Livestock grazing is a dominant land use in dryland ecosystems around the world, and grazing can have widely varying impacts on soil carbon dynamics and microbial activity. Interactions between soil organic carbon (SOC) levels and extracellular enzyme activity (EEA) are varied, and the response of each to grazing management is poorly understood. We measured SOC and EEA of eight enzymes in the top 10 cm of soil in a 12-year study of five bovine grazing treatments in semi-arid prairie in eastern Montana, USA. We observed that surface SOC and EEA were more sensitive to initial soil conditions than long-term grazing treatments. Conversely, final SOC and total cellulase activity were positively correlated. Furthermore, change in topsoil SOC over the study was positively correlated with the ratio of carbon- to nitrogen-dissolving hydrolytic enzymes. Despite the lack of grazing management effects on topsoil carbon and soil EEA, we detected complex relationships between SOC and enzyme activities demonstrating the need for further investigation.

IntroductionLimited rainfall in semi-arid regions can lead to forage deficiencies necessitating protein supplementation for beef cattle diets. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of protein supplement type and delivery method on rumen bacterial communities in beef cattle. We hypothesized that rumen degradable protein (RDP) supplement would enrich for proteolytic and fiber-degrading microorganisms, and the effects of protein supplementation would be modulated by the delivery method due to differences in intake rate, which would lead to greater ammonia accumulation in self-fed animals.MethodsTreatments were RDP or rumen undegradable protein (RUP) delivered via hand-feeding (HF) or selffeeding (SF). Rumen samples were collected at 0 (pre) and 8 h post-feeding for 16S rRNA gene sequencing for bacterial community analysis.Results and discussionNo differences in alpha diversity were observed between protein supplements, but hand-fed animals had 40% greater alpha diversity when fed the RDP supplement compared to SF, and a protein × delivery method interaction (p = 0.02) was also observed. The genus Blautia had 2-fold greater relative abundance (p < 0.05) in RUP-supplemented animals and was positively correlated with butyric acid concentration (Pearson’s r = 0.6, p < 0.01), while Streptococcus lutetiensis had 2-fold greater relative abundance (p < 0.05) in RDP-supplemented animals. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed greater connectivity in RDP-supplemented communities, with Prevotellaceae comprising 33% of keystone taxa compared with a single representative in RUP communities. Results demonstrated an interaction between supplement type and delivery method, indicating that how supplements are provided (controlled vs. ad libitum) can significantly alter microbial outcomes. These results have important implications for beef cattle production in semi-arid regions where forage quality is often limiting. Producers should consider RDP supplementation during periods of poor forage quality to optimize rumen microbiota function and enhance forage utilization efficiency. However, the delivery method must be carefully managed, as unrestricted access to RDP supplements can reduce bacterial community diversity.

Annual crop yield losses due to plant diseases and weeds can be substantial. In the northern Great Plains, Bromus tectorum (L.) (also known as cheatgrass or downy brome) and Fusarium pseudograminearum (causing crown rot) form a multi-trophic pest complex threatening wheat production sustainability. This study assessed the impact of these pests on the wheat rhizosphere bacterial community. Field trials were conducted over four site-years in plots inoculated with F. pseudograminearum using a randomized split-plot design with two seeding and nitrogen fertilizer rates and B. tectorum presence/absence. A seed fungicide treatment was also used to evaluate its effect on F. pseudograminearum abundance. Rhizosphere bacterial communities were analyzed using full-length 16 S rRNA sequencing on the Oxford Nanopore platform, followed by diversity analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM), and co-occurrence network analysis. Alpha and beta diversity were significantly different between location-years. The SEM results showed a negative relationship (β = -0.180, p = 0.002) between F. pseudograminearum presence and rhizosphere bacterial community alpha and beta diversity. Effects of B. tectorum presence, seeding rate, nitrogen fertilizer, and fungicide treatment were not significant. Correlation analysis identified specific bacterial taxa responsive to F. pseudograminearum presence, including putatively beneficial species belonging to the genera Massilia, Bacillus, and Neobacillus, which were positively correlated with pathogen presence, suggesting a stress response mechanism. Network analysis revealed that F. pseudograminearum presence reduced network cohesion, and connectivity measures compared to treatments with lower pathogen load. These findings demonstrate that fungal pathogen presence can impact rhizosphere bacterial networks even when overall diversity metrics show minimal changes, highlighting the importance of network-based approaches in understanding plant-microbe-pathogen interactions in agricultural systems.

Abstract Soil microorganisms are crucial for plant survival and productivity, but factors governing rhizosphere recruitment across diverse regions remain unclear. This study investigated the rhizosphere microbiome of barley, using elite cultivars across seven location-year trials to evaluate the effects of environmental factors and crop genotype on bacterial and fungal community composition. Three locations were in the US northern Great Plains, and Hawai’i was used as a contrasting environment. A greenhouse reciprocal transplant study determined the relative contributions of soil physicochemical factors and soil inoculum to rhizosphere community structure. Using 16S and ITS2 amplicon sequencing, the study characterized bacterial and fungal microbiomes and assessed the contribution of environment, soil chemistry, and barley genetics to microbial community assembly. In locations within the adapted range of barley, Actinobacteriota was the dominant phylum, while Proteobacteria was dominant in Hawai’i. Variance partitioning showed that 73% of bacterial and 80% of fungal genera were associated with location-year effects while 53% of bacterial and 36% of fungal genera were responsive to soil factors. Enrichment analysis found 21.6% of bacterial and 51.4% of fungal ASVs were unique to specific barley genetic subpopulations. Results from the reciprocal transplant study validated field observations by demonstrating that 20.7% of the variation in community structure was explained by soil while 18.2% was explained by inoculum source. These findings demonstrate that environmental variation is the dominant constraint on rhizosphere community composition but within these constraints, barley genotype drives recruitment of distinct bacterial and fungal taxa. Importance These findings underscore the complex interplay between plant genotype, environment, and microbial community assembly, providing insights into how barley recruits distinct microbial communities in the rhizosphere across different environments. These insights have the potential to be leveraged for management and plant breeding strategies to optimize plant-microbe interactions for enhancing agricultural sustainability.

The analysis of unoccupied aerial system (UAS) imagery remains a bottleneck to obtaining actionable data due to its complexity and required specialized skill set. We introduce a workflow designed to balance usability and flexibility in processing UAS imagery using QGIS, an open‐source geographic information system software. The workflow consists of four sequential steps: semi‐automated plant classification, user‐corrected plot delineation, spectral index calculation, and data extraction. We tested this workflow on barley UAS image data, collected over 12 flights throughout the growing season. As a proof‐of‐concept, multiple red‐green‐blue (RGB) indices were calculated to test for relationships to ground‐sampled data and exemplify applications of spectral analysis. Our results indicate a strong correlation between the visible atmospheric resistant index and ground truth data, particularly when integrated over multiple flights. This open‐source workflow provides a lower barrier‐to‐entry solution for researchers and producers, facilitating the broader adoption of UAS technology in agriculture. By automating routine tasks while allowing user intervention for critical adjustments, this approach enhances the efficiency of agricultural data analysis.

‘MT Blackbeard’ (Reg. no. CV‐1212, PI 703025) and ‘MT Raska’ (Reg. no. CV‐1213, PI 703026) are spring durum wheats ( Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum ) developed by the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station and released in 2022. MT Blackbeard was bred using a four‐parent cross followed by single seed descent and was selected for high yield under rainfed conditions across Montana, low grain cadmium accumulation, large seed size, high gluten strength, and resistance to the most common races of the stem rust ( Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici ) and leaf spot pathogens in Montana. MT Raska was also bred using a four‐parent cross followed by single seed descent and was selected for high yield under rainfed conditions across Montana, semi‐dwarf plant height, exceptional test weight, semolina color retention, and resistance to the most common races of the stem rust and leaf spot pathogens in Montana. Both lines yield well in the North Central and Eastern regions of Montana, where most Montana durum is produced and are intended for pasta production. MT Blackbeard is approximately 72.7 cm tall, similar to the commonly produced line ‘ND Riveland’, has signature black awns, and flowers 1 day later than ND Riveland. MT Raska is approximately 56.2‐cm tall, significantly shorter than ND Riveland, and flowers approximately 4 days earlier than ND Riveland.

Creeping perennial weeds are difficult to manage on organic farms in semi-arid regions of the northern Great Plains. Integrated weed management practices that combine biological, cultural, and mechanical controls can improve management of these weeds, but little is known about the soil microbial response to these practices. Our work investigated the soil microbiome response to contrasting, 4-year crop sequences with standard and reduced tillage. The crop sequences included a range of crop competition phases from high (three years of alfalfa, Medicago sativa L.) to low (two years of continuous fallow), within the longer 4-year period, with intermediate levels of crop competition between those two extremes. Soil samples were collected, and bacterial 16S and fungal ITS amplicon sequencing was performed. Differences in alpha diversity were not significant (p > 0.05) between tillage methods. Across all six locations, bacterial alpha diversity was negatively correlated with soil organic matter (R = -0.37, p < 0.001) while fungal alpha diversity was positively correlated (R = 0.17, p = 0.043). Bacterial community composition was not affected by crop sequence or tillage treatment. Fungal community composition was affected by crop sequence (p = 0.00163) and tillage (p = 0.02). The fungal genera Neosetophoma, Boeremia, and Paraphoma were 10 – 35-fold more abundant in continuous alfalfa compared to the mean abundance in the other crop sequences. Reduced tillage led to a 40

AbstractDiverse patterns of climate and edaphic factors challenge detection of soil property change in the US Great Plains. Because detectable soil change can take decades, insights into the trajectory of soil properties frequently require long‐term site monitoring and, where available, associated soil archives to enable comparisons with initial or baseline states. Unfortunately, few multi‐decadal soil change investigations have been conducted in this region. Here, we document effects of dryland cropping on a suite of soil properties by comparing matched historic (1947) and contemporary (2018) soil samples from the Haas Soil Archive at three sites in the US Great Plains: Moccasin, MT, Akron, CO, and Big Spring, TX. Current analytical methods were used to provide insight into changes in soil texture, pH, carbon, and micronutrients at 0‐ to 15.2‐cm and 15.2‐ to 30.5‐cm depths. Changes in direction and magnitude of soil properties over 71 years were site specific. Changes in textural class occurred at all sites, with Moccasin and Akron transitioning from loam to clay loam and Big Spring from sandy clay loam to sandy loam. The soil pH reaction class changed from slightly alkaline to moderately acid at Akron and slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline at Big Spring. At 0–15.2 cm, soil organic carbon decreased by 15% and 36% at Moccasin and Big Spring, respectively, but increased by 15% at Akron. Soil micronutrients generally declined at all sites. Weather‐related variables derived from air temperature and precipitation records were not correlated with soil change. Inferred factors contributing to soil change included on‐site management, inherent soil features, weather metrics not evaluated, or a combination thereof.

Microorganisms assembled into the plant rhizosphere from the surrounding soil can benefit the fitness of their host. Variation in plant genetics is associated with variation in rhizosphere microbial community composition leading to increased fitness and crop production and reducing reliance on synthetic agricultural inputs through selection. However, what impact the abiotic environment has on connections between microbes and host genetics, and whether those connections in turn impact crop performance in realistic agricultural scenarios is still unclear. We assessed agronomic performance and 16S sequence-based rhizosphere bacterial community composition on a large diverse barley population grown in seven field trials across four locations and two years. Within adapted regions, we observed consistent rhizosphere compositions across diverse soils, whereas in unadapted environments, distinct microbial communities were recruited, indicating environmental specificity in microbial assembly. Greenhouse trials further revealed that abiotic soil properties and microbial inoculants together interact to modulate rhizosphere composition and plant growth. Genome-wide association studies identified hundreds of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for microbial traits, with thirty of those loci co-localizing with agronomic traits, suggesting interspecies pleiotropy or genetic linkage. At specific loci, candidate genes associated with root-microbe interactions, including those related to pathogen response and root exudate production, suggest mechanisms that enable adaptation to local environments. These findings support the idea that genetic manipulation of rhizosphere microbiomes via selection of crops could enhance adaptation (i.e., yield, quality) across variable environments, advancing breeding strategies for improved crop resilience and productivity. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.

Crop populations have enormous impacts on agricultural productivity, yet decelerating gains from breeding suggest that selection strategies need to be reconsidered to better align priorities of breeders and growers. Breeders benefit from releasing broadly adapted varieties that perform acceptably well across their target region; growers benefit from selecting a variety that specializes in their specific location. We tested whether these interests are compatible using 182 entries in a mega-population of malting barley (spring, two-row, multi-environment trial [S2MET] population; Hordeum vulgare L.), which was grown across the northern United States. We assessed the strength of genetic-environment interactions (GxE), quantified local adaptation benefits, and tested whether local adaptation and genetic yield potential were correlated. Breeding programs favored broad adaptation (p < 0.001). Still, 63% of entries (114) were among the top 10%, best performing at some locations, and among the worst 10% at others. Some of the best overall entries were specialists, performing especially well in their home locations, and in general, genetic potential and local specialization were positively correlated (p < 0.001). These results suggest that breeding for local performance and broad performance are mutually supporting goals. Releasing broadly excellent, locally exceptional varieties may accelerate genetic gain to meet projected global agricultural demand.

Canada thistle is a pervasive perennial weed, causing challenges to agricultural and natural ecosystems globally. Although research has focused on the phenology, genetics, and control of Canada thistle, little is known about the rhizosphere microbiome and the role plant-microbe interactions play in invasion success. This study investigated the rhizosphere microbiome of Canada thistle across diverse climates, soils, and crops in the U.S. northern Great Plains. Soil and rhizosphere samples were collected and bacterial 16S and fungal ITS2 sequencing were performed to characterize the core microbiome and identify potential factors contributing to invasion success. Amplicon sequencing revealed a stable core microbiome that was detected in the Canada thistle rhizosphere across all locations. The core microbiome was dominated by the bacterial phyla Actinobacteriota and Proteobacteria and fungal phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. Differential abundance analysis showed rhizosphere fungal communities were enriched in pathogen-containing genera with a 1.7-fold greater abundance of Fusaria and a 2.6-fold greater abundance of Gibberella compared to bulk soil. Predictive functional profiling showed rhizosphere communities were enriched (p < 0.05, FDR corrected) in plant pathogen fungal guilds which represented 19% of the fungal community. The rhizosphere microbiome was similar in composition across environments, highlighting the stable association between Canada thistle and specific microbial taxa. This study characterized the core microbiome of Canada thistle, and the findings highlight plant-microbe interactions shaping invasive behavior. These findings are important for understanding the ecological impacts of plant invasion and soil-microbe ecological processes.

Diversifying wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-based cropping systems can be an effective management tool to break weed and disease cycles. While extensive research has focused on the agronomic benefits of increased crop diversity in semi-arid environments, less is known about the impacts of increased crop diversity on microbial community structure and processes such as nitrogen (N) cycling. This work compared a continuous wheat crop sequence to a diverse sequence that included pea (Pisum sativum L.), proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.), safflower (Carthamus tinctorius, L.), and spring wheat. Soil inorganic N (NO3-N and NH4-N), soil respiration, microbial biomass, enzyme activity, and microbial community alpha diversity, a measure of the number of taxa within a treatment, were determined. Soil respiration was higher (p < 0.005) in the diverse sequence while activity of N-acyl-β-D-glucosaminidase, an enzymatic indicator of C and N mineralization, was lower (p < 0.05) with a mean rate of 26.3 mg ρ-nitrophenol kg− 1 soil h− 1 and 16.3 mg ρ-nitrophenol kg− 1 soil h− 1 for the continuous wheat and diverse sequences, respectively. Soil respiration was weakly correlated to soil water content (R2 = 0.21) and temperature (R2 = 0.29) in the diverse rotation, while only weakly correlated to soil water content (R2 = 0.05) in the continuous wheat system (p < 0.001). The mean net N mineralized under a wheat crop during the growing season was 33.2 ± 2.5 kg ha− 1 and was not different between treatments (p > 0.05). Microbial community analysis showed no difference in bacterial alpha diversity, while fungal community diversity was 52% lower in the diverse rotation. The results of this work suggest that specific crops in a rotation may impact microbial processes related to N mineralization and that the soil fungal community may be more sensitive to changes in crop sequence than the soil bacterial community.

In the United States, rangelands comprise 30% of the total land cover and serve as a valuable resource for livestock, wildlife, water, and recreation. Rangelands vary in climate and are often subject to disturbances like drought and wildfire. Historic wildfire trends have indicated an increase in wildfire size and frequency, raising societal and ecological concerns about the management of these lands, both pre- and post-wildfire. While there has been investigation into the effects of grazing prior to a wildfire on fire severity and plant mortality, there is limited research related to grazing post-wildfire even though current management paradigms suggest deferring grazing rangeland for two years after a wildfire to avoid additional stress on native plant species. Based on the diversity found across rangeland ecotypes and history with wildfire, the two-year deferment recommendation may need to be reconsidered for some ecosystems. Species found in perennial bunchgrass rangelands like Pseudoroegneria spicata (bluebunch wheatgrass) and Festuca idahoensis (Idaho fescue) may be less susceptible to post-fire grazing than initially thought, necessitating the need for research into different rangeland ecosystems.

AbstractBiological nitrogen fixation by rhizobia bacteria plays a pivotal role in sustainable agriculture by converting atmospheric nitrogen into a form that plants can assimilate, thereby reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers. This process can be dramatically reduced by various abiotic stressors. Native rhizobia strains, which are naturally occurring, may be better adapted to the local soil and climatic conditions, making them more resilient to stress factors such as drought, salinity, temperature extremes, and pH variations compared to commercial strains that may have been developed in and for different environments. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of native rhizobia species with a commercial inoculant and uninoculated controls in maintaining nitrogen fixation under induced stress by delayed planting in field peas over two growing seasons (2021 and 2022) in central South Dakota. Our findings indicate that native rhizobia, while not outperforming the commercial inoculant, demonstrated competitive nitrogen fixation capacities. Overall, total nitrogen fixation was not statistically different between a commercial inoculant and native rhizobia formulations. Planting date emerged as a significant factor influencing nitrogen fixation, with later planting substantially reducing overall effectiveness. These results highlight the potential of native rhizobia as an alternative to commercial inoculants and underscore the need for increased screening throughput and improved methods to assess rhizobia efficacy and nodule competition in field settings.

Introduction Limited forage quantity and quality are challenges faced in livestock production systems in semi-arid rangelands of the western United States, particularly when livestock face stressors such as cold weather or have increased nutritional requirements such as during pregnancy and lactation. To meet livestock nutrient requirements, producers frequently provide supplemental nutrition, however there is limited knowledge regarding the effects of these practices on the rumen microbiome in these environments. Methods A study was conducted to evaluate changes in the rumen microbiome in response to high- and low- quality forage with sustained release mineral boluses. The study consisted of 16 ruminally-cannulated 2–3-year-old black angus cows fed high quality grass alfalfa hay or low-quality grass hay with a 90 or 180 day sustained release mineral bolus. Rumen samples were collected pre-feeding and 8 hours post feeding and bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicons were sequenced from the rumen fluid. Results Alpha diversity as measured by Shannon’s diversity index decreased significantly over time (p<0.01) and averaged 5.6 pre-feeding and 5.4 post- feeding and was not significantly different between high- and low-quality forages or between mineral bolus types (p>0.05). Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) of the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity matrix showed distinct grouping by feed quality and time but not by mineral bolus type. Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were the dominant phyla in all treatments and significant increases (p<0.05) in the relative abundance of the family Lachnospiraceae and the genus Prevotella were observed in high quality forage diets. Rumen VFA and NH 3 -N concentrations were also strongly associated with the high-quality forage diet. Predictive functional profiling indicated that functions associated with methanogenesis were negatively correlated with feed quality. Discussion The results of this study suggest that mineral bolus type is unlikely to affect rumen bacterial community structure or function while forage quality can significantly alter community structure and predicted functions associated with methanogenesis and VFA production.

Two studies were conducted to evaluate the influence of graded levels of supplemental protein on the intake, digestion, ruminal fermentation, and metabolism of beef cows consuming low-quality forage base diets (6% CP and 74% NDF). For both studies, 15 ruminally cannulated cows (4/5 yrs age, 803 and 757 kg = avg BW for study 1 and 2, respectively) were stratified by BW and, within stratum, randomly assigned to three supplemental treatment groups (n = 5). In study 1, cows were assigned to the following treatments: 1) control, no supplement; 2) 0.25 % BW of a 20% CP supplement; and 3) 0.25 % BW of a 40% supplement. Both supplements were composed of soybean meal and ground corn with the composition adjusted to hit the target CP level. In study 2, cows were assigned to the following alfalfa pellet supplement treatments: 1) control, no supplement; 2) 0.20 % BW of alfalfa pellets, and 3) 0.40 % BW of alfalfa pellets. In study 1, forage intake, DM fill, liquid fill and total tract digestibility were not influenced by supplemental treatment (P ≥ 0.49). However, total DM intake increased linearly (P = 0.02) with increasing supplemental protein, with the 40% CP supplemented cows consuming 39% more DM than control cows. No treatment differences (P ≥ 0.97) were observed for heart rate or surface temperature just before feeding (hour 0) nor 5 hours post-feeding averaging 46.0 bpm, 15.3°C, and 35.2°C, respectively. In study 2, both forage intake and total intake increased linearly (P ≤ 0.02) with increasing amounts of supplemental alfalfa. Cattle supplemented alfalfa pellets at 0.4% of BW had 33 and 71% greater forage and total DM intake compared with non-supplemented control cows, respectively. In contrast, there were no treatment effects (P ≥ 0.11) on DM fill and total tract digestibility averaging 15.73 kg and 44.99%, respectively. In contrast, liquid fill tended to increase (P = 0.08) linearly with increasing levels of supplemental alfalfa. Heart rate nor surface temperature prior to feeding and 5-hours post feeding were influenced (P ≥ 0.83) by the addition of supplemental alfalfa averaging 51.91 bpm, 15.05°C and 31.75°C, respectively. In summary, overall total DM intake was enhanced with the addition of supplemental protein, however, only modest effects were observed in ruminal fill and total tract digestion. Additionally, heart rate and surface body temperatures were not influenced by supplemental treatments under the conditions of these studies.

The thickness or depth of fine-textured soil (zf) dominates water storage capacity and exerts a control on nutrient leaching in semi-arid agroecosystems. At small pixel sizes (< 1 m; ‘fine resolution’), the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of cereal crops during senescence (Zadoks Growth Stages [ZGS] 90–93) offers a promising alternative to destructive sampling of zf using soil pits. However, it is unclear whether correlations between zf and NDVI exist (a) at larger pixel sizes (1–10 m; ‘intermediate resolution’) and (b) across field boundaries. The relationship of zf to NDVI of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was tested using images from a combination of multispectral sensors and fields in central Montana. NDVI was derived for one field using sensors of fine and intermediate spatial resolution and for three fields using intermediate resolution sensors only. Among images acquired during crop senescence, zf was correlated with NDVI (p < 0.05) independent of sensor (p = 0.22) and field (p = 0.94). The zf relationship to NDVI was highly dependent on acquisition day (p < 0.05), but only when pre-senescence (ZGS ≤ 89) images were included in the analysis. Results indicate that cereal crop NDVI of intermediate resolution can be used to characterize zf across field boundaries if image acquisition occurs during crop senescence. Based on these findings, an empirical index was derived from multi-temporal Sentinel-2 imagery to estimate zf on fields in and beyond the study area.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) provide growers and researchers with an efficient way to evaluate fields at high resolution. Flying UAVs and collecting imagery are made easily approachable through high-performance sensors that measure a wide spectrum of light and free flight software available on smartphones and tablets. In contrast to the efficiency of collecting imagery, extracting data from this imagery presents a major hurdle for researchers and growers. Current data analysis options require either an expensive subscription service or complex coding packages, effectively preventing many from utilizing remote sensing data. These solutions also are designed as a "black-box", where imagery goes in and data comes out, making customization and adaptability to the user's needs a challenge. To address these shortcomings, I developed an open-source analysis pipeline that is both approachable and robust. Starting with an orthomosaic and combining stock tools in the QGIS graphical user interface, this pipeline follows a simple step-by-step process to mask out soil and apply any user-defined index. From there the user can segment plots using a fast yet highly customizable gridding system, allowing for plot segmentation in unusual field layouts or planting regimes. This feature has been previously unsupported in many subscription and open-source programs alike. Plot-level data can then be exported for statistical analyses. Ultimately, this pipeline is aimed to attract more researchers and growers towards using remote sensing data in their research.

Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle) is a perennial weed that causes significant economic losses in agriculture. An extensive rhizomatous root system makes C. arvense difficult to manage, particularly in agricultural systems that use tillage as a primary management tool. There is a need for the development of integrated weed management toolsets that include C. arvense biological controls. Puccinia punctiformis (thistle rust) is an autoecious fungal pathogen that systemically infects C. arvense, with the potential to reduce host vigor over time. The goal of this study was to integrate the P. punctiformis biocontrol with a simulated annual cropping sequence in a greenhouse environment and evaluate C. arvense’s above-and belowground biomass production, and its competitive ability. Repeated P. punctiformis inoculations produced systemically infected C. arvense stems in greenhouse pots over time. Cirsium arvense that was inoculated with P. punctiformis had 1.6 grams/pot (p = 0.0019) less aboveground biomass and 5.6 grams/pot (p< 0.001) less belowground biomass, compared to the non-inoculated (control). Puccinia punctiformis and crop competition interacted additively to lower aboveground (p<0.001) and belowground (p<0.001) C. arvense biomass more than individual use of either the biocontrol or competition alone. The aboveground competition intensity of C. arvense in a mixed crop sequence, relative to non-inoculated C. arvense grown in a monoculture, was moderately impacted by the P. punctiformis biocontrol (p = 0.0987). These results indicate that systemic infection can reduce biomass production and the competitive ability of C. arvense. Overall, P. punctiformis can be integrated into competitive annual cropping sequences with the potential to reduce C. arvense vigor over time.

'MT Sidney' (Reg. no. CV-1199; PI 699957) hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was released by the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station in January 2021 as a new cultivar adapted to Montana's rainfed growing environments. MT Sidney was a selection from the cross MT1274/'RB07' and was tested in Montana as experimental line MT1716 from 2018 to 2020. MT1274 is an unreleased, Montana experimental line, and RB07 was released by the University of Minnesota in 2007 for high yield, moderate Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance, and good end-use quality. MT Sidney was in the top-yielding statistical group in our advanced yield trial that includes 'Vida' (PI 642366), the most widely grown cultivar in Montana. MT Sidney also has significantly higher test weight and an earlier heading date than Vida. Multiple years of FHB resistance screening indicate MT Sidney is moderately resistant to FHB. MT Sidney was released based on high yield potential, high test weight, early heading date, and moderate FHB resistance.