Progress 10/01/00 to 09/30/06
Outputs
The winter pea, hairy vetch, and sweet clover (biomass) plots were planted in late August to mid September of each year of the study and terminated in mid-April of the following year. Fall and Spring growth of the legumes was good in the years that had warm wet falls. However, Biomass production for the winter peas and Hairy vetch contributed limited amounts of N and the sweet clover almost none. The grain sorghum yields were equal to or slightly higher than those where the rotation was more intense (A companion soybean-winter wheat-grain sorghum rotation). The exception to this was in 2006. The growing season was extremely hot and dry which favored the less intense treatments in the rotations where the nitrogen treatments with out the third crop (soybeans or winter peas, hairy vetch, and sweet clover in the Biomass rotation). Where no third crop was present grain sorghum yields were 376 kgha-1 greater than where a third crop was present. Results for the winter wheat
following grain sorghum in the rotation were good but showed no significant difference between treatments. Wheat yields were also not significantly greater than those for the three crop rotation. Soil samples were taken to determine the effects of the rotation after the 2006 harvest. In that the grain sorghum was not harvested until November 3, 2006 the results from the samples is not back from the lab and analysis have not been run.
Impacts
In years when weather favors growth of cover crops large amounts of N can be produced. This N does not necessarily result in increased yields in the following crop. The limiting factor is the weather, and in particular precipitation, in any given year. More critical than the amount is the timeliness of the precipitation. The cash grain crops in this rotation are not yielding higher than those in other rotations at the field.
Publications
- Field Research 2002. KSU AES/CES Report of Progress SRP 893 May 2002. Pgs 105-128.
- South Central Kansas Experiment Field - Kansas State University Agronomy Field Research 2003. KSU AES/CES Report of Progress UNN May 2003.
- South Central Kansas Experiment Field - Kansas State University Agronomy Field Research 2004. KSU AES/CES Report of Progress UNN May 2004.
- South Central Kansas Experiment Field - Kansas State University Agronomy Field Research 2005. KSU AES/CES Report of Progress UNN May 2005.
- South Central Kansas Experiment Field - Kansas State University Agronomy Field Research 2006. KSU AES/CES Report of Progress UNN May 2006.
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Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05
Outputs
The winter pea, hairy vetch, and sweet clover (biomass) plots were planted in mid September(2004)and terminated in mid-April of 2005. Fall and Spring growth of the legumes was good due to warm wet fall. However, biomass production for the winter peas and Hairy vetch contributed limited amounts of N. The growing season for grain sorghum was less than ideal. Early season was hindered by a hail storm on July 3. Early August was hot and dry. Yield results have not been analysed. Results for the winter wheat following grain sorghum in the rotation were good but showed no significant difference between treatments.
Impacts
In years when weather favors growth of cover crops large amounts of N can be produced. This N does not necessarily result in increased yields in the following crop. The limiting factor is the weather in any given year and in particular the amount and timeliness or that rain fall. The cash grain crops in this rotation are not yielding higher than those in other rotations at the field.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
The winter pea, hairy vetch, and sweet clover (biomass) plots were planted in early September(2003)and terminated in mid-April of 2004. Fall and Spring growth of the legumes was not as limited as in previous years. Biomass production for the winter peas and Hairy vetch contributed only small amounts of N. The growing season for grain sorghum was less than ideal. Early season was hot and dry with July and August being wet and extremely cool. Yield results have not been analyses. Results for the winter wheat following grain sorghum in the rotation were excellent but showed no significant difference between treatments.
Impacts
Impact In years when weather favors growth of cover crops large amounts of N can be produced. This N does not necessarily result in increased yields in the following crop. The limiting factor is the weather in any given year and in particular the amount and timeliness or that rain fall.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
The winter pea, hairy vetch, and sweet clover (biomass) plots were planted in mid-September(2002)and terminated in mid-April of 2003. Fall and Spring growth of the legumes was again limited. Ground cover biomass production for the winter peas was such that small amounts of nitrogen could be attributed to the that legume. The growing season for grain sorghum was less than ideal (extremely hot and dry from June through August). Results for the winter wheat following grain sorghum in the rotation were excellent but showed not significant difference between treatments.
Impacts
In years when weather favors growth of cover crops large amounts of N can be produced. This N does not necessarily result in increased yields in the following crop. The limiting factor is the weather in any given year and in particular the amount and timeliness or that rain fall.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02
Outputs
The winter pea, hairy vetch, and sweet clover (biomass) plots were planted in mid-September(2001)and terminated in mid-April of 2002. Fall and Spring growth of the legumes was limited because of the cool dry conditions through the fall and winter months. Ground cover biomass production for the winter peas was such that small amounts of nitrogen could be attributed to the that legume. Thus, as in previous years, grain sorghum yields showed no advantage to the use of a cover crop over that of commercial fertilizer. However, the growing season for grain sorghum was less than ideal. Results for the winter wheat following grain sorghum in the rotation were highly influence by severe hail damage and no correlation between cover crop and commercial fertilizer nitrogen could be made.
Impacts
Impact In years when weather favors growth of cover crops large amounts of N can be produced. This N does not necessarily result in increased yields in the following crop. The limiting factor is the weather and in particular the amount and timeliness or that rain fall. Rotations also need to be carried out over an extended period of time to determine the effects of the rotation on the crops in that rotation.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/01
Outputs
The winter pea, hairy vetch, and sweet clover (biomass) plots were planted in mid-September(2000)and terminated in mid-April of 2001. Fall and Spring growth of the legumes was limited because of the cool conditions through the fall and winter months. Ground cover and biomass production for the peas was legumes so limited that Nitrogen attributed to the legumes in 2001 was estimated to be very low to near zero. Thus, as in previous years, grain sorghum yields showed no advantage to the use of a cover crop over that of commercial fertilizer. Analysis of the grain sorghum for seed nitrogen (percent) showed no effect for the legume crop treatments. Results for the winter wheat following grain sorghum in the rotation indicated significant difference for only the 0-N treatment. In 2001, where the rotation had completed a second cycle, the soil system began to show the rotational effects with wheat yields for the legume treatments being significantly lower than the two
fertilizer treatments. The sweet clover treatments never contributed sufficient dry matter and therefore no N credit for this treatment has been realized over the term of the study.
Impacts
Impact In years when weather favors growth of cover crops large amounts of N can be produced. This N does not necessarily result in increased yields in the following crop. Rotations need to be carried out over an extended period of time to determine the effects of the rotation. The data from this study indicate cover crop N takes considerable time, several years, under no-till conditions to be detected in the succeeding crop yields.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/00 to 12/31/00
Outputs
Due to extremely dry conditions in the early fall, cover crops were planted 4 October 2000 into wheat stubble that was harvested in June of 2000. Wheat planting into sorghum stubble was delayed until 22 November 2000 because of wet soil conditions. The dry conditions prior to planting the cover crops and the wet conditions after has allowed considerable volunteer wheat to emerge in these plots.
Impacts
None at this time.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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