Tillage and cover crop effects on productivity, soil properties, and nitrate leaching
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The Iowa State University Integrated Crop Management Conference is Iowa's premier crop production education event. No other program in Iowa brings together the diverse range of topics, slate of expert presenters and results of the latest University research.
The ICM Conference offers workshops focusing on the latest in crop production technology. Experts from Iowa and surrounding states will provide research updates and results in soil fertility, soil and water management, crop production and pest management.
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Abstract
Nitrate (NO3-N) pollution in rivers and streams from surface runoff and leaching to groundwater is a major problem across the United States (Nolan et al., 1998; Burkart and James, 1999; USGS, 2001) and Iowa as well. Previous work (Keeney, 1989; Burkart and James, 1999; Schilling and Libra, 2000) indicates that agricultural land use has been identified as the main contributor to the NO3-N load in our rivers and streams. The high mobility of NO3-N makes it readily available for leaching through the soil profile, especially during the periods when no active plant growth is taking place between harvest and planting (in absence of a cover crop) to capture residual soil nitrate. By implementing management practices that deter NO3-N leaching we may also reduce the NO3-N load in rivers and streams.