Date of Graduation
Fall 2018
Degree
Master of Natural and Applied Science in Agriculture
Department
College of Agriculture
Committee Chair
Sarah Lancaster
Abstract
A field study and a meta-analysis were conducted to compare the impact of cover crops on carbon and nitrogen dynamics and cash crop yield. The field study included six treatments: winter cereal rye, winter cereal rye-Austrian winter pea at two seeding rates, cereal rye-Austrian winter pea-radish at two seeding rates, and a no cover control. Meta-analysis data sets were compiled from studies published between 1994 and 2017. Treatments were grouped into the following classifications: monoculture, binary mix, polyculture, or control. In both the field study and meta-analysis, cover crops did not affect cash crop yield. However, plant biomass and plant biomass N in binary mixtures containing legumes were greater in both the field study and meta-analysis. Binary mixtures proved as beneficial as polycultures potentially reducing grower’s seed costs and management decisions. The meta-analysis allowed data to be analyzed across all regions, environments, and crops, and highlighted a lack of cover crop mixture data emphasizing the need for additional future research
Keywords
cover crop, cover crop mixtures, cover crop biomass, cover crop biomass N, cover crop C/N ratio, cash crop yield, meta-analysis
Subject Categories
Agricultural Science | Agriculture | Agronomy and Crop Sciences
Copyright
© Brionna Lee West
Recommended Citation
West, Brionna Lee, "Impacts of Cover Crop Mixtures on Productivity of Cropping Systems" (2018). MSU Graduate Theses/Dissertations. 3334.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/3334
