scholarly journals Effect of Previous Crop Roots on Soil Compaction in 2 Yr Rotations under a No-Tillage System

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 202
Author(s):  
Jay D. Jabro ◽  
Brett L. Allen ◽  
Tatyana Rand ◽  
Sadikshya R. Dangi ◽  
Joshua W. Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Parent Material ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Tillage System

Compacted soils affect global crop productivity and environmental quality. A field study was conducted from 2014 to 2020 in the northern Great Plains, USA, to evaluate the effect of various rooting systems on soil compaction in 2 yr rotations of camelina (Camelina sativa L.), carinata (Brassica carinata A.) and a cover crop mix planted in place of fallow with durum (Triticum durum D.). The study was designed as a randomized complete block with three replications in a no-tillage system. The soil was classified as Dooley sandy loam (fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Argiustolls) derived from glacial till parent material. Three measurements of soil penetration resistance (PR) were taken with a penetrometer to a depth of 0–30 cm within each plot. Soil moisture contents were determined using a TDR sensor at the time of PR measurements. Both measurements were monitored prior to planting in spring and after harvest. Initial PR results from spring 2014 showed that all plots had an average of 2.244 MPa between the 8–20 cm depth, due to a history of tillage and wheel traffic caused by various field activities. Covariance analysis indicated that soil PR was not significantly affected by crop type and moisture content. After one cycle of the 2 yr rotation, the 2016 measurements indicated that the compacted layer existed at the same initial depths. However, after two and three cycles, soil PR values were reduced to 1.480, 1.812, 1.775, 1.645 MPa in spring 2018 and 1.568, 1.581, 1.476, 1.458 MPa in 2020 under camelina, carinata, cover crop mix, and durum treatments, respectively. These findings indicate that previous cover crop roots could effectively improve soil compaction by penetrating the compacted layer, decompose over time and form voids and root channels. Although these results are novel and significant, further research is needed on different soils and under cover crops with different root systems to support our findings prior to making any conclusion.

Amelioration of soil compaction by a cover-crop for no-tillage lettuce production

1995 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 553 ◽  
Author(s):  
RJ Stirzaker ◽  
I White
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Hot Weather

Excessive cultivation in many horticultural areas results in soil structural decline and poor utilization of water and nutrients. There are no reliable techniques for growing irrigated vegetables without cultivation. This work explores the hypothesis that a winter legume cover-crop can overcome the soil limitations of no-tillage and provide an alternative to excessive cultivation in the vegetable industry. We grew lettuce (Lactuca sativa) under no-tillage in field trials on a sandy loam soil following a bare winter fallow or a cover-crop of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum), and compared this with cultivation by rotary hoe. The clover died naturally in early summer or was desiccated in the spring to form a mulch of at least 5 t ha-1 on the soil surface. The experiment was carried out over a 2.5 year period. The first crop was grown during hot weather and the soil in the no-tillage treatments was only moderately compacted. The yield of lettuce was similar in the no-tillage and cultivated treatments, and increased by about 30% when a mulch was added to each treatment. The soil was artificially compacted after the first crop. The second crop was grown 18 months later, during cooler spring weather, and following two further cover-crops. The yield of no-tillage lettuce was only 40% of that obtained with cultivation. Yield in the no-tillage treatment was doubled in two different ways: (1) by the addition of a surface mulch, and (2) through changes to soil structure stimulated by a cover-crop in the absence of a mulch. The experiments showed that a well-managed cover-crop can significantly ameliorate a compacted sandy soil by modifying soil temperature, soil strength, and by stimulating the formation of biopores.

scholarly journals Temporal Soil Bacterial Community Responses to Cropping Systems and Crop Identity in Dryland Agroecosystems of the Northern Great Plains

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tindall Ouverson ◽  
Jed Eberly ◽  
Tim Seipel ◽  
Fabian D. Menalled ◽  
Suzanne L. Ishaq
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Community ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Crop Rotation ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Tillage System ◽  
Bacterial Richness ◽  
Certified Organic

Industrialized agriculture results in simplified landscapes where many of the regulatory ecosystem functions driven by soil biological and physicochemical characteristics have been hampered or replaced with intensive, synthetic inputs. To restore long-term agricultural sustainability and soil health, soil should function as both a resource and a complex ecosystem. In this study, we examined how cropping systems impact soil bacterial community diversity and composition, important indicators of soil ecosystem health. Soils from a representative cropping system in the semi-arid Northern Great Plains were collected in June and August of 2017 from the final phase of a 5-year crop rotation managed either with chemical inputs and no-tillage, as a USDA-certified organic tillage system, or as a USDA-certified organic sheep grazing system with reduced tillage intensity. DNA was extracted and sequenced for bacteria community analysis via 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Bacterial richness and diversity decreased in all farming systems from June to August and was lowest in the chemical no-tillage system, while evenness increased over the sampling period. Crop species identity did not affect bacterial richness, diversity, or evenness. Conventional no-till, organic tilled, and organic grazed management systems resulted in dissimilar microbial communities. Overall, cropping systems and seasonal changes had a greater effect on microbial community structure and diversity than crop identity. Future research should assess how the rhizobiome responds to the specific phases of a crop rotation, as differences in bulk soil microbial communities by crop identity were not detectable.

scholarly journals Corn and soybean yields as affected by cover crops and herbicide timing under no-tillage system

2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 939-946
Author(s):  
P. Oliveira ◽  
A.S. Nascente ◽  
J. Kluthcouski ◽  
T.A.P. Castro
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Common Bean ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Block Design ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Brachiaria Brizantha ◽  
Grain Yields ◽  
Randomized Block Design ◽  
Tillage System

To achieve better results in the no-tillage system (NTS), it is important to properly manage the cover crop prior to planting by using herbicides, usually glyphosate. The effect of glyphosate on plant coverage is slow, and plants take a few days to die completely. Thus, when applying the herbicide on the same day of planting soybean or corn, cover crops are still alive and standing, causing initial shading on seedlings of the crop and delaying its establishment. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of distinct cover crops and their timing of desiccation prior to planting soybean or corn, on crop yield and yield components. Two experiments were installed, one for soybean and another for corn. Each experiment consisted in combining three cover crops (Brachiaria brizantha, common bean or millet) chemically desiccated at two timings before planting the crop (15 or 0 days before planting) under no-tillage system (NTS). Experiments were installed in a completely randomized block design with five replications. Brachiaria brizantha produced the highest amount of biomass; common bean and millet as cover crops allowed higher soybean grain yields; herbicide application under common bean, millet and Brachiaria brizantha 15 days before planting soybean allowed higher crop grain yields; desiccation timing of common bean did not affect corn grain yield; Brachiaria brizantha should be desiccated 15 days before planting corn to allow maximum grain yield; when millet was used as a cover crop, glyphosate application at planting of corn allowed the highest grain yield.

scholarly journals Soil Aggregation, Organic Carbon Concentration, and Soil Bulk Density As Affected by Cover Crop Species in a No-Tillage System

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 871-879 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriano Stephan Nascente ◽  
Yuncong Li ◽  
Carlos Alexandre Costa Crusciol
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Soil Bulk Density ◽  
Soil Aggregation ◽  
Soil Tillage ◽  
Panicum Maximum ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Tillage System

Soil aggregation and the distribution of total organic carbon (TOC) may be affected by soil tillage and cover crops. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of crop rotation with cover crops on soil aggregation, TOC concentration in the soil aggregate fractions, and soil bulk density under a no-tillage system (NTS) and conventional tillage system (CTS, one plowing and two disking). This was a three-year study with cover crop/rice/cover crop/rice rotations in the Brazilian Cerrado. A randomized block experimental design with six treatments and three replications was used. The cover crops (treatments) were: fallow, Panicum maximum, Brachiaria ruziziensis, Brachiaria brizantha, and millet (Pennisetum glaucum). An additional treatment, fallow plus CTS, was included as a control. Soil samples were collected at the depths of 0.00-0.05 m, 0.05-0.10 m, and 0.10-0.20 m after the second rice harvest. The treatments under the NTS led to greater stability in the soil aggregates (ranging from 86.33 to 95.37 %) than fallow plus CTS (ranging from 74.62 to 85.94 %). Fallow plus CTS showed the highest number of aggregates smaller than 2 mm. The cover crops affected soil bulk density differently, and the millet treatment in the NTS had the lowest values. The cover crops without incorporation provided the greatest accumulation of TOC in the soil surface layers. The TOC concentration was positively correlated with the aggregate stability index in all layers and negatively correlated with bulk density in the 0.00-0.10 m layer.

scholarly journals Introducing cover crops as fallow replacement in the Northern Great Plains: II. Impact on following wheat crops

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Maryse Bourgault ◽  
Samuel A. Wyffels ◽  
Julia M. Dafoe ◽  
Peggy F. Lamb ◽  
Darrin L. Boss
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Wheat Crop ◽  
Wheat Grain ◽  
Grain Yields

Abstract The introduction of cover crops as fallow replacement in the traditional cereal-based cropping system of the Northern Great Plains has the potential to decrease soil erosion, increase water infiltration, reduce weed pressure and improve soil health. However, there are concerns this might come at the cost of reduced production in the subsequent wheat crop due to soil water use by the cover crops. To determine this risk, a phased 2-year rotation of 15 different cover crop mixtures and winter wheat/spring wheat was established at the Northern Agricultural Research Center near Havre, MT from 2012 to 2020, or four rotation cycles. Controls included fallow–wheat and barley–wheat sequences. Cover crops and barley were terminated early July by haying, grazing or herbicide application. Yields were significantly decreased in wheat following cover crops in 3 out of 8 years, up to maximum of 1.4 t ha−1 (or 60%) for winter wheat following cool-season cover crop mixtures. However, cover crops also unexpectedly increased following wheat yields in 2018, possibly due in part to residual fertilizer. Within cool-, mid- and warm-season cover crop groups, individual mixtures did not show significant differences impact on following grain yields. Similarly, cover crop termination methods had no impact on spring or winter wheat grain yields in any of the 8 years considered. Wheat grain protein concentration was not affected by cover crop mixtures or termination treatments but was decreased in winter wheat following barley. Differences in soil water content across cover crop groups were only evident at the beginning of the third cycle in one field, but important reductions were observed below 15 cm in the last rotation cycle. In-season rainfall explained 43 and 13% of the variability in winter and spring wheat yields, respectively, compared to 2 and 1% for the previous year cover crop biomass. Further economic analyses are required to determine if the integration of livestock is necessary to mitigate the risks associated with the introduction of cover crops in replacement of fallow in the Northern Great Plains.

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.

scholarly journals Late-seeded cover crops in a semiarid environment: overyielding, dominance and subsequent crop yield

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
John R. Hendrickson ◽  
Mark A. Liebig ◽  
David W. Archer ◽  
Marty R. Schmer ◽  
Kristine A. Nichols ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Crop Yield ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Relative Yield ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Species Selection ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Cash Crops ◽  
Precipitation Timing

Abstract Interest in cover crops is increasing but information is limited on integrating them into crop rotations especially in the relatively short growing season on the northern Great Plains. A 3-yr research project, initiated in 2009 near Mandan, North Dakota, USA, evaluated (1) what impact cover crops may have on subsequent cash crops yields and (2) whether cover crop mixtures are more productive and provide additional benefits compared to cover crop monocultures. The study evaluated 18 different cover crop monocultures and mixtures that were seeded in August following dry pea (Pisum sativum L.). The following year, spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), corn (Zea mays L.), soybean (Glycine max L.) and field pea were seeded into the different cover crop treatments and a non-treated control. A lack of timely precipitation in 2009 resulted in a low cover crop yield of 17 g m2 compared to 100 and 77 g m2 in 2008 and 2010, respectively. Subsequent cash crop yield was not affected by late-seeded cover crops. Cool-season cover crop monocultures were more productive than warm-season monocultures and some mixtures in 2008 and 2010. Relative yield total did not differ from one in any cover crop mixture suggesting that overyielding did not occur. Species selection rather than species diversity was the most important contributor to cover crop yield. Cover crops can be grown following short-season cash crops in the northern Great Plains, but precipitation timing and species selection are critical.

Buckwheat Species as Summer Cover Crops for Weed Suppression in No-Tillage Vegetable Cropping Systems

Weed Science ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 690-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary T. Saunders Bulan ◽  
David E. Stoltenberg ◽  
Joshua L. Posner
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Nitrogen Availability ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Tartary Buckwheat ◽  
Shoot Biomass ◽  
N Availability ◽  
No Tillage

Buckwheat is a broadleaved annual species that is often used as a summer cover crop for its quick growth, weed suppressive ability, and ease of management. Tartary buckwheat is a species related to buckwheat, with many of the same traits valued in buckwheat as a cover crop. However, Tartary buckwheat has been reported to grow more vigorously than buckwheat, especially in cool conditions, which might fill a unique niche for vegetable farmers in Wisconsin and other northcentral states. Our research objectives were to determine the effectiveness of Tartary buckwheat relative to buckwheat for weed suppression, both during the cover-cropping phase and after cover-crop termination during cabbage production, and quantify weed suppression, soil compaction, soil nitrogen availability, and cabbage yield in no-tillage (roller-crimped or sickle-bar mowed) and conventional-tillage (rototilled) systems. Across three site-years, we found that buckwheat emerged earlier and produced 64% more shoot dry biomass than Tartary buckwheat. Pretermination weed shoot biomass (predominantlyAmaranthusandSetariaspp.) in Tartary buckwheat treatments was approximately twice that of buckwheat, and did not differ from weed shoot biomass in a control fallow treatment. Cabbage yield did not differ between cover crop species nor did yield differ between conventional-tillage cover cropped and control fallow treatments. However, weed biomass was greater, and cabbage yield was reduced, in no-tillage compared to conventional-tillage treatments. We also found evidence of greater soil compaction and less nitrate–nitrogen (NO3–N) availability in no-tillage than conventional-tillage treatments. These results suggest that Tartary buckwheat is not a suitable summer cover crop alternative to buckwheat for weed suppression prior to cabbage production.

scholarly journals Diversity and Longevity of the Soybean Debris Mycobiota in a No-Tillage System

Plant Disease ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 81 (5) ◽  
pp. 530-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Baird ◽  
B. G. Mullinix ◽  
A. B. Peery ◽  
M. L. Lang
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Fungal Species ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Cercospora Kikuchii ◽  
Tillage System ◽  
Mesh Bags ◽  
Colletotrichum Spp ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Total Fungi

The survival of the mycobiota on pod and stem debris of soybean produced in a no-tillage system with cover crops of alfalfa, canola, rye, or wheat or with no cover was studied during 1994 and 1995. Fiberglass mesh bags containing pods and stems were assayed every 28 to 31 days to determine the isolation frequency of fungi. Over 90% of the 11,906 isolates obtained were members of the Deuteromycotina. The most common genera isolated were Alternaria, Cercos-pora, Colletotrichum, Epicoccum, Fusarium, and Phoma. Alternaria spp. had the greatest isolation frequencies and constituted 40% of the total cultures. Numbers of total fungi (all fungi isolated) on sampling dates in 1994 were similar to the totals in 1995. In May 1994, the mean isolation rates for many of the fungal species were significantly lower (P = 0.05) in several of the cover crops, but no consistent pattern could be determined. Common soybean pathogens isolated included Colletotrichum spp., Diaporthe spp., and Cercospora kikuchii. Fusarium graminearum, which is responsible for several diseases of maize and wheat, was commonly isolated during this study. Of the Diaporthe spp. (anamorph Phomopsis spp.), 87% were identified as D. phaseolorum var. sojae. Colletotrichum spp. were identified as C. truncatum in 85% of the isolates, C. destructivum (teleomorph Glomerella glycines) in 12%, and both species in 3%. Cercospora kikuchii was more commonly isolated from pods than from stem tissue, and Colletotrichum spp. occurred more frequently on stems. Isolation frequencies of Diaporthe spp. were greater in May of both years than in the preceding months. These results show that no-tillage soybean debris harbors numerous fungi pathogenic to soybean, and producers who grow soybeans continuously may find more disease in this crop and lower yields. Fungi that attack crops such as maize and wheat were commonly isolated from soybean debris in both years, and a no-tillage rotation which includes maize or wheat could result in increased disease in these crops. Isolation frequencies of the fungi from cover crops varied with the sampling date, but no consistent patterns could be determined for a particular cover crop or fungal species. This is the first detailed study of survival rates of soybean, maize, and wheat pathogens that overwinter on soybean debris in a no-tillage system.

scholarly journals Suitability of peanut residue as a nitrogen source for a rye cover crop

2007 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kipling Shane Balkcom ◽  
Charles Wesley Wood ◽  
James Fredrick Adams ◽  
Bernard Meso
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
N Application ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Application Rates ◽  
Arachis Hypogaea L ◽  
Secale Cereale L ◽  
Biomass Yields

Leguminous winter cover crops have been utilized in conservation systems to partially meet nitrogen (N) requirements of succeeding summer cash crops, but the potential of summer legumes to reduce N requirements of a winter annual grass, used as a cover crop, has not been extensively examined. This study assessed the N contribution of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) residues to a subsequent rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crop grown in a conservation system on a Dothan sandy loam (fine-loamy, kaolinitic, thermic Plinthic Kandiudults) at Headland, AL USA during the 2003-2005 growing seasons. Treatments were arranged in a split plot design, with main plots of peanut residue retained or removed from the soil surface, and subplots as N application rates (0, 34, 67 and 101 kg ha-1) applied in the fall. Peanut residue had minimal to no effect on rye biomass yields, N content, carbon (C) /N ratio, or N, P, K, Ca and Zn uptake. Additional N increased rye biomass yield, and N, P, K, Ca, and Zn uptakes. Peanut residue does not contribute significant amounts of N to a rye cover crop grown as part of a conservation system, but retaining peanut residue on the soil surface could protect the soil from erosion early in the fall and winter before a rye cover crop grows sufficiently to protect the typically degraded southeastern USA soils.

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