Long-term Benefits of Cover Crops and Crop Rotation

Long-term Benefits of Cover Crops and Crop Rotation

Summary

Cover crops and crop rotation can play a vital role in crop production by increasing soil organic matter, disrupting weed and insect cycles, and controlling erosion.

Objectives: 1) To determine long-term effects of cover crop utilization, 2) to determine economic feasibility related to savings on fertilizers an pesticides and 3) to determin which varieties or species of cover crops are best suited to southeastern Illinois. The coordinator divided 12 acres into plots 60 by 100 feet, took soil samples to determine available nutrients, took pentromenter readings to determine compaction and density, tested for orgranic matter and seeded various cover crops, including vetch, rye, buckwheat, oats and clover for comparison.

Results: Project was extended for one year to gather additonal data.