scholarly journals Farmer Interest in and Willingness to Grow Pennycress as an Energy Feedstock

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 2066
Author(s):  
Xia Vivian Zhou ◽  
Kimberly L. Jensen ◽  
James A. Larson ◽  
Burton C. English
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crop ◽  
Farm Size ◽  
Aviation Industry ◽  
Risk Averse ◽  
Us States ◽  
Renewable Biomass ◽  
Cash Crops ◽  
Row Crop ◽  
No Till ◽  
Winter Cover Crop

Pennycress can be used as a renewable biomass because its harvested seeds can be converted into biofuel, supplying, for example the aviation industry. Pennycress can be adopted as a winter cover crop to make extra profit in addition to summer cash crops. This study ascertains influences on row crop farmers’ interest in growing pennycress to supply a biofuels industry. The study uses data from a survey of row-crop farmers in seven US states. Effects of farm and farmer attributes on acceptance of a farmgate pennycress price are measured. Nearly 58% were interested in growing pennycress if profitable. Among those interested, 54.4% would accept the farmgate pennycress price offered. Positive influences on interest included farm size, education, and familiarity with pennycress, while concern about knowledge on growing pennycress, and use of no-till practices had negative influences. Farmers aged 40 to 65 were more likely to accept the price, while share of rented hectares and no debt had positive influences. More risk-averse farmers and those using no-till were less likely to accept. Results suggest that the majority of row crop farmers would be interested in growing pennycress if profitable, while the overall willingness to accept the farmgate price was when it was at $0.28/kg.

scholarly journals Effect of Winter Cover Crop Residue on No-till Pumpkin Yield

HortScience ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 42 (7) ◽  
pp. 1568-1574 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Ryan Harrelson ◽  
Greg D. Hoyt ◽  
John L. Havlin ◽  
David W. Monks
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Fruit Size ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Surface Residue ◽  
No Till ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Winter Cover Crop ◽  
Winter Cover

Throughout the southeastern United States, vegetable growers have successfully cultivated pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo) using conventional tillage. No-till pumpkin production has not been pursued by many growers as a result of the lack of herbicides, no-till planting equipment, and knowledge in conservation tillage methods. All of these conservation production aids are now present for successful no-till vegetable production. The primary reasons to use no-till technologies for pumpkins include reduced erosion, improved soil moisture conservation, long-term improvement in soil chemical and microbial properties, and better fruit appearance while maintaining similar yields compared with conventionally produced pumpkins. Cover crop utilization varies in no-till production, whereas residue from different cover crops can affect yields. The objective of these experiments was to evaluate the influence of surface residue type on no-till pumpkin yield and fruit quality. Results from these experiments showed all cover crop residues produced acceptable no-till pumpkin yields and fruit size. Field location, weather conditions, soil type, and other factors probably affected pumpkin yields more than surface residue. Vegetable growers should expect to successfully grow no-till pumpkins using any of the winter cover crop residues tested over a wide range in residue biomass rates.

scholarly journals Soil Greenhouse Gas Responses to Biomass Removal in the Annual and Perennial Cropping Phases of an Integrated Crop Livestock System

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1416
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Christenson ◽  
Virginia L. Jin ◽  
Marty R. Schmer ◽  
Robert B. Mitchell ◽  
Daren D. Redfearn
Keyword(s):  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Livestock Grazing ◽  
Continuous Corn ◽  
Row Crop ◽  
Total Soil ◽  
Winter Cover Crop ◽  
Winter Cover

Diversifying agronomic production systems by combining crops and livestock (i.e., Integrated Crop Livestock systems; ICL) may help mitigate the environmental impacts of intensive single-commodity production. In addition, harvesting row-crop residues and/or perennial biomass could increase the multi-functionality of ICL systems as a potential source for second-generation bioenergy feedstock. Here, we evaluated non-CO2 soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from both row-crop and perennial grass phases of a field-scale model ICL system established on marginally productive, poorly drained cropland in the western US Corn Belt. Soil emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) were measured during the 2017–2019 growing seasons under continuous corn (Zea mays L.) and perennial grass treatments consisting of a common pasture species, ‘Newell’ smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis L.), and two cultivars of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), ‘Liberty’ and ‘Shawnee.’ In the continuous corn system, we evaluated the impact of stover removal by mechanical baling vs. livestock grazing for systems with and without winter cover crop, triticale (x Triticosecale neoblaringhemii A. Camus; hexaploid AABBRR). In perennial grasslands, we evaluated the effect of livestock grazing vs. no grazing. We found that (1) soil N2O emissions are generally higher in continuous corn systems than perennial grasslands due to synthetic N fertilizer use; (2) winter cover crop use had no effect on total soil GHG emissions regardless of stover management treatment; (3) stover baling decreased total soil GHG emissions, though grazing stover significantly increased emissions in one year; (4) grazing perennial grasslands tended to increase GHG emissions in pastures selected for forage quality, but were highly variable from year to year; (5) ICL systems that incorporate perennial grasses will provide the most effective GHG mitigation outcomes.

Organic zero-till in the northern US Great Plains Region: Opportunities and obstacles

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick M. Carr ◽  
Randy L. Anderson ◽  
Yvonne E. Lawley ◽  
Perry R. Miller ◽  
Steve F. Zwinger
Keyword(s):  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Cash Crops ◽  
No Till ◽  
The Us

AbstractThe use of killed cover crop mulch for weed suppression, soil erosion prevention and many other soil and crop benefits has been demonstrated in organic no-till or zero-till farming systems in eastern US regions and in Canada. Implements have been developed to make this system possible by terminating cover crops mechanically with little, if any, soil disturbance. Ongoing research in the US northern Great Plains is being conducted to identify cover crop species and termination methods for use in organic zero-till (OZ) systems that are adapted to the crop rotations and climate of this semi-arid region. Current termination strategies must be improved so that cover crop species are killed consistently and early enough in the growing season so that subsequent cash crops can be grown and harvested successfully. Delaying termination until advanced growth stages improves killing efficacy of cover crops and may provide weed-suppressive mulch for the remainder of the growing season, allowing no-till spring seeding of cash crops during the next growing season. Excessive water use by cover crops, inability of legume cover crops to supply adequate amounts of N for subsequent cash crops and failure of cover crops to suppress perennial weeds are additional obstacles that must be overcome before the use of killed cover crop mulch can be promoted as a weed control alternative to tillage in the US northern Great Plains. Use of vegetative mulch produced by killed cover crops will not be a panacea for the weed control challenges faced by organic growers, but rather one tool along with crop rotation, novel grazing strategies, the judicious use of high-residue cultivation equipment, such as the blade plow, and the use of approved herbicides with systemic activity in some instances, to provide organic farmers with new opportunities to incorporate OZ practices into their cropping systems. Emerging crop rotation designs for organic no-till systems may provide for more efficient use of nutrient and water resources, opportunities for livestock grazing before, during or after cash crop phases and improved integrated weed management strategies on organic farms.

Engine Exhaust Heat Device for Terminating Cover Crops in No-Till Vegetable Systems

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 787-793
Author(s):  
Ted S. Kornecki ◽  
Stephen A. Prior
Keyword(s):  
Heat Source ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
External Heat ◽  
Transfer Efficiency ◽  
Electric Heater ◽  
External Heat Source ◽  
Cash Crops ◽  
No Till ◽  
Exhaust Heat

Abstract. Sustainable no-till practices utilize cover crops to protect the soil surface and to improve soil properties. Proper cover crop management is the key for successful planting of the main crop directly into cover crop residue without interfering with planting operations. In the Southern United States, the recommended time to plant cash crops into desiccated residue cover is typically three weeks after cover crop termination when the termination rate exceeds 90%; this minimizes nutrient competition between cover and cash crops. The standard method to manage cover crops is mechanical termination utilizing rollers/crimpers. This technique flattens and crimp plants to expedite termination. Another method that has been used in agriculture is to injure (desiccate) plants utilizing an external heat source. An example of utilizing an external heat source has been used in vegetable production for weed control. However, there is a need to evaluate another heat source such as exhaust heat generated by internal combustion engines (which otherwise is completely wasted) for cover crop termination effectiveness. To achieve cover crop termination with exhaust heat, a prototype was invented on board a walk-behind tractor powered by a single cylinder gasoline engine from which exhaust heat was funneled from the exhaust manifold to a perforated steel rectangular tube maintaining 204°C against a flattened cover crop to damage plant tissue. The heat pusher was equipped with electric heater strips to provide supplemental heating. Three electric heater strips (front, middle, back relative to the direction of travel) were supplied with electrical energy by a generator powered by the tractor’s PTO and generated temperatures of 379°C to 421°C with a temperature transfer efficiency of 83% to 91%. The performance of the unit with and without supplemental heating was compared with standard mechanical roller/crimper. Results demonstrated that using the exhaust heat concept can be a viable option to terminate cover crops. The exhaust heat transferring channel could be better insulated to exceed the lower 23% temperature transfer efficiency achieved by the device. Cover crop termination data during three weeks of evaluation indicated that the heat-based system was as effective as a mechanical roller/crimper. Keywords: Cereal rye, Cover crop termination, Crimson clover, Exhaust heat, Flattening cover crops, Heat transfer, Heater, Plant termination.

scholarly journals Influence of no‐till and a winter rye cover crop on nitrate losses from tile‐drained row‐crop agriculture in Iowa

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 292-303
Author(s):  
Emily R Waring ◽  
Ainis Lagzdins ◽  
Carl Pederson ◽  
Matthew J. Helmers
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crop ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
Row Crop ◽  
No Till ◽  
Nitrate Losses ◽  
Crop Agriculture

Can winter cover crop termination practices impact weed suppression, soil moisture, and yield in no-till soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]?

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 ◽  
pp. 132-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Armando Rosario-Lebron ◽  
Alan W. Leslie ◽  
Veronica L. Yurchak ◽  
Guihua Chen ◽  
Cerruti R.R. Hooks
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Glycine Max ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
No Till ◽  
Winter Cover Crop ◽  
Glycine Max L ◽  
Winter Cover
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