Cover Crop Biomass Production and Water Use in the Central Great Plains

Nielsen, D. G.; Lyon, Drew J.; Hergert, Gary W.; Higgins, Robert K.; Holman, Johnathon D.

doi:10.2134/agronj15.0186

Cited by 118 publications

(143 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…The total plant available soil water in the soil profile (0-240 cm) was calculated as sum of the available water values measured by 30 cm increments. Crop water use was calculated by water balance method-summing soil water depletion (soil water near planting minus soil water after harvest) plus in-season precipitation similar to Nielsen et al (2015). Deep percolation and runoff were not measured and assumed to be negligible.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐Term Tillage on Yield and Water Use of Grain Sorghum and Winter Wheat

Schlegel

Assefa

Haag³

et al. 2018

Agronomy Journal

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Core Ideas Average sorghum yield advantage was 120% for no tillage over conventional tillage and 55% for reduced tillage over conventional tillage.Average wheat yield advantage was 31% for no tillage over conventional tillage and 12% for reduced tillage over conventional tillage.Available soil water at planting in soil profile was less for conventional tillage than both no tillage and reduced tillage for both crops.There was a decline in wheat yield over time due to increased seasonal temperature. Tillage is among crop management factors that affect yield, profitability, and environmental quality. The objective of our study was to evaluate the effect of three long‐term tillage intensities; conventional tillage (CT), reduced tillage (RT), and no‐till (NT), on winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) yield, available soil water (ASW), and water productivity. The study was conducted near Tribune, KS, from 1991 through 2015 in a wheat–sorghum–fallow (WSF) rotation. The CT plots were tilled (primarily with a sweep plow), on average, four to five times per fallow season; NT plots used herbicides for weed control during fallow. The RT plots used a combination of herbicides and tillage for weed control during fallow prior to both crops for years 1991 to 2000; and, for the years 2001 to 2015, the RT system was NT before sorghum planting (short‐term NT) and CT before wheat planting. On average, there was a 31% wheat yield advantage for NT over CT, 16% NT over RT, and 12% RT over CT. On average, there was a 120% sorghum yield advantage for NT over CT, 41% NT over RT, and 55% RT over CT. Sorghum yields were 80% greater for continuous NT compared with short‐term NT (2001–2015 RT). The average of profile ASW at planting was less for CT compared with NT and RT. There was a significant yield and water productivity benefit in the order NT > RT > CT for both crops, but greater for sorghum than wheat.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐Term Tillage on Yield and Water Use of Grain Sorghum and Winter Wheat

Schlegel

Assefa

Haag³

et al. 2018

Agronomy Journal

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“…Cover crops (CCs) have been increasingly considered for improving soil health and agroecosystem sustainability across the US in recent years. However, improvements in SOC storage and soil health due to CC are primarily observed in areas where water is not a limiting factor for crop production [3]. In the drylands of the Southern High Plains region of the US, SOC cycling is primarily limited by biomass carbon inputs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cover Crop Residue Amount and Quality Effects on Soil Organic Carbon Mineralization

Ghimire

VanLeeuwen

et al. 2017

Sustainability

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Decline in soil organic carbon (SOC) and the associated impacts on crop production under conventional farming raises concerns on how alternative management practices increase SOC sequestration and improve agricultural sustainability. This study aimed to understand SOC mineralization kinetics with different cover crop (CC) residue amendments. Soil samples were collected from a fallow and three CC (pea, oat, and canola) plots. Soil samples from the CC plots were manipulated with zero, five, and 10 Mg ha −1 of the respective CC residues. All soil samples were incubated for eight weeks, SOC mineralization was monitored, and the first order kinetic and parabolic equation models were fitted to the observed data for estimating labile SOC (C 0 ), and the decomposition rate constant (k). Subsequent comparisons of fitted model parameters were based on the first order kinetic model. The C 0 varied with the residue amount while k varied with CC type. C 0 was 591-858% greater with 10 Mg ha −1 and 289-456% greater with five Mg ha −1 residue additions while k was 122-297% greater with 10 Mg ha −1 and 94-240% greater with five Mg ha −1 residue additions when compared to the fallow treatment. The CC residue stimulated cumulative carbon mineralization (C min ) irrespective of CC type, suggesting that cover cropping has potential to improve SOC cycling in agroecosystems.

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“…Addition of legumes in an annual grass mixture also did not increase forage mass production in winter cover production (Lithourgidis et al, 2006). Other studies have also found that legumes contribute a small portion of the total forage mass in mixtures in spring‐planted cover crops (Nielsen et al, 2015a; Nielsen et al, 2015b). Overall, legumes offer such a small contribution to forage mass production compared with brassicas and grass species that even if they were planted at a higher proportion of the mixture, overall forage mass production would not be significantly impacted.…”

Section: Legume Productionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Composition, Forage Production, and Costs Are Variable in Three‐Way Cover Crop Mixes as Fall Forage

Farney

Sassenrath

Davis

et al. 2018

Crop Forage & Turfgrass Mgmt

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Core Ideas Brassicas predominate percent composition of mixture in a warmer, higher‐moisture year. Grasses and legumes produce more forage mass in cooler, lower‐moisture environment. Oats and barley produced more forage mass than wheat or rye for 90 days after planting. Radishes produced more forage mass than turnips. Winter pea yielded more forage mass than berseem clover. The purpose of this study is to evaluate plant species composition and forage mass production in three‐way cover crop mixtures and evaluate costs associated with specific plant species in a mixture. A 2‐year study (2014 and 2015) was completed in a randomized complete block design with 16 mixtures composed of a grass/brassica/legume combination based on four grass species, two brassica species, and two legume species. Brassicas and grasses together contributed between 54 and 100% of the total forage mass in mixtures. Brassicas were a greater portion of the composition in 2014 than 2015 while grasses and legumes made up a higher percentage of the composition in 2015 than 2014. Oats (Avena sativa) produced more forage mass than barley (Hordeum vulgare) with wheat (Triticum aestivium) and rye (Secale cereal) producing the lowest forage mass. Radish (Raphanus sativus) produced more forage mass than turnip (Brassica rapa), and winter pea (Pisum sativum subsp. arvense) had greater forage mass production than berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum). In six of eight mixtures, radish growth altered grass composition within year; peas contributed little to the biomass composition regardless of year, and all brassicas had a higher percent biomass production in 2014 than 2015. As fall forage for cattle, oats are the most economical option for grass. Both radish and turnip are similarly priced based on production; and clover is a cheaper legume option, even with limited growth.

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Cover Crop Biomass Production and Water Use in the Central Great Plains

Cited by 118 publications

References 40 publications

Long‐Term Tillage on Yield and Water Use of Grain Sorghum and Winter Wheat

Long‐Term Tillage on Yield and Water Use of Grain Sorghum and Winter Wheat

Cover Crop Residue Amount and Quality Effects on Soil Organic Carbon Mineralization

Composition, Forage Production, and Costs Are Variable in Three‐Way Cover Crop Mixes as Fall Forage

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