Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #379842
Research Project: Sustainable Intensification of Cropping Systems on Spatially Variable Landscapes and Soils

Location: Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research

Title: Response of soil microbial communities to winter cover crops in row-irrigated rice.

Author
item KANDANOOL, DIVYA - Arkansas State University
item GREEN, V - Arkansas State University
item Massey, Joseph
item Veum, Kristen

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/4/2020
Publication Date: 11/9/2020
Citation: Kandanool, D., Green, V.S., Massey, J., Veum, K.S. 2020. Response of soil microbial communities to winter cover crops in row-irrigated rice [abstract]. Proceedings of the ASA-CSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting, November 9-30, 2020, virtual. Available: https://scisoc.confex.com/scisoc/2020am/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/126256

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Arkansas grown rice has high economic importance in the international markets and conventional flooded rice production is the most commonly used system in Arkansas. Flooded-rice systems significantly deplete available water resources and increase the carbon footprint compared to other cropping systems. Management practices in flooded rice systems involve extensive soil disturbance for construction of levees and flooding of soil for the duration of the rice crop. These practices destroy the soil structure, expose soil organic matter, and initiate faster decomposition of the soil organic matter. Row-irrigated rice production systems have the potential to decrease these environmental impacts and offer potential benefits to producers. The objective of this research is to assess the response of soil microbial communities to row-rice with and without cover crops compared to conventional flood-rice production. Soil samples were collected in 2019 from the row-rice with cover crop, row-rice without cover crop and conventional flood-rice. Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis was conducted to determine the microbial biomass and composition of the microbial community in the soils of these different rice production management systems. Results from this study will assist in our understanding of the effect of cover crops on soil microbial dynamics in row irrigated rice systems.