Funded by Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR)
Introduction
The project was seeded in 2022 at the Fairview Research farm along with 5 other agricultural groups across the province (5 Applied Research Associations and the University of Alberta). PCBFA has taken the lead in coordinating and directing the project to ensure data collection methods are followed on all project sites. We also teamed up with Dr Gorzelak’s Lab at AAFC in Lethbridge and CARA Soil Health Lab to conduct microbiome, soil health and chemical soil analyses.
The project has provided an opportunity to welcome Cosmas Ugwu as a PhD student under the guidance of Dr. Akim Omokanye, PCBFA and the supervision of Dr. Guillermo Hernandez Ramirez, University of Alberta (U of A).
Objectives
In 2023, the dual utilization for PCGC productivity was explored with perennial grain (PG) crops interseeded with legumes. Production potential was evaluated through forage and grain harvests on this dual crop system. The following project objectives are being explored through the collection of data on all project sites:
1. Annual data on soil chemical and physical characteristics, as well as biological activities, will facilitate accurate assessments of regenerative agriculture, environmental benefits, and soil health across various soil types and ecozones in Alberta.
2. Seeding rates and methods (either the same or alternate row seeding) for PG/legume intercropping on grain and forage yield and quality were continuously monitored at each site. The survivability and plant vigor were assessed after the first winter and throughout the dry conditions experienced by most group sites during the growing season.
3. Application of isotopic N (15N) to analyze nitrogen fixation and N transfer between PG crops and legumes to assess the potential for N fertilizer reduction by intercropping PCGCs with Alfalfa, Clover and Sainfoin.
Methods
The land at the Fairview Research Farm, where the site was seeded in 2022, was previously in chemical fallow. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design using four replications in small plots measuring 8 m x 1.14 m. Seeding was carried out using a 6-row Fabro Plot Drill equipped with disc-type openers on 23 cm row spacing complete with side banding.
Fieldwork completed in 2023 on the PCGC plots summarized:
Baseline soil data was collected for chemical and microbiome analysis
Spring application of isotopic N (15N) for nitrogen fixation analysis
Bi-weekly monitoring of canopy NDVI, and soil moisture, compaction and temperature
Plant tissue analysis complete with botanical composition of PG, legume and weeds present within each plot
Dual utilization: forage yield and grain yield
Fall soil (0-6”) samples for nitrate-nitrite levels were submitted to CARA Soil Health Lab
Due to the time required to process samples for N fixation and microbiome analysis, the results are to be released in late 2024.
Results
Forage Quality
The forage quality analysis results from the PCBFA site indicate that there were no significant differences among treatments for most nutrient quality parameters. However, one exception was observed for NDFD-48 (Neutral Detergent Fiber Digestibility after 48 hours), which showed a significant difference between the SR and AR cropping systems (p = 0.0014). This suggests that the digestibility of Neutral Detergent Fiber after 48 hours varied significantly between the two cropping systems, while other nutrient quality parameters did not show statistically significant differences (Figure 2).
Forage Dry Matter Yield
For the forage yield, Rye outperformed Wheat in the Mono system, with Rye Mono yielding 5,559 Kg/ha compared to Wheat Mono's 3,032 Kg/ha. In the SR system, Wheat-Alfalfa excelled with 5,666 Kg/ha, and Rye-Sainfoin showed competitive performance at 4,097 Kg/ha (Figure 4).
For grain yield, both the SR and AR cropping systems showed similar performance across all treatments, with the SR system yielding a maximum of 533 kg/ha (Rye - Clover) and the AR system yielding a maximum of 568 kg/ha (Wheat - Sainfoin).
In summary, the forage performance analysis across sites provides further exploration of the interactions between treatments, cropping systems, and site-specific conditions in influencing forage DM yields. We will continue to explore these systems in 2024.
Grain Yield
In Fairview, the highest grain yields for PR was in AR with Alfalfa, whereas highest PW yield was found intercropped with Sainfoin (data not shown).
Baseline Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Community
The results for the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal community can provide potential indicators of active or inactive microbial communities that can further promote nitrogen fixation through the utilization of intercropped legumes. The preliminary results are provided by AAFC and are reported for all PG sites (Figure 6). While higher diversity was not significant within Breton (U of A) and BRRG, these results suggest that these sites may have a healthier AMF community than others. Interestingly, this trend follows a North/South divide, and this aspect of geography may be contributing to the results found within our study.
Conclusion
In Fairview, there are some excellent intercropped combinations of PW and PR that can provide quality forage for beef producers in the Peace Region. With the added benefit of reducing field activities, the perennial grain crop systems can provide environmental benefits for farmers to consider as part of a system where a living root is kept in the soil for multiple growing seasons.
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