cover crops
DESCRIPTION
cover crops. Provide food for beneficial soil microbes and earthworms Increase soil organic matter, which helps improve soil quality and fertility . Blanco- Canqui et al., 2011. Cover crops prevent runoff and can help retain soil moisture. Soil Moisture Retention By Cover Crops In Corn - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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COVER CROPSProvide food for
beneficial soil microbes and earthworms
Increase soil organic matter, which helps improve soil quality and fertility Blanco-Canqui et al., 2011
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Soil Moisture Retention By Cover Crops In Corn a cover crop mulch preserved moisture in a
droughtDAR= days after rain (irrigation)NCC=no cover cropNT= no till with a rolled cover crop mulchTCC= cover crop mowed and tilled in
Cover crops prevent runoff and can help retain soil moisture
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Cover crops help reduce soil compaction and soil erosion
Blanco-Canqui et al., 2011
Williams and Weil, 2004
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Weed Control Cover crops produce a lot of biomass, which
helps to prevent weed germination and growth Fallow fields grow weeds, plant a cover crop in
the off season
CowpeaWeedy plot with no cover crop
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buckwheat cowpeas sesbania sorghum-sudangrass sunn hemp turnip winter radish 0
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Summer Cover Crop Yields, 2012 Bradford Research Center
Crop Species
Dry
matt
er p
rodu
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(kg/
ha)
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Nutrient advantages Winter cover crops capture and hold nitrogen so
that it is not lost to the atmosphere Increased organic
matter is a nutrient reservoir
Legume cover crops produce nitrogen that can then be used by the following crop, reducing fertilizer costs
McVay et al., 1989
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Manure and Compost•Add nutrients•Improve water infiltration and retention•Improve structure
Celik et al., 2004Zebarth et al., 1999
Water content after 3 years of compost addition
Porosity after 4 years of fertilizer, compost or manure addition