Research Projects

The aim of this research project is to better manage Canada thistle in organic cropping systems in Montana. We are assessing crop rotation, tillage, and biocontrol.

Thistle Rust: A Potential Biocontrol Agent to Help in the Management of Canada Thistle

Organic production has become a major agricultural, economic, and cultural force. However, in the face of unprecedented climate change and market demand, organic producers in water-limited environments need to increase the resiliency of their enterprise to secure their long-term environmental and economic sustainability. Based on inputs from stakeholders, we developed organic systems that replace tillage with targeted sheep grazing. While successful to terminate cover crops, manage pests, and improve nutrient cycling; can this integration enhance the long-term resiliency of the organic enterprise while mitigating the emission of anthropogenic greenhouse gases?

The intense and uniform selection pressures applied at a landscape scale by agronomic practices like herbicides make agroecosystems a valuable and yet underutilized experimental system for studying evolution. Under these conditions, it is possible to investigate the compressed evolution of traits and their resulting consequences on a time scale that is rarely achievable in natural ecosystems. We are conducting laboratory, greenhouse, and field experiments to study the molecular, physiological, and ecological aspects of multiple herbicide resistance in Avena fatua (wild oat).

The Northern Great Plains is a leading producer of organic small grain, pulse, and oilseed crops; but management options are limited by highly variable precipitation and easily eroded soils. This area also has strong potential for low-input organic sheep production, but access to sources of grazing and feed represents a challenge for ranchers. This project evaluates integrated animal and crop production systems were we replace tillage with targeted sheep grazing to terminate legume cover crops, manage crop residues, and reduce weed, insect, and pathogen pressures.

Two suites of particularly important associated biodiversity in agroecosystems include weeds and arthropods. Weeds are often considered as an impediment to production in agroecosystems and thus detrimental organisms. However, weeds can provide food and habitat for beneficial insects including pollinators. This research focuses on the effects of different agricultural systems (organic vs. conventional) and cover crop termination strategies (sheep grazing vs. tillage) on weeds and pollinators.

This research focuses on how agricultural management systems (organic and conventional) and agronomic practices (use of resistant varieties, amount and timing of nitrogen fertilization, and seeding dates) affect disease communities and impacts. This research is aimed at improving our understanding of the basic ecology of agro-ecosystems and improving disease management of the Wheat streak mosaic virus of wheat and soil-borne and foliar pathogens of wheat and pulse crops.

In the face of unprecedented climate change, we need to understand the variables that influence the decision-making process of agricultural stakeholders to design extension programs geared towards enhancing the long-term sustainability of their initiatives. The goal of this project is to understand the knowledge, needs, constraints, and perceptions of Montana agricultural producers and educators (hereafter audience) related to climate change and agricultural mitigation practices.