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1. Appraise the effects of targeted sheep grazing versus mechanical tillage in transitional organic cropping systems on: 1.1 C and N sequestration and cycling, N leaching, and soil quality and productivity, 1.2 Greenhouse gas emission, and 1.3 Protection of soil from erosion based on NRCS evaluation criteria<P> 2.Compare crop yield, quality, cover crop production and weed agronomic challenges between targeted sheep grazed reduced-till and tillage-based organic cropping systems<P> 3. Assess the integration targeted sheep grazing as an approach to terminate cover crops in a certified organic commercial vegetable production farm <P> 4. Develop enterprise budgets to assess economic trade-offs and impacts of transitioning into an integrated sheep and organic crop production in semiarid environments<P> 5. Explore producers' acceptance and implementation of targeted sheep grazing through partnerships between crop and livestock producers using quantitative surveys and focus group processes as well as economic incentives <P> 6 .Integrate and evaluate knowledge generated by the proposed research into undergraduate and graduate interdisciplinary courses and provide classroom and field undergraduate and graduate teaching and research opportunities to learn about sustainable and organic practices <P> 7. Design, implement, and evaluate outreach programs on the development of integrated organic crop/livestock production systems that are economical and environmentally sustainable using face-to-face and online approaches.
Non-Technical Summary: <BR>Our interdisciplinary team aims at developing a holistic sheep/organic crop production system that uses targeted sheep grazing to reduce tillage intensity, N leaching, greenhouse gas emission and improve soil fertility and soil carbon sequestration, and takes advantage of weeds, cover crops and crop residues for fiber and meat production. We will also assess the production, environmental, social, and economic challenges facing both transitioning as well as certified organic producers. The knowledge generated in our research program will be incorporated into our teaching program and used in our extension/outreach activities. Quantitative surveys and focus group processes will be implemented to facilitate the establishment of low-capital entrepreneurial partnerships between sheep and crop producers interested in transition to organic production. Finally, the outcomes and impacts of the proposed teaching and extension activities will be formally evaluated in terms of changes in knowledge and behavior of the targeted audience. <P> Approach: <BR> The proposed research will be conducted at the MSU Fort Ellis Experiment Station. This site consists of 45, 0.2-ha plots. The experimental design has three replications every year for each treatment combination with management system (organic tillage, organic graze minimum-till, and chemical no-till) as the main plot variable (fixed effect), cropping sequence as a split-plot variable (fixed effect), year as a repeated measure variable, and replication and replication by management system as random effects. All management practices are conducted using farm-scale equipment belonging to the MSU research farms. However, plot borders are maintained by hand-hoeing and tillage. Crop Rotation and Plot Management. Starting in 2012, we will establish a replicated 5-year crop rotation (Yr1 -flax under-sown to sweet clover, Yr2 - sweet clover cover crop, Yr3 - winter wheat. Yr4 - lentil, and Yr5 - spring wheat), with each crop phase present every year. In the mechanical and chemical treatments, post-harvest flax, wheat, and lentil residue will be spread over the field in conjunction with harvest. In the grazed treatment, residues will be subjected to an intensity of grazing that removes enough of the residue to allow planting, but leaves sufficient residue to maintain the appropriate amount of residue cover to conform to USDA-NRCS soil cover regulations for erosion prevention and Farm Program participation. Organic Mechanical Tillage System. Tillage will be used for weed control, seedbed preparation, and to incorporate cover crops and crop residues in this system. Organic Grazed Minimum-Till System. Targeted sheep grazing will be used for weed control, seedbed preparation, and for incorporating crop residue and fecal matter from grazed cover crops into the soil. Seeding will be done with a no-till seeder. The duration and intensity of grazing will be based on weed biomass and specific goals for each crop rotation. Each fall after harvest, we will graze residue to an appropriate level to maintain ground cover but with sufficient removal to allow no-till seeding of the following crop. Chemical No-Tillage System. Herbicides will be used for weed control during non-crop periods, at pre- and post-plant weed control, and to terminate cover crops after the plots have been rolled with a crimper-roller. Seeding will be done with a low-disturbance no-till seeder, banding dry N fertilizer mid-row.