The sequencing results of four soil samples revealed low duplication rates (4.71%) and a relatively high GC content (63.77%), suggesting good-quality data and the potential presence of specialized microbial populations. The average number of reads per sample was 43.15 million, providing deep sequencing coverage suitable for comprehensive microbial analyses. The DNA quality and quantity from soil bacteria were evaluated using the Agilent 4150 TapeStation and QuantiFluor systems, revealing moderate to high nucleic acid quality with a RIN/DIN score of 5 and total yields averaging 3920 ng. Although there was some degradation, the concentration was sufficient for various downstream applications, including qPCR and functional genomics studies. The conservative concentration measure (43.375 ng/µL) is recommended for future assays. Soybean R2 root samples (5/plot center 2 rows) were collected for checking Fusarium Root rot on July 11, 2024. We finished checking soybean plant roots for Fusarium Root rot by July 15, 0224. No Fusarium Root rot was observed in any plot of this study. This study found that Cereal Rye had the most positive impact on both soybean and corn yields. Additionally, Turnip showed a beneficial effect on corn yield. In contrast, legume-based cover crops such as Hairy Vetch and Winter Pea had less impact on the productivity of these cash crops.

Cover crop Cereal Rye resulted in the highest yields of both soybean and corn due to improved soil structure and moisture retention. Our first year results suggest that the selection of an appropriate cover crop is very important for soybean and corn yields; it is beneficial to grow Cereal Rye for increased soybean and corn yields.