Author: Brayden William Burns
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Corn
Languages : en
Pages : 192
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Research plots were established on production farms in no-tillage, corn-soybean rotations following a winter cover crop. Yield optimum nitrogen rates (69.7 to 214.1 kg N ha−1) were consistently less than the University of Arkansas' recommendation of 247 kg N ha−1. Dynamic N-recommendation systems like N-Star, and measures of pre-sidedress available nitrogen reduced recommended N-application rate with little risk of insufficent N-supply. The Soil Health Tool recommended greater N-reductions but had a greater risk of N-insufficiency. In addition to soil N-tests, remote sensing indices proved to be useful nitrogen management tools. During the V8 growth stage, regressions of corn grain yield by index value produced R2 values of 0.84, 0.89, and 0.89 for Red-Edge Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Chlorophyll Index Green, and the Green Normalized Vegetation Index, respectively. Through dynamic recommendation systems and remote sensing, nitrogen use efficiency in conservation systems may be improved without compromising agronomic or economic goals.
Author: Oladapo Adeyemi
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Agricultural ecology
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
Winter cereal cover crops (WCCCs) could provide extra profit by being harvested as forage or for biofuel purposes, could benefit soil, and the following cash crops, and are considered an effective practice in reducing the nitrate-N (NO3-N) leaching especially in corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) fields. The extend at which WCCCs and their residue management (e.g. harvesting vs. terminating at different times) improve farm profit, influence the following cash crop, especially corn is less studied. Also, literature is scant on the residue management effects on NO3-N leaching potential and its tradeoff with soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions especially in Alfisols with claypans. Two trials (chapter 1-2) were conducted to evaluate the time of harvest of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) or winter cereal rye (WCR; Secale cereale L.) to determine the best time of harvest for maximizing profit through improving biomass production at high quality. In chapter 1, a five site-yr trial was conducted in Colorado (CO) and Illinois (IL) to evaluate the effect of harvest date on WCR forage yield, quality, and its economic performance. From March to April, WCR dry matter (DM) yield increased exponentially in CO and linearly in IL. The DM yield at DOY 112-116 in CO was 6.9, 5.0, and 5.2 Mg ha-1 in 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively compared to 4.7 and 2.7 Mg ha-1 in IL in 2019 and 2020. Delayed harvesting increased acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) concentrations and decreased crude protein (CP), total digestible nutrients (TDN), and relative feed quality (RFQ). Yield-quality trade-off showed that forage yield increased rapidly but forage quality declined after DOY 105-108. Economic analysis, including cost of nutrient removal and 10% corn yield penalty following WCR production revealed harvesting WCR biomass as forage was economically feasible in four out of five site-yrs at hay price over 132 $ Mg-1. Eliminating corn yield penalty indicated profitability in four site-yrs at hay price of ≥110 $ Mg-1 and removing nutrient removal costs made all site-yrs profitable at hay price of ≥110 $ Mg-1. It was concluded that harvesting WCR biomass can be a profitable and effective strategy for sustainable intensification that can offer environmental stewardship and economic benefit. In chapter 2, a four-year trial was conducted in the 2017-2018, 2018-2029, 2019-2020, and 2020- 2021 growing seasons to evaluate the effect of harvesting time (late-March to mid-May considering the growth stage) on winter wheat biomass yield, quality, and farm profit in single season corn vs. wheat-corn rotation. A delay in harvest of wheat resulted in increased DM biomass and lower CP and RFQ. The RFQ that was suitable for dairy production occurred at GDD of 1849 in which the DM biomass was 6.2 Mg ha-1 leading to $1526.46 ha-1 income. The RFQ for heifer production was 126 at 2013 GDD in which the DM biomass was 6.8 Mg ha-1 leading to $1290.85 ha-1 income. These results suggested that wheat-corn rotation could provide extra income while covering the soil year-round. A series of trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of cover crop (CC) and nitrogen (N) management on (i) corn growth, (ii) grain yield and yield components, (iii) the economic optimum N rate (EONR) for corn and farm profit, (iv) N removal, and balances, (v) N use metrics, (vi) soil NO3-N and ammonium-N (NH4-N), along with (vii) N2O emissions and factors associated with it. In chapter 3, an experiment was conducted as a randomized complete block design with split plot arrangement and four replicates to study winter wheat cover crop management practices on corn growth, production, N requirement, soil N, and farm profit. The main plots were four CC treatments: no CC (control), early terminated wheat CC (four weeks to corn planting; ET), late terminated wheat CC (just prior to corn planting; LT), and harvested wheat CC (residue removal; RR), and the subplots were six N fertilizer application rates (0-280 kg N ha-1 ) for 2018 and 2019 and seven N fertilizer application rates (0-336 kg N ha-1 ) for 2020 and 2021. Wheat cover crop management influenced corn grain yield where fallow was consistently high yielding while RR decreased corn grain yield drastically due to its negative effects on the corn plant population. All cover crop treatments immobilized N as shown by lower corn grain yields at zero-N control compared to the fallow treatment. The EONR generally ranged from 151.4 kg ha-1 to 206.4 kg ha-1 in fallow, 192.8 kg ha-1 to 275.8 kg ha-1 in ET, 225 kg ha-1 to 325 kg ha-1 in LT, and 175.3 kg ha-1 to 257.5 kg ha-1 in RR. At the EONR, corn grain yields ranged from 12.2 Mg ha-1 to 13.7 Mg ha-1 in the fallow treatment, 9.7 Mg ha-1 to 13.0 Mg ha-1 in the ET, 9.51 Mg ha-1 to 13.3 Mg ha-1 in the LT, and 8.2 Mg ha-1 to 10.5 Mg ha-1 in the RR treatment. Adding N beyond EONR resulted in a drastic increase in end of season soil N which could be subject to leaching emphasizing targeting EONR is critical for avoiding high N leaching and that if N is applied at rates beyond EONR, then cover cropping becomes even a more critical practice to avoid N losses. In chapter 4 and 5, we evaluated whether splitting N fertilization along with the two (no-cover crop vs. early termination; ET) (chapter 4) or four above-mentioned cover crops treatments (chapter 5) could improve corn production and farm profit through improved N use efficiency (NUE). Therefore, for chapter 4, a two-yr field trail was implemented at the Agronomy Research Center in Carbondale, IL in 2018 and 2019 to evaluate whether split N application to corn changes N use efficiency (NUE) in no-cover crop vs. following an early terminated (ET) wheat cover crop. A four-replicated randomized completed block design with split plot arrangements were used. Main treatments were a no cover crop (control) vs. ET and subplots were five N timing applications to succeeding corn: (1) 168 kg N ha-1 at planting; (2) 56 kg N ha-1 at planting + 112 kg N ha-1 at sidedress; (3) 112 kg N ha-1 at planting + 56 kg N ha-1 at sidedress (4) 168 kg N ha-1 at sidedress, and (5) zero kg N ha-1 (control). Corn yield was higher in 2018 than 2019 reflecting more timely precipitation in that year. Grain yield declined by 12.6% following the wheat cover crop compared to no cover crop control indicating corn yield penalty when wheat was planted prior to corn. In 2018, a year with timely and sufficient rainfall, there were no differences among N application timing while in 2019, delaying the N addition improved NUE and corn grain yield due to excessive rainfall early in the season reflecting on N losses. Overall, our findings elucidate necessity of revisiting guidelines for current N management practices in Midwestern United States and incorporating cover crop component into MRTN prediction tool. For chapter 5, a four-year trial conducted with a split plot arrangement and four replicates. Main plots were four cover crop management [no cover crop control (fallow); ET, late termination (LT), and residue removal at late termination (RR) and five N fertilizer application timings (all at planting, most at planting + sidedress; half-half; less at planting and more at sidedress; and all sidedress). Our results indicated that RR resulted in corn population and grain yield reduction compared to other treatments. Fallow was consistently high-yielding and 112-56 N management during the first two years for fallow worked the best (10.1 Mg ha-1 ). In 2020 and 2021, both applying all N upfront or sidedressing yielded similar for fallow giving growers options with N timing. For both ET and LT, in all years, delaying the N addition to sidedress timing resulted in high yields (9.1 - 11.7 Mg ha-1 ). Some N addition upfront plus sidedressing the rest (56-168) resulted in the highest yield in ET in 2021 (11.6 Mg ha-1 ). For RR, split application of N (56-112 or 56-168) was consistently most productive in all years (8.7 Mg ha-1 ) suggesting that there is an advantage to sidedressing than upfront N application in cover crop systems. The high productive N management practices generally resulted in higher NUE (24.0 - 38.6 kg grain kg N-1 ) and lower N balance (20.6 - 50.2 kg ha-1 for 2018-2019, and 74 - 106.4 kg ha-1 for 2020-2021) which are critical to achieve not only for farm profit but also minimizing environmental footprints. Except for N0, N balance was positive in all treatments in all years indicating the inefficiency of fertilizer N that was corroborated by low NUE and PFP data. We concluded that to optimize corn production and reducing nutrient loss, split N addition or sidedressing N is most suitable especially in cover cropping systems. For chapter six, a four-times replicated randomized complete block design trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of winter wheat cover crop management practices (ET, LT, and RR) vs. a no-cover crop control (fallow) on corn grain yield, N removal and balances, soil N dynamics, soil volumetric water content (VWC) and temperature dynamics, N2O-N emissions, yield-scaled N2O-N emissions, and factors that drive N2O-N and corn grain yield in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 growing seasons in a silt loam soil with clay and fragipans. Our results indicated that corn grain yield decreased by both ET and RR as compared to the fallow and LT. Soil temperature was similar among all treatments, but soil VWC was higher in LT and ET than fallow and RR. The LT treatment always had lower soil NO3-N than the other treatments in both years. In 2021, the ET also had less soil nitrate-N than fallow and RR. Averaged over the two years, cumulative soil N2O-N was higher in LT (14.85 kg ha-1 ) and ET (12.85 kg ha-1 ) than RR (11.10 kg ha-1 ) and fallow (7.65 kg ha-1 ) indicating while these treatments are effective in reducing NO3-N leaching, they could increase soil N2O-N emissions. Principal component analysis indicated that higher N2O-N emissions in LT and ET was related to higher VWC suggesting at optimal N management scenarios, other factors than soil N drive N2O-N emissions. In this study, fallow had the least yield-scaled N2O-N emissions followed by RR. The yield-scaled emissions were similar between ET and LT. These results indicate the importance of evaluating N2O-N emissions in cereal cover crops prior to corn for informing best management practice for winter cereal cover crop adoption. Future studies should focus on manipulating cover crop management to capture residual N without creating microclimates with high VWC to avoid increase of N2O-N emissions. While a lot is known about CC effects on the following cash crop, less is known about rotational benefits of late terminated (planting green) wheat and nitrogen (N) management on the following WCR and soybean in rotation. Therefore, for chapter 7, a trial was conducted with a split plot arrangement in a randomized complete block design set up. The main plots were two cover crop treatments (a no cover crop control vs. LT) and the subplots were three N rates [0 (N0), 224 (N224), and 336 (N336) kg N ha-1 ). Each treatment was replicated four times and rye and soybean was planted in all of the plots in rotation. Our results indicated wheat, when terminated late, can uptake 50-80 kg N ha-1 and result in belowground:aboveground ratio of 0.18 in which belowground had much higher C:N than the aboveground biomass. The soil NO3-N was affected by wheat presence and often reduced due to wheat N uptake and also N immobilization negatively affecting the following corn especially at both N0 and N224. Nitrogen fertilization at 336 kg N ha-1 resulted in high end of season N, reduced NUE, increased N balance, and thus, potential for N loss especially in the fallow treatment. The end of season N was lower and NUE was higher in LT which was coincided with reduced rye N uptake in LT suggesting wheat effect lingers longer than just during the corn season and could potentially reduce N loss potential during the fallow period following corn harvest. Soybean yields were higher in LT than the fallow which could be due to (i) higher rye biomass in fallow or (ii) positive legacy effect of wheat in rotation. Improved soybean yields could offset some of the economic loss during the corn phase and push growers in the Midwestern USA to be willing to adopt cover cropping to minimize N loss while protecting soil and stay profitable. Our results from chapter 3-7, indicate a need to change in cover crop management strategy to make it more user friendly with lower costs. In general, in the Midwestern USA, growers are reluctant to plant WCR especially prior to corn due to N immobilization and establishment issues. Precision planting of WCR or --Skipping the corn row‖ (STCR) can minimize some issues associated with WCR ahead of corn while reducing cover crop seed costs. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of --STCR‖ vs. normal planting of WCR at full seeding rate (NP) on WCR biomass, nutrient uptake, and composition in three site-yrs (ARC2019, ARC2020, BRC2020). Our results indicated no differences in cover crop dry matter (DM) biomass production between the STCR (2.40 Mg ha-1 ) and NP (2.41 Mg ha-1 ) supported by similar normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) and plant height for both treatments. Phosphorus, potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) accumulation in aboveground biomass was only influenced by site-yr and both STCR and NP removed similar amount of P, K, Ca, and Mg indicating STCR could be as effective as NP in accumulating nutrients. Aboveground carbon (C) content (1086.26 kg h-1 average over the two treatments) was similar between the two treatments and only influenced by site-yr differences. Lignin, lignin:N, and C:N ratios were higher in STCR than NP in one out of three site-years (ARC2019) indicating greater chance of N immobilization when WCR was planted later than usual. Implementing STCR saved 8.4 $ ha-1 for growers and could incentivize growers to adopt this practice. Future research should evaluate corn response to STCR compared with NP and assess if soil quality declines by STCR practice over time.
Author: Andy Clark
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 1437903797
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 248
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Book Description
Cover crops slow erosion, improve soil, smother weeds, enhance nutrient and moisture availability, help control many pests and bring a host of other benefits to your farm. At the same time, they can reduce costs, increase profits and even create new sources of income. You¿ll reap dividends on your cover crop investments for years, since their benefits accumulate over the long term. This book will help you find which ones are right for you. Captures farmer and other research results from the past ten years. The authors verified the info. from the 2nd ed., added new results and updated farmer profiles and research data, and added 2 chap. Includes maps and charts, detailed narratives about individual cover crop species, and chap. about aspects of cover cropping.
Author: Anabayan Kessavalou
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 394
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Author: Drew Dillion Kirkpatrick
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 202
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Cover crops have the potential to provide many benefits including weed suppression, erosion control, and improvements to soil quality. These benefits can be affected by species, biomass accumulation, and management practices. Although large amounts of biomass are good for maximizing benefits, it can result in problems for establishing the subsequent crop. Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] accounts for over 50% of Arkansas crop hectares annually; therefore, understanding the effect that a cover crop can have on the following soybean crop is crucial to the successful implementation of cover crops within the state. A study was established to evaluate winter cover crops as an alternative to traditional Arkansas practices, such as winter fallow, as well as winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) soybean double-crop system, and the effect each cropping system has on soybean yield and partial returns. Additionally, a goal of this study was to assess a variety of cover crop species and blends as well as their effect on aboveground biomass accumulation, nutrient uptake, and stand establishment of the following soybean crop. Soil organic matter (SOM) and pH were also used to evaluate overall soil health following three full rotations of each winter treatment. Results of the study show that winter cover crops do not affect the following soybean crop establishment, but had a positive influence on soybean yield and partial returns in a no-tillage system. Except for blue lupin (Lupinus angustifolius), each cover crop treatment proved to be an equally viable alternative to a traditional double-crop system and more profitable than a winter fallow system. Cover crops not only have an immediate impact of increasing soybean yield, but cover crops also have the potential to provide long-term benefits. Previous research has shown that increased biomass production typically increases SOM and results of this study indicate that cover crop treatments produced up to four times as much aboveground biomass compared to a winter fallow management strategy. Treatments that produced the most biomass also accumulated the most aboveground nutrient contents for the macronutrients nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). There were no differences in soil health calculations, but each treatment received a "good" soil health score. Our results indicate that winter cover crops provide a promising alternative to the winter wheat soybean double-crop system and winter fallow management program and with continuous management, soil quality can be improved.
Author: Rafiq Islam
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 100040711X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 327
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Book Description
This book will not serve as the "encyclopedia of cover crop management," but it’s close. The benefits of a wide range of individual cover crops and blends/mixes for specific agronomic crop rotations and geographic locations are included. Descriptions, photographs, and illustrations show how cover crops look in the field, including plant height, leaf architecture, and rooting patterns. Long term benefits are described for soil health, soil structure, water quality, nutrient contributions, soil biodiversity, air quality and climate change. In addition to the "whys" of cover crop use, the book includes details on the "hows:" how to choose cover crops for specific applications and locations; how (and when) to plant; how to manage and maintain the cover for maximum benefit; and how and when to terminate. Planting options include: drilling/planting between rows of an agronomic crop at planting time, or when the crop is short (i.e. corn in early June); "aerial" seeding with an airplane or high-clearance machine shortly before the crop reaches maturity; and drilling/planting immediately after harvest of the agronomic crop. Selected cover crops (blends) can help with pest and disease management. Cover crops are an economic input with an expected return on investment, similar to pesticides and fertilizer. As part of a continuous no-till system, cover crops provide long-term biological, chemical and structural benefits. The resulting increase in soil organic matter means the agronomic crop yields benefit from better water infiltration and water holding capacity, greater availability of nitrogen and other nutrients, deeper rooting, and increased soil microbial activity in the root zone.
Author: Pan Ming Huang
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1439803080
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 821
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An evolving, living organic/inorganic covering, soil is in dynamic equilibrium with the atmosphere above, the biosphere within, and the geology below. It acts as an anchor for roots, a purveyor of water and nutrients, a residence for a vast community of microorganisms and animals, a sanitizer of the environment, and a source of raw materials for co
Author: Gurbir Singh
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Corn
Languages : en
Pages : 490
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Book Description
Corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean ( Glycine max L.) production in the Midwest US can result in significant nutrient leaching to groundwater and surface waters, which contributes to eutrophication and hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. A promising strategy to control nutrient leaching and sediment runoff loss during winter fallow period is the use of cover crops (CCs). In southern Illinois, CCs are not widely adopted by farmers due to economic constraints and the lack of scientific data that supports benefits of incorporating CCs into the corn-soybean rotation. This doctoral dissertation addresses the critical question of the feasibility of the use of CCs in southern Illinois and is divided into three overarching research studies with different objectives divided into six research chapters. Research study 1 was a field experiment conducted from 2013 to 2017 to examine the effect of CCs (CC vs noCC) under two tillage systems [(no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT)] on aboveground plant attributes [dry matter yield, C:N ratio and nitrogen uptake (N uptake)], crop yields, available soil N content and N leaching in the vadose zone. The experimental layout was a randomized design with three rotations including corn-noCC-soybean-noCC [CncSnc], corn-cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) -soybean-hairy vetch (Vicia villosa R.) [CcrShv], and corn-cereal rye-soybean-oats+radish (Avena sativa L. + Raphanus sativus L.) [CcrSor] and two tillage systems. Soil samples collected after corn or soybean harvest and CC termination were analyzed for standard soil fertility parameters. Pan lysimeters installed below the 'A' horizon with depth varying from 22 to 30 cm were used for measuring soil solution nutrient concentration on weekly or biweekly basis depending on the precipitation. In NT system, the corn yield was 14% greater with CcrShv compared to CncSnc, whereas no significant difference existed in corn yield due to CC treatments within CT. Both CC treatments under NT reduced soybean yield by 24 to 27% compared to noCC. The rotations CcrShv and CcrSor with hairy vetch and oats+radish as preceding CCs resulted in 89% (37.73 vs 19.96 kg ha-1) and 68% (33.46 vs 19.96 kg ha-1) more nitrate-N (NO 3-N) leaching than the CncSnc during cash crop season 2015. During the CC season in spring 2016, cereal rye CC in CcrShv and CcrSor reduced the NO 3-N leaching by 84% (0.68 kg ha-1) and 78% (0.63 kg ha-1) compared to the CncSnc, respectively, under the CT system. Overall, our results indicated that the CT system had greater N leaching losses compared to NT system due to higher N availability in the tilled soil profile. The goal of the second research study was to understand the mechanisms of N cycling by CCs. We applied 15N labeled urea fertilizer (9.2% atom) to corn that followed hairy vetch and noCC in May 2017 to evaluate the contribution of fertilizer and soil organic matter to N leaching and quantify the 15N content of surface runoff after storm events. During the 2017 corn season, repeated soil samples were collected and analyzed for 15N fertilizer recovery in soil at three depths. 15N recovery was higher in the corn that had hairy vetch as the preceding CC than the corn that had noCC by 13.13 and 3.68 kg ha-1 on soil sampling events of 7 and 21 days after planting of corn, respectively, at the depth 15-30 cm. Overall, the cumulative loss of 15NO 3-N during corn season 2017 was
Author: Mary V. Gold
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Crop rotation
Languages : en
Pages : 134
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Author: Bradley Eric Fronning
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Carbon sequestration
Languages : en
Pages : 222
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