Location: Crop Production Systems Research
2022 Annual Report
Accomplishments
1. Effects of tillage and two-species cover crop treatment on soil health and soybean yield. Agricultural production of row crops can have negative effects on soil health. Cover crops can be planted in the winter between summer cash crops, such as corn, cotton, and soybean, to reduce erosion, preserve soil moisture and nutrients, and promote the growth of soil microorganisms involved in nutrient cycling. However, some farmers are reluctant to use cover crops due to their added costs and potential to decrease yield of the main crop. Using different types and combinations of cover crops may help counteract the negative effects on yield while still enhancing soil resources. ARS researchers in Stoneville, Mississippi, conducted a study comparing the effects of one- and two-species cover crop treatments on soil health and crop yield in tilled and no-till soybean fields. This research showed that using both rye and clover as cover crops increased the microbial activities involved in processing nutrients more consistently than cover cropping with rye only. No-tillage was also found to decrease the negative effects that cover crops had on soybean yield. These results can be used to guide future studies to determine better cover crop treatments to optimize yield and to make recommendations to farmers on to manage cover crops in their fields.
Review Publications
Tyler, H.L. 2021. Single- versus double-species cover crop effects on soil health and yield in Mississippi soybean fields. Agronomy. 11:2334. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11112334.
Mubvumba, P., Delaune, P.B., Hons, F.M. 2022. Enhancing long-term no-till wheat systems with cover crops and flash grazing. Soil and Tillage Research. Soil Security p.100067. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soisec.2022.100067.
