Cover crops native pollinator species field borders

Cover Crops, Native Pollinator Species Field Borders, and Riparian Buffers for Environmental Quality.

Soil, Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

University of Missouri

Clark Gantzer, Ranjith Udawatta,

Tim Reinbott

Outline• Introduction

- Rationale & Significance- Objectives

- Projects- Outreach- Ongoing Work- Summary

IntroductionRationale & Significance

Ron Miller (recently retired NRCS Missouri State Agronomist) has been promoting cover crops for years.

Before he retired he commented with disappointment that he felt cover crops were being used by less than about 5% of Missouri producers.

But Soil Cover Reduces Erosion

IntroductionRationale & Significance

We know that cover crops, soil management, riparian buffers, and native plants for pollinators are effective methods for reducing nonpoint source pollution (NPSP) and improving soil quality, ecosystem health and farm productivity (Meisinger et al., 1991; Sharpley and Smith, 1991).

Soil Erosion Bradford Research & Extension Center

Erosion cover crop Erosion no cover crop

IntroductionObjectives

We will present some ongoing Missouri work to demonstrate the use and to conduct research and outreach on the use of cover crops, soil management, riparian buffers, and native plants for pollinators.

The Need for Riparian Buffers



Our Demonstration Riparian Buffers System



Native Pollinator Species

Cover Crop Projects• The growing season in 2012 was

extremely dry and little moisture was available for cover crop growth in the fall. Rainfall in late September allowed most of the cover crops up.

• Cereal rye by far did the best and was able to out compete the winter annuals.

• Crimson clover, hairy vetch and radish struggled to establish after corn due to the winter annuals.

Cover Crop Projects• Questions has been asked by producers

whether the cover crop should be rolled or flail mowed, whether no-till coulters were required and if a different type of closing wheel on the planter was better than the standard rubber wheels.

• To answer these questions a workshop was set up for May 16th.

pDesiccation of the Cover Crop

Roller Crimper

Flail Chopper or Mower

Planting Into Rolled Cover Crops With Different Closing

Wheels

Cover Crop Projects• A Kinze 6 row planter was set up with six

different types of row closing wheels including the standard rubber wheels, cast iron, one cast iron and one rubber, two spiked closing wheels, one spike closing wheel and one rubber wheel, and a combination of spiked and cast iron.

• The cover crop was either rolled down with a roller crimper or mowed with a flail chopper.

Cover Crop Projects• Conclusions were that better seed to

soil contact occurred when the cover crop was rolled, without coulters, using a closing wheel that had two spikes.

• An additional treatment was added during the workshop where soybeans were planted directly into the standing cover crop which actually worked best.

• The cover crop was then rolled afterward.

2013 Corn Stand from plots overseeded with cover crops into soybean in Sep. 2012. Cover crops

were either rolled and planted, or corn was planted directly and then cover crops were rolled.

,

Cover Crops - Corn• Planting directly into the standing

cover crop resulted in better corn stands and slightly higher yields,especially following cereal rye or a combination of cereal rye and a legume.

• Corn following some cover crops resulted in a 25 bu/acre yield increase. This was generally following the winter annual legumes.

2013 Corn Yield from plots overseeded with cover crops into soybean in Sep. 2012. Cover crops

were either rolled and planted, or corn was planted directly and then cover crops were rolled.

,

Cover crop growth• Cover crop termination was put off

as long as possible to allow the legume cover crops to grow and fix nitrogen.

• Cereal rye made up the greatest portion of the total biomass when grown alone or mixed, even then dry matter production was consistently less than the 5,000 lbs needed to help reduce weeds.

Cover Crops Soybean

• Soybean yield following cover crops that were drilled were very dependent upon weed control

• This particular area has a lot of glyphosate resistant weeds such as marestail and waterhemp that were prevalent and where the cover crop was not very competitive such as crimson clover.

Cover Crops Soybean

• The treatments that included cereal rye were very clean and soybean yields almost 20 bu/acre greater than the control.

Water use evaluation of winter cover crops for no-till soybeans

Severe drought occurred in the mild late-winter of 1986 and early spring of 1987. Growth of the cover crops reduced soil-water content compared to the control.

After Zhu et al., 1991

Impact of weather on yield with and without cover crops.

• From daily precipitation and temperature at 4-km resolution dating to 1980, daily cumulative weather distribution functions will be determined.

Impact of weather on yield with and without cover crops.

• Distribution functions will be used to develop information to improve winter cove management of to reduce the possibility of grain yield reduction from poor spring cover crop termination due to use of near surface soil moisture, that can reduce germination and stand.

Figure 1: Daily average temperature (red line), daily precipitation (thick purple bars), and daily PE (thin black bars) from March 15-April 15 2012 with simulated soil moisture storage (ST) for an “active” depth of 10 mm (blue line), 100 mm (black dashed line), 250 mm (black dash dot line) and 500 mm (black dotted line).

Cover Crop EconomicsCover Crop Economics Ver. 1 is a user-friendly economic assessment tool to assess the costs and benefits of incorporating cover crops into a crop rotation. The tool assesses both the short term and long term expected costs and benefits.

Cover Crop Economics

Lauren CartwrightAgricultural EconomistUSDA Natural Resources Conservation ServiceColumbia, MOhttp://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/mo/soils/health/

Cover Crop Economics

Ranjith Udawatta:is currently collecting documented short-term costs of production of using cover crops from farmers in Chariton County, MO, during the last several and will work with Lauren Cartwright to incorporate this information into the tool.

Outreach• We were involved in many outreach activities

with the cover crop project. The cover crops were also utilized at our annual Crop Injury and Diagnostic Clinic that attracted 75 agricultural professionals.

• The cover crops were also part of the Missouri Soil Health Expo held for two days in August that attracted over 200 farmers and landowners.

Outreach• During winter, Tim Reinbott gave a talk on

cover crops at the Small Farm Trade Show as well as 12 other talks across the state.

• In Feb. 2014, Tim Reinbott was attended the National Conference on Cover Crops and Soil Health that was sponsored by the Buffet Foundation and SARE. The Conference used a photo of our crimson clover field as the cover of their program.

SOIL HEALTH EXPOSITION

“Rebuilding Soils for a Changing Climate” MU Bradford Research Center, 4968 Rangeline Rd., Columbia, MO

August 13, 2014, 9am to 5 pm Keynote Speaker: Terry Taylor, long term no‐till e r and cover crop innovator on Illinois claypan soils

Additional Topics: Field tours, soil pits, speakers on climate predic‐tions (Pat Guinan, MU), soil biology (Kristen Veum, USDA), cover crop and soil health economics (Lauren Cartwright, NRCS), cover crops for Missouri (Jerry Kaiser, NRCS), improving water infiltration, effects of glyphosate on soil biology (Nigel Hoilett, NW MO State)

August 14, 2014, 9am to 5 pm Keynote Speaker: Keith Berns, cover crop innovator and educator from Bladen, Nebraska

Additional Topics: Field tours, soil pits, MDC, DNR and NRCS pro‐grams, plant interactions and the environment (Jack Schulz, MU), Missouri farmers and their cover crop experiences (Luke Linnen‐bringer and Linus Rothermich)

Field tours will include cover crop plots, water infiltration demo, soil properties. Lunch may be purchased on site. Vendors include Equipment Exhibits and Seed Deal‐ers. For more information contact Kerry Clark at [email protected] or 573‐884‐7945.

Ongoing Work

• Riparian Buffers:• Survival, base level diameter and

height will be recorded in spring 2015 to estimate survival and biomass accumulation and annual growth.

Ongoing Work

• Native Plants for Pollinators:• Transects within the pollinator zone

will be evaluated for survival and species diversity in spring 2015.

•

Ongoing Work• Soil Quality: Soil samples will be collected

from the surface for soil quality indicators including organic C and total N; enzyme activity; water stable aggregates; soil pH and nutrient content; and bulk density (Kremer and Li, 2003; Udawatta et al., 2008). Three transects along the landscape will be identified and soil will be collected at 2m distances within a transect in spring 2015.

Ongoing Work• Water Quality: Water samples will be

collected after precipitation events from the crop and perennial vegetative areas in spring 2015. The samples will be analyzed for sediment, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, nitrate and dissolved phosphorus using standard methods (Udawatta et al., 2002; 2010).

Funding bythe USDA-NRCS CIG GrantThe Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station

Robert Kremer USDA-ARS

Bo Svoma, Assistant Professor; Soil, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences; University of Missouri

Acknowledgements

Thank You!

[email protected]

Planting Soybeans Into Standing Crop in Mid May

Workshops - Field Days• Using Cover Crops in Sustainable

Cropping Systems Initiative -Professional Development Program

• NRCS - Cover Crop and Soil Health Workshops

• Cover Crop Field Day April - Bradford Farm, University of Missouri.

Cover Crop and Soil Health Workshops January 2012

Cover Crop and Soil Health Workshops January 2012

• Improve profitability using no-till and cover crops Integrate livestock into cover cropping systems

• Reduce input costsBuilding soil health Improve sustainability

• Cover crop selection, strategies, planting techniques, and management

• Improve profitability using no-till and cover crops Integrate livestock into cover cropping systems

• Reduce input costsBuilding soil health Improve sustainability

• Cover crop selection, strategies, planting techniques, and management

• Riparian Buffers: A three zone riparian buffer system will be established between the intermittent stream and crop areas (Fig. 1). The three zones will consist of fast growing species (willow and cotton wood), slow growing species (swamp white oak and bur oak), and pollinator species next to the crop areas. The trees will be planted in

• Riparian Buffers: Survival, base level diameter and height will be recorded in spring 2015 to estimate survival and biomass accumulation and annual growth.

• Native Plants for Pollinators:• Enhancement of floral resources for

bees within cover crops, field i h d fi ld b d

• Native Plants for Pollinators: Enhancement of floral resources for bees within cover crops, field margins, hedgerows, field borders, and riparian forest buffers. The approach will follow ongoing work at Michigan State Univ (Fiedler, and Landis. 2007).

• Soil Quality: Soil samples will be

• Native Plants for Pollinators: Enhancement of floral resources for bees within cover crops, field margins, hedgerows, field borders, and riparian forest buffers. The approach will follow ongoing work at Michigan State Univ (Fiedler, and Landis. 2007).

• Soil Quality: Soil samples will be

• Soil Quality: Soil samples will be collected from the surface soil in May-June period to analyze for soil quality indicators including organic C and total N; enzyme activity; water stable aggregates; soil pH and nutrient content; and bulk density (Kremer and Li, 2003; Udawatta et al., 2008).

• Water Quality: Water samples will be

• Water Quality: Water samples will be collected after each precipitation event from the crop and perennial vegetative areas in spring 2015.

• Samples will be analyzed for sediment, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, nitrate and dissolved phosphorus.

Cover Crop Field Day April - Bradford Farm• Cover crops (monoculture and poly-

culture) following corn, wheat, and soybean.

• Plots of cereal rye/hairy vetch cover crops - use of the roller crimper

Evaluation of cover crop species on claypan soil at Bradford Farm University of Missouri.

Cover Crop Field Day April - Bradford Farm

• Cover cropsplots of cereal rye

Successful planting

Fall‐seeded oats into standing soybean or corn

Kremer, 2005

Oats as a Cover Crop for Managing Winter Annual Weeds: to provide cover and mulch between crop production seasons; annual weed suppression observed; soil aggregation and soil biological activity increased with oat cover crop

Oats as a Cover Crop for Managing Winter Annual Weeds

Fall‐seeded oats into standing soybean or corn Kremer, 2005

Winter‐killed mulch suppresses winter annual weed growth

Corn no‐tilled into oat residue in subsequent season

Perennial Cover Cropping with a Kura Clover Alley Crop, Chariton County, MO

Established Cover Crops on Wakenda-Higginsville-Knox association in loess hills landscape;

• From 2002 to 2010, soil organic C increased 64% under clover relative to adjacent cultivated field;

• Water-stable aggregates by 42%; and

• Microbial activity (soil glucosidase) by 87%;

• Soil surface stability (as surface shear resistance) also increased under clover)

Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research Unit in Columbia, Missouri

Intercropping of buckwheat and sunn hemp with corn on claypan soil; planted 22 June 2012, some soil moisture, but no rain since planting.Weather is obviously affecting plant growth

2012 - “Establishment of warm-season cover crops under drought conditions”

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum).

Sunn hemp (Crotalaria)

Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research Unit in Columbia, Missouri

Projects• Reinbott et al., NIFA-grant Identification of

Factors Affecting Carbon Sequestration and Nitrous Oxide Emission in Three Organic Cropping Systems.

• Gantzer et al, USDA-MO-CIG Sustainable Cropping Systems Using Cover Crops and Native Species Field Borders for Environmental Quality.

• Udawatta et al., USDA-MO-CIG Sustainable Management to Improve Soil Quality, Soil Health, Environmental Quality, and Farm Productivity

Sustainable Cropping Systems Using Cover Crops and Native Species Field

Borders for Environmental Quality.Objectives:1. Demonstrate use of different cover crop options

following corn, soybean and wheat-including winter legumes, summer legumes, and annual grasses

2. Demonstrate different timing and means of cover crop desiccation-roller crimper, cultipacker, and flail mower and its effect on cover crop and grain crop yield.

3. Demonstrate how cover crops can suppress weeds and provide nitrogen to the subsequent crop in a no-till system

Sustainable Cropping Systems Using Cover Crops and Native Species Field

Borders for Environmental Quality.4. Demonstrate cover crop options for farmers

depending upon the objectives: nitrogen production, increasing soil quality, biomass production for weed control, and timing of planting in a no-tillage system. These cover crop options can be incorporated in either sustainable or organic system

5.Demonstrate benefits of agroforestry riparian buffers on ecosystems services.

6. Demonstrate how to improve habitat, and food for beneficial insects and pollinators.

Sustainable Management to Improve Soil Quality, Soil Health,

Environmental Quality, and Farm Productivity

Project Objectives:• Establish conservation practices (cover crop, no-

till, and crop rotation) and quantify ecosystem benefits of these practices compared to conventional farming.

• The project includes six farms and 12 watersheds.

• This project will also use existing watersheds that are being monitored in the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative Project.



Project ObjectivesQuantify effects of cover crop, no till, and crop rotation on: • soil chemical (pH, nutrient status, C

sequestration, C forms), • physical (bulk density, aggregate stability,

hydraulic conductivity, infiltration), and • biological (microbial diversity, enzyme

activities, soil DNA, and glomalin) properties.



Project ObjectivesDemonstrate and Quantify improvements in • soil properties, • nutrient sequestration, • water quality, and • production benefits as influenced by

adopting a production system focused on soil health and conservation practices.



Project Objectives• Demonstrate the economic benefits of

adopting a production system of soil health and conservation practices.

• Exhibit increased productivity, decreased input costs, and increased farm profitability.



Project ObjectivesPromote the adoption of soil health conservation systems. • Enhancing wide spread adoption of soil

health conservation systems through onsite demonstrations and workshop during the third and the fourth years of the project.



Project Objectives• Assess the relationships between soil

health management and biomass accumulation, nutrient cycling/availability, and soil water dynamics.

• Quantify water quality benefits of these conservation practices.

Cool and Warm Season Cover Crop Evaluation• Cool and warm season cover crops evaluated

for their suitability and performance following wheat (warm season) and soybean production system (cool season).

• Evaluation parameters for characterizing cover crop response are percent canopy cover, biomass, and cover crop termination success.

Jerry Kaiser, USDA-NRCS, Plant Materials Specialist, Elsberry MO

FutureThe true measure of the success of these projects is producer use of these methods.We will conduct surveys of Missouri producers to measure producer use of cover crops, riparian buffers, and pollinators. Surveys will be used to identify producer satisfaction, and major impediments to continued use of these practices.

SummarySince 2009, a number of cover crops projects across Missouri have been initiated.These projects have mostly been funded by the USDA.The NRCS has been a strong promoter of this work by funding:

WorkshopsCIG Grants

The future is promising for promoting cover crop use in Missouri.