Management of Small Grain Residues to Retain Legume‐Derived Nitrogen in Corn Cropping Systems

Starovoytov, Anna; Gallagher, Robert S.; Jacobsen, Krista L.; Kaye, Jason P.; Bradley, Brosi A.

doi:10.2134/agronj2009.0402

Cited by 21 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…We found that cumulative proportional mass loss and N release increased with increasing hairy vetch/cereal rye biomass proportion in both years. This trend supports the findings of Starovoytov et al (2010), who reported that pure hairy vetch lost a greater proportion of initial mass by the end of the corn growing season than hairy vetch–small grain mixtures. On the other hand, Ranells and Wagger (1996) did not find clear trends in the cumulative proportional mass loss with hairy vetch/cereal rye biomass proportion, perhaps because their range of C/N ratios of residues was relatively narrow.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…On the other hand, Ranells and Wagger (1996) did not find clear trends in the cumulative proportional mass loss with hairy vetch/cereal rye biomass proportion, perhaps because their range of C/N ratios of residues was relatively narrow. The proportional mass loss after one growing season ranged from 0.60 to 0.90 for both studies (Ranells and Wagger, 1996; Starovoytov et al, 2010). These estimates are consistent with our estimates for hairy vetch and mixtures, but greater than our estimates for pure cereal rye.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Legume Proportion, Poultry Litter, and Tillage Effects on Cover Crop Decomposition

Poffenbarger

Mirsky²,

Weil

et al. 2015

Agronomy Journal

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Cover crop residues and animal waste products can be important sources of N in cropping systems. Th e objectives of this research were to determine, under fi eld conditions, the eff ects of hairy vetch (legume; Vicia villosa Roth)/cereal rye (grass; Secale cereale L.) proportion and pelletized poultry litter (PPL) management (no PPL, subsurface banded, broadcast, or incorporated with tillage) on the extent and rate of cover crop residue mass loss and N release during a subsequent growing season. Measuring cover crop residues placed in mesh litter bags, or residues+PPL in litter bags for the broadcast treatment, we found that increasing hairy vetch proportion led to greater proportional mass loss and N release (cumulative mass loss ranged from 40 to 80% and N release ranged from 0-90% of initial), as well as greater rates of mass loss in all PPL treatments. Nitrogen release rates were generally unaff ected by species proportions; however, N release rates for pure cereal rye residue in all PPL treatments except broadcast could not be estimated due to minimal N release. Incorporation of residues and PPL increased the rates of mass loss and N release for pure hairy vetch and hairy vetch-cereal rye mixtures. Although broadcast PPL application and incorporation aff ected decomposition patterns, subsurface banded PPL application did not. Results suggest that cereal rye provides the greatest mulch persistence, hairy vetch provides the greatest N release, and mixtures provide moderate delivery of these two services. Subsurface banding is the recommended PPL application method to conserve surface residues.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Legume Proportion, Poultry Litter, and Tillage Effects on Cover Crop Decomposition

Poffenbarger

Mirsky²,

Weil

et al. 2015

Agronomy Journal

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“…Researchers have cautioned that legume N residue needs to be managed properly in order to increase N synchrony with crop uptake demands (Crews and Peoples 2005;Gardner and Drinkwater 2009), and to improve legume-N retention (Hauggaard-Nielsen et al 2009;Starovoytov et al 2011). Even in semiarid Saskatchewan, a 17-year old LGM (lentil)-W-W rotation led to higher NO 3 -N leaching than a F-W-W control when the N supplying capacity of the soil was underestimated (Campbell et al 2006).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Legume, cropping intensity, and N-fertilization effects on soil attributes and processes from an eight-year-old semiarid wheat system

O'Dea

Jones

Zabinski

et al. 2015

Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst

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In the North American northern Great Plains (NGP), legumes are promising summer fallow replacement/cropping intensification options that may decrease dependence on nitrogen (N) fertilizer in small grain systems and mitigate effects of soil organic matter (SOM) losses from summer fallow. Benefits may not be realized immediately in semiarid conditions though, and longer-term effects of legumes and intensified cropping in this region are unclear, particularly in no-till systems. We compared effects of four no-till wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cropping systems-summer fallow-wheat (F-W), continuous wheat (CW), legume green manure (pea, Pisum sativum L.)-wheat (LGM-W), and pea-wheat (P-W)-on select soil attributes in an 8-year-old rotation study, and N fertilizer effects on C and N mineralization on a duplicate soil set in a laboratory experiment. We analyzed potentially mineralizable carbon and nitrogen (PMC and PMN) and mineralization trends with a nonlinear model, microbial biomass carbon (MB-C), and wet aggregate stability (WAS). Legume-containing systems generally resulted in higher PMC, PMN, and MB-C, while intensified systems (CW and P-W) had higher WAS. Half-lives of PMC were shortest in intensified systems, and were longest in legume systems (LGM-W and P-W) for PMN. Nitrogen addition depressed C and N mineralization, particularly in CW, and generally shortened the half-life of mineralizable C. Legumes may increase long-term, no-till NGP agroecosystem resilience and sustainability by (1) increasing the available N-supply (*26-50 %) compared to wheatonly systems, thereby reducing the need for N fertilizer for subsequent crops, and (2) by potentially mitigating negative effects of SOM loss from summer fallow.

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“…Nitrogen availability is affected by the quantity and quality of these inputs. For legumes, quality is based on characteristics such as the C:N ratio and lignin : N ratio (Kumar and Goh 1999, Cook et al 2010, Starovoytov et al 2010, while manure quality is determined by C:N, organic N : inorganic N, and NH 4 þ : NO 3 À ratios (Loecke et al 2012). Though greater attention has been paid to manipulating the quality of organic inputs to optimize N provision, legume-and manure-derived N can be asynchronous with plant uptake and contribute to N loss (Jensen 1994, Loecke et al 2012.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drivers of nitrogen dynamics in ecologically based agriculture revealed by long‐term, high‐frequency field measurements

Finney

Eckert

Kaye

2015

Ecological Applications

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Nitrogen (N) loss from agriculture impacts ecosystems worldwide. One strategy to mitigate these losses, ecologically based nutrient management (ENM), seeks to recouple carbon (C) and N cycles to reduce environmental losses and supply N to cash crops. However, our capacity to apply ENM is limited by a lack of field-based high-resolution data on N dynamics in actual production contexts. We used data from a five-year study of organic cropping systems to investigate soil inorganic N (SIN) variability and nitrate (NO3-) leaching in ENM. Four production systems initiated in 2007 and 2008 in central Pennsylvania varied in crop rotation, timing and intensity of tillage, inclusion of fallow periods, and N inputs. Extractable SIN was measured fortnightly from March through November throughout the experiment, and NO3- N concentration below the rooting zone was sampled with lysimeters during the first year of the 2008 start. We used recursive partitioning models to assess the importance of management and environmental factors to SIN variability and NO3- leaching and identify interactions between influential variables. Air temperature and tillage were the most important drivers of SIN across systems. The highest SIN concentrations occurred when the average air temperature three weeks prior to measurement was above 21 degrees C. Above this temperature and within 109 days of moldboard plowing, average SIN concentrations were 22.1 mg N/kg soil; 109 days or more past plowing average SIN dropped to 7.7 mg N/kg soil. Other drivers of SIN dynamics were N available from manure and cover crops. Highest average leachate NO3- N concentrations (15.2 ppm) occurred in fall and winter when SIN was above 4.9 mg/kg six weeks prior to leachate collection. Late season tillage operations leading to elevated SIN and leachate NO3- N concentrations were a strategy to reduce weeds while meeting consumer demand for organic products. Thus, while tillage that incorporates organic N inputs preceding cash crops can promote synchrony of N mineralization and crop demand, late or post-season tillage promotes NO3 leaching by stimulating SIN pulses that are asynchronous with plant uptake.

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Management of Small Grain Residues to Retain Legume‐Derived Nitrogen in Corn Cropping Systems

Cited by 21 publications

References 41 publications

Legume Proportion, Poultry Litter, and Tillage Effects on Cover Crop Decomposition

Legume Proportion, Poultry Litter, and Tillage Effects on Cover Crop Decomposition

Legume, cropping intensity, and N-fertilization effects on soil attributes and processes from an eight-year-old semiarid wheat system

Drivers of nitrogen dynamics in ecologically based agriculture revealed by long‐term, high‐frequency field measurements

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