Producers are pushing the boundaries of traditional management strategies to achieve their high-yielding soybean goals. Best management practices help some soybean yields of NC to exceed 70bu/A while the historical statewide average yield of soybean mark 35 bu/A level. However, intensive agricultural practices may not provide long-term sustainability in increasing soybean yield levels. Achieving high yields and improving soil properties may differ substantially for each region of NC and require excellent field conditions and hence site-specific and climate-smart management strategies. Especially increasing need for agricultural products, and expensive and limited fertilizer inputs due to global issues require improvements in currently available management strategies like cover cropping and reduced or no tillage. Recently, management practices like those provide minimum disturbance, maximum soil coverage, economically profitable carbon farming, and restore or maintain soil health are critical. This research aims to develop site-specific cover crop and tillage practices where we can get the most benefit from interactions between cover crop and tillage applications to provide high economical return and enhanced soil health conditions. We will conduct plant and soil analysis including soil physical properties, microbial activities, nitrogen (N) fixation, soybean yield, and biomass. We will also conduct an economic analysis and carbon credit evaluations. To conduct this project, we will hire a graduate student for 3 years co-sponsored with this grant and startup from department support by Crop and Soil Sciences Department. We are also requesting financial support for field supplies, travel costs, and soil and plant analysis associated with the project.

1. To determine the benefits of combined and single cover crop - tillage strategies on soil physical and hydraulic properties for higher soybean yield.
2. Determine the effectiveness of combined cover crop–tillage management on microbial activities, and the N fixation in different soil pores for benefiting high-yielding soybeans.
3. To evaluate positive impacts of combined cover crop and reduced tillage managements on soybean yield via soil erosion control, better soil structure, and water retention characteristics.

We will produce extension factsheets about the benefits of the combined and single cover crop-tillage strategies for soybean yield maximization and soil health improvements. We will provide training for one M.S. student funded by this grant. The graduate student will develop a thesis as part of this project. We will provide training for extension agents and growers about the benefits of using cover crops and tillage systems to soybean. We will present the results of this applied research for farmers and stakeholders. We will share the results of this research through bulletins like YouTube videos with attribution to the NCSPA. We will present the results of this applied research at one national conference. We are also planning to publish results in peer-reviewed scientific publications if possible.

Producers are pushing the boundaries of traditional management strategies to achieve their high-yielding soybean goals. High-yielding soybeans require excellent field conditions and the most appropriate soil management strategy. Achieving high yields and improving soil properties may differ substantially for each region of NC and require site-specific and climate-smart management strategies. Although regenerative agriculture practices can promote the yielding capacity of our soils, soils of high-yielding environments usually have good soil structure and soil health. However, sandy loam soils of the NC coastal plain are not well developed and diverse in organic matter at different soil depths which can be a yield-limiting factor. Due to the nature of poorly develop structures, issues related to erosion and soil moisture retention are common in this region. To maximize soybean yields, one cannot risk limiting the yield potential due to soil physical health. Here we provide a new perspective on currently available practices by converting them into more productive management strategies for soil health optimization and soybean yield maximization in the coastal plain of NC: combined or single cover crop-tillage interactions in response to different soil types, organic matter levels, and weather conditions. Besides yield maximization and soil health, the measurement of carbon over the years is important to see if it is possible to increase soil carbon (C) and to determine the potential market of carbon credits for farmers.