Abstract
Core Ideas Combination of cover crops with conservation tillage increased soil C. Cover crops significantly reduced nitrate‐N levels during the fallow season. Legume cover crops reduced N requirements when compared with non‐legumes. Conventionally managed, continuous monoculture row‐crop production has depleted the soil of nutrients, organic matter, and overall productivity. This has increased the need for external inputs, specifically N, to meet crop demand. Despite the growing interest in conservation practices, including minimal tillage and cover crops, little work has been reported in the Mid‐South region. Cereal rye ( Secale cereal L.), forage radish ( Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus L.), berseem clover ( Trifolium alexandrinum L.), crimson clover ( Trifolium incarnatum L), winter pea ( Pisium sativum L), hairy vetch ( Vicia villosa Roth), and a cereal rye–forage radish mix were seeded in discrete blocks in October 2014, 2015, and 2016 along with a non‐cover fallow. Each block was divided into 16 sub‐plots to which one of four N fertilizer rates (0, 235, 268, and 302 kg N ha −1 ) were applied. Corn ( Zea mays L.) grain yields increased with additions of N fertilizer; however, no difference was observed between the three fertilizer rates in 2 of 3 yr. Cover crops aided in the uptake and recycling of inorganic N, potentially reducing losses and providing N for subsequent cash crops. Following legume cover crops, corn grain yields were maximized with the addition of 235 kg N ha −1 . Inclusion of grass and brassicas with no additional N input reduced corn grain yield, which remained lower than yield measured following legumes up to the 302 kg N ha −1 rate. Secondary benefits of cover crops included increased soil C (36%) and N (22%), and N cycling over a 2‐yr period.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Cover crops with conservation tillage increased soil C.
- Taxon
- Corn
Zea mays subsp. mayst0 - Treatment
- cover crops with conservation tillagee0
- Outcome
- soil Ce0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Combination of cover crops with conservation tillage increased soil C.”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Cover crops significantly reduced fallow-season nitrate-N.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Treatment
- Cover cropse0
- Outcome
- nitrate‐N levelse0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Cover crops significantly reduced nitrate‐N levels during the fallow season.”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Legume cover crops reduced nitrogen requirements compared with non-legumes.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Treatment
- Legume cover cropse0
- Outcome
- N requirementse0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Comparator
- non‐legumese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Legume cover crops reduced N requirements when compared with non‐legumes.”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Corn grain yield increased with nitrogen fertilizer.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayse0
- Treatment
- additions of N fertilizere0
- Outcome
- grain yieldse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Corn ( Zea mays L.) grain yields increased with additions of N fertilizer”
Claim · model-written summary
The three nitrogen fertilizer rates did not differ in two of three years.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Treatment
- three fertilizer ratese0
- Outcome
- differencee0
- Direction
- no differencee0
- Qualifier
- 2 of 3 yre0
- Comparator
- three fertilizer ratese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“no difference was observed between the three fertilizer rates in 2 of 3 yr.”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Cover crops aided inorganic nitrogen uptake and recycling.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Treatment
- Cover cropse0
- Outcome
- uptake and recycling of inorganic Ne0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Cover crops aided in the uptake and recycling of inorganic N”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Corn yield after legumes was maximized with 235 kg N ha −1.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse0
- Treatment
- addition of 235 kg N ha −1e0
- Outcome
- grain yieldse0
- Direction
- maximizede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Following legume cover crops, corn grain yields were maximized with the addition of 235 kg N ha −1 .”
Claim · model-written summary
Grass and brassica cover crops without nitrogen reduced corn yield.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse0
- Treatment
- grass and brassicas with no additional N inpute0
- Outcome
- grain yielde0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Inclusion of grass and brassicas with no additional N input reduced corn grain yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Corn yield after grass and brassicas remained below yield following legumes up to 302 kg N ha −1.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse1
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Qualifier
- up to the 302 kg N ha −1 ratee0
- Comparator
- following legumese0
Not reportedTreatment
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“which remained lower than yield measured following legumes up to the 302 kg N ha −1 rate.”
e1“reduced corn grain yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Cover crops increased soil carbon by 36%.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Secondary benefits of cover crops included increased soil C (36%) and N (22%), and N cycling over a 2‐yr period.”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Cover crops increased soil nitrogen by 22%.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Secondary benefits of cover crops included increased soil C (36%) and N (22%), and N cycling over a 2‐yr period.”
t0“Corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Cover crops aided nitrogen cycling over two years.
- Taxon
- CornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Treatment
- cover cropse0
- Outcome
- N cyclinge0
- Qualifier
- over a 2‐yr periode0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Secondary benefits of cover crops included increased soil C (36%) and N (22%), and N cycling over a 2‐yr period.”
t0“Corn”
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