Quantitative synthesis on the ecosystem services of cover crops

Daryanto, Stefani; Fu, Bojie; Wang, Lixin; Jacinthe, Pierre-André; Zhao, Wenwu

doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2018.06.013

Cited by 290 publications

(213 citation statements)

References 143 publications

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“…Winter cover crops provide multiple ecosystem services to agricultural systems (Hartwig & Ammon, 2002;Daryanto et al, 2018;Duzy & Kornecki, 2017;Adhikari et al, 2017). There is currently unharnessed potential of using cover crops to improve crop protection and reduce chemical inputs in annual production systems such as cotton.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here we show production costs and net return when using cover crops are competitive with common conventional production methods. Production value calculations used in this study provide estimates for the value of cover crops on production cost and maintenance over two years, although several studies have highlighted additional long-term benefits of cover crop use (Reeves, 2018;Daryanto et al, 2018;Poeplau & Don, 2015). Some recent studies indicated that using cover crops may reduce inorganic fertilizer demand (Mahama et al, 2016; Plaza-Bonilla et al, 2017; Wilson et al, 2019), and in the current study we held all inputs constant across treatments.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Winter cover crops are a form of habitat management that adds habitat complexity into cropping systems, and enhances multiple ecosystem services critical to sustainable crop production (Daryanto et al, 2018;Duzy & Kornecki, 2017;Adhikari et al, 2017). Cover crops are often planted to suppress weeds and reduce erosion, and provide several additional benefits such as improving soil health by fixing nitrogen, sequestering excess soil nutrients (Hartwig &Ammon, 2002), or sequestering atmospheric carbon and building soil organic matter (Kaye & Quemada, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Winter cover crops often benefit natural enemy communities and pest control in perennial systems (Gomez et al, 2018;Dong et al, 2018;Vogelweith & Thiery, 2017;Burgio et al, 2016). Yet, the response of natural enemies to cover crops and other habitat management strategies in row crop systems is variable (Daryanto et al, 2018;Begg et al, 2017;Tscharntke et al, 2016). In annual row crop systems, positive effects of cover crops on natural pest management appear driven by a combination of cropping system, geographical region, and cover crop type (Hooks et al, 2013;Mollot et al, 2012;Koch et al, 2015;Manandhar et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cover crops improve early season natural enemy recruitment and pest management in cotton production

Bowers

Toews

Liu

et al. 2019

Preprint

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A 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.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Cover crops improve early season natural enemy recruitment and pest management in cotton production

Bowers

Toews

Liu

et al. 2019

Preprint

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“…The advantages of adopting NT and cover crops include retaining crop residues on the soil surface, increasing soil organic matter and nutrients, improving water holding capacity, reducing water evaporation, and mitigating soil erosion (Cates & Jackson, 2018;Dabney, Delgado, & Reeves, 2001;Daryanto, Fu, Wang, Jacinthe, & Zhao, 2018;Snapp et al, 2005;Triplett & Dick, 2008). Studies have reviewed the adoption of NT in the United States Ranjan, Church, Floress, & Prokopy, 2019) and concluded that NT resulted in improvements in soil properties, greater cropping intensity, and higher crop productivity (Hansen, Allen, Baumhardt, & Lyon, 2012;Wallace et al, 2017).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Economic analysis of adopting no‐till and cover crops in irrigated cotton production under risk

Fan¹,

Liu

DeLaune³

et al. 2020

Agronomy Journal

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Adoption of soil conservation practices has been promoted to improve environmental and economic benefits across the United States. These practices are especially necessary for soil health improvement in the Southern High Plains where soils are prone to erosion and agricultural irrigation relies heavily on groundwater. Winter cover crops and no‐till cropping are two conservation practices for reducing soil erosion, but producers might face additional risks associated with adopting these practices. The objective of this study was to examine the profitability and risks associated with alternative tillage and cover crops (no cover crop, winter wheat [Triticum asestivum L.], and grass–legume mixture) for irrigated cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Using data from a 6‐yr field experiment, net return distributions of each production system were evaluated and ranked across various risk aversion levels. The results showed that the average net returns were $1040 and $1049 ha−1 for conventionally tilled and no‐till cotton without a cover crop, while the net returns were $1121 and $1075 ha−1 for no‐till cotton with wheat and mixed cover crops, respectively. Producers adopting cover crops had a greater probability of getting a middle interval of net returns between $760 and $1370 ha−1. The results of risk analysis show that risk‐neutral and slightly risk‐averse producers prefer no‐till cotton production with wheat cover, while no‐till with mixed and wheat cover are the first and second most preferred systems for very and extremely risk‐averse producers. Sensitivity analysis confirms consistent profit effects of cover crops and no‐till adoption at multiple cotton price levels.

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