2021
Influence of Cover Crops and Soil Health on Soybean
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Contributor/Checkoff:
Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board
Category:
Sustainable Production
Keywords:
Field management Nutrient managementSoil healthTillageYield trials
Parent Project:
Double-cropped soybeans vs cover-cropped soybean - which is more profitable
Lead Principal Investigator:
Trenton Roberts, University of Arkansas
Co-Principal Investigators:
Jeremy Ross, University of Arkansas
Project Code:
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board
$50,000
Institution Funded:
University of Arkansas
$50,000
Brief Project Summary:
Cover crops are promoted as a valuable practice to reduce erosion and nutrient loss while improving soil health. Incorporating this practice into current production systems can be challenging. Farmers want to know if they can successfully implement cover crops, how they impact soybean yield, and if the practice supports their profitability. This project is collecting and analyzing data to provide both short-term and long-term answers to those questions. At locations around the state, seven different cover crop species are planted in the fall. These treatments are compared to traditional winter fallow. Yield, economic return and soil health data helps identify trends over time.
Key Beneficiaries:
#agronomists, #Extension agents, #farmers
Unique Keywords:
#cover crops, #crop management systems, #soil health
Information And Results
Project Summary

To investigate the short-term and long-term benefits of cover crop implementation on soybean and corn yield, nutrient use efficiency, water use efficiency and soil health.

Project Objectives

1. Identify how winter cover crop species influences soybean and corn yield performance and soil physical characteristics related to water holding capacity and irrigation.

2. Monitor soil physical and chemical parameters related to soil health and productivity as influenced by a corn and soybean rotation with varying winter cover crop species.

Project Deliverables

Data will be collected annually and compiled over time to compare the short-term and long-term effects of winter cover crop species selection. It may take several years for these systems to reach equilibrium due to the changes of both cover cropping and no-till management practices. Our goal is to monitor these changes to help aid producers in nutrient management for soybean through the implementation of cover crops into a corn soybean rotation and explain performance of the overall field system by describing diseases and indicators of soil health such as soil microbial communities and soil physical properties. Results will be reported each year at county and regional meetings and in the refereed scientific literature at the completion of the study.

Progress Of Work

Final Project Results

Benefit To Soybean Farmers

Winter cover crops have been promoted based on the environmental benefits of reduced erosion and nutrient loss. Limited work has been done to date on species selection and cultural management practices for effective use of winter cover crops in Arkansas soybean and corn rotational systems. Identifying the correct species, planting date and fertilization needs are essential for effective cover crop use and continued profitability of our soybean production systems. Costs and challenges of winter cover crops will be easily offset by: 1) the potential decrease in fertilizer needs 2) improved soil conditions that lead to better growth or reduced irrigation needs and 3) reduction in environmental impacts that threaten the long-term sustainability of Arkansas soybean and corn production. Inclusion of winter cover crops can have both short-term and long-term impacts on corn and soybean production. Understanding how cover crop species selection and cultural management practices is one of the most important steps in realizing the benefits of their effective use.

The United Soybean Research Retention policy will display final reports with the project once completed but working files will be purged after three years. And financial information after seven years. All pertinent information is in the final report or if you want more information, please contact the project lead at your state soybean organization or principal investigator listed on the project.