Cover Crops for Resilience of a Limited-Irrigation Winter Wheat–Sorghum–Fallow Rotation: Soil Carbon, Nitrogen, and Sorghum Yield Responses

Thapa, Vesh R.; Ghimire, Rajan; Marsalis, Mark A.

doi:10.3390/agronomy11040762

Cited by 9 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Schlegel and Havlin (1997) also reported a 5 to 50% yield reduction to wheat and between an 11% increase to up to a 52% decrease for sorghum yield due to Hairy vetch summer cover crop. A significant positive grain sorghum yield advantage from winter oat cover crop and fallow compared with winter pea was reported for a limited irrigated study where fal-low replacements were planted prior to sorghum (Thapa et al, 2021).…”

Section: Crop Sciencementioning

confidence: 92%

Productivity and profitability with fallow replacement forage, grain, and cover crops in W‐S‐F rotation

2022

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Adoption of cover crops is greatly dependent on their effect on the productivity of the main crops and profitability of system. The objective of this study was to quantify effects of spring fallow replacement grain, forage, and cover crops on winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) productivity and overall net return. This field study was conducted from 2013 through 2020 near Garden City, KS. Three phases of the wheat-sorghum-fallow (W-S-F) rotation were the main plots, and fallow and fallow replacement grain, forage, or cover crops were subplot treatments. Available soil water at planting (ASWP) of wheat was 58 to 81% less following forage and grain oat (Avena sativa L.) and triticale and ASWP of sorghum was 29% less following spring oat grain than fallow. Spring crops did not affect average wheat and sorghum yield, water use, or water productivity compared with fallow; likely because winter wheat yield potential over the study period was <1,700 or >3,500 kg ha −1 . Fallow replacement crops increased cost of production by 16 to 97% compared with fallow, and costs were greater for forage and grain crops than cover crops. However, gross returns of forage crops were greater than cover crops or grain crops. Net return was greatest for triticale forage than spring pea (Pisum sativum L.) grain. We concluded no significant effect of spring fallow replacements on wheat and sorghum yield, but greater net return from spring triticale forage because of greater forage productivity and low seed cost.

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Section: Crop Sciencementioning

confidence: 92%

Productivity and profitability with fallow replacement forage, grain, and cover crops in W‐S‐F rotation

2022

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“…Diverse cover crops have been shown to increase microbial activity in sandy soils, with a long-term positive impact on yield [335]. It has been demonstrated in several studies that cover crops increase microbial biomass and enzyme activity [179,[336][337][338]. However, Kim et al [333] cautioned that the increased microbial activity could be due to in-creased microbial abundance or an increased per capita enzyme production rate.…”

Section: Effect Of Management Practices On Microbial Activitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health

et al. 2023

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Conventional farming practices can lead to soil degradation and a decline in productivity. Regenerative agriculture (RA) is purported by advocates as a solution to these issues that focuses on soil health and carbon sequestration. The fundamental principles of RA are to keep the soil covered, minimise soil disturbance, preserve living roots in the soil year round, increase species diversity, integrate livestock, and limit or eliminate the use of synthetic compounds (such as herbicides and fertilisers). The overall objectives are to rejuvenate the soil and land and provide environmental, economic, and social benefits to the wider community. Despite the purported benefits of RA, a vast majority of growers are reluctant to adopt these practices due to a lack of empirical evidence on the claimed benefits and profitability. We examined the reported benefits and mechanisms associated with RA against available scientific data. The literature suggests that agricultural practices such as minimum tillage, residue retention, and cover cropping can improve soil carbon, crop yield, and soil health in certain climatic zones and soil types. Excessive use of synthetic chemicals can lead to biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. Combining livestock with cropping and agroforestry in the same landscape can increase soil carbon and provide several co-benefits. However, the benefits of RA practices can vary among different agroecosystems and may not necessarily be applicable across multiple agroecological regions. Our recommendation is to implement rigorous long-term farming system trials to compare conventional and RA practices in order to build knowledge on the benefits and mechanisms associated with RA on regional scales. This will provide growers and policy-makers with an evidence base from which to make informed decisions about adopting RA practices to realise their social and economic benefits and achieve resilience against climate change.

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Simulating long-term soil carbon storage, greenhouse gas balance, and crop yields in semi-arid cropping systems using DayCent model

Bista,

Hartman,

DelGrosso

et al. 2024

Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst

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Cover Crops for Resilience of a Limited-Irrigation Winter Wheat–Sorghum–Fallow Rotation: Soil Carbon, Nitrogen, and Sorghum Yield Responses

Cited by 9 publications

References 23 publications

Productivity and profitability with fallow replacement forage, grain, and cover crops in W‐S‐F rotation

Productivity and profitability with fallow replacement forage, grain, and cover crops in W‐S‐F rotation

Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health

Simulating long-term soil carbon storage, greenhouse gas balance, and crop yields in semi-arid cropping systems using DayCent model

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