Objective 1.
- The effect of delaying cover crop kill-date on soybean yield and quality as well as environmental sustainability will be determined. The outcome will be data that is used to evaluate the question: Does a 3-4 week delay in cover crop kill-date (permitted by the later soybean planting date relative to corn) improve environmental sustainability and soybean yield in the North Central cropping systems?
- A second outcome of Objective 2 will be information on the carbon footprints of soybean cover-crop systems. Changes in ‘active’ fractions of soil organic matter will be used to evaluate the potential for cover crops to benefit soil organic matter. High soil organic matter stocks are viewed as a critical component of climate adaptation.
- A third outcome will be modeling of water flow and nitrate transport in corn-soybean systems with and without cover crops. The model will be used to predict the effects of cover crop in topographically diverse landscapes on soybean yield and nitrate loss under projected future climate scenarios.
Objective 2.
- Identification of crops that can be infected by F. virguliforme, Pythium spp., and other Fusarium spp. thereby increasing pathogen density in soil.
- Identification of crops that are suppressive to F. virguliforme, Pyrhium spp., and other Fusarium spp. thereby being good options as cover crops in fields with a history of SDS.
- Information about crops suppressive to root pathogens can be used to direct research efforts to test if they can be used as curative measures in high-risk fields.
- Understand how the combination of cover crops and tillage will affect soybean disease development.
- Clarification if cover crops reduce or increase risk of SDS or root rot diseases resulting in information farmers can use in disease management plans.
- Recommendations to farmers about the best cover crop in fields with a history of certain soybean diseases.
- Understand how genetic yield gain is affected by today's environment.
Over the past year, there have been over 15 presentations by co-PIs reaching over 3,000 stakeholders (farmers, commodity boards, agronomists, etc.). In addition, PI Eastburn wrote an article for the Resilient Agriculture conference in Ames, IA covering some of the cover crop research in his lab. The PIs and graduate students will continue to present these data through seminars, extension talks, newsletter articles and press releases.