Improving Soil Health and Cropping Systems Sustainability through Cover Crops: An Integrated Research, Education, and Support Approach

Project Overview

LS24-391
Project Type: Research and Education
Funds awarded in 2024: $399,984.00
Projected End Date: 03/31/2027
Grant Recipients: Middle Tennessee State University; University of Kentucky
Region: Southern
State: Tennessee
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Samuel Haruna
Middle Tennessee State University
Co-Investigators:
Dr. Song Cui
Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. Justin Gardner
Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. John Grove
University of Kentucky
Dr. Chaney Mosley
Middle Tennessee State University
Dr. Edwin Ritchey
University of Kentucky

Information Products

Commodities

  • Agronomic: corn, oats, rye, soybeans, triticale, vetches

Practices

  • Crop Production: cover crops, cropping systems, no-till
  • Education and Training: on-farm/ranch research
  • Soil Management: organic matter, soil analysis, soil physics, soil quality/health

    Proposal abstract:

    The current global climate variability, increasing human
    population, and economic burden on producers have exacerbated the
    need for improvements in current agricultural practices. These
    improvements require a systems approach with the goal of
    maintaining, and preferably improving, the sustainability of
    current cropping systems and their economic viability under
    changing climatic conditions, while ensuring environmental
    sustainability. Cover crops have been identified as a management
    practice that can achieve these goals. However, cover crop
    adoption, even though growing, still struggles to meet ideal
    levels of agronomic and environmental needs partly due to a lack
    of site-specific management protocols and planting equipment. The
    proposed project will leverage existing research plots
    established in 2020 so that even in a span of a three-year grant,
    the long-term (4-7 years) effects of cover crops on soil health
    can still be evaluated. The proposed project will use a
    multidisciplinary systems approach to improve soil health
    parameters and cover crop adoption through research, outreach,
    and support for small scale farmers in the Southeastern region.
    This goal will be achieved by addressing the following questions:
    1) how can cover crops influence soil physical and thermal
    properties measured in situ, 2) what soil health
    indicators and cash crop growth parameters can be influenced, 3)
    how do cover crops affect the interdependence between soil health
    indicators, disease incidence and pest damage, cropping systems
    and environmental sustainability, and economic viability of
    farming systems, and 4) to what extent does providing education,
    outreach, and support to local and small-scale farmers improve
    cover crop adoption? This project focusses on Southern SARE
    program objectives of enhancing productivity (evaluating cropping
    systems productivity relative to heat transport in a changing
    global climate, Obj. 1), enhancing stewardship (by using cover
    crops to improve soil health, Obj. 2), improving profitability
    (by evaluating the pest damage, disease incidence, and economic
    viability of cover crops, Obj. 3), and promoting the resilience
    of producers (providing education, outreach and support through a
    no-till seed drill to producers, Obj. 4). The proposed project is
    unique because it will be one of the first projects to help local
    farmers improve cover crop adoption through peer education
    involving collaborating farmers, and by making a no-till cover
    crop seed drill readily available for farmers to use. This
    project will also encourage collaboration between researchers and
    farmers and the participation of students in various institutions
    within the Southeastern region. Results of the project activities
    will be published in peer-reviewed journals, summaries will be
    made available on social media, via research and institutional
    websites and promoted through extension educational programs.
    Education and outreach efforts will lead to the development of
    lesson and activity plans for improving high school student
    interest and engagement in sustainable agriculture. This resource
    will be made available on institutional websites, and added to
    the ‘educator resources list’ on the participating state
    Departments of Education website. 

    Project objectives from proposal:

    1. Investigate the influence of cover crops (3-4 mix of winter
      wheat, crimson clover, triticale, hairy vetch, canola (rape),
      radishes, turnips, and cereal rye) on in situ measured
      soil properties (saturated hydraulic conductivity, water content,
      soil water potential, soil temperature, soil thermal
      conductivity, and heat capacity) at 0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm
      depths (farmers will be involved with sensor installation and
      cover crop selection). Learning Outcome:
      participating farmers learn the philosophies behind research
      design, sensor identification and integration in research.
      Farmers will also learn about the mechanisms by which cover crops
      can help improve soil resilience under variable atmospheric
      conditions. Action Outcome: 12 producers (in
      both Tennessee and Kentucky) incorporate sensors and technology
      for monitoring soil properties, with the added benefit of
      improving precision agriculture.
    2. Evaluate cover crop influence on soil health indicators
      (e.g., soil organic carbon, soil bulk density, water retention,
      pore size distribution, water infiltration, soil N, pH, microbial
      biomass, and greenhouse gas [CO2, CH4,
      N2O] emissions), insect and disease incidence, and
      cash crop growth plant parameters (height, biomass, chlorophyll
      content, yield). Collaborating farmers and students will help
      with measurements and sample collection. Learning
      Outcome:
      participating farmers and students will learn
      how to evaluate various soil health indicators, in situ
      and ex situ, and how to use cover crops to optimize soil
      health indicators and crop productivity. Action
      Outcome:
      producers increase cover crop usage to reduce
      insect and disease incidence, and improve soil health and
      resilience.
    3. Assess the influence of cover crop management on the
      interdependence of soil health indicators, cropping systems and
      environmental sustainability, and economic viability.
      Learning Outcome: participating farmers,
      students, and collaborators will learn how to determine economic
      viability of cropping systems, understand how systems research is
      conducted and how a systems approach can help improve cropping
      systems and environmental sustainability. Action
      Outcome:
      researchers will develop guidelines for a
      systems approach to sustainable agriculture.
    4. Provide outreach education to local producers on the use of
      cover crops and a systems approach to improve soil health and
      cropping systems sustainability and resilience. Disseminate
      research results, with farmer help and input, through extension
      service training and materials. Support local and minority
      farmers through the purchase of a cover crop seed drill that will
      be made available to these farmers at no cost to them.
      Learning Outcome: 80 farmers in Tennessee and
      Kentucky learn to use cover crops to improve the economic
      productivity of their cropping systems. Action
      Outcome:
      Educators organize farmer-led field days and
      provide recommendations on climate-smart agricultural strategies.
      Resource-limited producers have increased access to cover crop
      planting equipment.
    Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.