Progress 09/01/09 to 05/31/14
Outputs
Target Audience: The target audiance has been professionals, including scientists and students in WI, nationally, and internationally. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Training in development and testing of complex cropping systems was provided to three graduate students and five post-graduate international interns. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results have been disseminated to the scientiic community through peer reviewed publication and presentation of results at professoinal meetings. Graduate students have shared with peers on campus through exit seminars. Our findings are the basis for several lectures and discussion in a section of the Agronomy Department "Cropping Systems" course. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Maize (Zea mays L.) silage has become an increasingly important fodder crop in high output dairy farming systems in North America because of its high energy density, relatively uniform nutritive value, and efficiency of production. But due to lack of surface residue and organic matter inputs and high nitrogen fertilizer inputs, maize silage production is one of the most demanding cropping systems imposed on our soil and water resources. We investigated intercropping maize with the persistent rhizomatous legume, Caucasian clover (Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb.), as a means to provide continuous living groundcover to minimize nitrate leaching, nutrient runoff, and soil erosion. Maize was sown into existing stands of Caucasian clover that had been suppressed to reduce competition, and into areas with no clover. Total nitrate-N leached was reduced by 74% relative to the control monocrop maize under intercropped maize silage. On loess soils with 8 to 15% slope, during simulated, short, heavy rainstorms, Caucasian clover intercrop reduced water runoff by 50%, soil loss by 77%, and P and N losses by 80% relative to monocrop maize. Intercropping maize with Caucasian clover can eliminate N-fertilizer inputs, and greatly reduce negative environmental impacts associated with maize silage production. In another line of research, simple and complex cropping systems for silage production were compared. These included continuous maize silage, continuous maize silage with rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crop, maize silage in Kura clover, and maize silage in Kura clover with rye cover crop and bmr sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) in alternate years. Over 5 years, the simplest system of continuous maize produced greater silage yields and estimated milk production per acre than more complex systems with cover crops and intercrops.In environments with normal or above normal rainfall, corn silage production, estimated milk production per hectare, and estimated milk production per ton of forage are equal for conventional and more complex production systems. But in environments with moisture deficits, corn silage production in living mulch or with rye cover crop is lower than in conventional silage production. The more complex systems increase risk, and this must be weighed against the environmental benefits that they provide.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Albrecht, K.A. 2015. Intercropping maize and Caucasian clover to reduce environmental impact of maize silage production. Grassland Science in Europe. (accepted)
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Collignon, G.V. 2014. Corn silage production, living mulches, and cover crops: A comparison across four forage rotations. M.S. thesis, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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Progress 01/01/13 to 09/30/13
Outputs
Target Audience: For this period the target audience has been professionals, including scientists and students in WI and nationally. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Training in developing and testing complex cropping systems was provided to a graduate student. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We will continue to summarize the 5 years of data from the experiment testing living mulch at two Wisconsin locations.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Corn harvested for silage has been described as one of the most demanding uses of agricultural land because of removal of essentially all vegetation resulting in soil erosion and decreased soil organic matter. Production of corn in a perennial living mulch of Kura clover allows continuous ground cover and the perennial rhizome and root system of the clover contributes to soil organic matter and carbon storage. We are currently summarizing 5 years of data from an experiment testing performance of conventional corn silage production compared to more complex systems with rye cover crop or Kura clover living mulch at two Wisconsin locations. Preliminary assessment is that in environments with normal or above normal rainfall, corn silage production, estimated milk production per hectare, and estimated milk production per ton of forage are equal for conventional and living mulch corn silage production. But in environments with moisture deficits, corn silage production in living mulch or with rye cover crop is lower than in conventional silage production. The more complex systems increase risk, and this must be weighed against the environmental benefits that they provide.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Ziyomo, C., K.A. Albrecht, J.M. Baker and R. Bernardo. 2013. Corn performance under managed drought stress and in a Kura clover living mulch cropping system. Agron. J. 105:579-586.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
Collignon, G. and K.A. Albrecht. 2013. Corn silage production, living mulches, and cover crops: A comparison across four systems. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meetings, 3-6 Nov. 2013, Tampa, FL.
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Progress 01/01/12 to 12/31/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Data from an experiment that tested the performance of drought tolerant and drought susceptible corn in kura clover living mulch were analyzed and a manuscript was submitted to Agronomy Journal. We are continuing to work with data collected by graduate student Arthur Schwab and have the draft of a paper completed. Graduate student Gina Collignon completed collection of the 4th year of data from a long-term living mulch system experiment at two southern Wisconsin locations. Yield of system components and nitrate leached below the crop root zone are being monitored. I was invited to present a talk to the Soil and Water Conservation Society Conference in Altoona, IA, Dec. 13-14. Title of the talk was: Intercropping Corn and Kura Clover: A Sustainable System for Feed and Biofuel Production. PARTICIPANTS: Gina Collignon participated in the project as a graduate research assistant. Mariusz Krzoska (University of Technology and Life Sciences, Bydgoszcz, Poland) contributed to the effort as a research intern. Collaboration continues with Bill Jokela, Gary Feyereisen, and John Baker (all with USDA ARS) and Rex Bernardo and Cathrine Ziyomo (University of Minnesota). TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audience has been primarily students and researchers in training. As data are summarized they have been shared at professional meetings (ASA, CSSA, SSSA) and Soil and Water Conservation Society. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
We have discovered that a system of corn production in kura clover living mulch uses about 75 mm more water than conventional corn production. Under normal rainfall amounts and distribution in Wisconsin, corn yields are not reduced in kura clover living mulch, but under dry conditions yield depression of up to 25% has been observed. We have determined that drought tolerant corn hybrids developed at the University of Minnesota yield the same in kura clover living mulch as in conventional production. Drought tolerant hybrids offer opportunities to reduce risk of yield loss when using this corn production system that has previously been shown to reduce soil erosion and nitrate leaching.
Publications
- Schwab, A.R., K.A. Albrecht, W. Jokela. 2012. Soil erosion and nutrient runoff in corn silage with Kura clover living mulch and winter rye. [CD-ROM computer file]. Abstract. Intl. Annual Meetings, Pittsburg, PA. 1-5 Nov. 2009. ASA-CSSA-SSSA, Madison, WI.
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Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: ACTIVITIES: The final 16 rainfall simulations were completed in May on corn growing in kura clover living mulch on a hillside in southwestern WI. Graduate student Arthur Schwab completed analysis of crop yield and water and soil runoff from this experiment and summarized data in this thesis. Collaboration with Rex Bernado (MN) was initiated to test corn lines, developed in his program for drought tolerance, for performance in kura clover living mulch at two locations in WI and one location in MN. Yield and ancillary data were collected and are being summarized by Cathrine Ziyomo (MN) as part of her PhD dissertation. Data on winter cereal crop production in kura clover mulch after corn silage removal were analyzed and summarized in Maciek Kazula's MS thesis. Research continues on collection of yield and soil and water quality data on a long-term living mulch system experiment at two southern WI locations. Gina Collignon joined the program in September to participate in collection of the final 3 years of data and summarize and interpret data for her MS thesis. PARTICIPANTS: Arthur Schwab, Maciek Kazula, and Gina Collignon participated in the project as graduate research assistants. Przemek Waszak (University of Technology and Life Sciences, Bydgoszcz, Poland) contributed to the effort as a research intern. Martin Carmona Victoria (Universidad Autonoma de Baja, Mexicali, Mexico), a visiting PhD student assisted with field work through summer and autumn. Collaboration continues with Bill Jokela, Gary Feyereisen, and John Baker (all with USDA ARS) and Rex Bernardo (University of Minnesota). TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audience has been primarily students and researchers in training. As data are summarized they will be shared with groups with specific interest in soil conservation, such as the Midwest Cover Crop Council. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
We discovered that on losses soils with 8 to 15% slope, during simulated heavy rainstorms, kura clover living mulch reduced water runoff by 50%, soil loss by 77%, and P and N losses by 80% relative to monocrop corn. When winter rye was sown into kura clover after corn silage removal water runoff was reduced by 68%, soil loss by 77%, P loss by 94% and N loss by 84% relative to monocrop corn. The combination of superior yield and forage quality along with earlier spring forage harvest make rye the winter cereal crop of choice for forage production in series with corn silage. Lack of surface residue makes corn harvested for silage, and more recently corn harvested for biofuel, among the most demanding cropping systems imposed on our soil and surface water resources. The current research documents that corn production in kura clover living mulch, and especially in combination with winter rye after corn silage removal, substantially reduces negative environmental impact of corn residue removal.
Publications
- Schwab, Arthur. 2011. Soil erosion and nutrient runoff in corn silage with kura clover living mulch and winter rye. M.S. thesis. Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison.
- Kazula, Jaciej. 2011. Intercropping winter cereals in a permanent stand of kura clover for spring forage production. M.S. thesis. Univ. Wisconsin, Madison.
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Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities: A total of 56 rainfall simulations were conducted on corn growing in kura clover living mulch on a hillside field in southwest Wisconsin. This research is part of graduate student Arthur Schwab's M.S. research. Intern Szymon Springer and visiting scientist Prof. Jadwiga Andrzejewska participated in the research. Kura clover and alfalfa were established with a corn silage companion crop using the herbicide Pursuit to control weeds. This research was part of Mashita Jusoh's M.S. research. Dissemination: Data were shared and discussed with scientists, extension agents, NRCS staff, and farmers at the Midwest Cover Crop Conference. PARTICIPANTS: Arthur Schwab and Mashitah Jusoh participated in the project as graduate research assistants. Collaborations have been initiated with William Jokela, Gary Feyereisen and John Barker, all with USDA-ARS, on soil factors in cover crop and living mulch production systems. Professor Jadwiga Andrzejewska and intern Szymon Springer from University of Technology and Life Sciences, Bydgoszcz, Poland, joined us to gain experience in this cropping system. Professor Byong Won Kim, from Kangwon National University, South Korea also joined us as part of his sabbatical leave. The Polish collaborators have already adapted some ideas to their research efforts. TARGET AUDIENCES: At this point, the target audience has been students and researchers in training. As we generate data, these will be shared with extension agents and farmers. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
There have been no outcomes/impacts yet.
Publications
- Ochsner, T.E., K.A. Albrecht, T.W. Schumacher, J.M. Baker, and R.J. Berkevich. 2010. Water balance and nitrate leaching under corn in kura clover living mulch. Agron. J. 102:1169-1178.
- Sawyer, J.E., P. Pedersen, D.W. Barker, D.A.R. Diaz, and K.A. Albrecht. 2010. Intercropping corn and kura clover: Response to nitrogen fertilization. Agron. J. 102:1-7.
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Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This is a new project and the activity to date has been mentoring a graduate student on research. PARTICIPANTS: Arthur Schwab joined the project as a graduate research assistant. Collaborations have been initiated with William Jokela and John Barker, both with USDA-ARS, on soil factors in cover crop and living mulch production systems. Professor Jadwiga Andrzejewska and student Szymon Springer from University of Technology and Life Sciences, Bydgoszcz, Poland will join the research effort in June. Professor Byong Won Kim will also join the effort as a sabbatical visitor from Kangwan National University, South Korea in summer. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
This is a new project and there are no Outcomes/Impacts generated yet.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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