Annual Legumes in Fallow as an Integrated Crop/Livestock Alternative in the Central Great Plains.

1998 Annual Report for SW98-071

Project Type: Research and Education
Funds awarded in 1998: $173,979.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2002
Matching Non-Federal Funds: $181,000.00
Region: Western
State: Wyoming
Principal Investigator:
James Krall
University of Wyoming

Annual Legumes in Fallow as an Integrated Crop/Livestock Alternative in the Central Great Plains.

Summary

Objectives:

1. Determine the feasibility of utilizing ley cropping systems to integrate livestock into the winter wheat-summer fallow rotation (WY).
2. Determine the efficiencies of water-use, biomass and nitrogen-fixation when incorporating peas and medic into the wheat-corn-summer fallow cropping system (CO).
3. To evaluate the economic effectiveness of incorporating alternative legume crop and livestock grazing rotations with a traditional winter wheat-fallow system (WY).
4. Demonstrate the effectiveness of incorporating legumes into the agroecosystem through on-farm research and demonstrations, field tours and media dissemination (WY, CO).

Abstract:

Medic cultivars Herald, Santiago, Sava, Orion, Caliph, and Parragio were grown in large replicated pasture blocks in 1997, 1998, and 1999 at Archer, Wyoming. The performance of medic cultivars was generally considered low by Australian standards. Medic forage production from the culitvar Sava was the most encouraging of the four medic cultivars seeded at three on-farm sites in 1998. However, subsequent winter wheat sowings failed due largely from the depletion of soil moisture by medic. In medic breeding, for the fourth winter in a row, selections of winter-hardy Medicago rigidula and M. rigiduloides exhibited good winter survival and early summer seed production in Wyoming.

At Archer, Austrian Winter Pea (AWP), available dry matter at the beginning of the grazing period was 20 percent higher than the five-year average. Stocking rates were 25 percent above average. Average daily gain per lamb and total gain per acre were also above average. Soil water in the top three feet of the soil profile at winter wheat planting in September were 8.3 inches for the wheat-fallow rotation and 7.3 inches for the wheat-pea grazing rotation. The six-year average soil water content for these rotations are 7.2 and 7.0 inches for the wheat-fallow and wheat-pea graze rotations, respectively.

Winter wheat yields in the wheat-fallow rotation were 22 percent higher than for the winter wheat-pea graze rotation when a herbicide was used to control downy brome. Without herbicide, the grazed treatment was not significantly different from fallow.

Five year mean performance of 60-90 pound lambs grazed at a stocking rate of 14 lambs per acre on AWP for three weeks in June and concluding by July 1st were: 0.5 pound per lamb daily gain for a gain of 139 pounds per acre, resulting in a gross lamb value gain per acre of $83 and $125 at projected market prices of $0.60 and $0.90 per pound, respectively.

In Austrian winter pea breeding, the U.S. germplasm collection of (37 lines) and six selections from Common were evaluated for winter survival and forage production in three nurseries in which altitude increased at approximately 1000 foot intervals between locations from east to west. Overall, survival and forage production was better at lower elevations with no significant line X location interaction. No line or selection was significantly better than the old landrace Common.

Wheat-corn-fallow rotations are established at two Colorado sites. Austrian winter peas were sown into the corn stalks. June harvested legume production was better in 1999 than in any other year of the experiment averaging over 2500 pounds per acre over both sites. An economic analysis just completed showed an increase in profit with the wheat-corn-pea system versus the wheat-corn-fallow system. Using forage prices equivalent to alfalfa, profit was increased by five percent.

Dissemination of Findings:

Presentations were made at four field days, plus five experiments are being conducted on farmer-owned land. Conference presentations include the Wyoming Conservation Tillage Conference, the Western Crop Science Society and Western SARE’s 2000 “Farming and Ranching for Profit, Stewardship and Community” in Portland.

Potential Benefits and Impacts on Agriculture:

In Colorado legumes in the wheat-corn-fallow rotation would provide diversity for weed control purposes, provide extra cover during fallow, and provide a high quality forage for livestock. It is too soon for farmer adoption, but there is growing curiosity. In Wyoming grazed Austrian Winter Pea in place of fallow also provides diversity for weed control purposes, provides extra cover during fallow, and provides a high quality forage for livestock. Net return from grazing continues to look very positive. A detailed economic analysis will be possible with funding of this project and will help to further clarify the value of the system.

Farmer Adoption and Direct Impact:

It is still too early to assess the farmer adoption. However, we believe based on inquiries that dryland pea production is on the increase. Also, interest in integrated crop/livestock systems is on the rise with researchers within the region. Crop/livestock systems research activities are being included in a major USDA-Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service (CSREES) Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems (IFAFS) proposal involving dryland producers and scientist in Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming. The goal of this effort is to initiate additional research sites in Nebraska and Colorado.

Producer Involvement:

Experiments are being conducted on farmer-owned land. Farmers J. Baker, D. Kaufman, G. Lindstrom and G. Miltenberger are important cooperators on the project. They make suggestions and manage the research on their properties in accordance with their standard farming practices where practical.

Future Recommendations or New Hypotheses:

Is it possible to obtain a comparable net rate of return by grazing cattle on Austrian winter pea instead of using sheep?

This summary was prepared by the project coordinator for the 2000 reporting cycle.

Collaborators:

Larry Held

Prof. of Farm Management Economics
University of Wyoming
Department of Agriculture Economics
Laramie, WY 82071
Office Phone: 3077662386
Dwayne Westfall

Prof. of Soil and Crop Sciences
Colorado State University
Department of Soil and Crop Sciences
Fort Collins, CO 80523
Office Phone: 9704916804
Bret Hess

Asst. Prof. of Ruminant Nutrition
University of Wyoming
Department of Animal Science
Laramie, WY 82071
Office Phone: 3077662224
Ronald Delaney

rdelaney@uwyo.edu
Prof. of Forage Physiology
University of Wyoming
Department of Plant Sciences
Laramie, WY 82071
Office Phone: 3077663238
Gary Peterson

gpeterso@lamar.colostate.edu
Prof. of Soil and Crop Sciences
Colorado State University
Department of Soil and Crop Sciences
Fort Collins, CO 80523
Office Phone: 9704916804
Robin Groose

groose@uwyo.edu
Assoc. Prof. of Plant Breeding
University of Wyoming
Department of Plant Sciences
Laramie, WY 82071
Office Phone: 3077663238