The Role of Cover Crop Species and Residue Management on Forage Quality, Subsequent Crop Biomass, and Soil Microorganisms

Commodities

• Agronomic: corn, peas (field, cowpeas), rye

Practices

• Animal Production: feed/forage, winter forage
• Crop Production: cover crops, double cropping, no-till
• Production Systems: agroecosystems
• Soil Management: soil chemistry, soil microbiology, soil quality/health

Cover cropping is an agricultural practice that benefits soil
chemical, physical, and biological properties. Cover crops have
the added potential to be harvested as high-quality livestock
forage. Crops, such as Cereal Rye and Australian Winter Pea are
commonly utilized for forage in Midwestern states and can be used
to displace corn and other grains imported to balance rations.
The loss of cover crop residue when fed as forage, while
economically beneficial for farmers, could potentially have
effects on silage corn yield, soil microbial biomass and
community structure, and soil health in general. The objective of
this research is to evaluate cereal rye and winter pea for forage
quality at two different growth stages, while also evaluating the
effects of residue management on subsequent crop growth and soil
chemical and biological properties. A split plot design with 4
replications will be conducted with main plot as 3 cover crop
treatments and subplot as three residue management treatments.
The three species treatments are monocultures of cereal rye,
winter pea, and no cover crop. The three residue management
treatments are cover crop harvested at boot stage, cover crop
harvested at anthesis, and residue terminated and retained in the
field. The result of this research will provide new knowledge on
the best time to harvest cover crop for forage based on
nutritional factors and the impact of retaining residue in their
fields compared to the removal of residue at two different growth
stages on silage corn yields and soil bacterial biomass and
community structure. 

1. Evaluate the performance of different cover crop species and
   residue management on ground cover, cover crop biomass, weed
   suppression, and link these impacts on the subsequent crop
   biomass.
2. Evaluate different cover crop species for dairy forage
   quality for two different growth stages, boot stage and anthesis.
3. Investigate the impact of cover crop species and residue
   management on soil chemical properties and soil microbial
   diversity, community composition, and abundance, and link these
   impacts on nutrient cycling, nutrient uptake by corn, and corn
   silage yield.