Plant community responses to integrating livestock into a reduced‐till organic cropping system

The problems with herbicide- and tillage-based weed management in agriculture are well documented have precipitated research into finding alternatives. Integrating livestock grazing organic agroecosystems has benefits is a viable method for terminating cover crops, yet its impacts on communities largely unknown. This lack of knowledge particularly true semi-arid environments, including the Northern Great Plains, where we conducted our research. We compared community responses (biomass, species richness, Simpson’s diversity, composition) sheep-grazed cropping system those two contrasting systems (high input conventional no-till, tilled organic) across five-year crop rotation (safflower, sweet clover, winter wheat, lentils, wheat). found that no-till suppressed biomass reduced richness while grazed resulted higher biomass, diversity. During first years study, composition were distinct from but indistinguishable one another. Over final three tightly grouped became both communities. diversity highest clover lowest wheat. spring annual safflower lentil, demonstrated similar composition. Our findings indicate integrating alters plant increases agroecosystem biodiversity farming specific crops interact to alter However, increase associated treatment makes this approach impractical as sole strategy necessitates must be part larger integrated program.