Soil-building Cropping Systems Conference-Legumes and Other Green Manures in Cropping Systems of The Northern Plains, Rockies and Intermountain Region

Soil-building Cropping Systems Conference-Legumes and Other Green Manures in Cropping Systems of The Northern Plains, Rockies and Intermountain Region

Summary

This technology-transfer project involved a planning committee primarily made up of Montana farmers and ranchers working in concert with a Montana State University cropping systems agronomist. The outcomes were a three-day conference which drew over 200 farmers, ranchers and other agriculture professionals in 1988, and a 56-page Proceedings.

Over 200 farmers, ranchers, researchers, marketers and policymakers from five states and two Canadian provinces came together in a regionally focused conference in Lewistown, Montana on December 7-9, 1988. AERO, a non-profit grassroots organization, was the primary organizer and sponsor of this event.

Twenty-six speakers presented their research on on-farm experiences on a wide range of topics which included:

Cropping Systems Using Legumes and Green Manures: Regional Research Results and Progress

Production of Green manures and Cover Crops on Dryland Operations, Irrigated Lands and Higher Moisture Areas

Harvest and Storage Issues

Markets: Seeds, Feed, Forage and Specialty Crops

The speakers were from Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and Saskatchewan.

The conference was rated as good to excellent by over 80% of the participants, most of whom were farmers and ranchers. Based on an informal follow-up survey, about 20% of the farmer conference participants said the event spurred them to test a soil-building crop in rotation or modify their current cropping system which may already include a green manure or cover crop.

The conference Proceedings were equally well received. Over 350 copies have been sold or circulated since the conference. For copies of the conference Proceedings, contact Al Kurki, AERO, 44 North Last Chance Gulch, Helena, MT 59601.

Objectives

(1) To present to producers the outcomes of current research and commercial activities relevant to small grains/green manure cropping systems development in the Northern Rockies and plains region.

(2) To serve as an opportunity for producers, researchers and policymakers to identify and begin addressing current information gaps in adopting soil-building cropping systems.