1. Forage Crop Research Dine College Land Grant Office
Intern: Daniel Allen

2. Abstract
This presentation demonstrates alternatives to a single cropping system. It can be viewed as non-traditional, since alfalfa has become nearly sole hay crop in this region, while three of the proposed forages are native plants Species. The project offers solutions to real-world problems, and reduced water demand by selecting drought resistant crop species or varieties. Presently, farmers on the Navajo Nation almost exclusively plant alfalfa as a hay crop. Oats are a secondary crop. Forage crops on the Navajo Nation need to be diversified to provide better hay security.

3. History Forage Crops Beardless wheat Triticale Orchard Grass
Spring Crops
Alfalfa
Oats
Barley
Foxtail Millet
Switchgrass
Big Bluestem
Four wing saltbush
Teff Grass
Fall Crops
Beardless wheat
Triticale
Orchard Grass
Smooth Bromegrass

4. Random box

5. John H. Brock, Technical Consultant Land Grant Office Diné College
Forage crops research stand counts August 26 and 27, 2015 for the Land Grant Office, Diné College
John H. Brock, Technical Consultant
Land Grant Office
Diné College

6. Challenges/ Obstacles
Animals Consumption of product
Deer, Prairie dogs, Crows/Ravens
Limited water
Logistical problems with government
Gold mine spill
Water hauling 3000Gal/Field

7. 2016 Forage Crops Research seedling stands
Lower Wheatfields site = poor seedling establishment; much herbivory by prairie dogs. Dropped site in 2015.
Tsaile site = fair to good response, best species establishment = triticale and millet
Many Farms site = best establishment of all sites, wheat, triticale, millet, oats and barley had the best stands in July, site very dry in late August and most annual crop forages are dead. Dropped site in 2016.
Teec Nos Pos site = very dry, but the same species as at Many Farms had the highest counts, in August many seedlings dead from drought, millet and Teff grass seedling emergence gave the highest counts. Dropped site in 2015.
All sites had major death loss of seedlings from the lack of rain in July and August of 2015, especially at Many Farms and Teec Nos Pos

8. Lower Wheatfields study site: Seedling stand counts August 26, 2015
Species
Rep 1
Rep 2
Rep 3
Sum
avg/m2
avg/ft2
wheat
teff
313
119
200
632
84.2
7.8
triticale 13
1.7
0.16
millet 3 6
0.8
0.07
switchgrass
oats 1
0.12
0.01
alfalfa 4 7 17 2
0.18
smooth brome
barley
orchardgrass 45 58
0.4
0.037
4 wing saltbush
big bluestem
0.24
0.02

9. Many Farms study site: Seedling stand counts August 27, 2015
Species
Rep 1
Rep 2
Rep 3
Sum
avg/m2
avg/ft2
wheat 12 2 1 15
0.18
teff
341 32 46
419
55.8
5.2
triticale 34 39 10 83
9.7
0.9
millet
222
126 95
443
59.1
5.5
switchgrass 28 33 61
8.1
0.76
oats 24 18 44
5.86
0.54
alfalfa 7
0.93
0.08
smooth brome
barley 4
0.53
0.04
orchardgrass
0.13
0.01
4 wing saltbush
big bluestem 26
3.46
0.32

10. Teec Nos Pos study site: Seedling stand counts August 27, 2015
Species
Rep 1
Rep 2
Rep 3
Sum
avg/m2
avg/ft2
wheat 7 4 1 12
1.6
0.15
teff
303
635
770
1708
227.2
21.3
triticale 28 8 36
4.8
0.45
millet 73 17 71
161
21.5 2
switchgrass 10 18
2.4
0.2
oats
alfalfa
smooth brome
barley 30 32
4.3
0.4
orchardgrass
4 wing saltbush
big bluestem 3
0.1
0.04

11. Tsaile study site: Seedling stand counts August 26, 2016
Species
Rep 1
Rep 2
Rep 3
Sum
avg/m2
avg/ft2
wheat 1
0.1
teff 9 10
1.3
triticale
millet 25 91 49
18.3
183
24.4
switchgrass 17 21 3
4.5 45
6.0
oats
0.4 4
0.5
alfalfa 29 5
2.7
26.7
3.6
smooth brome 6 7
2.2 22
2.9
barley
orchardgrass
0.7
0.9
4 wing saltbush
big bluestem 83
9.6 96
12.8

12. Tsaile study site August 26, 2015.
Millet plot above on left was harvested and yielded 1,481 lbs/ac of oven dried material, the triticale plot on the right yielded 1,305 lbs/ac of oven dried plants,.

13. 1 established plant / (ft2)
Summary table of forage crops stand counts in late August 2015/2016. Data are average plant number per square foot (ft2).
Sites
Lower
wheatfields
Tsaile
2016
Many Farms
Teec Nos Pos
Species
wheat
0.1
0.18
0.15
Teff grass
7.8
1.3
5.2
21.3
triticale
0.16
0.9
0.45
millet
0.07
24.4
5.5 2
switchgrass
6.0
0.76
0.2
oats
0.01
0.5
0.54
alfalfa
3.6
0.08
smooth brome
2.9
barley
0.04
0.4
Orchard grass
0.037
4 wing saltbush
big bluestem
0.02
12.8
0.32
1 established plant / (ft2)
is considered to a good stand on rangelands. Less than 0.25 plants / (ft2)
is considered marginal.

14. Diné College, Land Grant Office – Forage crops research
Several species had good seedling counts at the study sites. Most consistently were millet, triticale, and teff grass. Earlier in the spring; oats, barley and beardless wheat had good seedling stand counts. The mid summer dry hot weather provided much death loss of those crop seedlings. Seedling stand counts and the harvest data demonstrate the potential of these sites for forage crops establishment under management. The summer dryness common to this area and the 2015 forage crops response shows the need for beneficial irrigation of these crops to bring then to good yield at the end of their growing period. The Lower Wheatfields (LWF) and Tsaile sites have significant populations of prairie dogs that especially impacted all the plots at the LWF site and those plots on the west replication block at Tsaile. The preseeding herbicide treatment provided good weed control, but also caused stand reduction of many of the seeded forages. Especially noticeable was the fewer millet plants. For the forage crops = wheat, barley and oats, many of the seedlings showed yellowing in the early summer. In the future, the herbicide rate of Streamline could be reduced or perhaps an old standard of 2,4-D would give control of the existing weeds and give some advantage to the seeded crops.

16. Educating local farmers
Chapter house presentation
Wheatfields, Manyfarms, Teec Nos Pos
Producer workshops
Held at Dine College Land Grant Office
Agriculture Expo
Local workshop held on Dine college Campus
FALCON 2015
Presented by Tiko Tsinnijinnie

17. Acknowledgements: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
– National Institute for Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
Diné College – Land Grant Office
John Brock, Consultant of Brock Habit Restoration and Invasion Plant Management LLC
Tsaile, Teec Nos Pos, Many Farms, Upper Wheatfields and Lower Wheatfields
Land Grant Intern: Daniel Allen