Non-Peer ReviewedAgriculture faces grand challenges of meeting growing food demands and increasing profitability while reducing environmental impacts. A systems approach is required to design and manage cropping systems to meet the goal of agricultural sustainability under climate change. A 4-year rotation study was established in 2018 at seven sites across the Canadian Prairies, including Beaverlodge, Lacombe, and Lethbridge, AB; Melfort, Scott, and Swift Current, SK; and Carman MB. The objective of this project is to develop resilient cropping systems for different ecozones on the Canadian Prairies. This study tested six cropping systems consisting of 1) conventional cropping system (Control), 2) pulse- or oilseed-intensified cropping system (POS), 3) diversified cropping system (DS), 4) market-driven cropping system (MS), 5) high risk and high reward cropping system (HRHRS), and 6) green-manure incorporated soil-health focused cropping system (GMS). Each cropping system varies slightly among experimental sites (ecozones) to mimic local farming practices. Cropping system indicators such as yield, resource use efficiency, soil health, profitability, environmental impact, resiliency, and sustainability will be fully assessed at the end of rotations. The preliminary results from the first 2 years indicated that there was no single cropping system suitable for all study ecozones although POS had an above-average yield and stability among the six cropping systems. We suggest that the optimal cropping system will maximize yield in the high-yielding ecozones and stabilize yields in the low-yielding ecozones. Link to Video Presentation: https://youtu.be/VsK4RNIzaZ
