Use of cover crops to promote soil health

2018 ◽  
pp. 191-204
Author(s):  
Robert L. Myers ◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Soil Health

Weeds, nitrogen and yield: measuring the effectiveness of an organic cover cropped vegetable no-till system

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 439-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Robb ◽  
Geoff Zehnder ◽  
Robin Kloot ◽  
William Bridges ◽  
Dara Park
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Soil N ◽  
No Till ◽  
Mechanical Methods

AbstractOrganic vegetable growers rely heavily on mechanical methods such as tillage and other forms of labor-intensive soil cultivation for weed management despite the negative effects to soil health associated with intensive soil disturbance. The use of cover crops and no-till (NT) vegetable production represents an alternative approach to weed control that can enhance rather than degrade soil health; however, there are challenges inherent with this practice and previous results in vegetable production have been mixed. Field experiments were conducted over 2 yr at the Clemson Student Organic Farm to examine the effects of tillage [NT versus conventional tillage (CT)] on weed development and management in organic tomato and summer squash production under different nitrogen (N) fertility regimes, and to assess soil N dynamics in both systems. Squash yields were similar between tillage treatments in both years. NT tomato yields were 43% greater than CT yields in 2014, whereas CT tomato yields were 46% greater than NT yields in 2015. Squash and tomato yields per unit of management labor (time) were significantly greater in NT compared with CT treatments for both years. There were no statistical differences in squash and tomato yields between N fertilization treatments in either year. Pre- and post-season soil N results were mixed. Pre-season soil N levels were significantly higher in NT tomato plots in 2014 but similar between tillage treatments in tomato plots in 2015 and in squash plots both years. Post-season soil N levels in tomato plots were similar between tillage treatments both years. Post-season soil N levels were significantly higher in NT squash plots in 2014 and in CT squash plots in 2015. Roller-crimped NT mulches provided adequate early-season weed suppression in both years and saved considerable weed management and seedbed preparation labor. Overall, the results demonstrated that organic NT is a viable method for reduced tillage summer vegetable production in the southeastern Piedmont region.

scholarly journals The Perceived Benefits, Challenges, and Environmental Effects of Cover Crop Implementation in South Carolina

Agriculture ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 372
Author(s):  
Lucas Clay ◽  
Katharine Perkins ◽  
Marzieh Motallebi ◽  
Alejandro Plastina ◽  
Bhupinder Singh Farmaha
Keyword(s):  
South Carolina ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Row Crop ◽  
The Impact

Cover crops are becoming more accepted as a viable best management practice because of their ability to provide important environmental and soil health benefits. Because of these benefits, many land managers are strongly encouraging the use of cover crops. Additionally, there is limited information on farmers′ perceptions of the benefits and challenges of implementing cover crops. Many farmers state that they do not have enough money or time to implement cover crops. In an attempt to gather more data about the adoption rate and perceptions of cover crops in South Carolina, a survey was sent to 3000 row crop farmers across the state. Farmers were asked whether they implement cover crops and their perceptions of the benefits and challenges associated with implementation. Furthermore, questions were asked regarding the impact of row cropping on their environment to gauge farmer′s education level on environmental impacts. Responses showed many people are implementing cover crops; however, there are still differences in perceptions about benefits and challenges between those who are adopting cover crops and those who are not. This research assesses these differences and aims to provide a baseline for focusing cover crop programs to tackle these certain challenges and promote the benefits.

scholarly journals Knowledge needs, available actions and future challenges in agricultural soils

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgina Key ◽  
Mike G. Whitfield ◽  
Julia Cooper ◽  
Franciska T. De Vries ◽  
Martin Collison ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Grazing Intensity ◽  
Nitrification Inhibitors ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
Spearman’S Correlation

Abstract. The goal of this study is to clarify research needs and identify effective actions for enhancing soil health. This was done by a synopsis of soil literature that specifically tests actions designed to maintain or enhance elements of soil health. Using an expert panel of soil scientists and practitioners, we then assessed the evidence in the soil synopsis to highlight actions beneficial to soil health, actions considered detrimental, and actions that need further investigation. Only seven of the 27 reviewed actions were considered to be beneficial, or likely to be beneficial in enhancing soil health. These included the use of a mixture of organic and inorganic soil amendments, cover crops, crop rotations, and growth of crops between crop rows or underneath the main crop, and the use of formulated chemical compounds (such as nitrification inhibitors), the control of traffic and traffic timing, and reducing grazing intensity. Using a partial Spearman's correlation to analyse the panel's responses, we found that increased certainty in scientific evidence led to actions being considered to be more effective due to them being empirically justified. This suggests that for actions to be considered effective and put into practice, a substantial body of research is needed to support the effectiveness of the action. This is further supported by the high proportion of actions (33 %), such as changing the timing of ploughing or amending the soil with crops grown as green manures, that experts felt had unknown effectiveness, usually due to insufficient robust evidence. Our assessment, which uses the Delphi technique, increasingly used to improve decision-making in conservation and agricultural policy, identified actions that can be put into practice to benefit soil health. Moreover, it has enabled us to identify actions that need further research, and a need for increased communication between researchers, policy-makers and practitioners, in order to find effective means of enhancing soil health.

Do diverse mixtures of cover crop residues alter the soil microbial community and increase soil function?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Shu ◽  
Yiran Zou ◽  
Liz Shaw ◽  
Lindsay Todman ◽  
Mark Tibbett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Soil Microbial Community ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Soil Function ◽  
Soil Microbial ◽  
Quaternary Mixture

<p>Cover crops are a contemporary tool to sustainably manage agricultural soils by boosting fertility, suppressing weeds and disease, and benefiting cash crop yields, thus securing future food supply. Due to the different chemical composition of crop residues from different plant families, we hypothesised that a mixture of cover crop residues may have a greater potential to improve soil health than the sum of the parts. Our experiment focused on the impact of four cover crops (clover, sunflower, radish and buckwheat) and their quaternary mixture on soil respiration and the soil microbial community in an 84-day microcosm experiment. On average adding cover crop residues significantly (P < 0.001) increased soil respiration from 29 to 343 µg C g<sup>-1</sup> h<sup>-1</sup> and microbial biomass from 18 to 60 µg C g<sup>-1</sup>, compared to the unamended control during 84 days’ incubation. Cover crop addition resulted in a significant (P < 0.001) alteration of the soil microbial community structure compared to that of the control. The quaternary mixture of cover crop residues significantly (P = 0.011) increased soil respiration rate by 23.79 µg C g<sup>-1</sup> h<sup>-1</sup> during the period 30 to 84 days after residue incorporation, compared to the average of the four individual residues. However, no significant difference in the size of the microbial biomass was found between the mixture and the average of the four individuals, indicating the mixture may invest resources which transit dormant microbial species into a metabolically active state and thus boost microbial respiration. Analysis of similarity of microbial community composition (ANOSIM) demonstrated the mixture significantly (P = 0.001) shifted microbial community structure away from buckwheat (R = 0.847), clover (R = 0.688), radish (R = 0.285) and sunflower (R = 0.785), respectively. This implies cover crop residues provide a niche specialization and differentiation on a selection of microbial communities that favour certain plant compounds. While applying cover crop residues has positive impacts on soil function, we found that applying a mixture of cover crop residues may provide greater potential to select for microorganisms or activate dormant microbial species which result in higher soil function. The outcome of this study will help seed suppliers to design, and farmers to select, novel cover crop mixtures which enhance soil function synergistically, leading to a greater potential to sustainably improve soil health.</p>

scholarly journals Soil Health Assessment and Management: Recent Development in Science and Practices

Soil Systems ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Mingxin Guo
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Health Assessment ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Assessment Methods ◽  
Scientific Validity ◽  
Health Card ◽  
Research Education

In the past decade soil health has been intensively studied as a science and practiced as a means to help improve the global social, environmental, and economic sustainability. This paper reviews the recent advances of the scientific soil health system. The current understanding and interpretation of soil health from the perspectives of soil functions, processes, and properties is summarized. Multi-tier soil health indicators were selected from relevant soil physical, chemical, and biological parameters. A suite of soil health assessment methods have been developed, such as soil health card, Solvita soil health tests, Haney soil health test, and comprehensive assessment of soil health. An array of soil health management practices have been recommended, including proper land use, crop rotation, cover crops, conservation tillage, soil organic amendment, crop-range-livestock integration, and rotational grazing. Overall, the recommended soil health indicators and assessment methods need further validation and improvement in relevance, scientific validity, practicality, and local adaptation. Continuous research, education, and outreach efforts are warranted to promote localized development, adoption, and implementation of soil health assessment and management.

scholarly journals Benefits of Cover Crops for Soil Health

EDIS ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 2007 (20) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoana C. Newman ◽  
David L. Wright ◽  
Cheryl Mackowiak ◽  
J.M.S. Scholberg ◽  
C. M. Cherr
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Weed Control ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Nutrient Release ◽  
Fact Sheet ◽  
Residue Incorporation

SS-AGR-272, a 4-page fact sheet by Y.C. Newman, D.W. Wright, C. Mackowiak, J.M.S. Scholberg and C.M. Cherr, discusses the benefits of cover crops in agricultural production, the benefits of soil organic matter; how to match cover crop nutrient release with future crop demand; timing and depth of residue incorporation; and erosion, pest and weed control. Includes references. Published by the UF Department of Agronomy, November 2007. SS AGR 272/AG277: Benefits of Cover Crops for Soil Health (ufl.edu)

Cover crops improve some, but not all, soil health indicators in horticultural rotations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn B. Marshall ◽  
David L. Burton ◽  
Derek H. Lynch
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Soil Degradation ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Residual Soil ◽  
Available Nitrogen ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Production of fruits and vegetables provides nutrient dense and high values crops. However, horticulture production is often very intensive and degrading to soil, with high levels of soil disturbance, high use of fertilizer inputs, and with prolonged periods of exposed soil. This can lead to increased soil degradation when compared to other types of cropping. We used a subset of the Atlantic Soil Health Laboratory’s database of on-farm soil samples collected between 2016-2018 to assess the impact of cover crops (CC) use in horticulture production in Nova Scotia on soil health. We analyzed 21 soil health parameters on soil collected from 14 fields, seven of which incorporated CCs in their crop rotation and seven of which used no CCs. The inclusion of CCs significantly increased permanganate oxidizable carbon, soil respiration, autoclaved-citrate extractable (ACE) protein, residual soil nitrogen, and biologically available nitrogen. However, we also found that the variation in these parameters was greater when CCs were part of the rotation. This is likely attributable to the wide range of CC species used and differences in their management, such as the chosen termination method. While cover cropping is seen as a best management practice to improve soil health simply using a CC in a horticulture rotation does not necessarily lead to improved soil health. Research trials on specific CC species and management to target soil degradation are needed to tailor recommendations to ensure the desired soil health outcomes can be achieved with CC use.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document