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

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Open Access

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