The adaptation of seven broadleaf crops to the dry semiarid prairie

Abstract

, J. 2001. The adaptation of seven broadleaf crops to the dry semiarid prairie. Can. J. Plant Sci. 81: 29-43. To develop diversified cropping systems for the dry semiarid prairie, the adaptation of alternative crops must be known. This experiment compared the adaptation of seven pulse and oilseed crops -desi chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), dry pea (Pisum sativum L.), lentil (Lens culinaris L.), mustard (Brassica juncea L.), safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) -with spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), using two tillage practices -no-till and minimum tillage, including both fallow and wheat stubble-field phases. It was conducted near Swift Current, SK 1992-1996, and on a commercial farm near Congress, SK 1994-1995. Tillage system had no consistent effect on plant densities, which were generally adequate. Mustard, desi chickpea, dry pea and lentil required fewer degree days (5°C base) to reach anthesis, compared with wheat, while safflower and sunflower required more than wheat. Dry pea generally matured sooner than wheat, while lentil and mustard matured earlier than wheat only in years when near normal climatic conditions occurred. All other crops generally matured later than wheat. Safflower required an additional 400 degree-days and as a result presents considerable production risk in the semiarid prairies. Dry pea grain yields averaged 103% of wheat when grown on fallow and 135% of wheat when grown on stubble. Chickpea, lentil and dry pea yielded 76%, 77% and 90%, respectively, of their fallow-field yields when grown on stubble, indicating that the pulse crops have excellent potential for intensifying cropping systems in the dry semiarid prairie by replacing summerfallow in crop rotations. In contrast, wheat and mustard grown on stubble yielded only 66 and 61%, respectively, of fallow-field yields, suggesting they are not as well suited for stubble-cropping as the pulse crops. Low and highly variable yields were observed for safflower, dry bean and sunflower in both field-phases, although the yields from dwarf hybrid sunflower in the latter 2 yr of the study appeared promising. Low seed N concentration in wheat indicated yields were limited by soil-available N in most years, due to the generally wetter than normal growing seasons encountered during this study. The mean N yield (seed N concentration × grain yield) of dry pea was double that for chickpea and lentil, indicating that dry pea fixed the greatest amount of atmospheric N 2 . Water-use efficiency for dry pea averaged 9.4 kg ha -1 mm -1 compared with 7.4 kg ha -1 mm -1 for wheat. Dry pea, chickpea, lentil, mustard and sunflower have good potential for diversifying cropping systems in the dry semiarid prairie. Le régime de travail du sol n'avait pas d'effets constants sur la densité de peuplement des cultures, laquelles en général était satisfaisante. La moutarde, le pois chiche desi, le pois sec et la lentille prenaient moins de degrés-jours de croissance (seuil 5°C) pour arriver à ...

Adaptation of alternative pulse and oilseed crops to the semiarid Canadian Prairie: Seed yield and water use efficiency

“…For example, yields of pea grown on cereal stubble averaged over 90% of fallow yields, whereas wheat and mustard grown on cereal stubble produced only 66 and 61% of their respective fallow yields ). However, normal to above-normal rainfall during 4 yr of the Miller et al (2001) study may have masked the true extent of water limitation on crop adaptability (Miller and Holmes 2005).…”

Evapotranspiration efficiency of pea in south and central Alberta

“…The average ET efficiency for pea seed yield was 13.0 kg ha -1 mm -1 (Table 1), which was intermediate between the mean of 9.4 kg ha -1 mm -1 obtained in a 4 site-year study (fallow and stubble) in the Brown soil zone of Saskatchewan (Miller et al 2001) and the mean of 14.9 kg ha -1 mm -1 obtained in a 4 site-year study (zero and conventional tillage) in the Black soil zone of Manitoba (Borstlap and Entz 1994). No apparent differences in ET efficiency between sites in the Dark Brown soil zone (13.7 ± 2.9 kg ha -1 mm -1 ) and Black soil zone (12.6 ± 2.9 kg ha -1 mm -1 ) were evident in this study (Table 1).…”

“…The ET efficiency of pea seed yield ranged from 11.8 to 18.8 kg ha -1 mm -1 in a study conducted for 2 yr at two locations in the Black soil zone in Manitoba (Borstlap and Entz 1994). A lower ET efficiency, from 5.9 to 10.8 kg ha -1 mm -1 , was found in a study conducted for 4 yr at one location in the Brown soil zone in Saskatchewan (Miller et al 2001). The lower ET efficiency in the latter study is consistent with theoretical models that show ET efficiency is inversely related to daytime vapor pressure deficit and the proportion of ET represented by evaporation (Tanner and Sinclair 1983).…”

Fertilizer and rhizobial inoculant responses of chickpea on fallow and stubble sites in southern Alberta

“…Warm, dry conditions also favour high yields in southwestern Saskatchewan (Miller et al 2001). Given the high cost of seed and ascochyta blight control, the best fit for chickpea in this region is on land with good soil moisture reserves in the Brown soil zone.…”