Location: Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory
Project Number: 8042-21660-005-035-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement
Start Date: Oct 1, 2015
End Date: Aug 31, 2020
Objective:
1. Improve cover crop legume performance through germplasm screening:
a. Create a legume cover crop germplasm screening program that evaluates hairy vetch, crimson clover, red clover, and Austrian winter pea for select agronomic traits of interest across a latitudinal gradient;
b. Build a network of farmers who will aid in variety selection through participatory germplasm screening;
c. Identify select cover crop accessions for seed increases and future improvement;
d. Contract buying groups or germplasm curators to conduct cover crop seed growouts.
2. Disseminate knowledge gained from on-farm and on-station cover crop germplasm screenings and management experiments and engage farmers and agricultural professionals through on-farm field days, regional workshops, webinars, and the eOrganic website.
3. Establish the Eastern Cover Crop Council (ECC).
Approach:
NEA along with Texas A&M, Cornell University, and North Carolina State University will:
1. Initate a multi-site cover crop germplasm screening program.
Texas A&M, Cornell University and North Carolina State University contributions are as follows:
2. Coordinate all extension and outreach activities.
