No-till systems and crop residue management have changed cropping systems in the Great Plains. Previously, winter wheat-fallow was the prevalent rotation; now producers grow warm-season crops along with winter wheat and fallow. With this diversity of crops, producers have developed an ecological approach to weed management where cultural tactics disrupt weed population growth. Producers using this approach are managing weeds with 50% less cost compared with the winter wheat-fallow rotation. Two key components of the multitactic approach are devising rotations comprised of two cool-season crops followed by two warm-season crops with the use of no-till practices. Fallow, if used, serves in either seasonal category. The cycle-of-four rotation also minimizes severity of plant diseases, thereby increasing crop yield potential. Net returns are increased with crop diversity and no-till compared with winter wheat-fallow and tillage. Reduced cost of weed management is a major factor of improved net returns, as well as increased land productivity.

Weed management is evolving to include cultural tactics that reduce weed populations. This study near Brookings, SD, evaluated the effect of crop sequence and tillage on seedling emergence of common sunflower across years. In the third and fourth years of the study, seedling density was sevenfold greater after 2 yr of soybean with tillage compared with a 2-yr sequence of canola and winter wheat with no-till. Apparently, canola and winter wheat enhanced the natural decline of common sunflower seed density in soil, leading to fewer seedlings in following years. In the first year of the study, tillage increased seedling emergence of common sunflower compared with no-till; seedlings rarely emerged in canola or winter wheat. Most seedlings of common sunflower emerged in May, with more than 90% of seedlings emerging between May 7 and June 4. Cool-season crops grown with no-till may affect weed seed survival in soil in the western Corn Belt.

Producers in the semiarid Great Plains are exploring alternative crop rotations, with the goal of replacing winter wheat–fallow. In 1993, a study was established to compare performance of eight rotations comprised of various combinations with winter wheat (W), spring wheat (SW), dry pea (Pea), safflower (Saf), corn (C), sunflower (Sun), proso millet (M), or fallow (F). After 8 years, we characterized weed communities by recording seedling emergence in each rotation. Seventeen species were observed, with downy brome, kochia, horseweed, and stinkgrass comprising 87% of the community. Rotations with the least number of weed seedlings were W–F and SW–W–C–Sun; in comparison, weed density was six-fold higher in W–M. Density of downy brome and kochia was highest in W–M compared with other rotations, whereas stinkgrass and green foxtail were prominent in proso millet of the W–M and W–C–M rotations. Horseweed established readily in safflower and dry pea. In the semiarid Great Plains, designing rotations in a cycle of four that includes cool- and warm-season crops can be a key component of integrated weed management.

Maintaining crop residues on the soil surface has changed cropping practices in the Central Great Plains. Where previously winter wheat–fallow was the prevalent rotation, producers now grow warm-season crops in sequence with winter wheat and fallow. Controlling weeds during fallow with herbicides eliminates the need for tillage, thus conserving more crop residues. However, producers are considering subsurface tillage as an option to manage herbicide-resistant weeds. We reviewed the impact of subsurface tillage with the sweep plow on weed dynamics and crop growth compared with no-till systems. Cropping systems studies show that rotations can be designed to reduce weed community density severalfold; tillage lessens this rotational effect by burying weed seeds and prolonging their survival in soil. Crop residues on the soil surface reduce weed seedling establishment in no-till systems, but tillage eliminates this effect. Crops also yield less after tillage compared with no-till in this semiarid climate. Tillage may help in managing herbicide resistance, but it also may increase weed density as well as reduce crop yield.

Producers in the Great Plains are exploring alternative crop rotations with the goal of reducing the use of fallow. In 1990, a study was established with no-till practices to compare eight rotations comprising various combinations of winter wheat (W), spring wheat (SW), corn (C), chickpea (CP), dry pea (Pea), soybean (SB), or fallow (F). After 12 yr, we characterized weed communities by recording seedling emergence in each rotation. Downy brome, cheat, redroot pigweed, and green foxtail were the most common weeds observed. Weed community density was highest for W–CP, being 13-fold greater than with Pea–W–C–SB. Downy brome and cheat were rarely observed in rotations where winter wheat was grown only once every 3 or 4 yr; in contrast, density of the brome species was 75-fold greater in W–CP. Warm-season weeds were also affected by rotation design; density of redroot pigweed and green foxtail was sixfold greater in W–C–CP compared with Pea–W–C–SB or W–F. One rotation design that was especially favorable for low weed density was arranging crops in a cycle of four, with two cool-season crops followed by two warm-season crops.

Organic producers are seeking alternative tactics for weed control, so that they can reduce their need for tillage. In this study, we examined cultural strategies for controlling weeds during the transition from a cool-season crop to soybean. The study was arranged as a two-way factorial, with factors being choice of cool-season crop and tillage treatments. The cool-season crops were either spring wheat harvested for grain or an oat–pea mixture harvested for forage. Five tillage treatments, ranging from intensive tillage to no-till, were established following each cool-season crop. Two tillage treatments included the cover crops, oat plus oilseed radish. Soybean was planted the following growing season. Each soybean plot was split into two subplots: weed-free and weed-infested. A cultural system comprising oat/pea as a preceding crop with no-till and cover crops reduced weed biomass in soybean 63% compared to intensive tillage. Reduced weed biomass resulted because of delayed weed emergence and lower weed community density. Consequently, soybean yielded 14% more in this treatment than with the intensive tillage treatment when weeds were present. Weed community composition also differed between the two systems; horseweed and field dandelion were prominent in no-till, whereas common lambsquarters, redroot pigweed and buffalobur were prevalent in the tillage control. Other treatments did not control weeds better than intensive tillage. A cultural system approach may minimize the need for tillage during the interval between cool-season crops and soybean.

Crop production in the Northern Great Plains is rapidly changing because of no-till practices; producers now grow a diversity of crops with winter wheat to increase production as well as to manage weeds. With the multitude of crops available, producers are asking for guidelines to sequence crops in rotations that help weed management. We developed a planning tool that lists various choices with crops when designing a rotation; the choices are arranged by impact on weed dynamics as quantified by research in the region. The tool includes choices among crops, such as varying crops with different life cycles, planting dates, or row spacing, and choices within an individual crop, such as varying cultivar or planting date. Choices among crops impact weeds the most, whereas choices within an individual crop are less effective and usually lead to lower crop yield. For example, rotations comprised of two cool-season crops followed by two warm-season crops can reduce weed populations six- to 12-fold. In contrast, replacing a standard-height cultivar with a taller cultivar that is more competitive with weeds, is often inconsistent for weed management, whereas crop yield may be less. Producers associated with the Northern Plains Sustainable Agricultural Society felt that the planning tool would encourage long-range planning as well as help integrate weed management with the design of cropping systems. The purpose of the tool is to encourage ecologically based weed management, which can reduce herbicide inputs by 50% for Northern Great Plains producers.