Citation Information

  • Title : Nitrogen cycling, profit margins and sweet corn yield under fall cover crop systems
  • Source : Canadian Journal of Soil Science
  • Publisher : Canadian Society of Soil Science/Agricultural Institute of Canada
  • Volume : 92
  • Issue : 2
  • Pages : 353-365
  • Year : 2012
  • DOI : 10.4141/cjss2011
  • ISBN : 10.4141/cjss2011-065
  • Document Type : Journal Article
  • Language : English
  • Authors:
    • Van Eerd, L. L.
    • Vyn, R. J.
    • Lauzon, J. D.
    • O'Reilly, K. A.
  • Climates: Continental (D). Hot summer continental (Dsa, Dfa, Dwa).
  • Cropping Systems: Cover cropping. Oats. Rye. Maize. Vegetables.
  • Countries: Canada.

Summary

In order to improve N best management practices in southwestern Ontario vegetable farming, the effect of cover crops on N dynamics in the fall and spring prior to sweet corn planting and during sweet corn season was assessed. The experiment was a split plot design in a fresh green pea - cover crop - sweet corn rotation that took place over 2 site-years at Bothwell and Ridgetown in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, respectively. The main plot factor was fall cover crop type with five treatments including oat (Avena saliva L.), cereal rye (Secale cereal L.), oilseed radish (OSR; Raphanus sativus L. var. oleoferus Metzg Stokes), mixture OSR plus cereal rye (OSR&rye) and a no cover crop control. Compared with no cover crop, sweet corn profit margins were higher by $450 ha(-1) for oat at Bothwell and $1300 and $760 ha(-1) for OSR and OSR&rye, respectively, at Ridgetown. By comparing plant available N over the cover crop season, the cover crops tested were more effective at preventing N loss at Bothwell than at Ridgetown likely due to higher precipitation and sandier soil at Bothwell. Despite differences in site characteristics, cover crops did not result in increased plant available N compared with no-cover during the sweet corn season at either site, indicating that these cover crops will not provide an N credit to the following crop and growers should not modify N fertilizer applications based on cover crops.

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