Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Laboratory for Agriculture and The Environment » Agroecosystems Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #318629
Title: Cover crop options and mixes for the upper midwest

Author
item APPELGATE, S - Iowa State University
item LENSSEN, A - Iowa State University
item WIEDENHOEFT, M - Iowa State University
item Kaspar, Thomas

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/18/2015
Publication Date: 11/18/2015
Citation: Appelgate, S.R., Lenssen, A.W., Wiedenhoeft, M.H., Kaspar, T.C. 2015. Cover crop options and mixes for the upper midwest. In: Proceedings of ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting, November 2-5, 2014, Long Beach, California. Available: https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2014am/webprogram/Paper92543.html.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The implementation of cover crops in Iowa has the potential to decrease soil erosion, weed populations, and the loss of nutrients. Currently, less than 1% of all Iowa farmland is planted to cover crops, most of which is winter rye. This research explores 16 different cover crop treatments planted as sole crops, binary mixtures, or trinary mixtures of cool season grasses, crucifers, and legumes. The cover crops explored included winter rye, winter triticale, two canola varieties, camelina, spring barley, spring oats, purple top turnip, and hairy vetch. A control plot with no cover crop was also included. The cover crops were no-till drilled immediately after soybean harvest. The effects on soil moisture, soil N, P, and K, weed populations, cover crop biomass, and corn health and yield were measured. The study included 5 sites years in a randomized complete block design. The 2013-2014 study was conducted at Ames and Atlantic, IA. The 2014-2015 study was conducted at Boone, Atlantic, and Sutherland, IA. In the 2013-2014 growing season, winter rye produced the most spring biomass at 483 kg/ha, which was two times greater than any other sole crop treatment. Winter rye mixtures produced significantly less biomass than winter rye grown as a sole crop. Winter rye took up the most spring nitrogen at 13.7 kg/ha. All other treatments, except the rye/camelina mix, took up significantly less nitrogen. Cover crop treatment had no effect on weed populations, weed community, or corn yield. Barley, oats, purple top turnip, and both varieties of canola failed to survive the winter in 4 out of 5 site years.