Cover Crops
Cover crops are used to supply fresh organic matter to soils, improve soil structure, fix nitrogen, cycle nutrients, protect soil from erosion, and as a tool to manage weeds and other pests. Choice and management of cover crops depends on which benefits are most important, and on the cropping system.
Our research has been focused on fall-planted and relay-planted cover crops. We are evaluating the effects of different fall-planted rye vetch blends, planting dates, and incorporation dates on ground cover, winter weed competition, and nitrogen supply to the subsequent crop. Relay planting is the planting of cover crops between rows of the cash crop during the summer or early fall. Our relay cover crop research is focused on establishment, survival, ground cover, and N supply capability of legumes interseeded into standing vegetable crops. We are starting new research in 2008 to evaluate nitrogen contribution and cycling by cover crops in greater detail.
Progress Report: Cover Crops in Vegetable Systems, (updated Oct 2007, PDF)
Cover Crops Photo Essay: Interseeded cover crop demonstrations
Organic Systems Experiment |
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Publications:
Nitrogen contribution of rye-hairy vetch cover crop mixtures to organically grown sweet corn (request pdf e-copy or view online). Lawson, A., A. M. Fortuna, C.G. Cogger, A.I. Bary, and T. Stubbs. 2012. Renew. Ag. Food Sys. ©Cambridge Univ. Press., Available on CJO doi:10.1017/S1742170512000014.
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