Cover Crops Articles
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Living mulch forage yield and botanical composition in a corn-soybean-forage rotation
Managing forages as living mulches during row crop production requires suppressing the forages to produce economical crop yields. The objective of this research was to identify forage plants with varied growth habit, persistence, and yield potential to provide desirable ecosystem functions in a multifunctional cropping system. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), kura clover (Trifolium ambiguum Bieb.), ...
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Integrating winter annual forages into a no-till corn silage system
The benefits of cover crops within crop rotations are well documented, but information is limited on using cover crops for forage within midwestern United States cropping systems, especially under no-tillage management. Our objective was to evaluate plant, animal, and soil responses when integrating winter cover crop forages into no-till corn (Zea mays L.) silage production. Three cover crop ...
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Cover crop and nitrogen effects on maize productivity in no-Tillage Systems of the Brazilian cerrados
Cover crops in direct seeding mulch-based cropping (DMC) systems can be an effective tool to optimize N management for crop production in the Brazilian cerrados. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of four cover crops on maize (Zea mays L.) grain yields in two fields that had been under DMC for 3 and 14 yr. We hypothesized that cover crops would optimize N supply to the maize ...
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Weed biomass and species composition as affected by an integrated crop–livestock system
Crop and livestock production are rarely integrated together in modern farming systems. Reintegrating crops with livestock production has been shown to produce many agronomic and environmental benefits. The objective of this study was to evaluate how an integrated crop–livestock system would influence weed biomass and weed species composition compared with a conventional, continuous corn (Zea ...
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Seeding rate and planting arrangement effects on growth and weed suppression of a legume-oat cover crop for organic vegetable systems
Winter cover crops can add soil organic matter, improve nutrient cycling, and suppress weeds in organic vegetable systems. A 2-yr study was conducted on organic farms in Salinas and Hollister, CA, to evaluate the effect of seeding rate (SR) and planting arrangement on cover crop density, ground cover, and cover crop and weed dry matter (DM) with a mixed cover crop. The mix contained legumes (35% ...
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Cover crop and liquid manure effects on soil quality indicators in a corn silage system
Due to a lack of surface residue and organic matter inputs, continuous corn (Zea mays L.) silage production is one of the most demanding cropping systems imposed on our soil resources. In this study, our objective was to determine if using cover/companion crops and/or applying low-solids liquid dairy manure could improve physical, chemical, and biological soil properties and overall soil quality. ...
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Benefits of vetch and rye cover crops to sweet corn under no-tillage
Leguminous cover crops (CCs) may reduce N fertilizer requirements by fixing N biologically and storing leftover N-fertilizer applied in the previous year. The objective of this study was to determine the contribution of CCs [rye (Secale cereal L.) and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth)] on plant N nutrition and weed suppression to the following sweet corn (Zea mays L.). The CCs were planted in the ...
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Cover crops and organic mulch to improve tomato yields and soil fertility
Cover crops and organic mulches (OMs) have been reported as a means to reduce inputs and increase soil quality. A field experiment was conducted to elucidate the effects of summer cover crops and organic compost on winter fresh market tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) yields and quality. Cover crops were sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.), velvetbean (Mucuna pruriens var. utilis), cowpea ...
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Brassica cover crops for Nitrogen retention in the mid-Atlantic coastal plain
Received for publication February 5, 2008. Brassica cover crops are new to the mid-Atlantic region, and limited information is available on their N uptake capabilities for effective N conservation. Forage radish (Raphanus sativus L. cv. Daikon), oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus L. cv. Adagio), and rape (Brassica napus L. cv. Dwarf Essex) were compared with rye (Secale cereale L. cv. Wheeler), a ...
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Nitrogen supply for cover crops and effects on peanut grown in succession under a no-till system
In Brazil, as no-till (NT) crop management expands, there is an increased interest in growing peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) with this system. However, it is not known if the preceding cover crop species, the amount of straw on the soil surface, or the N supplied to the cover crop will affect peanut grown in a NT system. An experiment was conducted on a Typic Haplorthox in Botucatu, São Paulo ...
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Planting trees and managing soils to sequester carbon
As of 2007, the shrinking forests in the tropical regions were releasing 2.2 billion tons of carbon per year. Meanwhile, expanding forests in the temperate regions were absorbing 0.7 billion tons of carbon annually. On balance, a net of some 1.5 billion tons of carbon were being released into the atmosphere each year, contributing to global warming. The tropical deforestation in Asia is driven ...
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Effect of seeding rate and planting arrangement on rye cover crop and weed growth
Weed growth in winter cover crops in warm climates may contribute to weed management costs in subsequent crops. A 2-yr experiment was conducted on an organic vegetable farm in Salinas, California, to determine the impact of seeding rate and planting arrangement on rye (Secale cereale L. ‘Merced’) cover crop growth and weed suppression. Each year, rye was planted in October at three rates (90, ...
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Rotational and cover crop determinants of soil structural stability and carbon in a potato system
Understanding processes that ameliorate structural degradation in sandy soils is particularly important in intensively managed potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) systems. Seven 2-yr potato rotation systems were evaluated over 3 yr in an irrigated field trial comparing winter management systems bare (B) and cover crops: rye (Secale cereale L.; R), rye-hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth; RV) mixture and ...
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Enhancing nutrient cycling by coupling cover crops with manure injection
Coupling winter small grain cover crops (CC) with liquid manure injection may increase manure nutrient capture. The objectives of this research were to quantify manure injection effects using target swine (Sus scrofa) manure N rates of 112, 224, and 336 kg N ha–1 on CC plant density, fall and spring shoot biomass, N, P, and K uptake and subsequent corn (Zea mays L.) yield. A winter rye (Secale ...
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Use of manure, compost, and cover crops to supplant crop residue carbon in corn stover removed cropping systems
The emerging cellulosic-based ethanol industry will likely use corn (Zea mays L.) stover as a feedstock source. Growers wishing to maintain, or increase soil C levels for agronomic and environmental benefit will need to use C amendments such as manure, compost, or cover crops, to replace C removed with the corn stover. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of cover crops, ...
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Multivariate analysis and visualization of soil quality data for no-till systems
To evidence the multidimensionality of the soil quality concept, we propose the use of data visualization as a tool for exploratory data analyses, model building, and diagnostics. Our objective was to establish the best edaphic indicators for assessing soil quality in four no-till systems with regard to functioning as a medium for crop production and nutrient cycling across two Illinois ...
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Corn belt assessment of cover crop management and preferences
Surveying end-users about their use of technologies and preferences provides information for researchers and educators to develop relevant research and educational programs. A mail survey was sent to Corn Belt farmers during 2006 to quantify cover crop management and preferences. Results indicated that the dominant cereal cover crops in Indiana and Illinois are winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) ...
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Summer cover crop and management system affect lettuce and cantaloupe production system
Cover crops are widely used in both conventional and organic systems to protect and improve the soil. This study evaluated the effect of summer cover crop and management system on the production of fall romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and spring cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.) from 1999 to 2003. Cover crop treatments included cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] incorporated (CPI), cowpea used ...
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Do cultivar and burning affect forage yield and incidence of verticillium wilt or insect pests in alfalfa stands?
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the most important forage crops in Canada and many parts of the world. Two experiments were conducted over a 13-yr period (1989–2002) in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada with five alfalfa cultivars. In the first experiment, ‘Barrier’ and ‘Pacer’ were given three burn treatments (no burn, burn every year, and burn in alternate years) while in the second experiment ...
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Nitrogen storage with cover crops and nitrogen fertilization in tilled and nontilled soils
Improved crop and N management practices are needed to increase soil N storage so that N fertilization rate and the potential for N leaching can be reduced in tilled and nontilled soils. We examined the influence of cover crops and N fertilization rates on N inputs from cover crops, cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] and soil total N (STN) content at the 0- ...
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