In:
Frontiers in Soil Science, Frontiers Media SA, Vol. 2 ( 2023-1-10)
Abstract:
Summer-seeding legume cover crops can reduce erosion, mitigate nitrate leaching losses during the non-growing season, and provide bio-accumulated nitrogen (N) to the following crop. Very little information is available, however, on the most effective methods for terminating summer-seeded cover crops, or on the amount of N they can provide to subsequent crops. We therefore evaluated the impacts of selected legume cover crops and cover crop termination-tillage methods on corn ( Zea mays L.) N credit and grain yield in a soybean ( Glycine max Merr.) - winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/cover crop - corn rotation over 3 consecutive years on a clay loam soil in southwestern Ontario. The cover crops were summer-seeded after wheat harvest, and included hairy vetch ( Vicia villosa L. Roth), red clover ( Trifolium pratense L.), white clover plus crimson clover mix ( incarnatum and Trifolium alba L.), and a no cover crop control (CK). The cover crops were nested within termination-tillage method, including moldboard plow-down in fall, and herbicide spray-down in spring under strip-tillage or no-tillage then corn planting. Nitrogen fertilizer to corn was applied via side-dress at 200 kg N ha -1 to the CKs, and at 100 kg N ha -1 to the cover crops. Averaged over 3 years, above-ground biomass N level followed the pattern: hairy vetch & gt; white clover plus crimson clover mix & gt; red clover for fall plow-down termination. There were no significant differences in cover crop biomass N levels for spring termination. Corn response to cover crop was significantly affected by termination-tillage method and cover crop species, with poor corn stands after no-tillage, red clover and white plus crimson clover. Fall plow-down termination provided a range in N credit of 80-85 kg N ha -1 , which was significantly greater than the N credit under herbicide spray-down in spring. Under spring strip-tillage and no-tillage, hairy vetch produced significantly greater corn grain yields than red clover and white plus crimson clover mix.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2673-8619
DOI:
10.3389/fsoil.2022.1082940
DOI:
10.3389/fsoil.2022.1082940.s001
Language:
Unknown
Publisher:
Frontiers Media SA
Publication Date:
2023
detail.hit.zdb_id:
3099984-4
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