Soil quality and health indicators are necessary to monitor and improve the agricultural sustainability. This experiment was conducted at Mississippi State, MS between 2015 and 2016. Soil samples were taken to determine bulk density, enzymatic activity, and total C and N. Results indicated greater bulk density, total C and N, and enzymatic activity for inter-row position than for within the corn row which was disturbed by strip-tillage. Soil bulk density tended to increase with soil depth; however, total C and N and total microbial activity decreased with depth both years. Total soil C and N increased from 2015 to 2016. Enzymatic activity was greatest at corn planting and decreased up thru four weeks apparently due to total C and N decomposition. Total C and N were related to bulk density and enzymatic activity because increase in soil C and N decreased the bulk density and increased the enzymatic activity values.

Food production security and resiliency require combination of agricultural management practices that are environmentally friendly and economically viable. Cover crops and tillage are two typical management practices that influence corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) production in Illinois and the Midwest, USA. Finding practices that could potentially reduce nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and sequester carbon (C) in the soil can improve agricultural resiliency to climate change. Generally, shifting from reduced tillage (RT) to no-till (NT) improves soil structure and decreases C emissions or sequesters soil C but might increase N2O emissions. Including a legume cover crop such as hairy vetch (Vicia villosa L.) before corn is preferred to winter cereal cover crops (WCCCs) to avoid yield penalty in corn and ensure high grain production. Winter cereal cover crops such as winter cereal rye (Secale cereale) (WCR) could potentially decrease soil N2O emissions during fallow period by capturing residual N and reducing soil moisture. These conditions could change in soils with legacy tillage (RT vs. NT) effects due to changes in soil physical, chemical, and biological over time. We utilized a medium-term (six-year-old) trial to test several hypotheses. We hypothesized that RT increases the soil temperature, accelerates soil organic matter mineralization, and especially in combination with hairy vetch could increase soil N in the soil leading to increased corn grain yield and N2O emission (Chapter 1). We also hypothesized that WCR takes up residual N after harvesting corn, decrease soil N, use soil moisture, and therefore, could decrease soil N2O emission (Chapter 2). For study 1 (Chapter 1), our objective was to evaluate the influence of cover crop (hairy vetch) vs. a no CC control and tillage systems (RT vs. NT) on (i) corn yield, N uptake, removal, and N balance; (ii) N2O emissions during corn season; (iii) yield scaled N2O emissions on a long-term (eight years) tillage × cover cropping system during the corn growing season in 2019 and 2021. We also analyzed factors that influence N2O emissions via principal component analysis in corn season. In corn growing seasons, we found that corn grain yield was higher in RT than NT reflecting on more N in the soil in RT than NT. Hairy vetch increased corn grain yield, soil N, and N2O-N indicating increased corn grain yield by hairy vetch N contribution let to higher N loss. Yield-scaled N2O-N emissions in NT-2019 (3696.4 g N2O-N Mg-1) were twofold higher than RT-2019 (1872.7 g N2O-N Mg-1) and almost fourfold higher than NT-2021 and RT-2021 indicating in a wet year like 2019, yield-scaled N2O-N emissions were higher in NT than RT. Principal component analysis indicated N2O-N fluxes were less driven by soil N and more by environmental conditions and N balances reflecting on N application at planting in this trial. . The objectives for chapter 2 were to evaluate the legacy effect of tillage (RT vs. NT) and cover crops (WCR vs. a no cover crop control) on soil nitrate-N (NO3-N), volumetric water content (VWC), temperature, and N2O emission trends during a fallow period after corn in a six-yr trial. In spring 2020 we also estimated WCR biomass and N uptake as affected by tillage practices and compared WCR biomass to weeds in the no cover crop treatment. In rye growing season, winter cereal rye biomass was 55% higher than weeds in the fallow treatment. A linear positive relation between WCR biomass and N uptake (R2= 0.93) and C accumulation (R2 = 0.99) indicates WCR captures more N and adds more C inputs than weeds. Winter cereal rye biomass was also higher in RT than NT reflecting on higher soil temperature and N availability in RT than NT. Soil VWC was lower in WCR plots and there was a negative linear relation between days of the year (DOY) and VWC (R2 = 0.6). Despite all these differences, soil N2O-N values were mainly less than 5 g N2O-N ha-1d-1 in all sampling dates regardless of tillage or cover crop treatment. We conclude that in poorly drained Alfisols with claypan and fragipans, NT is not an effective strategy to decrease N2O-N fluxes. Hairy vetch benefits corn grain yield and supplement N but that increases N loss through N2O-N emissions. We concluded that we should focus on decreasing N2O emissions early in corn season since majority of N is lost during that time sometimes 300 times higher than those reported during the WCR phase. Some changes in management practices that could reduce N2O losses are shifting from upfront N application to sidedress N management, terminating hairy vetch at or even after corn planting, and combine these efforts with enhanced efficiency fertilizers that control nitrification and denitrification.

Integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS) incorporate cropping systems and livestock production by grazing cover crops. With a growing awareness in recent years regarding agricultural sustainability, these systems have begun to be re-introduced into the southeastern U.S. This study evaluated cover cropping systems under grazed no-till (GNT), un-grazed no-till (UNT), and un-grazed conventional tillage (UCT) management, in Mississippi. Beef cattle (Bos spp.) performance was significantly less in the cover crop treatment of oats (Avena sativa) + crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum) + radish (Raphanus sativus; OCR) in both average daily gain (ADG; 3.03 lb hd-1 d-1) and total gain ac-1 (GAIN; 346 lb ac-1). Soybean (Glycine max) yield was unaffected by cover crop treatment and tillage. The lowest expected economic return was generated by OCR ($749.31 ac-1). Soil penetration resistance was unaffected by the influence of grazing. The greatest concentrations of soil organic carbon (1.44%) and soil nitrogen (0.20%) were observed in GNT.

Crop production systems which utilize the biomass produced by rye (<i>Secale cereale</i> ) to suppress weed growth and conserve soil moisture have been developed at Virginia Tech. The success of alternative, reduced-input crop production systems has encouraged research into the potential for breaking the traffic-tillage cycle associated with conventional tillage crop production systems. The fragile residues encountered in agricultural crop production, whether incorporated into the soil or distributed on the soil surface, provide minimal protection against compaction by wheeled vehicles. The potential of an intact cover crop to reduce machine-induced effects on soil properties that affect primary crop growth was the subject of this study. A randomized complete block experiment was conducted at the Whitethorne Farm in Montgomery County, Virginia. One set of plots was arranged on a terrace adjacent to the New River in a fine, mixed, mesic, Aquic Argiudolls. Another set of plots was arranged on an upland site, a river terrace tread, in a fine-loamy, mixed, mesic, Typic Hapludults. Three rye cover crop treatments were examined. In one, a live cover crop was completely undisturbed prior to tracking by a wheel-type tractor. In another, the cover crop was chemically desiccated, and in the third treatment, all above-ground biomass was removed from plots prior to machine traffic. The treatments permitted investigation of the effects of crop condition on machine-induced soil compaction and the contribution of root reinforcement to the alteration of soil response to machine traffic. A fall-tilled fallow treatment served as an experimental control. Three levels of traffic were investigated: one pass, three passes, and five passes. Undisturbed soil core samples were analyzed to determine machine-induced effects on dry bulk density, pore size distribution, and saturated hydraulic conductivity. The treatments affected soil response to machine traffic. The cover crop treatments altered the soil-plant microenvironment, affecting soil parameters that influence compactibility. Soil compaction was attenuated by the reinforcing effect of a network of undisturbed roots within the soil. There was no convincing evidence that above-ground biomass contributed directly to the reduction of machine-induced compaction effects. Soil response to machine traffic was limited to the uppermost 15 cm of the soil profile. / Ph. D.

This study compares the energy costs of synthesizing, distributing, and applying manufactured nitrogen fertilizer to the overall energy costs associated with nitrogen-fixing legume production and use. The energetics of com silage and com grain production under standard and alternative practices are examined. Economic analyses of crop production practices are used to aid the selection of recommended alternative practices. In corn silage production, cover-cropped treatments had a significant advantage over standard practice treatments in terms of overall energy expenditures for field operations. Cover-cropped no-till treatments required an average energy expenditure of 9026 MJ/ha compared to 19,763 MJ/ha required by the standard-practice no-till treatment. Cover-cropped treatments that used disking to kill the cover crops required an average energy expenditure of 9781 MJ/ha compared to 18,488 MJ /ha required by the standard-practice winter-fallow treatment. Alternative-practice treatments that utilized vetches to provide nitrogen for com production performed significantly better than standard-practice treatments in terms of energy use per unit of crop output. In addition, the alternative hairy vetch - no-till treatment produced a $33/ha greater average net revenue than the standard-practice no-till treatment. Weed control energy requirements for cover-cropped ridge-tillage com grain production were compared. Broadcast application of pre-emergence herbicides required an energy expenditure of 1160 MJ fha. Cultivation of ridges to control weeds consumed 380 MJ/ha. Economic costs of ridge cultivation were $14/ha. Broadcast application of pre-emergence herbicides cost $49/ha. / Master of Science

Winter fallow corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production systems are susceptible to erosion and agrochemical transport. This research determined the effects of Cover Crop Minimum Tillage (CCMT) on erosion and agrochemical transport from corn-soybean rotations at field scale, while assessing impacts to agroeconomics and irrigation in Mississippi’s Delta Region. CCMT did not affect total suspended solids (p = 0.53), total inorganic phosphorus (TIP) (p = 0.30), or total nitrogen (TN) (p = 0.25) loads, but did reduce TIP (p = 0.018), TN (p = 0.011), and nitrate-nitrite (p = 0.007) concentrations. An economic loss of $281/ha with no effect on yield (p = 0.09), irrigation use efficiency (p = 0.38), or consumptive water use (p = 0.83) was observed. CCMT will not improve profitability of corn-soybean rotations in the Delta and transitioning from fallowing to CCMT will have varying effects on erosion and agrochemical transport.

With herbicide efficacy declining as weeds continue to evolve and resist key modes of action, long-term, multi-faceted control practices need to be investigated. Two studies, involving cover crops and tillage, were implemented to understand how management practices influence the weed seed bank. The objectives of both studies were to examine long-term changes in the weed seed bank in response to tillage methods, fertility, and cover crops, and to analyze differences in distribution and community composition between individual species in the weed seed bank. To assess the weed community present in both seed banks, soil samples were collected, and a soil grow out was conducted in the greenhouse. To examine the field-emerged seed banks, percent coverage was collected for each weed species, crop residue, bare ground, and cover crop if present. The first study was established in 1970, evaluating four tillage systems: moldboard plow (CT), chisel plow (RT), alternative (AT), and no-tillage (NT). From 1970 to 1990, this study was continuous corn (Zea mays L.), but in 1991, soybeans (Glycine max L.) were added into the rotation, marking the beginning of the current corn-soybean rotation. Fertilizer treatments (no-fertilizer, nitrogen only, and NPK) were also evaluated. Each tillage and fertility treatment were replicated four times in the field in 6 m by 8 m plots. Weed seeds were found to be distributed within the soil profile differently by tillage treatment. No-till treatments maintained most of the seed bank near the surface of the soil. Based on the response of individual species to fertility treatments, community shifts in seed bank composition were found. LAMAM, STEME, and SIBVI had the greatest richness in NPK treatments compared to no fertilizer and nitrogen only. CERVU tended to favor treatments without any fertilizer. Tillage and fertility were also found to interact and influence species presence and community composition. The second study was established in 2013, to examine changes and differences in distribution and composition between individual species in the weed community in response to cover crop rotations and tillage. A split-plot design with three crop rotation systems was implemented: 1) corn (Zea mays L.) – cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) – soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) – hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) [CcrShv], 2) corn-cereal rye-soybean-oats + radish (Avena sativa L. + Raphanus sativus L.) [CcrSor], and 3) corn-no cover crop-soybean-no cover crop [NOCC], and two tillage treatments: conventional tillage and no-till. This field study also supported previous findings of higher weed diversity in no-till systems. ANOVA performed in R suggested species richness was significantly higher in no-tillage treatments in comparison to tillage treatments. For the field-emerged weed community, a pairwise comparisons test suggested cover crop treatments have significantly lower weed richness compared to plots with no cover crop present, but there was no interactive effect of tillage. 3-Way ANOVAs suggested time, tillage, and crop rotation influenced each weed species differently. Due to individual weed species having different requirements for germination and seed longevity, these data suggest the importance of developing and implementing a quality, integrated weed management program to maintain low levels of weed emergence and seed credits to the seed bank.

Improved agricultural productivity due to use of fertilizers over the last century has resulted in yield of cash crops, such as corn (Zea mayes L), to be increased on a per hectare basis. Consequently, inadequate fertilizer management such as improper timing or over application has led to infiltration into aquatic environments which can be detrimental to the ecology of such systems. Agricultural systems within the Mississippi River Basin have contributed to large-scale eutrophication in the Gulf of Mexico through surface and dissolved fertilizer loading in upstream tributaries. In response to these concerns, nutrient loss reduction strategies (NLRS), have developed in order to minimize these contributions of eutrophication to aquatic environments. Among adjustments in agricultural practices, one solution is the implementation of cover crops at the end of the cash crop growing season. The primary purpose of cover crops is to increase retention of nutrients during the fall and spring through soil stabilization and nutrient uptake which can prevent erosion and dissolved pathways to fertilizer loading in aquatic environments. Common types of cover crops able to achieve these goals are categorized as winter cereal cover crops (WCCC) and namely, winter cereal rye (Secale cereale) (WCR) is preferred in the state of Illinois. Using WCR has provides addition potential benefits such as cold hardiness establishment, carbon sequestration, weed suppression, and altering hydrological conditions before or during the cash crop. Although there are a variety of benefits from WCR, there are documented tradeoffs due to the presence of WCR, namely, reduced corn yields due to diminished stand population and decreased nitrogen availability through the process of immobilization which results from a carbon to nitrogen ration (C:N) which is greater than 25:1. Our research centered around solutions to maximize benefits of WCR while minimizing negative tradeoffs to the subsequent corn. We hypothesized that reduced seeding rate and higher quality cultivars of WCR would lead to quicker decomposition of biomass (Chapter 1) and would result in corn yields (Chapter 2) that were higher than the alternative treatments of high seeding rates and typical cultivars of WCR. Additionally, we hypothesized that selecting alternative cover crop species such as crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum), integrating crimson clover with WCR, and reducing seeding rate through precision planting of cover crops off of the corn row would lead to quicker decomposition and result in higher corn yields than the WCR treatment planted normally (Chapter 3). All research was conducted with two site-years for each study. Chapter 1 consisted of two studies (Study A and Study B) where WCR seeding rate was modified and consisted of five treatments of 0, 34, 56, 84, and 112 kg ha-1 of WCR (Study A), and where WCR seeding rate as well as cultivar was modified and consisted of five treatments (Study B). Treatments consisted of an initial no cover crop control and two cultivars, one typical rye considered as “normal” and a hybrid variety (KWS) considered as “hybrid” that were planted at rates of 67 kg ha-1, considered as “low”, and 100 kg ha-1, considered as “high”. The objective of both studies in Chapter 1 was to evaluate the influence of seeding rate (Study A) as well as seeding rate × cultivar had on (i) WCR biomass and nutrient composition, (ii) decomposition and C:N dynamics, and (iii) soil nitrogen dynamics during the growing season in 2021 (Year 1) and 2022 (Year 2). In Study A, it was found that overall biomass was higher as seeding rate increased linearly (R2 = .94) over the two years from 34, 56, 84, to 112 kg ha-1 (2810.43, 3022.14, 3179.89, 3416.52 kg ha-1, respectively). The seeding rate did not influence the rate at which WCR biomass decomposed due to similarities in carbon and nitrogen concentrations within WCR. Fluctuations in C:N ranged from a high of 37:1 at the beginning of the decomposition phase to a minimum of 21:1 by the end of the decomposition phase. Soil NO3-N and NH4-N measured lowest in the 112 kg ha-1 treatment at 15-30 cm in Year 1. Treatments with no cover crop had the highest soil NO3-N from 0-30 cm in Year 2. Overall biomass of WCR was consistently higher during both years in the hybrid WCR treatments at both seeding rates compared to the normal rye of the respective seeding rate. The ratio of carbon to nitrogen was higher in hybrid varieties (42:1) in Year 1 but not in Year 2. The decomposition rate of all WCR in Study B were similar and not influenced by the various treatments. Fluctuations of C:N ranged from a high of 42:1 in the beginning of decomposition to a minimum of 17:1 by the end of the decomposition phase. Estimated N release of all treatments were similar. Both NO3-N and NH4-N were higher in the no cover crop treatment at the end of the season from 0-30 cm during Year 1, while there was no end of year difference in Year 2. In conjunction with the results of Chapter 1, our objectives in Chapter 2 were to see how treatments from Study A and B influenced (i) corn grain yield, (ii) corn stand count, near difference vegetation index (NDVI), leaf area index (LAI), corn N uptake, corn ear composition, as well as end of year N balance, and (iii) to analyze how those components related to overall corn yield. We additionally included how the treatments’ influence on corn could impact soil N dynamics. In Study A, overall corn yield was influenced by WCR seeding rate (p < .05) as the no cover crop and 34 kg ha-1 treatment (11.57, 11.61 Mg ha-1, respectively) were significantly different from the 112 kg ha-1 treatment (10.73 Mg ha-1). Stand count for corn was also influenced by WCR seeding rate (p < .05) as it linearly decreased with increasing seeding rate (R2 = .90) from 70,0009 to 62,552 plants ha-1. The seeding rate influenced the NDVI reading as it was lower in the 84 and 112 kg ha-1 treatments, indicating greater potential soil N immobilization. It was found that yield was most strongly correlated with corn stand count and 1000 kernel weight. In Study B, corn stand count was the only variable influenced by treatment, which was highest in the no cover crop treatment and was lower in the hybrid WCR when compared to the normal WCR at their respective seeding rates. Yield, kernel weight, number, N uptake were all higher in Year 1 and N balance was lower in Year 1. Chapter 3 investigated how cover crop selection, integration, and planting method influenced all of the aforementioned objectives from Chapter 1 and 2. One study made up Chapter 3 (Study C) and consisted of six treatments which were a no cover crop control, WCR monoculture planted at a rate of 67 kg ha-1, crimson clover monoculture planted normally (CNP) at a rate of 28 kg ha-1, crimson clover monoculture precision planted off of the subsequent corn row (CPP) at a rate of 20 kg ha-1, a mixture of the WCR and crimson clover planted normally (RCNP) at a rate of 33 and 22 kg ha-1, respectively, and a mixture of WCR and crimson clover precision planted with crimson clover on the subsequent corn row (RCPP) at a rate of 50 and 7 kg ha-1, respectively. It was observed that overall biomass was driven by presence of WCR but was not significantly different from the mixture treatments in either year. The biomass of crimson clover was not impacted by precision planting, indicating the ability to lower seeding rate. Presence of crimson clover was responsible for the C:N ratio of the treatment as all crimson clover monoculture treatments, aside from Year 1 CNP due to presence of weeds biomass, were lower in C:N (17:1) than all other treatments. Decomposition rate was influenced by cover crop selection as CPP had the highest decay rate of all treatments in both years (-0.00111, -0.00118 in Year 1 and 2, respectively) and RCPP treatment decomposed quicker than WCR in Year 2. The ratio of carbon to nitrogen was lowest for crimson clover monoculture treatments, followed by mixture treatments. By the end of the decomposition phase in Year 1, all treatments had similar C:N ratios indicating biomass decomposition and higher N content in WCR. Year 2 had a lower amount of N concentration in all treatments which influenced C:N ratio of WCR associated treatments. Estimated N release was higher in the mixture treatments as their N content was higher than the WCR monoculture with more biomass than the crimson clover monocultures. Over the two years of the study, crimson clover monoculture treatments resulted in the highest yields (10.16 and 10.11 Mg ha-1 for CNP and CPP, respectively) which were significantly different than the RCPP and WCR treatments, resulting in higher N balances in the RCPP and WCR treatments. Year 2 had lower corn stand count, yield, kernel weight, kernel number, NDVI. Yield was strongly correlated with CSD (.81), diameter (.91) and length (-.91). During both years, soil NO3-N and NH4-N were similar in all treatments by the end of the season indicating uptake by corn. We conclude that in Southern Illinois it may not be fiscally responsible for a grower to use seeding rates over 34 kg ha-1 or hybrid cultivars if their intention is to use WCR as a cover crop before corn in their cropping system. Although the biomass was higher, decomposition was not quicker than lower seeding rate of WCR or typical varieties of WCR. Integrating WCR with crimson clover did not result in lower biomass which may be a practical solution to lowering C:N in the cover crop system, aiding in decomposition so the biomass associated N is able to accessed by corn without being loss to early in the growing season through leaching. Precision planting of cover crops did not impede biomass accumulation which indicates seeding rates and planting design possibilities for WCR, and crimson clover cover cropping systems. Corn stand density was highly impacted by the presence of WCR which indicates the need for adjusting rate and cover crop selection in order to minimize yield reduction in corn.

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