Journal article
Cover crop quality and quantity influences organic corn performance more than soil context
Nutrient cycling in agroecosystems, Vol.129(2), pp.185-201
10/01/2024
Abstract
Cover cropping is a common practice among organic growers, well-known for its potential to supply nitrogen (N) to subsequent cash crops. Uncertainties and challenges exist in understanding how cover crops interact with soil properties and management practices across organic farms to supply N, and if such N supply is synchronous with subsequent cash crop N demand. An on-farm study examined cereal rye (
Secale cereale)
versus crimson clover (
Trifolium incarnatum
) planted before corn (
Zea mays
L.) in five organic farms in Michigan with a range of soil properties and management practices. High quality crimson clover residue [Carbon (C):N ratio 15:1] was associated with higher soil inorganic nitrogen, corn chlorophyll content, tissue N content, and grain yields relative to low quality cereal rye residue (C:N ratio 25:1). There were several lines of evidence that low quality cereal rye residue coupled with substantial biomass and a dry season limited N release during peak corn N demand. Nitrogen uptake efficiency (NUE, ratio of total N removed by corn to total N input) was above 1 for corn farms with low soil organic matter (SOM), active N and C pools, and lower than 1 for farms with high SOM and active N and C pools. Overall, cover crop biomass and cover crop quality was a more important driver of corn performance than background SOM content in organic corn farms. Our research highlights the challenges of ensuring sufficient N supply in organic field production, and the importance of planting a legume cover crop before corn.
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Details
- Title
- Cover crop quality and quantity influences organic corn performance more than soil context
- Creators
- Rabin KC - Michigan State UniversitySieglinde Snapp - Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz Y Trigo
- Publication Details
- Nutrient cycling in agroecosystems, Vol.129(2), pp.185-201
- Publisher
- Springer Netherlands
- Number of pages
- 17
- Grant note
- 2019-51106-30193 / National Institute of Food and Agriculture (http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100005825)
- Identifiers
- 99901397981201842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article