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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Laboratory for Agriculture and The Environment » Agroecosystems Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #286421
Title: Dealing with drought: Securing nitrogen with cover crops

Author
item Kaspar, Thomas
item Meisinger, John
item ROBISON, DAVE - Legacy Seeds

Submitted to: World Wide Web
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/28/2012
Publication Date: 9/28/2012
Citation: Kaspar, T.C., Meisinger, J.J., Robison, D. 2012. Dealing with drought: Securing nitrogen with cover crops. World Wide Web. Available: http://www.croplife.com/webinars.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: This year the drought in the Midwest has significantly reduced the growth and yield of all crops. When the growth of the cash crop has been reduced by drought or any other cause it is important to remember that more nitrogent than normal will remain in the soil after harvest. This nitrogen will be very susceptible to leaching and loss from the soil profile unless another plant is there to take up this nitrogen. Cover crops should be considered in drought years or in any farming system where nitrogen is found in the soil profile between harvest and planting of the cash crops. In this webinar we discuss the research that shows that cover crops can take up this left over nitrogen, the other benefits of cover crops, and the many cover crop species that can be planted across the Midwest.