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Late-seeded cover crops in a semiarid environment: overyielding, dominance and subsequent crop yield

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2021

John R. Hendrickson Open the ORCID record for John R. Hendrickson [Opens in a new window] ,
Mark A. Liebig Open the ORCID record for Mark A. Liebig [Opens in a new window] ,
David W. Archer Open the ORCID record for David W. Archer [Opens in a new window] ,
Marty R. Schmer Open the ORCID record for Marty R. Schmer [Opens in a new window] ,
Kristine A. Nichols  and
Donald L. Tanaka
John R. Hendrickson*
Affiliation:
Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS Box 459, Mandan, ND58554, USA
Mark A. Liebig
Affiliation:
Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS Box 459, Mandan, ND58554, USA
David W. Archer
Affiliation:
Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS Box 459, Mandan, ND58554, USA
Marty R. Schmer
Affiliation:
Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS Box 459, Mandan, ND58554, USA Agroecosystem Management Research Unit, 137 Keim Hall, Univ. Nebr., Lincoln, NE68583, USA
Kristine A. Nichols
Affiliation:
Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS Box 459, Mandan, ND58554, USA KRIS-Systems, 6625 E. 3rd Street, Scottsdale, AZ85251, USA
Donald L. Tanaka
Affiliation:
Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS Box 459, Mandan, ND58554, USA
*
Author for correspondence: John R. Hendrickson, E-mail: john.hendrickson@ars.usda.gov
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Abstract

Interest in cover crops is increasing but information is limited on integrating them into crop rotations especially in the relatively short growing season on the northern Great Plains. A 3-yr research project, initiated in 2009 near Mandan, North Dakota, USA, evaluated (1) what impact cover crops may have on subsequent cash crops yields and (2) whether cover crop mixtures are more productive and provide additional benefits compared to cover crop monocultures. The study evaluated 18 different cover crop monocultures and mixtures that were seeded in August following dry pea (Pisum sativum L.). The following year, spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), corn (Zea mays L.), soybean (Glycine max L.) and field pea were seeded into the different cover crop treatments and a non-treated control. A lack of timely precipitation in 2009 resulted in a low cover crop yield of 17 g m2 compared to 100 and 77 g m2 in 2008 and 2010, respectively. Subsequent cash crop yield was not affected by late-seeded cover crops. Cool-season cover crop monocultures were more productive than warm-season monocultures and some mixtures in 2008 and 2010. Relative yield total did not differ from one in any cover crop mixture suggesting that overyielding did not occur. Species selection rather than species diversity was the most important contributor to cover crop yield. Cover crops can be grown following short-season cash crops in the northern Great Plains, but precipitation timing and species selection are critical.

Keywords

Cool-season cover cropsdiversity indicesgrowing degree days (GDD)semi-arid cropping systemswarm-season cover crops
Type
Research Paper
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 36 , Issue 6 , December 2021 , pp. 587 - 598
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Copyright
Copyright © United States Department of Agriculture and The Author(s), 2021. To the extent this is a work of the US Government, it is not subject to copyright protection within the United States. Published by Cambridge University Press.

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