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Yield Response to Intercropping Annual Rye in SoybeansDordt College2016 Growing seasonAuthor: Devin HolesingerIntroductionA large decision that many farm managers have is whether or not to plant cover crops. A new question has arrived for those who answer yes to cover crops. Will it hurt the crop production if they are intercropped or should cover crops wait till the main crop is harvested? Not much research has been conducted on this. The research done was to provide an answer to the question of timing. We interplanted both early and late rye into the soybeans. The longer the cover crop has to grow the more forage and other uses it can provide. With a healthier cover crop already growing when the primary crop comes off the field, it provides stability for less erosion. Erosion and forage are two good reasons for starting cover crops early, but there are plenty of other reasons that all prefer early growth rather than later. Earlier nutrient capture in the cover crop, along with earlier reduction of erosion, and earlier forage are all reasons this trial was done. Dordt College is researching the question: Will there be a yield difference between having cover crops planted before harvest, or after harvest, and when is the optimum timing? It takes rye 260 days to reach max biomass, so getting as many days as possible in before the frost is important to increase profitability of the cover crop.Materials and MethodsOne soybean variety was tested, Pioneer? P18T85R, planted on 30 inch rows at 140,000 seeds per acre, 10 acres total in a no-till field. The trial was randomized in 4 complete block repetitions, conducted at the Dordt College Agriculture Stewardship Center in Sioux County Iowa. The cover crop used was annual rye grass planted at 23 lbs./acre. The soybeans were planted May 19. The early planted cover crop was planted August 8th at roughly the R2 stage. The late cover crop was planted September 19th at roughly the R5 stage. The early rye was applied with a mechanical spreader and the late rye was applied with a hand spreader. Upon maturity the soybeans were harvested. Each of the replications were weighed and moisture tested separately. The yield was then calculated using the moisture corrected yield formula. After harvest the control was drilled with oats.Results and DiscussionResults showed that there were no significant differences in the yield data between any of the planting dates. As shown in the table below all of the trials were similar enough that there was no significant difference (P=0.81) in yield. Table 1 – Average yieldReplicationControlEarly-R2Late-R5182.4481.3981.11281.0080.0581.00378.7680.0079.03477.7577.8074.84Average79.9879.8178.99*Values in bushels per acreThe results of the trial suggest that there is no significance with the planting dates that we chose. The uncontrolled factors in this project were the timing at which the cover crop will emerge and the amount of rain received after planting the cover crops. Prior to harvest there was very little germination. As shown by the pictures below the early applied rye did not get established when compared side to side with the late applied rye. AcknowledgementsMike Schouten – Agriculture Stewardship Center Manager320040013881100right108585000Cornell. (n.d.). Cover crops, what a difference a few weeks makes. Retrieved: (Sept. 19) next to Early (Aug. 8) -371475349250Row shot of Control (after harvest) growthleft25590500Chart 1 -12382524726900Late (September 19) growth by December 17All three trial comparisons ................
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