No-Till Organic Soybean Production Following a Fall-Planted Rye Cover Crop

P. Porter¹, G. Feyereisen², J. De Bruin³ and G. Johnson⁴

Abstract
The conventional corn-soybean rotation in the United States (USA) is a leaky system with respect to nitratenitrogen (nitrate-N), in part because these crops grow only five months of the year. Ecosystem functioning can be improved with the use of an appropriate fall-planted cover crop, but this practice is not common. Organic soybean production in the USA typically relies on delayed planting, crop rotation, intensive harrowing and interrow cultivation for weed control.

Research on timing of shredding of a fall-planted winter rye (Secale cereale L), cover crop in the spring after soybean have been no-till planted into the standing rye has shown this practice can work for organic producers. On-farm and on-station research in Minnesota (MN) has documented the importance of rye sowing date, proper field equipment, and timely field operations. A newly developed rye growth model (RyeGro) predicts rye biomass accumulation and nitrate-N scavenging capabilities of this system.


Paper copy and PDF version may be ordered from FiBL (order number 1394) at https://www.fibl.org/shop/index.php


Source
Köpke et al (Eds) (2005): Researching Sustainable Systems. Proceedings of the First Scientific Conference of the International Society of Organic Agriculture Research (ISOFAR). ISOFAR / IOL / FiBL, Bonn and Frick; ISBN 3-906081-76-1


Author Locations and Affiliations
(1) Univ. of Minnesota, 1994 Buford Circle, St. Paul MN USA Tel. 612-625-6719 E-mail: pporter@umn.edu
(2) USDA-ARS,2316 Rainwater Rd, Tifton GA USA 31793 Tel. 229-386-3504
gfeyereisen@tifton.usda.gov
(3) Iowa State Univ., 2104 Agron. Hall, Ames IA USA 50011 Tel 515-294-6869 E-mail: jsndbrn@iastate.edu
(4) Univ. of Minnesota Southern-ROC, Waseca MN USA Tel. 507-837-5617 E-mail: johns510@umn.edu


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