| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
a Dep. of Plant Sci., Univ. of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3T 2N2
b Agric. and Agri-Food Can., Lacombe Res. Cent., Lacombe, AB, Canada T4L 1W1
c North Dakota State Univ., Dickinson Res. and Ext. Cent., 1089 State Ave., Dickinson, ND 58601
d Dep. of Plant Sci., North Dakota State Univ., Fargo, ND 58105
e Jr., Dep. of Crop, Soil, and Environ. Sci., 424 Smyth Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0404
f Agric. and Agri-Food Can., Brandon Res. Cent., Brandon, MB, Canada R7A 5Y3
* Corresponding author (m_entz{at}umanitoba.ca)
Received for publication January 22, 2001. Cultivated forage crops are grown on almost 12 million ha on the northern Great Plains. This paper reviews the benefits of diversifying annual crop rotations with forage crops and highlights innovations in forage systems. Agronomic benefits of rotating forage crops with annual grain crops include higher grain crop yields following forages (up to 13 yr in one study), shifts in the weed population away from arable crop weeds, and improved soil quality. Perennial legumes in rotation also reduce energy requirements by adding significant amounts of N to the soil. Soil water availability may limit the extent to which forages benefit following crops. Under semiarid conditions, forages can actually reduce yields of the following crops, and as such, tillage practices that conserve soil water have been developed to partially address this problem. Forages in rotation provide environmental benefits, such as C sequestration, critical habitat for wildlife, and reduced NO3 leaching. A wider range of annual plant species are now used in forage systems in an effort to extend the grazing season and to maximize use of water resources. Intensive pasture management using cultivated forages is on the increase as is the use of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in grazing systems; in some cases, bloat-reduced alfalfa cultivars are used. Pasture-based systems appear to provide benefits for both animal and human health and arguably the health of the environment. Pasture systems are less nutrient exhausting than hay systems. As a result, nutrient management strategies will differ in the following crop. Additional research is required to optimize the role of cultivated pastures in grain-based cropping systems.
Abbreviations: CLA, conjugated linoleic acid • DM, dry matter • NGP, northern Great Plains
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  B. F. Tracy and Y. Zhang Soil Compaction, Corn Yield Response, and Soil Nutrient Pool Dynamics within an Integrated Crop-Livestock System in Illinois Crop Sci., May 1, 2008; 48(3): 1211 - 1218. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
V. D. Picasso, E. C. Brummer, M. Liebman, P. M. Dixon, and B. J. Wilsey Crop Species Diversity Affects Productivity and Weed Suppression in Perennial Polycultures under Two Management Strategies Crop Sci., January 16, 2008; 48(1): 331 - 342. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. P. Russelle, M. H. Entz, and A. J. Franzluebbers Reconsidering Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems in North America Agron. J., February 6, 2007; 99(2): 325 - 334. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. M. Sulc and B. F. Tracy Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems in the U.S. Corn Belt Agron. J., February 6, 2007; 99(2): 335 - 345. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. W. Katsvairo, D. L. Wright, J. J. Marois, D. L. Hartzog, J. R. Rich, and P. J. Wiatrak Sod-Livestock Integration into the Peanut-Cotton Rotation: A Systems Farming Approach Agron. J., June 27, 2006; 98(4): 1156 - 1171. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
V. S. Baron, A. C. Dick, D. McCartney, J. A. Basarab, and E. K. Okine Carrying Capacity, Utilization, and Weathering of Swathed Whole Plant Barley Agron. J., May 3, 2006; 98(3): 714 - 721. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. M. Carr, W. W. Poland, and L. J. Tisor Natural Reseeding by Forage Legumes following Wheat in Western North Dakota Agron. J., July 13, 2005; 97(4): 1270 - 1277. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
V. S. Baron, A. C. Dick, M. Bjorge, and G. Lastiwka Stockpiling Potential of Perennial Forage Species Adapted to the Canadian Western Prairie Parkland Agron. J., November 1, 2004; 96(6): 1545 - 1552. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. J. Wiatrak, D. L. Wright, and J. J. Marois Tillage and Residual Nitrogen Impact on Wheat Forage Agron. J., November 1, 2004; 96(6): 1761 - 1764. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. J. Wiatrak, D. L. Wright, and J. J. Marois Influence of Residual Nitrogen and Tillage on White Lupin Agron. J., November 1, 2004; 96(6): 1765 - 1770. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. J. Peters, G. W. Fick, and J. L. Wilkins Cultivating Better Nutrition: Can the Food Pyramid Help Translate Dietary Recommendations into Agricultural Goals? Agron. J., November 1, 2003; 95(6): 1424 - 1431. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
O. M. Nazarko, R. C. Van Acker, M. H. Entz, A. Schoofs, and G. Martens Pesticide Free Production of Field Crops: Results of an On-Farm Pilot Project Agron. J., September 1, 2003; 95(5): 1262 - 1273. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. R. Miller, B. G. McConkey, G. W. Clayton, S. A. Brandt, J. A. Staricka, A. M. Johnston, G. P. Lafond, B. G. Schatz, D. D. Baltensperger, and K. E. Neill Pulse Crop Adaptation in the Northern Great Plains Agron. J., March 1, 2002; 94(2): 261 - 272. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| The SCI Journals | Crop Science | Vadose Zone Journal | |||
| Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education |
Soil Science Society of America Journal | ||||
| Journal of Plant Registrations | Journal of Environmental Quality |
The Plant Genome | |||
