targeted sheep grazing can be an alternative practice to control weeds, thereby reducing fuel and chemical use.
We conducted a study near Bozeman, Montana, USA, comparing three fallow weed management systems in two crop rotations from 2005 to 2008.  Fallow weed management systems were conventional tillage, chemical fallow (herbicide application), and sheep grazing.  The two crop rotations were summer fallow-spring wheat and summer fallow-winter wheat.  
In late fall, chemical-fallow treatment had greater crop residue cover and gravimetric soil water content than did tilled- or grazed-fallow.  At the 0 to 15-cm depth, soil had lower bulk density in chemical- and tilled-fallow than in grazed fallow.  Similarly, soil NO3-N, Ca, SO4-S concentrations and EC were lower following grazed-fallow than tilled-fallow, but Na concentration was higher following grazed-fallow than tilled- or chemical-fallow.  Following spring and winter wheat, soil properties were not influence by treatments.  Grain yield was greater in winter wheat than in spring wheat but the trend reversed in protein concentration.  
Although soil properties varied among treatments, fallow management system had little influence on yield or quality of spring and winter wheats.  Sheep grazing during fallow periods had limited impact on subsequent wheat yield and quality, and is a suitable practice for weed and residue management in wheat-fallow systems.
                                Technical Abstract: The two predominant systems for weed management in summer fallow are tillage with a field cultivator or multiple applications of broad spectrum herbicides with zero tillage.  Both systems are based on substantial use of off farm resources.  Strategic grazing of sheep may allow grain growers to more sustainably manage crop residues, volunteer crop, and other weeds during fallow periods.  We conducted a study near Bozeman, Montana, USA, comparing three fallow weed management systems in two crop rotations from 2005 to 2008.  Fallow weed management systems were conventional tillage, chemical fallow (herbicide application), and sheep grazing.  The two crop rotations were summer fallow-spring wheat and summer fallow-winter wheat.  In late fall, chemical-fallow treatment had greater crop residue cover and gravimetric soil water content than did tilled- or grazed-fallow.  At the 0 to 15-cm depth, soil had lower bulk density in chemical- and tilled-fallow than in grazed fallow.  Similarly, soil NO3-N, Ca, SO4-S concentrations and EC were lower following grazed-fallow than tilled-fallow, but Na concentration was higher following grazed-fallow than tilled- or chemical-fallow.  Following spring and winter wheat, soil properties were not influence by treatments.  Grain yield was greater in winter wheat than in spring wheat but the trend reversed in protein concentration.  Although soil properties varied among treatments, fallow management system had little influence on yield or quality of spring and winter wheats.  Sheep grazing during fallow periods had limited impact on subsequent wheat yield and quality, and is a suitable practice for weed and residue management in wheat-fallow systems.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov