Date of Graduation

12-2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Crop, Soil & Environmental Sciences (MS)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Crop, Soil & Environmental Sciences

Advisor/Mentor

Longer, David E.

Committee Member

Norman, Richard J.

Second Committee Member

Popp, Michael P.

Third Committee Member

Kelley, Jason P.

Fourth Committee Member

Skinner, Vaughn

Keywords

Cover Crop

Abstract

Leguminous cover crops, which fix nitrogen (N) from the atmosphere and add to the N content of the soil, have the potential to replace or partially replace commercial nitrogen fertilizers. In this experiment, field pea (Pisum arvense) was used as the leguminous cover crop in a conventional tilled corn (Zea mays) production system. In a 2-yr experiment (2008 and 2009), conducted at two locations in Arkansas, field pea was planted on half the field in the fall and allowed to grow until late April to early May. Field pea biomass was recorded, N content of biomass determined and then the pea plants were plowed into the soil followed by corn planting. Six nitrogen fertilizer rates were applied at 0, 56, 112, 168, 224, and 280 kg N ha-1 to plots with and without the pea cover crop. The field pea cover crop provided a significant amount of the N needs of the corn. The N fertilizer equivalent of the field pea cover crop to the following corn crop averaged 79 kg N ha-1. Consequently, corn grown following the field pea cover crop was able to maximize grain yield on a lower rate of N fertilizer compared to corn following no pea cover crop. This has useful implications to increase producer profitability, decrease N fertilizer use, and improve the environment.

Download

Share

COinS