Andrew Lenssen


Research Weed Ecologist
Phone: 406.433.9471
Fax: 406.433.5038
E-mail: alenssen@sidney.ars.usda.gov

 

 

Additional Pages: Research Projects,* Publications*

*Taken from the Agricultural Research Information System (ARIS) database.

 

 

EDUCATION

 
B.S. Agronomy 1980 Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
M.S. Agronomy 1987 Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
Ph. D. Agronomy 1989 Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas

 

 

CURRENT RESEARCH

 

Andy’s research program directly addresses three areas, 1) developing diverse irrigated and dryland cropping strategies and technologies for improved weed management, 2) quantify environmental benefits from improved weed management, particularly for management of herbicide resistant weeds, and 3) extend research results and increase adoption rates of sustainable weed management and crop production practices in irrigated and dryland environments. Specifically, his field studies involve  determining the influence of diversifying and intensifying the durum-fallow dryland system with annual forage, pulse and/or oilseed crops on weed species diversity, weed biomass, soil seed bank, water and nitrogen use, and crop yield and quality. Other field studies examine cultural methods, such as seeding rate, row spacing, fertilization practices, or rolling to reduce herbicide use without compromising weed control, crop yield or quality. Irrigated field studies include determining weed seed numbers in irrigation waters, and the influence of crop rotation and previous crop on kochia and other weeds in sugar beet production. Laboratory investigations include determining the influence of phytochemistry on weed seed destruction by arthropods and soil microbes.  

 

 

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

 

Over the past 10 years, Andy has led collaborative, multidisciplinary team projects investigating intensified, diversified dryland crop rotations and their influences on wheat and alternate crop productivity and quality, weeds, insects and diseases, and potential environmental and economic benefits. He has utilized global positioning systems with geographic information systems on field-scale research plots to compare soil water and nitrate, crop yield and quality, and weeds, insects, and diseases, in conventional and diversified dryland wheat rotations in Montana. He has been Project Director and Principal Investigator of the Sustainable Pest Management in Dryland Wheat project, with research sites near Froid (21 acres), Havre (50 acres), and Moore (35 acres), Montana. Results from these projects have documented that some diversified crop rotations, particularly those utilizing zero tillage, can improve grain yield and quality, decrease plant diseases such as Fusarium Crown Rot, decrease herbicide use and weed interference, and use fertilizer nitrogen and precipitation more efficiently than conventional wheat-fallow systems. He has extensive experience developing and integrating cultural controls of pests into production systems, including alfalfa. He also has extensive research experience in irrigated grain and irrigated and dryland forage management and utilization. Technology transfer has been through scientific press, web documents, national and regional professional meetings, and numerous field visits and Cooperative Extension meetings. He has made numerous invited presentations to university departments, Extension meetings, action agencies, and grower groups.

 

 

RELATED WEBPAGES

 

Sustainable pest management in dryland wheat project

Pacific Northwest Canola Funded Research

 

 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

 

SELECTED PROCEEDINGS & ABSTRACTS