No-till Organic Soybean Production Following a Fall-planted Rye Cover Crop

Summary in the original language of the document

The conventional corn-soybean rotation in the United States (USA) is a leaky system with respect to nitrate-nitrogen (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.