Environmental Health and Protection Commons^™

Winter Rye Cover Crop Biomass Production, Degradation, And N Recycling, J. L. Pantoja, J. E. Sawyer, D. W. Barker

John E. Sawyer

Winter rye (Secale cereale L.) as a cover crop can take up residual inorganic N between annual row crops and therefore be used to help reduce NO3 -–N loss from fields and movement to water systems. However, does the rye N uptake affect N recycling to soil and add to plant available N? The rye carbon:nitrogen (C:N) ratio could also influence N recycling. The objectives of this study were to evaluate rye biomass degradation and N recycling after spring rye termination in a no-till corn (Zea mays L.) - soybean [Glycine max. (L.) Merr.] rotation. A two year experiment (2010-2011) …