Cover crops are increasingly being included in lists of best management practices for water quality, but their adoption among non-organic farmers has been slow. One approach to increasing the use
Establishment and growth of tillage radish alone and alongside annual and winter hardy cover crop species were evaluated amongst tillage and fertility treatments. Cover crops were planted after wheat harvest
Many agricultural watersheds in Minnesota have toxic levels of phosphorus and nitrogen, much of which originates in agricultural fields that are fallowed from October through May. Autumn-sown winter cover crops
This project engaged and supported three experienced farmers, currently using cover crops, to measure and quantify some of the benefits of cover crops in southern Minnesota. In addition to quantifying
The potential benefits of different covercrops, biological control amendments, and vegetable rotation on soil chemical and biological properties, crop development and yield, and disease development in organic vegetable production, as
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.;
Cover crops are grown to protect and/or enrich the soil rather than for short term economic gain. When turned into the soil, a cover crop is called a green manure,
Organic farmers are challenged by increasing soil P levels resulting from the use of manure to meet cash crop N needs. The use of a legume cover crop may address
Cover crops are important management practices for reducing nitrogen (N) leaching, especially in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which is under total maximum daily load (TMDL) restraints. Winter cereals are common
The practice of planting cover crops during fallow periods has increased due to the benefits provided to the soil system, including improved nutrient cycling, addition of organic matter and a
Conventionally managed, continuous monoculture row-crop production has depleted the soil of nutrients, organic matter, and overall productivity. This has increased the need for external inputs, specifcally N, to meet crop
Agroecosystem nitrogen (N) loss produces greenhouse gases, induces eutrophication, and is costly for farmers; therefore, conservation agricultural management practices aimed at reducing N loss are increasingly adopted.
The objective of this study was to quantify the effects of cover crops and different fertilizer management techniques on the amount of nutrients being removed and recycled in the soil
This study aimed to (i) determine the long-term effects of no-till with CCs and varying nitrogen (N)rates on subsequent sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] yield and yield components, (ii) assess
A study was conducted in 2014 to examine the short term effects associated with cover cropping systems. The effects of ryegrass, red clover and a cover crop cocktail(mixture of ryegrass,
The implementation of cover crops in Iowa has the potential to decrease soil erosion, weed density, and nitrate leaching while increasing soil organic carbon. This study investigated nine potential cover
The sandy soils of Muscatine County, Iowa, are prone to erosion and leaching. In the fall, leftover fertilizer applied to the corn and soybean crop is highly susceptible to leaching.
Cover crops can be a management practice used to improve soil health and increase resilience to extreme climate events in a typical midwestern corn–soybean (Zea mays L.–Glycine max L.) rotation.
Heavy application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers to agroecosystems contributes to water pollution and emission of nitrous oxide (N2O), an atmospheric constituent implicated in the greenhouse effect and stratospheric ozone depletion.
A growing concern of soil health and long-term sustainability has increased interest in no-till and cover crops in the Midwest. Some of the challenges with no-till in the Midwest can