Implementing a Soil Health Management System in a Corn/Bean Rotation

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1 Implementing a Soil Health Management System in a Corn/Bean Rotation

2 Soil Health Management System Collection of practices that focus on maintaining or enhancing soil health Address all four of the soil health principles Create a synergistic effect Cropping system specific USDA NRCS Module Name 3

3 Soil Health Management System Achieving soil health through: Quality No-till (Never-Till) System Diverse and Strategic Cover Crops Adapted Nutrient Management Integrated Weed & Pest Management Diverse Crop Rotations Precision Farming Technology Prescriptive Buffers Soil Health is not a destination...it s a Journey USDA NRCS Module Name 4

4 Quality No-Till/Never-till Adapted Nutrient Management Prescribed Cover Crops New Technology and Integrated Weed & Pest Management We can package a system of practices that Improve Soil Health! Diverse Crop Rotation USDA NRCS Module Name 8

5 Adapted Nutrient Management Quality No-Till/Never-Till Prescribed Cover Crops We can package a system of practices that Improve Soil Health! Diverse Crop Rotation USDA NRCS Module Name 9

6 No-till Starts at Harvest Spread the Detritus (residue) Spread the Weight! Say no to Rice Tires USDA NRCS Module Name 10

7 No-Till / Strip-Till Planter set-up and maintenance is critical USDA NRCS Module Name 11

8 USDA NRCS Module Name 12

9 Goal: Every seed at the exact same depth USDA NRCS Module Name 13

10 Quality No-Till/Strip-till Adapted Nutrient Management Prescribed Cover Crops We can package a system of practices that Improve Soil Health! Diverse Crop Rotation USDA NRCS Module Name 14

11 Effect of tillage on microbial activity Which tillage system has more microbial activity? CT NT Soil respiration in CT system Havlin et al. (1999) USDA NRCS Module Name 16

12 Effect of tillage on microbial activity Which tillage system has more microbial activity when the crop needs it? CT NT Soil respiration in NT system Havlin et al. (1999) USDA NRCS Module Name 17

13 What are the yield determination times for corn? What should your N application protocol be? Soil respiration in CT system Soil respiration in NT system CT NT Havlin et al. (1999) USDA NRCS Module Name 18

14 Quality No-Till/Strip-till Adapted Nutrient Management Prescribed Cover Crops We can package a system of practices that Improve Soil Health! Diverse Crop Rotation USDA NRCS Module Name 19

15 Do you know your cover crops? Cool Season Grasses? Warm Season Grasses? Cool Season Broadleaf's (legumes, brassicas)? Warm Season Broadleaf (legumes, non-legumes)? Perennial, Biannual, Annual? Tap root? Fibrous root? C:N Ratios? Growing season for each group/species (frost sensitivity)? Diversity? Moisture Use? Other Considerations? USDA NRCS Module Name 20

16 USDA ARS Cover Crop Chart Cover Crop USDA NRCS Module Name 21

17 Strategically CC Should Complement the Following Crop USDA NRCS Module Name 22

18 Material Strategically CC should match desired C:N Ratio C:N Ratio Rye Straw 82:1 Wheat Straw 80:1 Oat Straw 70:1 Corn Stover 57:1 Rye Cover Crop (Anthesis) 37:1 Rye Cover Crop (Vegetative) 26:1 Mature Legumes 25:1 Balanced Microbial Diet 24:1 Daikon Radish 19:1 Crimson Clover 17:1 Ryegrass (Vegetative) 15:1 Young Alfalfa 13:1 Hairy Vetch Cover Crop 11:1 Soil Microbes (Average) 8:1 USDA NRCS Module Name 23 Good for Corn Good for Soybean

19 Strategically CC should complement the following crop Which is better? Corn into: High Carbon (Cereals Rye/Wheat) or High N (Protein) (Clovers, Peas, Radish s) USDA NRCS Module Name 36

20 Strategically CC Should Complement the Following Crop To Raise N (Protein%) Select forage type grasses Add Clover/Peas if Terminate Grass when protein is high and consider adding: Oilseed Radish, Rapeseed if USDA NRCS Module Name 37

21 Strategically CC Should Complement the Following Crop Corn into a mix: High Carbon (Rye) Provides: Erosion Control Moisture Savings Uses/ immobilizes: Nitrogen/ nutrients Disease? Starter N is a must! USDA NRCS Module Name 38

22 Strategically What about Soybeans? Choices Do Soybeans need N? Sure, but they capture their own! USDA NRCS Module Name 39

23 Strategically Soybeans do well into a high carbon Cover Crop. Why? Weed Control, Late Season Water and Nutrient Cycling USDA NRCS Module Name 40

24 Quality No-Till/Strip-till Adapted Nutrient Management Prescribed Cover Crops We Diverse can Crop package Rotation a system of practices that Improve Soil Health! USDA NRCS Module Name 41

25 Strategically Which no-till crop comes first? Corn or Soybeans or something else? Which can handle more stress? Which is less risky? USDA NRCS Module Name 42

26 Strategically Planning the System Using the Step by Step Approach USDA NRCS Module Name 43

27 Strategically Planning the System Using the Step by Step Approach 1. Drill or Aerial Seed Cereal Rye or Annual Ryegrass into Corn Stalks USDA NRCS Module Name 44

28 Strategically Planning the System 2a. Terminate the Cereal Rye when? Or USDA NRCS Module Name 45

29 Strategically Planning the system 2b. Plant a short season Soybean into the Rye (preferably early in the season) USDA NRCS Module Name 46

30 Strategically Planning the system 3. Plant a low C:N mix into or after Soybean USDA NRCS Module Name 47

31 Strategically Planning the system 18 months into the system we have had: Three No-till plantings, Two winters of a living root Year round ground cover Added diversity that was lacking USDA NRCS Module Name 48

32 Strategically Planning the system 4. NT Corn into a biologically active high functioning soil USDA NRCS Module Name 49

33 Strategically Planning the system 5. Add a Small Grain and make it a true rotation A Small Grain gives endless options USDA NRCS Module Name 50

34 Strategically Planning the system 6. Maximize Diversity by companion cropping USDA NRCS Module Name 51

35 Strategically Planning the system 7. Maximize Diversity by adding livestock USDA NRCS Module Name 52

36 Strategically Planning the system 8. Enjoy The Rewards of Soil Health! USDA NRCS Module Name 53

37 The Fence Row Effect USDA NRCS Module Name 54

38 Principles at work USDA NRCS Module Name 55

39 Agronomic Managing for Efficiencies a Living Ecosystem are Optimized is Key When to Optimum Soil Production Health is Maximized We can take production and conservation further with management systems that continually build Soil Health Capture the potential!

40 Contact Information Doug Peterson Iowa/Missouri Regional Soil Health Specialist USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service