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

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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

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 focuses 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. 

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.