Region impacted
This research will be geared towards soybean growers in the northwestern wheat growing region of MN. Growing conditions vary across MN for many reasons, including length of growing season, soil type, and crop rotation. Therefore, cover crop management guidelines should be developed on a regional basis according to common practices used at a local level and custom-tailored to meet individual grower needs.
Materials and methods
This project will be established as part of the MN Wheat Research & Promotion Council’s On-Farm Research Network (OFRN) in the 2019-2021 growing seasons.
Year 1
OFRN’s Research Coordinators will identify 3-4 growers who would like to test this practice in a replicated strip trial with 3-4 replications across an entire field on their farm. Rye will be established after the 2019 wheat harvest via drill or broadcasting at a rate of 30 or 60 lbs/acre, depending on seeding method. Specific field management practices will likely vary among participants. The Research Coordinators will evaluate stand establishment in the fall by taking stand counts and harvesting rye biomass from 4 0.5m2 quadrats within each cover crop strip before the first hard frost. Soil conditions will be evaluated by measuring soil moisture and residual NO3-.
Year 2
The Research Coordinators will measure soil moisture, temperature, and NO3-, as well as cover crop and weed stand and biomass before soybean is green-seeded into living rye. After soybean planting, the Research Coordinators will measure soybean emergence and soil temperature 2 and 4 weeks after planting. Soybean height, growth stage, IDC score, and soil moisture will be measured 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after planting. Rye will be chemically terminated 4-6 weeks after soybean planting or at the discretion of the cooperator. Soybean strips will be harvested with the cooperator’s combine and weighed in a weigh wagon to calculate yield. Differences in cover crop biomass and stand, and soybean stand, height, growth stage, IDC rating, weed density, soil moisture and temperature, and soybean yield and moisture statistically analyzed by one of the On-Farm Research Coordinators using R. Anecdotal observations from the Research Coordinators and the cooperators will also be included in reports. Cooperators may be asked to share their experiences in-person with other producers during the annual On-Farm Research Summit during the Prairie Grains Conference.