Integration of perennial forage seed crops for cropping systems resiliency in the Peace River region of western Canada

Abstract

The Peace River region is one of the northern agricultural frontiers in Canada, undergoing farmland expansion as well as intensification with input-intensive industrial agriculture. The cropping systems evolved with the rotations between annual grain and perennial forage crops as a prudent adaptation to fragile, crust-forming, runoff prone, poorly-developed, platy-structured acidic Luvisolic soils. In the recent years, there is a decline in acreage of perennial forage seed crops leading to simplified low-diversity cropping systems with heavy reliance on external inputs. The production systems have been prone to rapid evolution of herbicide resistant weeds, and outbreaks of crop diseases and insect pests in the face of global warming. A number of studies conducted in the Peace River region and other parts of North America have shown multiple benefits of integrating perennial forage crops in the cropping systems. By virtue of high root: shoot ratio and perennial growth, forage seed crops can provide multiple ecological services in the fragile Luvisolic soil through increased soil organic matter, carbon sequestration, soil biological diversity, soil structural improvement, nutrient mobilization, crop protection and environmental health, and thereby creating conducive effects to resilient performance of the cropping systems. This review discusses merits of crop rotations in general and those of perennial forage seed crops in particular in the face of changing climate, with special reference to studies conducted in the Prairies and Peace region of western Canada. Research opportunities are highlighted to elucidate multi-dimensional ecosystems services from diversified cropping sequences integrating perennial forage seed crops.

Cropping system adaptation for enhanced resilience to climate change in cold climate regions

“…Cropping system management will be key to sustaining the yields of short-season oilseed crops like soybean, which are sensitive to water limitation and solar radiation (Cober and Morrison 2023). Including perennial forages, as seed crops, in crop rotations is an option for greater cropping system resiliency in cold climate agricultural regions (Khanal 2023), while drought-resistant cover crops also offer additional opportunities for maintaining soil cover and fertility in dryland agriculture (Ben Kalifa et al 2023). Soil fertility in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production systems was improved through the application of woody mulch (Nyiraneza et al 2023), whereas judicious use of nitrogen fertilizers improved the yield of spring and winter wheat (Biswas et al 2023;Owens et al 2023;Wang et al 2023).…”

Agroecological Approach to Agricultural Sustainability, Food Sovereignty And Endogenous Circular Economy

“…It may include various tillage systems such as conservation tillage, strategic or occasional tillage, bio-tillage, cover cropping, residue management, green manuring, organic amendments, biochar, biofertilizers and supplemental nutrient applications in the right forms, at right time, at the right rates and with right methods. Under favourable environmental conditions, annual legume crops can fix up to 260 kg atmospheric nitrogen per ha (equivalent to 565 kg Urea fertilizer) (Herridge et al, 2022), and preceding legumes crops can meet full nitrogen requirement for the immediate succeeding crop and up to 50% nitrogen requirement for the second succeeding crop (N. Khanal, 2022;N. Khanal et al, 2021).…”