Abstract
The integration of cover crops into cropping systems brings costs and benefits, both internal and external to the farm. Benefits include promoting pest‐suppression, soil and water quality, nutrient cycling efficiency, and cash crop productivity. Costs of adopting cover crops include increased direct costs, potentially reduced income if cover crops interfere with other attractive crops, slow soil warming, difficulties in predicting N mineralization, and production expenses. Cover crop benefits tend to be higher in irrigated systems. The literature is reviewed here along with Michigan farmer experience to evaluate promising cover crop species for four niches: Northern winter (USDA Hardiness Zones 5–6), Northern summer (Zones 5–6), Southern winter (Zones 7–8), and Southern summer (Zones 7–8). Warm season C 4 grasses are outstanding performers for summer niches (6–9 Mg ha −1 ), and rye ( Secale cereale L.) is the most promising for winter niches (0.8–6 Mg ha −1 ) across all hardiness zones reviewed. Legume–cereal mixtures such as sudangrass ( Sorghum sudanese L.)–cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L ) and wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)–red clover ( Trifolium pretense L.) are the most effective means to produce substantial amounts (28 Mg ha −1 ) of mixed quality residues. Legume covers are slow growers and expensive to establish. At the same time, legumes fix N, produce high quality but limited amounts (0.5–4 Mg ha −1 ) of residues, and enhance beneficial insect habitat. Brassica species produce glucosinolate‐containing residues (2–6 Mg ha −1 ) and suppress plant‐parasitic nematodes and soil‐borne disease. Legume cover crops are the most reliable means to enhance cash crop yields compared with fallows or other cover crop species. However, farmer goals and circumstances must be considered. If soil pests are a major yield limiting factor in cash crop production, then use of brassica cover crops should be considered. Cereal cover crops produce the largest amount of biomass and should be considered when the goal is to rapidly build soil organic matter. Legume–cereal or brassica–cereal mixtures show promise over a wide range of niches.
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Claims 17
Claim · model-written summary
Cover crop benefits tend to be greater in irrigated systems.
Verbatim
e0“Cover crop benefits tend to be higher in irrigated systems”
t0“Cover Crops”
Claim · model-written summary
Warm-season C4 grasses performed outstandingly in summer niches with 6–9 Mg ha −1.
Verbatim
e0“Warm season C 4 grasses are outstanding performers for summer niches (6–9 Mg ha −1 )”
Claim · model-written summary
Rye was most promising for winter niches at 0.8–6 Mg ha −1.
- Taxon
- rye
Secale cerealee0 - Outcome
- most promisinge0
- Value
- 0.8–6 Mg ha −1e0
- Setting
- winter nichese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“rye ( Secale cereale L.) is the most promising for winter niches (0.8–6 Mg ha −1 ) across all hardiness zones reviewed”
Claim · model-written summary
Sudangrass-cowpea mixtures produced substantial mixed-quality residues.
- Taxon
- sudangrass
Sorghum ×drummondiie0 - Outcome
- mixed quality residuese0
- Value
- 28 Mg ha −1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Legume–cereal mixtures such as sudangrass ( Sorghum sudanese L.)–cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L ) and wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)–red clover ( Trifolium pretense L.) are the most effective means to produce substantial amounts (28 Mg ha −1 ) of mixed quality residues”
Claim · model-written summary
Wheat-red clover mixtures produced substantial mixed-quality residues.
- Taxon
- wheat
Triticum aestivume0 - Outcome
- mixed quality residuese0
- Value
- 28 Mg ha −1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)–red clover ( Trifolium pretense L.) are the most effective means to produce substantial amounts (28 Mg ha −1 ) of mixed quality residues”
Claim · model-written summary
Legume covers grew slowly and were expensive to establish.
Verbatim
e0“Legume covers are slow growers and expensive to establish”
Claim · model-written summary
Legume covers fixed nitrogen.
Verbatim
e0“legumes fix N”
Claim · model-written summary
Legume covers produced high-quality but limited residues, 0.5–4 Mg ha −1.
Verbatim
e0“legumes fix N, produce high quality but limited amounts (0.5–4 Mg ha −1 ) of residues”
Claim · model-written summary
Legume covers enhanced beneficial insect habitat.
Verbatim
e0“legumes fix N, produce high quality but limited amounts (0.5–4 Mg ha −1 ) of residues, and enhance beneficial insect habitat”
Claim · model-written summary
Brassicas produced glucosinolate-containing residues of 2–6 Mg ha −1.
BrassicaOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Brassica species produce glucosinolate‐containing residues (2–6 Mg ha −1 )”
Claim · model-written summary
Brassicas suppressed plant-parasitic nematodes.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Brassica species produce glucosinolate‐containing residues (2–6 Mg ha −1 ) and suppress plant‐parasitic nematodes and soil‐borne disease”
Claim · model-written summary
Brassicas suppressed soil-borne disease.
- Outcome
- suppress plant‐parasitic nematodes and soil‐borne diseasee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Brassica species produce glucosinolate‐containing residues (2–6 Mg ha −1 ) and suppress plant‐parasitic nematodes and soil‐borne disease”
Claim · model-written summary
Legume cover crops most reliably enhanced cash-crop yields versus fallows or other covers.
Verbatim
e0“Legume cover crops are the most reliable means to enhance cash crop yields compared with fallows or other cover crop species”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend brassica covers where soil pests limit cash crop yield.
Verbatim
e0“If soil pests are a major yield limiting factor in cash crop production, then use of brassica cover crops should be considered”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend cereal covers to build soil organic matter rapidly.
Verbatim
e0“Cereal cover crops produce the largest amount of biomass and should be considered when the goal is to rapidly build soil organic matter”
Claim · model-written summary
Legume-cereal mixtures show promise across many niches.
Verbatim
e0“Legume–cereal or brassica–cereal mixtures show promise over a wide range of niches”
Claim · model-written summary
Brassica-cereal mixtures show promise across many niches.
Verbatim
e0“Legume–cereal or brassica–cereal mixtures show promise over a wide range of niches”