Quantification of Cover Cropping Benefits Of 3 Year Cotton and Peanut Rotation

The purpose of the project is: To determine the cover crop yields, nutrient concentrations, and C/N ratio Utilize the nutrients measured in the previous year cover crop, and apply ½ of this credit (N &K) to the following cash crop. Evaluate Nitrogen response by having 0, 25, 50, & 100 lbs. of N per acre in cotton To evaluate the effects of different cover crops and fertilizer N on succeeding cotton and peanut crop growth, dry matter production, yield, and crop nutrition. To quantify the effects of cover crops on infiltration soil moisture and plant available soil nitrogen at 0-6” and 6-12” depths. Evaluate the economic returns of cover crop farming systems versus no cover crop farming systems. Provide valuable information to encourage producers to adopt cover crop conservation systems Two treatments will be used in this project: Cover crop mixes to be used are: (1) cereal rye, (2) cover crop mixture (cereal rye, crimson clover, hairy vetch, and daikon radish), (3) cereal rye and hairy vetch (4) no cover (winter weeds) in a peanut-cotton-cotton cropping system. The nitrogen treatments during the cotton cycle of the cropping system will include fertilizer rate ranging from 0 to 100 lbs./ac with 25 lb. increments. Demonstration plots will need to be randomized and replicated a minimum of (3) times on (2) different soil types (high and low yield environment). Statistical analysis will need to be completed to see if there is a difference between treatments. A Second component of this project will be evaluating the following replicated treatments: no cover, Mixed cover (see #2 above), mixed cover plus Clemson University fertility recs., & mixed cover (Clemson University recs minus ½ of nutrients measured in cover crop). This component will evaluate if cover crop can be used as a fertilizer source and if nutrient cycling occurs in southeastern soils.