Cover Crops and Crop Rotation

conservation tillage

crop nutrient management

pest management

conservation buffers

irrigation management

grazing management

animal feeding operations management

erosion and sediment control

cover crops

green manures

crops that are grown as cover crops but also add SOM and N to the soil

catch crops

crops grown to catch nutrients before it is leached out of the soil

legumes

• peas, beans, clovers, vetches

• nitrogen fixers

  • inoculate seeds with Rhizobium before planted

• can be annual(winter or summer), biennial, perennial

grazing

cover crop grasses can also be used for _________

methods to plant cover crops

• whole growing harvest

• after main crop harvest

• interseeding

intercropping

practice of planting different crops at once

• very old practice

• provides multiple benefits

• also potential problems:

  • pests

  • competition for

    • light

    • water

termination methods

• mowing

• herbicide

  • be careful of timing, residue

• plowing

• rolling and crimping

• winter kill (natural)

allelopathy

the biochemical interactions between plants that inhibit or promote growth in neighboring plants, often used in cover cropping to suppress weeds

• “harmful to others”

• commonly transferred through roots system

• may need to delay planting (a week or two) after killing the plant for the substances to leave the soil

mowing

herbicide

plowing

rolling and crimping

winter kill

benefits of rotating crops

• pest control

• increase soil quality

  • nitrogen fixers

• diversify income

  • income based on multiple plants instead of one

slow down

crop rotation can __________ topsoil loss (erosion)

• pace

slow down, increase

crop rotation can __________ loss of or even __________ SOM

• pace

increase

crop rotation can __________ residue

increase

crop rotation can __________ active root period

improve

crop rotation can __________ nutrient retention

improve

crop rotation can __________ water quality

timing

crop rotation can also change labor __________, needs

high nitrogen

follow a legume crop with a __________ demanding crop

second or third

grow less nitorgen demanding crops in the __________ year after a legume sod

one

grow the same annual crop for only __________ year

closely related

don’t follow one crop with another __________ species

healthier crops

use crop sequences that promote __________

controlling weeds

use crop sequences that aid in __________

sloping land

use longer periods of perennial crops on __________

deep-rooted

try to grow a __________ crop as part of the rotation

significant

grow some crops that will leave a __________ amount of