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Organic production has become a major agricultural, economic, and cultural force, but heavy reliance on tillage hinders the long-term sustainability of such systems, particularly in a dryland environment. This limitation has prompted interest in developing reduced tillage practices that can be used successfully on organic farms. One approach is to develop integrated crop-livestock production systems that seek to replace tillage with targeted grazing to manage weeds and terminate cover crops. The presenters combined experimental plot studies with on-farm research to increase their knowledge on the environmental, management, and economic challenges facing integrated crop-sheep organic systems in Montana.
In this webinar, they will summarize their experience regarding agronomic and economic performance, weed management challenges, and animal husbandry of integrated crop-sheep organic system. While successful in reducing tillage intensity, perennial weed pressure continues to challenge the ability of organic farmers to adopt these systems. They will discuss alternative approaches to foster a successful adoption of conservation-tillage practices by organic farmers in dryland environments.