Soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics under zone tillage of varying intensities in a kura clover living mulch system

Ginakes, Peyton; Grossman, Julie; Baker, John M.; Dobbratz, Michelle; Sooksa-nguan, Thanwalee

doi:10.1016/j.still.2018.07.017

Cited by 10 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Despite the greater biomass N and lower residue quality in RV and RC systems relative to OP in 2016, POXC responded only to sampling time with a slight decrease by the post-harvest sampling time relative to all other time points. This slow decrease over time may be attributed to general microbial activity and decomposition of preexisting labile C pools over the growing season, as has sometimes been observed previously [42,43].…”

Section: Soil Region and Sampling Time Are The Main Determinants Of Soil Quality Changessupporting

confidence: 60%

“…Therefore, we expected to observe a decrease in IR POXC after cover crop termination as cover crop residue mineralized, but this was not observed. While the sensitivity of POXC to cover cropping practices has mixed results in the literature [42][43][44], some have concluded that it better reflects practices and systems that build soil organic matter rather than nutrient turnover [45,46]. Soil inorganic N responded to cover crop termination in both soil regions and cover crop systems in 2015.…”

Section: Soil Region and Sampling Time Are The Main Determinants Of Soil Quality Changesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Extending Cover Crop Benefits with Zone Till Management in Northern Organic Summer Squash Production

Ginakes

Grossman

2021

Agronomy

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Winter annual legume cover crops often fail to reach full maturity by spring vegetable planting dates in northern climates, which prevents maximum nitrogen (N) contributions. To determine if delayed termination improved cover crop biomass and N content, we evaluated winter rye + hairy vetch (Secale cereale L. + Vicia villosa Roth) and oat + field pea (Avena sativa L. + Pisum sativum L.) cover crop mixtures in 2015 and 2016, and medium red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) in 2016, in zone-tilled organic yellow crookneck squash (Cucurbita pepo var. torticollis Harz). In-row regions where cover crops were terminated in early spring during crop row preparation were compared to between-row regions where termination was delayed until legume maturation in late spring. Soil quality (soil inorganic N, permanganate oxidizable C (POXC), and potentially mineralizable N (PMN)) was also determined for in-row and between-row regions at four time points throughout the growing season. In 2015, winter rye + hairy vetch biomass N more than doubled between early and late termination times, with 120 and 258 kg N ha−1, respectively. Permanganate oxidizable C was not responsive to cover crop systems or tillage, and only slightly decreased over time in 2016. Soil inorganic N and PMN after cover crop termination in 2016 provided evidence of localized soil N cycling responses to cover crop termination in in-row and between-row regions. The extended growing period for cover crops between crop rows in the first several weeks of crop growth had no negative effect on crop yield, and appeared to enhance soil fertility.

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Section: Soil Region and Sampling Time Are The Main Determinants Of Soil Quality Changessupporting

confidence: 60%

Section: Soil Region and Sampling Time Are The Main Determinants Of Soil Quality Changesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extending Cover Crop Benefits with Zone Till Management in Northern Organic Summer Squash Production

Ginakes

Grossman

2021

Agronomy

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“…More recently, Pearson et al (2014) reported that strip tillage of well-established kura clover shortly before corn planting resulted in higher corn yields than herbicide bands in one of two years. Ginakes et al (2018) compared glyphosate banding (4 kg ae ha −1 , 30-cm bands), shank tillage (traditional strip till unit), zone tillage (rotary zone tiller with power take-off), and shank plus zone tillage as methods of establishing corn in kura clover. Relative to the herbicide bands, shank plus zone tillage resulted in reduced kura clover encroachment into the crop rows and higher nitrogen availability (see also Alexander et al 2019b on strip tillage and nitrogen availability).…”

Section: Mechanical Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrated management of living mulches for weed control: A review

et al. 2021

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Living mulches are cover crops grown simultaneously with and in close proximity to cash crops. Advantages of living mulches over killed cover crops may include increased weed suppression, erosion and leaching control, soil health, and resource-use efficiency. Advantages of living mulches over synthetic mulches may include enhanced agroecosystem biodiversity and suitability for a wider range of cropping systems. A major disadvantage of this practice is the potential for competition between living mulches and cash crops. The intensity and outcome of mulch-crop competition depend on agroecosystem management as well as climate and other factors. In this review, we consider the management of living mulches for weed control in field and vegetable cropping systems of temperate environments. More than 50 years of research have demonstrated that mechanical or chemical suppression of a living mulch can limit mulch-crop competition without killing the mulch and thereby losing its benefits. Such tactics can also contribute to weed suppression. Mechanical and chemical regulation should be combined with cultural practices that give the main crop a competitive advantage over the living mulch, which in turn outcompetes the weeds. Promising approaches include crop and mulch cultivar selection, changes to planting time, density, and planting pattern, and changes to fertilization or irrigation regimes. A systems approach to living mulch management, including an increased emphasis on the interactions between management methods, may increase the benefits and lower the risks associated with this practice.

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“…Kura clover has been found to fix up to 155 kg N ha −1 in Minnesota [21], and reduce agricultural externalities such as nitrate loading of water bodies [22,23]. More recent research has examined kura clover's effect on plant-available N [24][25][26] and maximized row crop production in this system via novel tillage methods [25,27]. Still, the effect of kura clover on soil quality in organic systems is largely unexplored.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In an analysis of soil quality indicators, Morrow et al [37] found that POXC ranked highest in terms of sensitivity to management practices, cost effectiveness, and sample turnaround time. Increases in POXC often occur in the absence of tillage [38,39], yet LM system effects on POXC have only recently been examined [24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Living Mulch Management Spatially Localizes Nutrient Cycling in Organic Corn Production

et al. 2020

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Kura clover (Trifolium ambiguum) is a perennial living mulch species that can be used in conjunction with zone tillage to reduce nitrogen pollution, maintain ground cover, and provide nitrogen to crops. In such systems, kura clover is maintained between crop rows by limiting tillage only to within-row areas. However, the effect of zone-tilled living mulches on soil quality and nutrient cycling in these distinct regions is relatively unexplored. We examined three pools of labile soil organic matter (SOM): microbial biomass, particulate organic matter (POM), and permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC). Soil samples were collected from both within-row and between-row locations of a zone-tilled kura clover living mulch at three time points per year: before spring zone tillage, approximately ten days after spring zone tillage and corn (Zea mays) planting, and at corn harvest in 2015 and 2016. In 2016, POM and POXC decreased within rows relative to between-row regions after tillage, suggesting that zone till management stimulated decomposition of readily available SOM to effectively localize nutrient cycling in this region and slow mineralization between rows where living kura clover remained. This work shows that zone-tilled living mulches may be a promising avenue for enhancing the synchrony of nutrient mineralization specifically within crop rows, while maintaining year-round ground cover between rows.

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Soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics under zone tillage of varying intensities in a kura clover living mulch system

Cited by 10 publications

References 42 publications

Extending Cover Crop Benefits with Zone Till Management in Northern Organic Summer Squash Production

Extending Cover Crop Benefits with Zone Till Management in Northern Organic Summer Squash Production

Integrated management of living mulches for weed control: A review

Living Mulch Management Spatially Localizes Nutrient Cycling in Organic Corn Production

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