Water productivity of forage sorghum in response to winter cover crops in semi-arid irrigated conditions

Paye, Wooiklee S.; Acharya, Pramod; Ghimire, Rajan

doi:10.1016/j.fcr.2022.108552

Cited by 14 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…‡ Mean values (± standard error) followed by different lowercase letters in a column indicate significant differences among cover crop treatments and study years ( p ≤ 0.05, LSD test) of treatments. β The corn and sorghum yield data were adapted from Paye et al 40 , 41 , respectively.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The N cycling was improved with cover cropping because N 2 O-N emissions from the NCC treatment were similar to GBL and GB in the corn phase and similar to GB and GL in the sorghum phase of the rotation despite a higher inorganic N under NCC. Nitrogen utilized by cover crops might have been recycled back during cash crop growth and contributed to better nutrient cycling than NCC, leading to higher crop yield in cover crop plots 40 , 41 . High inorganic N in NCC treatment did not support high forage yield because soil inorganic N content remained similar among treatments at harvest.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because of increasing global warming and rapid soil degradation, agroecosystems in these regions are gradually turning from a sink to a source of GHGs 37 , 38 . Studies suggest that cover cropping may improve subsequent cash crop production because of increased water use efficiency in semi-arid irrigated conditions 39 – 41 . However, in such water-limited regions, the effects of cover crops on cash crop yield depend on management practices, inherent soil properties, and soil type 42 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Net greenhouse gas balance with cover crops in semi-arid irrigated cropping systems

Acharya

Ghimire

Paye

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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Climate smart agriculture has been emphasized for mitigating anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, yet the mitigation potential of individual management practices remain largely unexplored in semi-arid cropping systems. This study evaluated the effects of different winter cover crop mixtures on CO2 and N2O emissions, net GHG balance (GHGnet), greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI), yield-scaled GHG emissions, and soil properties in irrigated forage corn (Zea mays L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) rotations. Four cover crop treatments: (1) grasses, brassicas, and legumes mixture (GBL), (2) grasses and brassicas mixture (GB), (3) grasses and legumes mixture (GL), and (4) a no-cover crop (NCC) control, each replicated four times under corn and sorghum phase of the rotations, were tested in the semi-arid Southern Great Plains of USA. Results showed 5–10 times higher soil respiration with cover crop mixtures than NCC during the cover crop phase and no difference during the cash crop phase. The average N2O-N emission in NCC was 44% lower than GL and 77% lower than GBL in corn and sorghum rotations. Cash crop yield was 13–30% greater in cover crop treatments than NCC, but treatment effects were not observed for GHGnet, yield-scaled emissions, and GHGI. Integrating cover crops could be a climate smart strategy for forage production in irrigated semi-arid agroecosystems.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Net greenhouse gas balance with cover crops in semi-arid irrigated cropping systems

Acharya

Ghimire

Paye

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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“…Sorghum silage yield was greater with cover crops than without cover, and the yield increase was consistent among years in GB, irrespective of inter‐annual variability in growing conditions. The greater forage yield with cover crops under no‐tillage management demonstrates improved nutrient cycling (Anderson et al., 2022; Ćupina et al., 2011; Decker et al., 1994), soil water conservation (Paye, Acharya et al., 2022), and enhanced soil functions (Samarappuli et al., 2014). A study from the same site reported that cover crops stored more water in the soil profile, mostly during the later growth stages of sorghum, and increased the cropping system's water productivity by 50%–56% than the control (Paye, Acharya et al., 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Species from the grass family deplete soil nutrients, mostly residual nitrogen, and can affect subsequent forage crops (Dabney et al., 2001). Under NCC, sorghum silage may have water‐stressed due to high evapotranspiration compared to cover crops (Paye, Acharya, et al., 2022), which also could lead to lower NDF contents, particularly lignin and cellulose fractions (Luquet et al., 2018). Although the total fiber content was greater following cover crops, there were no significant treatment effects on fiber digestibility (NDFD) and NFC contents (both numerically greater in NCC).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cover crop forage potential and subsequent sorghum silage yield and nutritive value

et al. 2023

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Achieving high forage production—quantity and quality—could be challenging, specifically in water‐limited areas. Intensifying cropping systems with cover crops can provide agronomic and ecosystem service benefits. However, the impacts of cover crops on forage production have not been well studied. This study evaluated the effects of cover crops (grasses + brassicas + legumes [GBL], grasses + brassicas [GB], grasses + legumes [GL], and no cover crop [NCC] control) on sorghum silage [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] yield and nutritive value over 3 years in a semiarid irrigated condition. Cover crops produced 2.1–6.0 Mg ha−1 of annual average harvestable biomass with similar forage nutritive value among treatments. In 2018–2019, sorghum silage yield was 38%–43% greater with all cover crops than with NCC. However, in 2019–2020, only GB had a 23% greater sorghum silage yield than NCC. The neutral detergent fiber content in sorghum silage was 4.8%–5.1% greater with all cover crops, and crude protein was 3%–8% lower with GL and GBL compared to NCC. Therefore, total digestible nutrients, relative forage quality, and milk production potential of sorghum silage were 5%–8%, 11%–19%, and 8%–16% greater, respectively, with NCC than with cover crops. This study demonstrates that replacing fallow with winter cover crops in irrigated silage production systems could provide good quality forage from cover crops without a decrease in subsequent sorghum silage yield. Sorghum silage quality slightly decreased with cover cropping. Nevertheless, cover crop integrated systems could be an alternative for farmers facing declining water availability for irrigated crop production.

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Cover Crops and Soil Health in Brazilian Agricultural Systems

Souza,

da Silva Vanolli,

Schiebelbein

et al. 2024

Soil Health Series: Volume 3 Soil Health and Sustainable Agriculture in Brazil

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Water productivity of forage sorghum in response to winter cover crops in semi-arid irrigated conditions

Cited by 14 publications

References 31 publications

Net greenhouse gas balance with cover crops in semi-arid irrigated cropping systems

Net greenhouse gas balance with cover crops in semi-arid irrigated cropping systems

Cover crop forage potential and subsequent sorghum silage yield and nutritive value

Cover Crops and Soil Health in Brazilian Agricultural Systems

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