Cropping Systems

Cropping Systems

Cropping Systems 

Aerial view of MSU Fort Ellis cropping systems study 2015, 2016 and 2017. Note the crop rotation from year to year.

 

The Cropping Systems team works to provide relevant resources and decision tools to support individuals seeking information about cropping systems and variety selection considerations for a changing and variable climate.  

 

Winter/Spring Wheat Variety Selection Tool

Results from the statewide off-station variety trials conducted by the wheat breeders at Bozeman can be manipulated here to provide averages over years, and locations to help with selection of a variety best adapted to a grower's environment. This tool does not provide rankings by drought tolerance, but it does provide quick results of variety tests across the state for winter and spring wheat.

Using Growing Degree Days to Predict Plant Stages

It's tough to predict plant growth based on the calendar because temperatures can vary greatly from year to year. Instead, growing degree days, which are based on actual temperatures, are a simple and accurate way to predict when a certain plant stage will occur.

U.S. COOP Station Map

The Western Region Climate Center (WRCC) provides this map of Cooperative Observer Program (COOP) stations that shows climate summaries and histocial GDD (growing degree days) calculations by month for many locations in Montana. GDD is a way to quantify heat accumulation for plant growth. The calculation isjust the daily average temperature minus a base temperature, summed up over time.

MSU SARC Irrigation Scheduling

The MSU Southern Agricultural Research Center (SARC) provides daily weather summaries and trends for select locations in Montana which can be used to schedule crop irrigation or compute growing degree days.