Effect of cover crop management on soil organic matter
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Published source details
Ding G., Liu X., Herbert S., Novak J., Amarasiriwardena D. & Xing B. (2006) Effect of cover crop management on soil organic matter. Geoderma, 130, 229-239.
Published source details Ding G., Liu X., Herbert S., Novak J., Amarasiriwardena D. & Xing B. (2006) Effect of cover crop management on soil organic matter. Geoderma, 130, 229-239.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Grow cover crops when the field is empty Action Link |
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Grow cover crops when the field is empty
A controlled, randomized, replicated experiment in 2005 on fine sandy loam in Massachusetts, USA (Ding et al. 2006) found higher soil organic carbon and nitrogen levels under vetch Vicia villosa/rye Secale cereale cover crops (14.1 kg C/m3 soil and 1.7 kg N/m3) or rye cover alone (15 kg C/m3 soil and 1.7 kg N/m3), compared to soil with no cover crop (12.2 kg C/m3 soil and 1.4 kg N/m3 soil respectively), regardless of nitrogen fertilizer rate. There were three cover crop treatments, including: vetch /rye, rye alone, no cover crops (control). Each 3 × 7.5 m replicate was treated with nitrogen fertilizer at a rate of 0, 67, 135 or 202 kg N/ha. There were four replicates. Plots were seeded in September and cut at the end of May. The main crop corn Zea mays was seeded in June and harvested in August.
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