An update on the research at the MU Bradford Research Center on Cover Crop Management

6. LONG TERM PASTURE
TILLED IN A
CORN/SOYBEAN/WHEAT
ROTATION

7. 
Loss of Organic
Matter


Soil structure
Soil microbial
biomass

Release of CO2

Soil Erosion

Why Till?

Weed Control

8. 

This is what separates us
(Missouri) from Central Iowa,
Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana,
etc
In these areas climatic
conditions favor the
accumulation of Organic
Matter
 Slower breakdown, long
history of deep rooted
native perennial plants

9. 
Nutrient Cycling




Water Dynamics



Nutrient Holding
Capacity
Pool of Nutrients
Food for soil organisms
Improves water
infiltration
Improves water holding
capacity
Structure


Reduces crusting,
compaction, erosion
Encourages root
development

11. 



Bacteria-100
million-1 Billion!
Fungal FilamentsSeveral Yards
Protoza-Several
Thousand
Nematodes-10-20

17. Courtesy Brady and Weil, 2012

20. Nodules-Symbiotic Relationship Between the Plant and the Bacteria.
Atmospheric Nitrogen is Fixed by the Bacteria For Use by the Plant.

22. 

Each Species of
Legume has a
Different Species of
Bacteria
You must match them
together.

23. 



A lot of biomass-2-3
tons/acre
Winter Hardy
High Nitrogen Fixation100 plus lbs/acre
Wide window of
planting
August-mid October
March
Hard Seed, late
maturing
 Problem When Wheat
is in the Rotation




24. 
Adapted from Gallagher, Penn State
2007
Time
Early (May 4)
Middle (May 15)
Late (May 31)
2008
Early (May 1)
Middle (May 14)
Late (May 29)
Hairy Vetch
lbs/acre %N
N lbs/acre
1,400
3.82
55
4,300
4.43
190
6,600
4.15
274
3,204
4,005
4,361
2.49
2.92
4.55
80
117
197
Corn Yield-0 N
113
132
140
92
121
79

25. Early May
Late May

26. 



Large Biomass
High N fixation-80120 lbs/acre
Plant fall or early
spring
Not as winter hardy

Seedling Disease
problems

28. 



Plant AugustSeptember
Early spring maturity
Not as much biomass
as Hairy Vetch or Peas
Can reseed
themselves

31. 



Inexpensive Seed
Rye is very winter
hardy
Rye tremendous dry
matter
Suppress weeds


Allelopathy or
Blocking Light
Good to mix with
legumes

32. 
Spring or Winter



Spring planted in the
fall will winter kill
Quick Growth in the
Fall
Great Companion
Crop

33. 



Cross between wheat
and cereal rye
Hardiness of cereal
rye
Good forage potential
Does not have the
allelopathic potential
as cereal rye

34. 





Plant in Fall
Overwinter-most of
the time
Deep Roots-5-6 ft
Scavenge Nitrogen
Dense matt controls
weeds
Can become a weed!

Herbicide resistance
problem

35. 
Late Summer Planted

Sequester Nitrogen

Loosen Soil

Weed Control?

36. Fall
Spring

39. 
Species
Crude Protein
ADF
NDF
%





Arrowleaf clvr
Field Pea
Cereal Rye
Ryegrass
Hairy Vetch
24.9 ab
23.2 b
19.1 c
19.1 c
26.4 a
21.5 bc
21.4 bc
25.1 a
24.7 ab
19.7 c
26.0 cd
30.2 c
46.4 a
41.8 b
25.1 d

40. 
Following Wheat

Summer Annual
Legumes
 Sunn Hemp
 Sesbania
 Cowpea
Cowpea

41. Sesbania
Sunn Hemp

42. Nutrient Scavenge, Loosen Soil, Weed
Control

43. Ohio State
University
Courtesy of
Steve Groff
Open
field
Tillage
Radish®
field
Soil compaction
decreased by >40%
Loosen SoilIncrease root
growth and
water
infiltration?

44. Gruver, et al, 2012

45. Williams and Weil, 2004

47. 100%
90%
80%
36 to 48
70%
29 to 36
60%
24 to 29
50%
18 to 24
40%
12 to 18
30%
9 to 12
3 to 9
20%
0 to 3
10%
0%
P
K
Clark and Reinbott, 2012

48. 140
120
lb K/acre
100
80
none
60
Crimson Clover
Rye
Hairy Vetch
40
20
0
0 to 3
3 to 6
6 to 12
Hargrove et al, 1986

49. 1.25 inch
2 inches
White and Weil, 2011

50. 150
Soybean
Soybean
130
Lbs/acre
110
90
Shoot
70
50
CornCorn
Root
30
10
-10
Dean and Weil, J Eniv. Quality 2009

54. 100
90
80
lbs/acre
70
60
50
Rye
40
Crimson Clover
30
Hairy Vetch
20
10
0
2
4
8
Weeks
12
16
From Wagger, 1989. Agronomy Journal

55. 
Weed Control



Smothering or
Allelopathy
Soil Health
-soil microbes
If no-till: soil and
water conservation

56. From Steve Groff
Cover Crop
No Cover Crop

63. 27,427
25,606

64. 
7 more Bushels/acre

Seed Cost-$45/acre


7 bushel/acre @
$13/bushel=$91/acre
Or about $46/acre
profit

65. 160
140
120
Hairy Vetch
187 lb N/acre
100
Crimson Clover
50 lb N/acre
80
Rye
36 lb N/acre
60
Control
40
20
0
0
50
100
From Ebelhar et al, 1986

66. 












Soybean Yield 2013
Cover Crops Overseeded into Corn Sept. 2012
Treatment
Yield
Bu/acre
Control
29
Hairy Vetch
24
Crimson Clover
28
Radish
27
Cereal Rye
36
Hairy Vetch+Rye
28
Crimson Clv. +Rye
33
Radish + Rye
29
Rye+Radish+HV+CC
27
Reinbott, 2013

67. 













Corn Yield 2013
Cover Crops Overseeded into Soybean September 2012
Corn
Treatment
Yield
Bu/acre
Control
175
Hairy Vetch
199
Crimson Clover
165
Radish
174
Cereal Rye
175
Hairy Vetch+Rye
187
Crimson Clv. +Rye
181
Radish + Rye
173
Rye+Radish+HV+CC
174
Reinbott, 2013

69. Brief

70. 







Hairy Vetch-$2.0/lb or $40-60/acre
Austrian Winter Pea-$0.73/lb or $29-44/acre
Crimson Clover-$1.2/lb or $24/acre
Radish-$4 lb or $32/acre
Cereal Rye-$0.23 or $14-21/acre
Annual Rye-$0.80 or $16/acre
Sunn Hemp-$2.5/lb or $50-75/acre
Sesbania-$2.4/lb or $48/acre

71. 




Hairy Vetch-$40@ 100 lb N/acre=$0.40/lb
Austrian Winter Pea-$29@80 lb
N/acre=$0.36/lb
Crimson Clover-$24@75 lb N/acre=$0.32/lb
Sunn Hemp-$50@80 lb N/acre=$0.62/lb
Sesbania-$48@80 N/acre=$0.60/lb