scholarly journals Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Fluxes Under Different Cover Crop Systems

2022 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanyu Wang ◽  
Eri Saikawa ◽  
Alexander Avramov ◽  
Nicholas S. Hill

Cultivated lands that support high productivity have the potential to produce a large amount of GHG emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4). Intensive land management practices can stimulate CO2, N2O, and CH4 emissions from the soil. Cover crop establishment is considered as one of the sustainable land management strategies under warm and humid environmental conditions. To better understand how the incorporation of cover crops affect three major GHGs, we compared trace gas fluxes in a no-till maize field over the whole growing season in 2018 in a no cover crop (Tr) system and three cover crop systems: crimson clover (CC), cereal rye (CR), and living mulch (LM) using white clover. In 2019, we further explored potential differences in the three GHGs between in-row (IR) and between-row (BWR) of maize for LM and Tr systems during the early growing season. Measurements were taken using a cavity ring-down spectroscopy gas analyzer in Watkinsville, GA. In 2018, the highest CO2 flux (7.00 μmol m−2 s−1) was observed from BWR of maize for LM. The maximum N2O flux observed in LM on June 20th in 2018 was when soil N increase rate was the largest. Soils served as sinks for CH4 and Tr system served as the smallest CH4 sink compared to the other three cover crop systems. For N2O, the highest fluxes were observed from the TrIR plot (4.13 μmol m−2 hr−1) in 2019 with the greatest N inputs. In 2019, we observed a smaller CH4 sink in TrIR (−0.13 μmol m−2 hr−1) compared to TrBWR (−0.67 μmol m−2 hr−1) due potentially to greater NH4+ inhibition effects on CH4 consumption from greater N fertilizer inputs. The net carbon equivalent (CE) from May 23rd to Aug 16th in 2018, taking into account the three GHG fluxes, soil carbon content, and fertilizer, irrigation, and herbicide application, were 32–97, 35–101, 63–139, and 40–106 kg ha−1 yr−1 for CC, CR, LM, and Tr, respectively. LM had the lowest net CE after removing white clover respiration (−16–60 kg ha−1 yr−1). Our results show that implementing different types of cover crop systems and especially the LM system have some potential to mitigate climate change.

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 244-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taïga B. Cholette ◽  
Nader Soltani ◽  
David C. Hooker ◽  
Darren E. Robinson ◽  
Peter H. Sikkema

AbstractGlyphosate-resistant (GR) and multiple herbicide–resistant (groups 2 and 9) Canada fleabane have been confirmed in 30 and 23 counties in Ontario, respectively. The widespread incidence of herbicide-resistant Canada fleabane highlights the importance of developing integrated weed management strategies. One strategy is to suppress Canada fleabane using cover crops. Seventeen different cover crop monocultures or polycultures were seeded after winter wheat harvest in late summer to determine GR Canada fleabane suppression in corn grown the following growing season. All cover crop treatments seeded after wheat harvest suppressed GR Canada fleabane in corn the following year. At 4 wk after cover crop emergence (WAE), estimated cover crop ground cover ranged from 31% to 68%, a density of 124 to 638 plants m–2, and a range of biomass from 29 to 109 g m–2, depending on cover crop species. All of the cover crop treatments suppressed GR Canada fleabane in corn grown the following growing season from May to September compared to the no cover crop control. Among treatments evaluated, annual ryegrass (ARG), crimson clover (CC)/ARG, oilseed radish (OSR)/CC/ARG, and OSR/CC/cereal rye (CR) were the best treatments for the suppression of GR Canada fleabane in corn. ARG alone or in combination with CC provided the most consistent GR Canada fleabane suppression, density reduction, and biomass reduction in corn. Grain corn yields were not affected by the use of the cover crops evaluated for Canada fleabane suppression.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2334
Author(s):  
Heather L. Tyler

Conservation management practices can improve soil health while minimizing deleterious effects of agriculture on the environment. However, adoption of these practices, particularly cover crops, is not widespread, as they often reduce crop yields compared to traditional management practices. The purpose of the current study was to determine if a two-species cover crop treatment of rye (Secale cereale L.) and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) could increase soil health parameters and maximize soybean (Glycine max L.) yield greater than rye only in tilled and no-till Mississippi field soils. Enhanced microbial biomass and organic matter input from cover crops increased the activities of β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis, N-acetylglucosaminidase, and phosphatase in surface soils. Rye plus clover tended to elicit higher activities than rye only in no-till plots. Both cover crop treatments inhibited soybean yield in tilled plots by 11–25%. These results indicate that tillage exacerbates yield inhibition by cover crops in soybean and that double-species cover crop treatments were more consistent in increasing activities linked to nutrient cycling. Further study examining different combinations of cover crops in no-till systems is necessary to gain a better understanding of how they can be implemented to enhance soil health while maximizing crop yield.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carson Bowers ◽  
Michael Toews ◽  
Yangxuan Liu ◽  
Jason M. Schmidt

AbstractA shift to more ecologically based farming practices would improve the sustainability and economic stability of agricultural systems. Habitat management in and around agricultural fields can provide stable environments that aid in the proliferation of natural enemy communities that moderate pest populations and injury. Winter cover crops offer a potentially cost-effective approach to improving habitat that supports natural enemy communities early in the growing season. We investigated the effects of winter cover crops including cereal rye (Secale cereal L.) and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) on the abundance and diversity of natural enemies, key pest populations, biological control services, and cotton yield. Winter cover crops were established on 0.4 ha replicated field plots in the fall of 2017 and 2018. Suction sampling during each cotton development stage demonstrated that a rye cover crop promoted greater abundance and diversity of natural enemy communities in early cotton stages. Extensive leaf sampling of seedling cotton showed that cover crops significantly reduced thrips infestations. Furthermore, stink bug boll injury decreased on plots prepared with a rye cover compared to cotton lacking this additional habitat. Combining end of season yield results and management practices with an economic analysis of the costs of production, the value of cotton grown into a cover crop was cost competitive with conventional (no cover) cotton production. These results suggest that conventional growers utilizing cover crops could reduce insecticide inputs through natural reductions in pest pressure, and overall do not incur additional production costs.


Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 220
Author(s):  
Jo Marie Reiff ◽  
Sebastian Kolb ◽  
Martin H. Entling ◽  
Thomas Herndl ◽  
Stefan Möth ◽  
...  

Habitat simplification and intensive use of pesticides are main drivers of global arthropod declines and are, thus, decreasing natural pest control. Organic farming, complex landscapes, and local vineyard management practices such as implementation of flower-rich cover-crop mixtures may be a promising approach to enhance predator abundance and, therefore, natural pest control. We examined the effect of organic versus integrated management, cover-crop diversity in the vineyard inter-rows, and landscape composition on the natural pest control of Lobesia botrana eggs and pupae. Predation of L. botrana pupae was reduced by organic farming and species-poor cover-crops by about 10%. Predation rates of L. botrana eggs did not differ significantly in any of the studied management options. Dominant predators were earwigs (Forficulidae), bush crickets (Tettigoniidae), and ants (Formicidae). Negative effects of organic viticulture are most likely related to the negative nontarget effects on arthropods related to the frequent sulfur and copper applications in combination with the avoidance of strongly damaging insecticides by integrated winegrowers. While a 10% difference in predation rates on a single pest stage is unlikely to have strong practical implications, our results show that the assumed effectiveness of environmentally friendly agriculture needs to be evaluated for specific crops and regions.


1988 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. S. Rothrock ◽  
W. L. Hargrove

The influence of winter legume cover crops and of tillage on soil populations of fungal genera containing plant pathogenic species in the subsequent summer sorghum crop were examined in field studies. Legume cover crops significantly increased populations of Pythium spp. throughout the sorghum crop compared with a rye cover crop or no cover crop. This stimulation of the populations of Pythium spp. was not solely due to colonization of cover-crop residue, as populations were significantly greater at the time the legume cover crop was desiccated. Removal of aboveground residue generally decreased populations of Pythium spp. in soil. Incorporation of residue by tillage increased populations of Pythium spp. at some sampling dates. Legumes differed in the magnitude of stimulation, with hairy vetch stimulating Pythium spp. more than crimson clover. Cover crop treatments did not consistently influence soil populations of Fusarium spp., Rhizoctonia solani, Rhizoctonia-like binucleate fungi, or Macrophomina phaseolina. Macrophomina phaseolina populations were significantly greater under no tillage.


2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matheus G. Palhano ◽  
Jason K. Norsworthy ◽  
Tom Barber

AbstractCover crop acreage has substantially increased over the last few years due to the intent of growers to capitalize on federal conservation payments and incorporate sustainable practices into agricultural systems. Despite all the known benefits, widespread adoption of cover crops still remains limited due to potential cost and management requirements. Cover crop termination is crucial, because a poorly controlled cover crop can become a weed and lessen the yield potential of the current cash crop. A field study was conducted in fall 2015 and 2016 at the Arkansas Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Fayetteville to evaluate preplant herbicide options for terminating cover crops. Glyphosate-containing treatments controlled 97% to 100% of cereal rye and wheat, but glyphosate alone controlled less than 57% of legume cover crops. The most effective way to control hairy vetch, Austrian winterpea, and crimson clover with glyphosate resulted from mixtures of glyphosate with glufosinate, 2,4-D, and dicamba. Higher rates of auxin herbicides improved control in these mixtures. Glufosinate alone or in mixture controlled legume cover crops 81% or more. Paraquat plus metribuzin was effective in terminating both cereal and legume cover crops, with control of cereal cover crops ranging from 87% to 97% and control of legumes ranging from 90% to 96%. None of these herbicides or mixtures adequately controlled rapeseed.


Weed Science ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 346-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas E. Korres ◽  
Jason K. Norsworthy

Cover crops are becoming increasingly common in cotton as a result of glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth; hence, a field experiment was conducted in 2009 and 2010 in Marianna, AR, with a rye cover crop used to determine its effects on the critical period for weed control in cotton. Throughout most of the growing season, weed biomass in the presence of a rye cover crop was lesser than that in the absence of a rye cover crop. In 2009, in weeks 2 through 7 after planting, weed biomass was reduced at least twofold in the presence of a rye cover compared with the absence of rye. In 2009, in both presence and absence of a rye cover crop, weed removal needed to begin before weed biomass was 150 g m−2, or approximately 4 wk after planting, to prevent yield loss > 5%. Weed density was less in 2010 than in 2009, so weed removal was not required until 7 wk after planting, at which point weed biomass values were 175 and 385 g m−2in the presence and absence of a cover crop, respectively.


2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cody D. Cornelius ◽  
Kevin W. Bradley

The recent interest in cover crops as component of Midwest corn and soybean production systems has led to the need for additional research, including the effects of residual corn and soybean herbicide treatments on fall cover crop establishment. Field studies were conducted in 2013, 2014, and 2015 in Columbia, Missouri to investigate the effects of common residual herbicides applied in corn and soybean on establishment of winter wheat, tillage radish, cereal rye, crimson clover, winter oat, Austrian winter pea, Italian ryegrass, and hairy vetch. Cover crops were evaluated for stand and biomass reduction 28 d after emergence (DAE). Rainfall from herbicide application to cover crop seeding date was much greater in 2014 and 2015, which resulted in less carryover in these years compared to 2013. When averaged across all herbicides evaluated in these experiments, the general order of sensitivity of cover crops to herbicide carryover, from greatest to least was Austrian winter pea=crimson clover>oilseed radish>Italian ryegrass>hairy vetch>wheat >winter oat>cereal rye. Cereal rye had the fewest instances of biomass or stand reduction with only four out of the 27 herbicides adversely effecting establishment. Pyroxasulfone consistently reduced Italian ryegrass and winter oat biomass at least 67% in both the corn and soybean experiments. In the soybean experiment, imazethapyr- and fomesafen-containing products resulted in severe stand and biomass reduction in both years while flumetsulam-containing products resulted in the greatest carryover symptoms in the corn experiment. Results from these experiments suggest that several commonly used corn and soybean herbicides have the potential to hinder cover crop establishment, but the severity of damage will depend on weather, cover crop species, and the specific herbicide combination.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 117862212094806 ◽  
Author(s):  
MJ Marques ◽  
M Ruiz-Colmenero ◽  
R Bienes ◽  
A García-Díaz ◽  
B Sastre

The study of alternative soil managements to tillage, based on the evidence of climate change in the Mediterranean basin, is of great importance. Summer and autumn are critical seasons for soil degradation due to the high-intensity, short-duration storms. Vineyards are vulnerable, especially on steep slopes. The particular effects of storms over the years under different soil conditions due to different management practices are not frequently addressed in the literature. The aim of this study was to examine the differences between runoff and soil moisture patterns influenced by 2 treatments: traditional tillage (Till) and a permanent cover crop. A shallow-rooted grass species Brachypodium distachyon (L.) P. Beauv. with considerable density coverage was selected as cover crop. This annual species was seeded once in the first year and then allowed to self-seed the following years. Tillage was performed at least twice in spring to a 10- to 15-cm depth and once in late autumn at a depth of 20 to 35 cm. Rainfall simulation experiments were performed, 1 year after treatments, using high-intensity rainfall on closed plots of 2 m2, located in the middle strips of the vineyard with different treatments. The effects of simulated rainfall experiments were determined in 3 different moments of the growth cycle of cultivar: (1) in summer with dry soils, (2) in early autumn with moderate soil moisture, and (3) in autumn with wet soils. During the 2-year trial, the soil moisture level in the soil upper layer (0-10 cm) was higher for Till treatment (14.1% ± 2.4%) compared with that for cover crop treatment (12.3% ± 2.0%). However, soil moisture values were more similar between treatments at 35 cm depth (12% ± 1%), with the exception of spring and autumn; in spring, water consumption in the cover crop treatment was the highest, and the moisture level at 35 cm depth was reduced (12%) compared with that for Till treatment (13%). In autumn, in cover crop treatment, higher water infiltration rate in soils led to higher soil moisture content at 35 cm (11%) compared with that of Till treatment (10%). The effects of simulated rainfall experiments on runoff and infiltration under different soil conditions and management practices vary seasonally. Runoff was significantly higher in summer for cover crop treatment (11%) as compared with that for Till management (1%), but significantly lower (3%) with wetter soils than for Till treatment (22%) in autumn. Thus, the simulation experiments with wet soils using cover crops produced higher infiltration rates and, consequently, the higher soil moisture content in the following days. The difference between seasons is attributed to the greater porosity of soil under Till treatment in summer, which resulted from the shallow plowing (10-15 cm depth), carried out to reduce moisture competition between weeds. The effect of traditional spring plowing was short-lived. The infiltration of water increased by cover crop treatment as compared with tillage in autumn both before and after ripping. Management practices did not influence wine parameters, as no significant differences were found between wine organoleptic characteristics in the duo-trio wine tastings, similarly, no differences were found for alcoholic degree, acidity, reduced sugars, and pH; however, a trend for a positive increase in polyphenol contents was noticed. Therefore, properly managed to avoid water shortages, cover crops can be recommended for soil protection in semi-arid environments.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-54
Author(s):  
Kara B. Pittman ◽  
Charles W. Cahoon ◽  
Kevin W. Bamber ◽  
Lucas S. Rector ◽  
Michael L. Flessner

AbstractCover crops provide a number of agronomic benefits, including weed suppression, which is important as cases of herbicide resistance continue to rise. To effectively suppress weeds, high cover crop biomass is needed, which necessitates later termination timing. Cover crop termination is important to mitigate potential planting issues and prevent surviving cover crop competition with cash crops. Field studies were conducted in Virginia to determine the most effective herbicide options alone or combined with glyphosate or paraquat to terminate a range of cover crop species. Results revealed that grass cover crop species were controlled (94% to 98%) by glyphosate alone 4 wk after application (WAA). Overall, legume species varied in response to the single active-ingredient treatments, and control increased with the addition of glyphosate or paraquat. Mixes with glyphosate provided better control of crimson clover and hairy vetch by 7% to 8% compared with mixes containing paraquat 4 WAA. Mix partner did not influence control of Austrian winter pea. No treatment adequately controlled rapeseed in this study, with a maximum of 58% control observed with single active-ingredient treatments and 62% control with mixes. Height reduction for all cover crop species supports visible rating data. Rapeseed should be terminated when smaller, which could negate weed suppressive benefits from this cover crop species. Growers should consider herbicide selection and termination timing in their cover crop plan to ensure effective termination.


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