Cover crop effects on soil structure and early sugar beet growth

Cover crops can improve soil properties, especially soil structure, through organic matter input and rooting activity. However, large variations exist among cover crops, which may lead to differences in the extent of these effects. In this study, cover crops with differing properties were compared regarding soil structure and subsequent sugar beet growth. Field experiments were conducted at two Luvisol sites in Central Germany. Four cover crops (oil radish, saia oat, spring vetch and winter rye) were compared with fallow. Cover crop effects on soil water, N_min content, soil structure and subsequent early sugar beet growth were studied. Additionally, sugar beet received either no or optimal N fertilizer application. Rye and radish had the highest and vetch the lowest above- and belowground biomass. Soil water content was hardly affected by cover cropping, while topsoil N_min contents in April were increased. Penetration resistance was lowered, and aggregate stability was increased by the cover crops, especially oil radish, while values after spring vetch were similar to those of fallow. Differences among the cover crops might be because of a differing root biomass. Independent of N fertilizer application, sugar beet biomass in May tended to be higher after all cover crops, in particular under oil radish. The higher aggregate stability and lower penetration resistance were found to be beneficial for early sugar beet growth. Thus, sugar beet can benefit from a 1-year cultivation of preceding cover crops. Modifications of this effect through cover crop root biomass and architecture as well as repeated cover cropping need to be investigated in further studies.     

Role of Cover Crops and Planting Dates for Improved Weed Suppression and Nitrogen Recovery in No till Systems

ABSTRACT

Cover crops improve the recovery and recycling of nitrogen and impart weed suppression in crop production. A two-year study with six weekly plantings of cover crops including non-winterkilled species (hairy vetch, Vicia villosa L.; winter rye Secale cereale L.) and winterkilled species (oat, Avena sativa L.; forage radish, Raphanus sativus L.) were assessed for effects on growth of forage rape (Brassica napus L.) and weed suppression. Early planting of cover crops gave the highest biomass and highest nitrogen accumulation. Delaying planting from early-September to mid-October suppressed cover-crop biomass by about 40%. Forage radish produced more biomass in the fall than other cover crops but was winter killed. Spring biomass was highest with rye or vetch. All cover crops suppressed weeds, but suppression was greatest under rye or hairy vetch. Hairy vetch accumulated the largest nitrogen content. Forage rape plants yielded more biomass after a cover crop than after no-cover crop.     

Cover crop nitrogen availability to conventional and no‐till corn: Soil mineral nitrogen,corn nitrogen status,and corn yield

Abstract

Understanding seasonal soil nitrogen (N) availability patterns is necessary to assess corn (Zea mays L.) N needs following winter cover cropping. Therefore, a field study was initiated to track N availability for corn in conventional and no‐till systems and to determine the accuracy of several methods for assessing and predicting N availability for corn grown in cover crop systems. The experimental design was a systematic split‐split plot with fallow, hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth), rye (Secale cereale L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), rye+hairy vetch, and wheat+hairy vetch established as main plots and managed for conventional till and no‐till corn (split plots) to provide a range of soil N availability. The split‐split plot treatment was sidedressed with fertilizer N to give five N rates ranging from 0–300 kg N ha^‐1 in 75 kg N ha^‐1 increments. Soil and corn were sampled throughout the growing season in the 0 kg N ha^‐1 check plots and corn grain yields were determined in all plots. Plant‐available N was greater following cover crops that contained hairy vetch, but tillage had no consistent affect on N availability. Corn grain yields were higher following hairy vetch with or without supplemental fertilizer N and averaged 11.6 Mg ha^‐1 and 9.9 Mg ha^‐1 following cover crops with and without hairy vetch, respectively. All cover crop by tillage treatment combinations responded to fertilizer N rate both years, but the presence of hairy vetch seldom reduced predicted fertilizer N need. Instead, hairy vetch in monoculture or biculture seemed to add to corn yield potential by an average of about 1.7 Mg ha^‐1 (averaged over fertilizer N rates). Cover crop N contributions to corn varied considerably, likely due to cover crop N content and C:N ratio, residue management, climate, soil type, and the method used to assess and assign an N credit. The pre‐sidedress soil nitrate test (PSNT) accurately predicted fertilizer N responsive and N nonresponsive cover crop‐corn systems, but inorganic soil N concentrations within the PSNT critical inorganic soil N concentration range were not detected in this study.     

Cover‐crop seeding‐date influence on fall nitrogen recovery

Planting cover crops after corn‐silage harvest could have a critical role in the recovery of residual N and N from fall‐applied manure, which would otherwise be lost to the environment. Experiments were conducted at the University of Massachusetts Research Farm during the 2004–2006 growing seasons. Treatments consisted of oat and winter rye cover crops, and no cover crop, and four cover‐crop dates of planting. The earliest planting dates of oat and winter rye produced the maximum biomass yield and resulted in the highest nitrate accumulation in both cover‐crop species. The average nitrate accumulation for the 3 years in winter rye and oat at the earliest time of planting was 60 and 48 kg ha^–1, respectively. In 2004 where the residual N level was high, winter rye accumulated 119 kg nitrate ha^–1. While initially soil N levels were relatively high in early September they were almost zero at all sampling depths in all plots with and without cover crops later in the fall before the ground was frozen. However, in plots with cover crops, nitrate was accumulated in the cover‐crop tissue, whereas in plots with no cover crop the nitrate was lost to the environment mainly through leaching. The seeding date of cover crops influenced the contribution of N available to the subsequent crop. Corn plants with no added fertilizer, yielded 41% and 34% more silage when planted after oat and rye, respectively, compared with the no–cover crop treatment. Corn‐silage yield decreased linearly when planting of cover crops was delayed from early September to early or mid‐October. Corn‐ear yield was influenced more than silage by the species of cover crop and planting date. Similar to corn silage, ear yield was higher when corn was planted after oat. This could be attributed in part to the winter‐kill of oat, giving it more time to decompose in the soil and subsequent greater release of N, while the rapidly increasing C : N ratio of rye can lessen availability to corn plants. Early plantings of cover crops increased corn‐ear yield up to 59% compared with corn‐ear yield planted after no cover crop.     

Enhancing Environmental Performance with Winter Cover Cropping after Potato Harvest in Eastern Canada

ABSTRACT

In humid climates, the risk of nitrate leaching and topsoil loss due to erosion is high on bare soil in the fall after potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) harvest and in the spring with snowmelt. This 2-year study (2016–2017) compared three winter cover crops. Two of these are used as cash crops (winter rye [Secale cereale L.], winter wheat [Triticum aestivum L.]), and one is a winter-killed cover crop (spring barley, Hordeum vulgare L.). They were all seeded on two dates after potato harvest (end of September or first week of October) in Prince Edward Island, Canada. The measured parameters included soil nitrate measured at different times in fall and in the following spring and summer, splash detachment, C and N contents in splashed sediments, cereal straw dry matter yield, and cereal grain yield. In both years, all winter cover crops decreased splash detachment compared with the no winter cover control, with winter rye having the greatest reduction. A similar trend was observed for C and N contents in splashed sediments. There was a trend toward lower soil nitrate following winter cover crops in comparison with bare soil, but the trend was not consistent across trials and sampling dates. Winter wheat grain yield ranged from 4.5 to 7.6 Mg ha^?1, while that associated with winter rye ranged from 3.2 to 5.1 Mg ha^?1. Therefore, winter cereal seeded after potato harvest can constitute a good source of revenue while mitigating the risk of soil erosion and reducing nitrate leaching in some cases.     

Factors affecting soil microbial community structure in tomato cropping systems

Soil and rhizosphere microbial communities in agroecosystems may be affected by soil, climate, plant species, and management. The management and environmental factors controlling microbial biomass and community structure were identified in a three-year field experiment. The experiment consisted of a tomato production agroecosystem with the following nine treatments: bare soil, black polyethylene mulch, white polyethylene mulch, vetch cover crop, vetch roots only, vetch shoots only, rye cover crop, rye roots only, and rye shoots only. The following hypotheses were tested: (1) Temperature and moisture differences between polyethylene-covered and cover-cropped treatments are partly responsible for treatment effects on soil microbial community composition, and (2) Different species of cover crops have unique root and shoot effects on soil microbial community composition. Microbial biomass and community composition were measured by phospholipid fatty acid analysis. Microbial biomass was increased by all cover crop treatments, including root only and shoot only. Cover cropping increased the absolute amount of all microbial groups, but Gram-positive bacteria decreased in proportion under cover crops. We attribute this decrease to increased readily available carbon under cover-cropped treatments, which favored other groups over Gram-positive bacteria. Higher soil temperatures under certain treatments also increased the proportion of Gram-positive bacteria. Vetch shoots increased the amount and proportion of Gram-negative bacteria, fungi, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere of tomato plants. The imposed treatments were much more significant than soil temperature, moisture, pH, and texture in controlling microbial biomass and community structure.     

Effects of Cover Crops on Soil Quality: Selected Chemical and Biological Parameters

Cover crops improve soil quality properties and thus land productivity. We compared soil chemical and biological changes influenced by hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.) and cereal rye (Secale cereal) cover crops grown in Menfro silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, superactive, mesic Typic Hapludalfs), Mexico silt loam (fine, smectitic, mesic Vertic Epiaqualfs), or sand in the greenhouse. Cover crop biomass, soil β-glucosidase, β-glucosaminidase, and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolase activities, and soil chemical properties were measured at six, nine, and twelve weeks after planting. Cover crop biomass increased with highest (p < 0.0001) yields for hairy vetch and cereal rye in Menfro and Mexico soils, respectively. β-glucosaminidase, FDA, organic carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), and total phosphorus (P) contents significantly decreased in all soils for both cover crops. However, β-glucosidase activity significantly increased (p < 0.0001). Long-term field studies are needed to evaluate soil quality improvement under cover crops, especially for soils with marginal organic matter and fertility.     

天津地区不同冬绿肥培肥土壤的效果

  【目的】  研究天津地区长期冬绿肥–春玉米轮作体系对土壤性质的影响,探讨该模式对土壤综合肥力的贡献。  【方法】  田间定位试验于2012—2019年在天津进行,供试作物为春玉米,冬绿肥处理包括冬绿肥二月兰(Orychophragmus violaceus L.)、毛叶苕子(Vicia villosa Roth L.)、黑麦(Secale cereale L.)、黑麦草(Lolium L.)、毛叶苕子二月兰混播、毛叶苕子黑麦混播及冬闲对照,共7个处理。测定土壤理化性质及酶活性,并通过主成分分析方法分析种植不同冬绿肥及其组合对土壤综合肥力的贡献。  【结果】  冬绿肥–春玉米轮作均显著增加了土壤有机质、全氮、全磷、有效磷、速效钾、微生物量碳、微生物量氮含量,同时增加了土壤饱和持水量,降低了土壤EC值。与冬闲–春玉米处理相比,冬绿肥–春玉米轮作土壤细菌数量、真菌数量、放线菌数量分别提高26.67%～75.89%、61.9%～97.9%和51.4%～92.1%,土壤脲酶活性显著增加6.59%～20.47%。毛叶苕子黑麦混播、毛叶苕子、黑麦处理显著提高土壤磷酸酶活性,黑麦、黑麦草处理显著提高土壤蔗糖酶活性,毛叶苕子二月兰混播、毛叶苕子处理显著提高土壤过氧化氢酶活性,毛叶苕子、黑麦草、二月兰和黑麦处理显著提高土壤多酚氧化酶活性。主成分分析结果表明冬绿肥种植显著提高土壤综合肥力,特别是冬绿肥混播种植,提升效果从高到低排序为毛叶苕子二月兰混播>毛叶苕子黑麦混播>毛叶苕子>二月兰>黑麦草>黑麦。  【结论】  华北春玉米种植区,长期冬绿肥种植显著改善了土壤理化性质和生物学性质,提高了土壤综合肥力水平,冬绿肥混播处理对土壤综合肥力贡献高于冬绿肥单播处理。     

Effect of cover crop management on soil organic matter

Characterization of soil organic matter (SOM) is important for determining the overall quality of soils, and cover crop system may change SOM characteristics. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of cover crops on the chemical and structural composition of SOM. We isolated humic substances (HS) from soils with the following cover crop treatments: (a) vetch (Vicia Villosa Roth.)/rye (Sesale cereale L.), (b) rye alone, and (c) check (no cover crops) that were treated with various nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates. CPMAS-TOSS (cross-polarization magic-angle-spinning and total sideband suppression) ¹³C NMR results indicated that humic acids (HA) from soils under rye only were more aromatic and less aliphatic in character than the other two cover crop systems without fertilizer N treatment. Based on the DRIFT (diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared) spectra peak O/R ratios, the intensities of oxygen-containing functional groups to aliphatic and aromatic (referred to as recalcitrant) groups, the highest ratio was found in the HA from the vetch/rye system with fertilizer N. The lowest ratio occurred at the vetch/rye system without fertilizer N treatment. The O/R ratio of fulvic acids (FA) can be ranked as: vetch/rye without fertilizer>vetch/rye with fertilizer>no cover crop without fertilizer>rye alone (with or without fertilizer) soils. Both organic carbon (OC) and light fraction (LF) contents were higher in soils under cover crop treatments with and without fertilizer N than soils with no cover crop. These chemical and spectroscopic data show that cover crops had a profound influence on the SOM and LF characteristics.     

Spectroscopic Characterization of Fulvic Acid Under Different Cover Crop Systems

Abstract

Fulvic acids (FAs) are an important dynamic component of soils that may be affected by soil management. Carbon‐13 cross‐polarization total sideband suppression nuclear magnetic resonance (CP‐TOSS ¹³C NMR) was used to examine the effect of cover crop systems on the characteristics of fulvic acid fractions. FA was isolated from soils with the following treatments: 1) vetch/rye, 2) rye alone, and 3) check (no cover crops) with varying nitrogen fertilizers. Preliminary NMR results indicate that FA from the rye alone system both with and without nitrogen fertilizers contains less aliphatic carbon (0–108 ppm) than that from the other two treatments. Based on the elemental composition analysis result, C∶N ratio of FA from rye alone cover with or without nitrogen fertilizer is lower than FA from vetch/rye cover system. These data suggest that farming systems affect the FA compositions.     

Early season nitrogen accumulation in winter wheat

Cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) is widely used as a winter cover crop to conserve soil residual nitrogen (N) in the mid‐Atlantic region of the United States. Cereal rye, however, has agronomic drawbacks that may make other winter small grain crops more desirable alternatives. Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a small grain that could substitute for cereal rye as a cover crop because it would give growers the flexibility of using it as a cover crop or growing it to maturity. There is currently little information on early season N accumulation of winter wheat cultivars, which is critical for the success of a small grain cover crop. To determine the degree of variation in early season N accumulation and early season biomass yield in soft red winter wheat in the mid‐Atlantic region, twenty‐five commercially available cultivars were evaluated at Beltsville, MD in the 1996/1997 and 1997/1998 growing seasons. Acereal rye cultivar ("Wheeler") was included as a cover crop control. Samples of plant tissue were taken at Feekes growth stage 5 and at physiological maturity each year. There were significant differences among cultivars for early season N accumulation and biomass yield. A large group of wheat cultivars had similar early season N accumulation and biomass yield as the cereal rye cover crop control. This suggests that some cultivars of winter wheat may be as effective as cereal rye as a winter cover crop. Early season N accumulation was highly correlated (r=0.90***) with early season biomass yield rather than with plant N content. These results indicate that soft red winter wheat has potential as a dual grain and cover crop and could be considered an alternative to cereal rye as a winter cover crop for conserving residual soil nitrogen in the mid‐Atlantic region of the United States.     

Snap bean response to soil tillage management and cover crops

Abstract

Snap beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) were grown using conventional tillage (CT) and no‐tillage (NT) soil management following either hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) or rye (Secale cereale L.) in 1992 and 1993 in the mountain regions of Georgia near Blairsville. Soil bulk density and inorganic nitrogen content as well as crop dry matter production and yield were monitored. Soil bulk density of the surface (0 to 10 cm) layer under NT exceeded that under CT at planting by as much as 0.33 Mg/m³. However, growth‐limiting bulk densities (values>1.45 Mg/m³) did not occur under either tillage regime. Inorganic soil nitrogen to a depth of 30 cm at planting and at five weeks after planting was similar for the two tillage systems. However, soil nitrogen (N) tended to be greater following hairy vetch than following rye. There were no significant effects of tillage or cover crop on plant stand or plant dry weight. Total yields were generally similar regardless of tillage or cover crop. A notable exception was that early yield in 1992 was 62% greater using NT. These results indicate great potential for use of conservation tillage and cover crops in the production of snap beans in the mountain regions of the southeastern United States.     

Nitrogen mineralization and availability of mixed leguminous and non-leguminous cover crop residues in soil

Whereas non-leguminous cover crops such as cereal rye (Secale cereale) or annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorium) are capable of reducing nitrogen (N) leaching during wet seasons, leguminous cover crops such as hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) improve soil N fertility for succeeding crops. With mixtures of grasses and legumes as cover crop, the goal of reducing N leaching while increasing soil N availability for crop production could be attainable. This study examined net N mineralization of soil treated with hairy vetch residues mixed with either cereal rye or annual ryegrass and the effect of these mixtures on growth and N uptake by cereal rye. Both cereal rye and annual ryegrass contained low total N, but high water-soluble carbon and carbohydrate, compared with hairy vetch. Decreasing the proportion of hairy vetch in the mixed residues decreased net N mineralization, rye plant growth and N uptake, but increased the crossover time (the time when the amount of net N mineralized in the residue-amended soil equalled that of the non-amended control) required for net N mineralization to occur. When the hairy vetch content was decreased to 40% or lower, net N immobilization in the first week of incubation increased markedly. Residue N was significantly correlated with rye biomass (r=0.81, P<0.01) and N uptake (r=0.83, P<0.001), although the correlation was much higher between residue N and the potential initial N mineralization rate for rye biomass (r=0.93, P<0.001) and N uptake (r=0.99, P<0.001). Judging from the effects of the mixed residues on rye N Concentration and N uptake, the proportion of rye or annual ryegrass when mixed with residues of hairy vetch should not exceed 60% if the residues are to increase N availability. Further study is needed to examine the influence of various mixtures of hairy vetch and rye or annual ryegrass on N leaching in soil. Received: 10 March 1997     

Early decomposer assemblages of soil organisms in litterbags with vetch and rye roots

The assemblages of microbial (bacteria and fungi), microfaunal (protozoa and nematodes) and mesofaunal (microarthropods) populations were studied in decomposing root residues from hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) and rye (Secale cereale L.) in a litterbag field experiment. Litterbags containing vetch or rye root residues were buried in soil at the same day as either vetch or rye winter catch crops were incorporated into the field soil from which the materials were gathered. The litterbags were sampled after 6 weeks in the field. In vetch, bacterial and fungal biomasses were similar whereas fungi dominated microbial biomass in rye. The biomass of the bacterial consuming fauna dominated by nematodes and microarthropods was similar to the biomass of bacteria in vetch as opposed to in rye where bacterivore biomass was lower than bacterial biomass. This suggests a much higher bacterial production in vetch compared to rye. Furthermore, in vetch dauer larvae of bacteria feeding nematodes prevailed, which is also a sign of high bacterial production followed by food shortage for the bacterivores. Bacterivorous and predatory nematodes with capability of consuming protozoa showed an inverse relationship to flagellated protozoa. This suggests that these nematodes controlled the protozoan biomass constituting a lower fraction of the bacterivore biomass in vetch compared to in rye. Such intraguild predator-prey relationship is therefore indicated for microbivorous organisms among bacterivorous and predatory nematodes (the intraguild predator) protozoa (the intraguild prey) and bacteria (the common prey). The much higher fungal biomass in rye than in vetch litterbags was not reflected in the biomass of the fungal feeders. Due to the generally lower intrinsic rate of increase of the fungivores, as well as of the omnivores and predators, in comparison with the bacterial feeders, they were not able to generate dense populations at this early stage of decomposition.     

Effects of cover crops sown in autumn on N and P leaching

A field experiment with separately tile-drained plots was used to study the ability of oilseed radish (Rhaphanus sativus L.), as a cover crop sown after harvest of a main crop of cereals or peas, to reduce nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) leaching losses from a clay loam in southern Sweden over 6 years. In addition to oilseed radish in pure stand, two cover crop mixtures (hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) and rye (Secale cereale) for 3 years and oilseed radish in mixture with buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) for 2 years) were tested. The cover crop plots (three replicates per treatment) were compared with unplanted plots as a control. Plots cropped with oilseed radish during autumn (August–November) had significantly smaller yearly mean N concentration in drainage water over 5 of 6 years compared with unplanted controls. Mineral N content in the soil profile in autumn was significantly less in oilseed radish plots than for control plots in all years. The cover crop mixtures of hairy vetch and rye or buckwheat and oilseed radish also showed the potential to reduce soil mineral N in autumn and N concentration in drainage water, compared with unplanted controls. The cover crops had no impact on P leaching. In conclusion, oilseed radish has the ability to reduce leaching losses of N, without increasing the risk of P leaching.     

Long-term effects of tillage, cover crops, and nitrogen fertilization on organic carbon and nitrogen concentrations in sandy loam soils in Georgia, USA

Maintaining and/or conserving organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) concentrations in the soil using management practices can improve its fertility and productivity and help to reduce global warming by sequestration of atmospheric CO₂ and N₂. We examined the influence of 6 years of tillage (no-till, NT; chisel plowing, CP; and moldboard plowing, MP), cover crop (hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.) vs. winter weeds), and N fertilization (0, 90, and 180 kg N ha⁻¹) on soil organic C and N concentrations in a Norfolk sandy loam (fine-loamy, siliceous, thermic, Typic Kandiudults) under tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) and silage corn (Zea mays L.). In a second experiment, we compared the effects of 7 years of non-legume (rye (Secale cereale L.)) and legume (hairy vetch and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.)) cover crops and N fertilization (HN (90 kg N ha⁻¹ for tomato and 80 kg N ha⁻¹ for eggplant)) and FN (180 kg N ha⁻¹ for tomato and 160 kg N ha⁻¹ for eggplant)) on soil organic C and N in a Greenville fine sandy loam (fine-loamy, kaolinitic, thermic, Rhodic Kandiudults) under tomato and eggplant (Solanum melogena L.). Both experiments were conducted from 1994 to 2000 in Fort Valley, GA. Carbon concentration in cover crops ranged from 704 kg ha⁻¹ in hairy vetch to 3704 kg ha⁻¹ in rye in 1999 and N concentration ranged from 77 kg ha⁻¹ in rye in 1996 to 299 kg ha⁻¹ in crimson clover in 1997. With or without N fertilization, concentrations of soil organic C and N were greater in NT with hairy vetch than in MP with or without hairy vetch (23.5–24.9 vs. 19.9–21.4 Mg ha⁻¹ and 1.92–2.05 vs. 1.58–1.76 Mg ha⁻¹, respectively). Concentrations of organic C and N were also greater with rye, hairy vetch, crimson clover, and FN than with the control without a cover crop or N fertilization (17.5–18.4 vs. 16.5 Mg ha⁻¹ and 1.33–1.43 vs. 1.31 Mg ha⁻¹, respectively). From 1994 to 1999, concentrations of soil organic C and N decreased by 8–16% in NT and 15–25% in CP and MP. From 1994 to 2000, concentrations of organic C and N decreased by 1% with hairy vetch and crimson clover, 2–6% with HN and FN, and 6–18% with the control. With rye, organic C and N increased by 3–4%. Soil organic C and N concentrations can be conserved and/or maintained by reducing their loss through mineralization and erosion, and by sequestering atmospheric CO₂ and N₂ in the soil using NT with cover crops and N fertilization. These changes in soil management improved soil quality and productivity. Non-legume (rye) was better than legumes (hairy vetch and crimson clover) and N fertilization in increasing concentrations of soil organic C and N.     

Long-term winter cover cropping effects on corn (Zea mays L.) production and soil nitrogen availability

 This study was conducted to determine effects of long-term winter cover cropping with hairy vetch, cereal rye and annual ryegrass on soil N availability and corn productivity. From 1987 to 1995, with the exception of the first year of the study, the cover crops were seeded each year in late September or early October after the corn harvest and incorporated into the soil in late April or early May. Corn was seeded 10 days to 2 weeks after the cover crop residues had been incorporated, and N fertilizer was applied as a side-dressing at rates of 0, 67, 134, or 201 kg N ha^–1 each year. While the average annual total N input from the above-ground biomass of the cover crops was highest for hairy vetch (72.4 kg N ha^–1), the average annual total C input was highest for cereal rye (1043 kg C ha^–1) compared with the other cover crops. Hairy vetch was the only cover crop that significantly increased pre-side-dressed NO₃ ^–-N (N_i) corn biomass and N uptake at 0 N. At an N fertilizer rate of 134 kg N ha^–1 or higher, the cover crops had a minimal effect on corn biomass. This indicated that even after 9 years of winter cover cropping, the effect of the cover crops on corn growth resulted primarily from their influence on soil N availability. The amount of available N estimated from the cover crops (N_ac) was significantly correlated with relative corn biomass production (r ²=0.707, P<0.001). The total amount of available N, comprising N_ac and N added from fertilizer (N_f), was strongly correlated (r ²=0.820, P<0.001)) with relative corn biomass production. The correlation was also high for the available N comprising N_i and N_f (r ²=0.775, P<0.001). Although cereal rye and annual ryegrass did not improve corn biomass production in the short term, they benefited soil organic N accumulation and gradually improved corn biomass production compared with the control over the long term. Received: 10 August 1999     

Cover crop potential of winter oilseed crops in the Northern U.S. Corn Belt

ABSTRACT

Winter camelina [WC, Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz] and field pennycress (FP, Thlaspi arvense L.) are emerging oilseed crops in corn–soybean rotations, but little is known about their cover crop potential. A 2-year study was conducted in Minnesota, USA to evaluate the effect of winter oilseed crops on nitrogen (N) use, growth and yield of corn and soybean. Treatments included WC, FP, winter rye (WR, Secale cereale L.), and a no cover crop (NC) control. Oilseed crops produced 40–50% less spring biomass and accumulated less N compared to WR. The tissue-N of WC and FP was 39.0% and 6.6% higher than WR, respectively. The C:N ratio of cover crops was lower than 20:1, suggesting rapid decomposition. Compared with NC, cover crops lowered soil nitrate before major crops planting, but the post-harvest N profile following corn and soybean was not affected. Compared with NC, cover crops significantly decreased corn yield, with 8.7%, 9.5% and 9.8% reduction following WC, FP and WR, respectively. Cover crops did not affect growth, yield and N uptake of soybean. Oilseed crops showed potential to improve N cycling in the rotation, but more research of their impact on major crops is needed.     

Compost,Manure and Synthetic Fertilizer Influences Crop Yields,Soil Properties,Nitrate Leaching and Crop Nutrient Content

From 1993 to 2001, a maize-vegetable-wheat rotation was compared using either 1) composts, 2) manure, or 3) synthetic fertilizer for nitrogen nutrient input. From 1993 to 1998, red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) were used as an annual winter legume cover crop prior to maize production. From 1999 to 2001, hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.) served as the legume green manure nitrogen (N) source for maize. In this rotation, wheat depended entirely on residual N that remained in the soil after maize and vegetable (pepper and potato) production. Vegetables received either compost, manure, or fertilizer N inputs. Raw dairy manure stimulated the highest overall maize yields of 7,395 kg/ha (approximately 140 bushels per acre). This exceeded the Berks County mean yield of about 107 bushels per acre from 1994 to 2001. When hairy vetch replaced clover as the winter green manure cover crop, maize yields rose in three of the four treatments (approximately 500-1,300 kg/ha, or 10-24 bu/a). Hairy vetch cover cropping also resulted in a 9-25 % increase in wheat yields in the compost treatments compared to clover cover cropping. Hairy vetch cover crops increased both maize and wheat grain protein contents about 16 to 20% compared to the clover cover crop. Compost was superior to conventional synthetic fertilizer and raw dairy manure in 1) building soil nutrient levels, 2) providing residual nutrient support to wheat production, and 3) reducing nutrient losses to ground and surface waters. After 9 years, soil carbon (C) and soil N remained unchanged or declined slightly in the synthetic fertilizer treatment, but increased with use of compost amendments by 16-27% for C and by 13-16% for N. However, with hairy vetch cover crops, N leaching increased 4 times when compared to clover cover crops. September was the highest month for nitrate leaching, combining high rainfall with a lack of active cash crop or cover crop growth to use residual N. Broiler litter leaf compost (BLLC) showed the lowest nitrate leaching of all the nutrient amendments tested (P= 0.05).     

Cover crops and their erosion-reducing effects during concentrated flow erosion

Cover crops are a very effective erosion control and environmental conservation technique. When cover crops freeze at the beginning of the winter period, the above-ground biomass becomes less effective in protecting the soil from water erosion, but roots can still play an important role in improving soil strength. However, information on root properties of common cover crops growing in temperate climates (e.g. Sinapis alba (white mustard), Phacelia tanacetifoli (phacelia), Lolium perenne (ryegrass), Avena sativa (oats), Secale cereale (rye), Raphanus sativus subsp. oleiferus (fodder radish)) is very scarce. Therefore, root density distribution with soil depth and the erosion-reducing effect of these cover crops during concentrated flow erosion were assessed by conducting root auger measurements and controlled concentrated flow experiments with 0.1 m topsoil samples. The results indicate that root density of the studied cover crops ranges between 1.02 for phacelia and 2.95 kg m^− 3 for ryegrass. Cover crops with thick roots (e.g. white mustard and fodder radish) are less effective than cover crops with fine-branched roots (e.g. ryegrass and rye) in preventing soil losses by concentrated flow erosion. Moreover, after frost, the erosion-reducing potential of phacelia and oats roots decreased. Amoeba diagrams, taking into account both below-ground and above-ground plant characteristics, identified ryegrass, rye, oats and white mustard as the most suitable species for controlling concentrated flow erosion.