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Oilseed camelina ( Camelina sativa [L.] Crantz) has potential to diversify and intensify dryland wheat-based crop production in the US Great Plains. Field experiments were conducted to evaluate camelina as a fallow replacement crop in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L) − fallow (W-F) crop rotation system across five locations in the Great Plains. Results showed both winter wheat and camelina grain yields varied across locations. Wheat yields after summer fallow averaged 3393 kg ha −1 , significantly greater than 2796 kg ha −1 wheat yields following spring camelina. This represents an average of 17.6% reduction in wheat yields following camelina compared to fallow. However, wheat protein concentration following camelina was not different from that after fallow. In general, camelina seed yield and oil concentration obtained in the northern Great Plains were approximately 28.7 and 18.5% more than that produced in the central Great Plains, possibly due to difference in mean growing season air temperature among the locations. Our findings showed camelina can be grown as a fallow replacement crop in dryland systems across the Great Plains but ready markets will be needed for grower adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Damping-off and root rot are diseases of concern in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) production and can cause seedling loss, increase weed populations, and reduce yield. A complex of soilborne pathogens is responsible for damping-off and root rot in the Northern Great Plains. Species within this complex include Fusarium spp., Pythium spp., and Rhizoctonia solani. Currently, partially resistant cultivars and fungicide seed treatments are the most effective for control of damping-off and root rot. This study examined 25 chickpea cultivars and breeding lines with and without a fungicide seed treatment (fluxapyroxad, pyraclostrobin, and metalaxyl) for stand establishment and grain yield in field conditions. Experimental plots were located in dryland and irrigated fields at the Eastern Agriculture Research Center (EARC) in Sidney MT in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Stand counts were recorded three times to calculate area under disease progress curve (AUDPC). Yield, and protein content (only in 2021) was assessed after harvest. In 2021, pathogens were isolated from chickpea roots showing signs of root rot and identified as Fusarium solani. The results showed that the seed treatments effectively decreased soilborne disease development (75%–84%) and improved chickpea yield (11%–14%) in 2020 and 2021, and increased protein content (0.6%) in 2021. Different cultivars did not have a consistent impact on disease development and yield protection. NDC160166 and NDC160236 displayed consistently lower disease and higher yield and might be a future source of disease resistance. Yield of untreated seeds decreased and AUDPC increased for all cultivars/lines in both years. A negative correlation was also observed between protein content and chickpea yield in 2021. • The seed treatment (fluxapyroxad, pyraclostrobin, and metalaxyl) controlled chickpea soilborne diseases and improved yield. • Cultivars performed differently in seed yield, seed protein content, and disease development. • NDC160236 consistently displayed high yield potential. • NDC160049, NDC160133, NDC160146, NDC 160236, NDC160166 and Royal showed more tolerance to soilborne disease in 2020. • Fusarium solani was isolated and identified from chickpea root rot in 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rotational effects and economic potential of incorporating fall-seeded pea (Pisum sativum L.) and lentil (Lens culinaris Medik) into conventional wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-based cropping systems in the northern Great Plains are not well understood. Two 2-yr crop rotation experiments were conducted in central Montana to investigate how winter pea hay, lentil green manure, and lentil grain affects subsequent winter wheat yield and protein content, as well as the economic returns of the systems under no-till conditions. In Exp. 1, a winter pea hay-winter wheat (WP-WW) rotation was compared to fallow-winter wheat (FW-WW) and spring wheat-winter wheat (SW-WW) rotations. In Exp. 2, a winter lentil for green manure-winter wheat [WL(m)-WW] rotation was compared to a winter lentil grain-winter wheat [WL(g)-WW] rotation. Four different rates of N were applied to the winter and spring wheat. Winter wheat yield in the WP-WW rotation was 2193 kg ha-1, which was equivalent to the yield in the FW-WW rotation (2136 kg ha-1), and much greater than the SW-WW rotation (1155 kg ha-1). Averaged over all N rates, the WP-WW, FW-WW, and SW-WW systems had $196, $116, and $41 ha-1 net return, respectively. In Exp. 2, the WL(m)-WW rotation produced greater grain yield and protein content at lower N input levels, indicating a greater N benefit. Nevertheless, the WL(g)-WW system generated $213 ha-1 net profit while the WL(m)-WW system produced $92 ha-1. Therefore, the winter pea cover crop, used for livestock feed, improves the system profitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Northern Great Plains of the United States and Canada have seen an increase in pulse crops like pea, lentil, and chickpea acreage in dryland and irrigated systems. Rotating pulse crops into cereal crop production systems could reduce the demand for nitrogen fertilizer due to the symbiotic relationship with nitrogen fixing bacteria called diazotrophs. Legume-diazotroph relationships are well studied, but little is known about the free-living bacteria of the bulk soil in the legume-cereal rotation systems. Here we determine the community structure of the overall (16S) and diazotroph (nifH) soil microbiome in pulse-cereal rotations across the state of Montana. Many variables influenced the microbial community structure, but and among them, irrigation caused a significant shift in the composition of the communities and co-occurrence network topology. Interestingly, the diazotrophic communities in dryland soil are more robust and contain more generalist compared to irrigated soils. Co-occurrence networks support the identification of different diazotrophic keystone taxa such as Firmicutes in irrigated and Proteobacteria in dryland soils. Linking farm management practices and crop productivity with microbial community structure dynamics is an initial step in establishing a knowledge base for farmers to exploit the soil microbiota to maintain healthy soil for crop production. • Geographic location, farm management, and edaphic factors affect the free-living microbiome. • Irrigation disrupts general (16S) and diazotroph (nifH) bacteria communities differently. • Co-occurrence shifts in diazotrophic communities are due to irrigation. • Nitrogen-fixing keystone species are affected by irrigation in bulk soil [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]