Soybean Yield as Affected by Biomass and Nitrogen Uptake of Cereal Rye in Winter Cover Crop Rotations

Ruffo, Matías L.; Bullock, D. G.; Bollero, Germán A.

doi:10.2134/agronj2004.0800

Cited by 99 publications

(97 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Also for Illinois andunder no-till, Villamil et al (2006, 2008) found that after three cycles of corn-soybean production with and without CCs, CC mixtures of cereal rye and hairy vetch drilled onto crop stubble each year increased SOM, nutrient retention, and water aggregate stability compared with winter fallow (no CC). Again, no effect on cash crop yields was detected in these systems for either corn (Miguez and Bollero, 2006) or soybean (Ruffo et al, 2004). According to the cover crop surveys performed every year since 2012 by the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC-SARE, 2016) however, farmers that have adopted CCs consistently report positive effects on crop yields and soil fertility in the Midwest region.…”

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Tillage and Cover Cropping Effects on Soil Properties and Crop Production in Illinois

et al. 2017

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Core Ideas Compared corn–soybean rotations with cover crops vs fallows under no‐till or till. Corn–soybean rotations with cereal rye after corn decreased soil NO3–N by 42%. Soil attributes and crop yields were generally unaffected by cover crops use. Tillage increased soil organic matter and exchangeable K compared to no‐till. Tillage reduced soybean yields by 245 kg/ha compared to no‐till. Cover crops (CCs) have been heralded for their potential to improve soil properties, retain nutrients in the field, and subsequent crop yields, yet support for these claims within Illinois remains limited. Cover crops were used in corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotations. We assessed five sets of CCs vs. fallow controls under no‐till (NT) and chisel till (Till) on soil attributes and crop yields, encompassing one complete rotation cycle. The experimental layout was a split split‐block where whole plot treatments (P, rotation phase; and Y, year) had a Latin square design and subplot treatments of tillage (NT vs. Till) were split into sub‐subplot treatments of CC rotations. We measured soil properties, crop yields, CC stand counts in late fall, and spring biomass samples, each year. Tillage increased the level of soil organic matter (SOM) and exchangeable potassium (K) within our systems yet significantly decreased the yield of soybean by 245 kg/ha. Compared to winter fallow, soil attributes under corn–soybean rotations that included CCs did not show any statistically significant change after one cycle of production except increased N scavenging with cereal rye growing after corn harvest. Inclusion of CCs in the corn–soybean rotation did not affect cash crop yields in either till or NT systems. Our results show that cereal rye is the CC with the best potential as an N scavenger in the corn–soybean rotation, but claims of crop yield increases in the short term are not supported.

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Tillage and Cover Cropping Effects on Soil Properties and Crop Production in Illinois

et al. 2017

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“…Winter adapted cereal cover crops tend to be more effective than legumes in NO 3 loss reduction in cold northern climates due to better fall and early spring growth (Shipley et al, 1992;Parkin et al, 2006), with RCC as a common cover crop choice (Ranells and Wagger, 1997;Ruffo et al, 2004;Kladivko et al, 2014). In addition, RCC has flexibility in establishment, relatively low seed cost, and winter hardiness (Feyereisen et al, 2006).…”

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“…However, applying N to RCC before control may offset potential yield decreases in corn ). Soybean yield is not usually affected by RCC because soybean is a legume, and not another cereal, like corn, following the RCC (Thelen and Leep, 2002;Ruffo et al, 2004;De Bruin et al, 2005;Hoorman et al, 2009). However, soybean yield decreases of 15 to 65% were reported with an RCC, part of the decrease associated with late RCC control in the spring and delay in soybean planting .…”

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“…The effect of RCC on plant available N (PAN) and crop yield can also depend on fertilizer N rate and soil supply of PAN (Duiker and Curran, 2005), RCC management (Sainju et al, 2007), and soil moisture and temperature to promote microbial activity (Hoorman, 2009;Maltas et al, 2009). For soybean, waiting 7 to 15 d to plant after RCC control has resulted in no soybean yield decrease (Thelen and Leep, 2002;Reddy, 2003;Ruffo et al, 2004). Soybean yield decreases have been more associated with soil water use, especially in dry years or lack of soil recharge, instead of a negative effect of RCC on soybean growth .…”

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Corn Nitrogen Fertilization Requirement and Corn-Soybean Productivity with a Rye Cover Crop

Pantoja

Woli

Sawyer

et al. 2015

Soil Science Society of America Journal

102

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winter rye (Secale cereale l.) cover crop (rcc) has potential to reduce no 3 -n loss from corn (Zea mays l.) and soybean [Glycine max (l.) Merr.] fields. However, rcc effects on annual crop productivity and corn optimal n fertilization requirement are unclear. the objectives were to evaluate corn and soybean yield response to rcc and corn optimal n rate. treatments were no-rcc and rcc with six fertilizer n rates (0-225 kg n ha -1 ) applied to corn in a no-till corn-soybean (cs) rotation at four iowa sites in 2009 through 2011. the rcc biomass and n uptake was low, with a maximum of 1280 kg dry matter (dM) ha -1 and 26 kg n ha -1 , respectively. in the no-n control, the rcc reduced soil profile no 3 -n by 15 kg n ha -1 only at time of rcc control before corn planting. corn canopy sensing, plant height, and plant population indicated more n stress, reduced plant stand, and slower growth with rcc. the rcc reduced corn grain yield by 6% at the economic optimum n rate (eonr). the eonr was the same with no-rcc and rcc, but plant n uptake efficiency (Pue) was reduced at low n rates with rcc, but not above the eonr. soybean yield was not affected by rcc. results indicate n fertilization rate should be the same with or without rcc. improvement in rcc systems and management could make rcc a more viable practice within notill corn and soybean production.Abbreviations: CS, corn-soybean; DM, dry matter; EONR, economic optimum nitrogen rate; NDVI, normalized difference vegetative index; NUE, nitrogen use efficiency; PAN, plant available nitrogen; PUE, plant nitrogen uptake efficiency; RCC, rye cover crop; SOM, soil organic matter; YEONR, yield at economic optimum nitrogen rate. E nvironmental concerns related to crop N fertilization is an ongoing issue (USEPA, 2007), including reducing N in surface waters related to hypoxia in coastal surface waters Kladivko et al., 2014). Nitrogen application rate to corn is an important factor in regard to cropping system profitability and NO 3 loss. Applying only the optimal N rate will not stop NO 3 loss, nor necessarily achieve the drinking water standard (Lawlor et al., 2007). Successful development of agricultural systems that benefit water quality have to be more inclusive of several agricultural practices, rather than only N rate or timing (Hatfield et al., 2009). Therefore, additional in-field practices are needed to reduce NO 3 losses (Sainju and Singh, 2008).Nitrate losses in tile drainage water from corn production systems can range from 7 to 68 kg N ha -1 yr -1 (Lawlor et al., 2007), and with most values ranging from 29 to 56 kg N ha -1 yr -1 (Sawyer and Randall, 2008). Cover crops have shown potential for uptake of residual N from fertilizers or inorganic N released from degrading soil organic matter (SOM) in the period between annual crops (Strock et al., 2004;Tonitto et al.,

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“…The inclusion of CC in a cropping sequence was not found to reduce soybean yield under unlimited water availability for crop production (Ruffo et al, 2004;Restovich et al, 2012). However, Singer & Kohler (2005) reported reductions in soybean yield and shoot biomass accumulation with the use of rye (Secale cereale L.) as CC in Iowa (USA).…”

Section: Grain Yieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil microbial functionality in response to the inclusion of cover crop mixtures in agricultural systems

Chavarría

Verdenelli

Muñoz

et al. 2016

Span. j. agric. res.

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Agricultural systems where monoculture prevails are characterized by fertility losses and reduced contribution to ecosystem services. Including cover crops (CC) as part of an agricultural system is a promising choice in sustainable intensification of those demanding systems. We evaluated soil microbial functionality in cash crops in response to the inclusion of CC by analyzing soil microbial functions at two different periods of the agricultural year (cash crop harvest and CC desiccation) during 2013 and 2014. Three plant species were used as CC: oat (Avena sativa L.), vetch (Vicia sativa L.) and radish (Raphanus sativus L.) which were sown in two different mixtures of species: oat and radish mix (CC1) and oat, radish and vetch mix (CC2), with soybean monoculture and soybean/corn being the cash crops. The study of community level physiological profiles showed statistical differences in respiration of specific C sources indicating an improvement of catabolic diversity in CC treatments. Soil enzyme activities were also increased with the inclusion of CC mixtures, with values of dehydrogenase activity and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis up to 38.1% and 35.3% higher than those of the control treatment, respectively. This research evidenced that CC inclusion promotes soil biological quality through a contribution of soil organic carbon, improving the sustainability of agrosystems. The use of a CC mixture of three plant species including the legume vetch increased soil biological processes and catabolic diversity, with no adverse effects on cash crop grain yield.

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Soybean Yield as Affected by Biomass and Nitrogen Uptake of Cereal Rye in Winter Cover Crop Rotations

Cited by 99 publications

References 34 publications

Tillage and Cover Cropping Effects on Soil Properties and Crop Production in Illinois

Tillage and Cover Cropping Effects on Soil Properties and Crop Production in Illinois

Corn Nitrogen Fertilization Requirement and Corn-Soybean Productivity with a Rye Cover Crop

Soil microbial functionality in response to the inclusion of cover crop mixtures in agricultural systems

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