Browsing by Subject "Winter rye"
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Item Nitrate Leaching Mitigation with Kura Clover and Rye Covers for Corn and Soybean in Irrigated Sands(2021-10) Wayment, JessicaIn addition to best nitrogen (N) management practices, integration of cover crops, such as winter rye (Secale cerale L.) and kura clover (Trifolium ambiguum), into annual row crops may be an effective mitigation strategy to reduce nitrate (NO3-- N) leaching from irrigated sandy soils. This study was conducted in the Central Sands region of Minnesota from 2016-2020. The objectives were to evaluate, at variable N rates, rye and kura’s ability to reduce NO3-- N leaching and determine the impacts of the covers on soil N availability, corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] N uptake, and grain yield in continuous corn (CC), corn-soybean (CSb) and soybean-corn (SbC) cropping systems. From 2017-2020, kura reduced NO3-- N leaching by 69% (42 kg NO3-- N ha-1) compared to no cover crop but inter-crop competition resulted in reduction of 26% (2.3 Mg ha-1) in corn and 21% (0.8 Mg ha-1) in soybean grain yield. While inter-crop competition was successfully reduced with chemical suppression of kura, this also reduced the NO3-- N leaching benefit of kura. Inconsistent establishment and growth of rye resulted in variable results across years. Overall, however, rye had little effect on corn yield and reduced NO3-- N leaching compared to no cover by 11% (7 kg NO3-- N ha-1) in CC and 26% (19 kg NO3-- N ha-1) in CSb. In SbC, rye reduced yields 5% (0.2 Mg ha-1) and increased leaching by 25% (15 kg NO3-- N ha-1). Regardless of cropping system or cover crop variables, applying N above optimum rates provides no agronomic benefit and increases risk of NO3-- N leaching. Restricting N applications below optimum rates provides little or no NO3-- N leaching benefits and reduced grain yield. While best N management practices combined with cover crops can meet the need for grain production and minimize NO3-- N leaching in certain situations, minimizing inter-crop competition, and ensuring adequate annual rye establishment and N availability will prove essential to wide adoption of these alternative management systems.Item Winter rye cover cropping to improve water quality in corn-based cropping systems(2013-03) Herges, Adam PaulWinter rye (Secale cereale L.) cover cropping as a best management practice aimed at improving surface water quality by providing more ground cover, retaining nutrients, and preventing movement of surface water that carries nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment to rivers, lakes, and streams. These four studies evaluated winter rye effects on surface water quality using different seeding methods in a variety of cropping systems. The first study (chapter 1) evaluated surface water quality under a one hour simulated rainfall event using different seeding methods of establishing winter rye following soybean (Glycine max L.) in fall and spring. Aerial, airflow, and broadcast seeding methods provided optimal winter rye ground cover to reduce surface runoff, NO3-N, NH4-N, phosphorus, and sediment compared to fallow. The second study (chapter 2) evaluated surface water quality under a one hour simulated rainfall event using different management practices of winter rye following corn (Zea mays L.) stover removal for silage in spring of 2010 and 2011. Standing and harvested rye treatments reduced surface runoff, NO3-N, NH4-N, phosphorus, and sediment compared to fallow, with standing rye being superior to harvested rye. Harvesting the rye for forage or bedding still provided exceptional environmental benefits for improving water quality compared to fallow. The last two studies (chapters 3 and 4) monitored and evaluated surface runoff in a paired watershed design. The longitudinal limitations of these studies provided insufficient results to conclude if winter rye was effective at reducing surface runoff and improving water quality at the field edge. Overall, simulated rainfall studies showed that winter rye was effective at reducing surface runoff and improving water quality, but the results of field scale studies were less clear.