Integrated Livestock-Cropping Systems and Soil Health to Highlight Central Grasslands Rec Field Day

Jun 26, 2025

By Kevin Sedivec

Improving soil health of cropland using livestock and controlling buckbrush are among the topics that will be covered during the annual field day July 14 at North Dakota State University’s Central Grasslands Research Extension Center near Streeter, North Dakota.

The morning tour will focus on experiments using livestock and winter cereals in a corn-soybean rotation to assess soil health, livestock performance, crop production and economics. Attendees will also look at the role of soybeans as a pollinator and strip grazing cover crops using virtual fence, soil health and livestock performance on cropland.

The afternoon tour will include converting cropland to perennial forage crops for late-season grazing and a demonstration of soil health in action (a new program developed by NDSU Extension). The afternoon will conclude with a stop to look at a new experiment to manage buckbrush and tour the new livestock facility.

Source : ndsu.edu

Video: Winter Canola Trial in Mississippi | Can It Work for Double Cropping? | Pioneer Agronomy

Can winter canola open new opportunities for growers in the Mid-South? In this agronomy update from Noxubee County, Mississippi, Pioneer agronomist Gus Eifling shares an early look at a first-year winter canola trial and what farmers are learning from the field.

Planted in late October on 30-inch rows, the crop is now entering the bloom stage and progressing quickly. In this video, we walk through current field conditions, fertility management, and how timing could make this crop a valuable option for double-cropping soybeans or cotton.

If harvest timing lines up with early May, growers may be able to transition directly into another crop during ideal planting windows. Ongoing field trials will help determine whether canola could become a viable rotational option for the region.

Watch for:

How winter canola is performing in its first season in this Mississippi field

Why growers chose 30-inch rows for this trial

What the crop looks like as it moves from bolting into bloom

Fertility strategy, including nitrogen and sulfur applications

How canola harvest timing could enable double-cropping with soybeans or cotton

Upcoming trials comparing soybeans after canola vs. traditional planting

As more growers look for ways to maximize acres and diversify rotations, experiments like this help determine what new crops might fit into existing systems.