Impact of Perennial Cover Crops on Soil Biological Health in a Wide-Row Corn Production System in Southern Minnesota
Presenter (s)
Bibata Sore
Abstract or Description
Annual cover crops (ACCs) have been proposed to minimize the impact of intensive corn (Zea mays) production systems on soil health. Unlike ACCs grown in a relay cropping system, perennial cover crops (PCCs) can be grown as companion crops with corn, do not need to be replanted or terminated every year, and has the potential to increase continuous soil surface cover while providing numerous soil health benefits (e.g., scavenge nutrients, reduce erosion, suppress weed germination and growth, and add soil organic matter). Hence, this study is focused on evaluating the impact of PCCs on soil biological health in a wide-row (i.e., 60" rows) corn production system in Southern MN. We hypothesized that corn grown with PCCs will significantly improve soil biological health compared to conventionally grown corn (i.e., 30" row) without PCCs .
The experiment was set on a 2.4-acre land in Faribault County, MN, subdivided into 16 plots to facilitate a detailed comparison across four distinct treatments: a control with no cover crops (i.e., 30" row) and three PCC treatments integrating grass, legume, and a grass-legume mix, respectively, within 60" corn rows. To assess the impact of PCCs on various soil biological health indicators, soil samples were collected in Spring and Fall 2023 and analyzed after collecting them from 0 to 6” (0-15 cm) depth.
Here we present the effect of PCCs on several biological health indicators – soil respiration rates, and the microbial community structure and abundance through the Phospholipid Fatty Acids (PLFA) test – and how these indicators vary with time (Spring vs Fall). The study results will
offer recommendations for farmers seeking to determine the best PCC species for improving soil biology. By choosing appropriate PCCs, farmers can significantly benefit soil health without sacrificing crop yield, thus supporting both environmental sustainability and agricultural productivity.