Abstract
Cover crops can improve internal nitrogen (N) cycling in agroecosystems while increasing crop yield, with mixtures potentially providing more benefits than monocultures. Cover crops may be especially useful for organic vegetable producers that have few options to meet crop N demand with certified organic products. We established a two-year experiment comparing the effects of five summer cover crop treatments–monocultures of Sunn hemp (SH) or Sorghum sudangrass (SSG), a SH-SSG mixture, and mixtures of 3 species (SH-SSG + buckwheat) or 5 species (SH-SSG + buckwheat, cowpea and sunflower)–on cover crop biomass production, soil N cycling, and yields of organic vegetables. Nitrogen concentrations were determined in the biomass of cover crops and cash crops, soils were sampled regularly for inorganic N and potential net N mineralization, and total soil N was measured at the beginning and end of the experiment. Partial N budgets were also computed. In both years, aboveground cover crop biomass was lowest in SSG (4,500–5,900 kg ha−1) and greatest in SH + SSG (7,600–9,200 kg ha−1). High cover crop biomass production led to large N quantities being returned to the soil (66–155 kg N ha−1), although this did not increase soil N availability and yields compared to plots without cover crops. Partial N budgets showed large N surpluses, with less than 20% of the N added with fertilizer recovered in harvested crops. Overall, these results suggest a small transfer of cover crop N to subsequent cash crops in organic vegetable production, resulting in limited benefits.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Field and Fork Program (Anna Prizzia, James Longanecker, Dr. Dina Liebowitz, Claudie Babineaux) for logistical support, including interns and volunteers that helped with field maintenance. Mia Acker, Kayci Anderson, Madelene Clark, Sean Coughlin, Jennifer Cumbie, Adnan Fatehi, Emma Goldberg, Mica James, Dawn Lucas, Kaitlyn Tucker, and Ethan Weinrich assisted with field and lab work. Dr. Diane Rowland and Dr. Sarah Strauss helped advising and mentoring J. Allar.
Funding
The UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Field and Fork Program (assistantship to J. Allar, supplies), the University of Florida’s Soil and Water Sciences Department, and USDA NIFA, Hatch project FLA-SWS-005733.
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Allar, J., Maltais-Landry, G. Limited benefits of summer cover crops on nitrogen cycling in organic vegetable production. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 122, 119–138 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-021-10189-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-021-10189-8