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Title: Coupling cover crops and manure injection: cover crop N and P uptake

Author
item Singer, Jeremy
item Moorman, Thomas
item Cambardella, Cynthia

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/6/2007
Publication Date: 11/6/2007
Citation: Singer, J.W., Moorman, T.B., Cambardella, C.A. 2007. Coupling cover crops and manure injection: cover crop N and P uptake [CD-ROM]. In: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts, Nov. 4-8, 2007, New Orleans, LA.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Injecting manure into established cover crops may reduce N and P losses by increasing nutrient cycling. The objectives of this research were to quantify fall and spring cover crop shoot dry matter (DM) production and N and P uptake following manure injection at increasing target N rates. Liquid swine manure was injected at 112, 224, or 336 kg N ha-1 approximately six to eight weeks after a 70% rye (Secale cereale L.)/30% oat (Avena sativa L.) cover crop mixture was drop-seeded in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] prior to leaf abscission in the fall of 2005 and 2006 near Ames, IA. A cover crop only control treatment was also included. No difference in fall DM, N, or P uptake occurred either fall for any treatment comparison. Fall DM, N, and P uptake ranged from 149 to 526 kg ha-1, 5.3 to 13.1 kg ha-1, and 0.2 to 1.5 kg ha-1, respectively. In the spring, no difference in DM occurred for any treatment and ranged from 767 to 2111 kg ha-1. Both springs, N uptake was greater than the control (38.9 and 32.5 kg N ha-1) when 224 kg ha-1 manure N was injected (86.6 and 43.1 kg N ha-1). In the spring of 2006, P uptake was greater than the control (7.7 kg ha-1) when at least 224 kg ha-1 manure N was applied (14.1 kg ha-1). These results quantify the potential for enhanced plant nutrient uptake in farming systems utilizing manure.