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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #407806
Research Project: Enhancing Sustainability of Mid-Atlantic Agricultural Systems Using Agroecological Principles and Practices

Location: Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory

Title: U.S. cereal rye winter cover crop growth database

Author
item HUDDELL, ALEXANDRA - University Of Maryland
item THAPA, RESHAM - Tennessee State University
item NEEDELMAN, BRIAN - University Of Maryland
item Mirsky, Steven
item DAVIS, ADAM - University Of Illinois
item PETERSON, CARA - University Of Maryland
item KLADIVKO, ELLEEN - Purdue University
item LAW, EUGENE - University Of Delaware
item DARBY, HEATHER - University Of Vermont
item MCVANE, JODIE - Texas A&M University
item HAYMAKE, JOSEPH - Virginia Tech
item Balkcom, Kipling
item REITER, MARK - Virginia Tech
item VANGESSEL, MARK - University Of Delaware
item RUARK, MATT - University Of Wisconsin
item WELL, SAMANTHA - University Of Minnesota
item GAILANS, STEFAN - Practical Farmers Of Iowa
item FLESSNER, MICHAEL - Virginia Tech
item MULVANEY, MICHAEL - University Of Florida
item BAGAVATHIANNAN, MUTHUKUMAR - Texas A&M University
item SAMUELSON, SPENCER - Texas A&M University
item ACKROYD, VICTORIA - University Of Maryland
item MARCILLO, GUILLERMO - West Texas A & M University
item Abendroth, Lori
item ARMSTRONG, SHALAMAR - Purdue University
item ASMITA, GAUDAM - Purdue University
item BASCHE, ANDREA - University Of Nebraska
item BEAM, SHAWN - Virginia Tech
item BRADLEY, KEVIN - University Of Missouri
item CANISARES, LUCAS - University Of Kentucky
item DEVKOTA, PRATAP - University Of Florida
item DICK, WARREN - The Ohio State University
item EVANS, JEFFERY - Farmscape Analytics
item EVERMAN, WESLEY - North Carolina State University
item FERREIRA DE ALMEIDA, TAUANA - University Of Nebraska
item FULTZ, LISA - Louisiana State University
item HASHEMI, MASOUD - University Of Massachusetts
item HELMERS, MATTHEW - Iowa State University
item JORDAN, NICHOLAS - University Of Minnesota
item Kaspar, Thomas
item KETTERINGS, QUIRINE - Cornell University
item KRAVCHENKO, ALEXANDRA - Michigan State University
item LAZARO, LAUREN - Louisiana State University
item RAMON, LEON - North Carolina State University
item LIEBERT, JEFFREY - Cornell University
item LINDQUIST, JOHN - University Of Nebraska
item LORIA, KRISTEN - Cornell University
item MILLER, JARROD - University Of Delaware
item NKONGOLO, NSALAMBI - Navajo Technical University
item NORSWORTHY, JASON - University Of Arkansas
item PARAJULI, BINAYA - Clemson University
item PELZER, CHRISTOPHER - Cornell University
item POFFENBARGER, HANNA - University Of Kentucky
item POUDEL, PRATIMA - Clemson University
item RYAN, MATTHEW - Cornell University
item SAWYER, JOHN - Iowa State University
item SEEHAVER, SARAH - North Carolina State University
item SHERGILL, LOVREET - Minnesota State University
item UPADHYAYA, YOGENDRA - University Of South Florida College Of Medicine
item WAGGONER, ASHLEY - University Of Wisconsin
item WALLACE, JOHN - Pennsylvania University
item WHITE, CHARLES - Pennsylvania University
item WOLTERS, BETHANY - University Of Tennessee
item WOODLEY, ALEX - North Carolina State University
item YE, RONGZHONG - Clemson University
item YOUNGERMAN, ERIC - Cornell University

Submitted to: Scientific Data
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/25/2024
Publication Date: 2/13/2024
Citation: Huddell, A.M., Thapa, R., Needelman, B., Mirsky, S.B., Davis, A.S., Peterson, C., Kladivko, E., Law, E., Darby, H., Mcvane, J.M., Haymake, J., Balkcom, K.S., Reiter, M., Vangessel, M., Ruark, M., Well, S., Gailans, S., Flessner, M.L., Mulvaney, M.J., Bagavathiannan, M., Samuelson, S., Ackroyd, V., Marcillo, G., Abendroth, L.J., Armstrong, S.D., Asmita, G., Basche, A., Beam, S., Bradley, K., Canisares, L.P., Devkota, P., Dick, W.A., Evans, J.A., Everman, W.A., Ferreira De Almeida, T., Fultz, L.M., Hashemi, M., Helmers, M.J., Jordan, N., Kaspar, T.C., Ketterings, Q.M., Kravchenko, A., Lazaro, L., Ramon, L.G., Liebert, J., Lindquist, J., Loria, K., Miller, J.O., Nkongolo, N.V., Norsworthy, J., Parajuli, B., Pelzer, C., Poffenbarger, H., Poudel, P., Ryan, M.R., Sawyer, J.E., Seehaver, S., Shergill, L., Upadhyaya, Y.R., Waggoner, A.L., Wallace, J.M., White, C., Wolters, B., Woodley, A., Ye, R., Youngerman, E. 2024. U.S. cereal rye winter cover crop growth database. Scientific Data. 11. Article. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-02996-9.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-02996-9

Interpretive Summary: Cover crops provide benefits such as reduced soil erosion and nutrient runoff; the extent to which they do so depends on how much they grow and their accumulation of carbon and nitrogen. Cover crop growth, in turn, varies widely due to differences in agronomic practices, soil properties, and climate. Cereal rye is the most common winter cover crop in the US because it is cold hardy, the seed is economical, and it has the potential to put on high biomass. We compiled data on cereal rye winter cover crop performance metrics, agronomic practices, and soil properties across the eastern half of the US. We collected a total of 5,339 cereal rye biomass observations across 197 site-years between 2001-2022. Cereal rye biomass values had a mean of 3,375 kg ha-1, a median of 2,336 kg ha-1, and a standard deviation of 3,276 kg ha-1. The dataset encompasses a wide range of agronomic, soil, and climate conditions. This published data set will benefit farmers because it can be used for empirical analyses to calibrate, validate, and evaluate process-based models, and to develop decision support tools for multi-scale management and policy decisions.

Technical Abstract: Winter cover crop performance metrics (i.e. vegetative biomass quantity and quality) affect ecosystem services provisions, but vary widely due to differences in agronomic practices, soil properties, and climate. Cereal rye (Secale cereale) is a common winter cover crop in the United States due to its winter hardiness, low seed cost, and high biomass production. We compiled data on cereal rye winter cover crop performance metrics, agronomic practices, and soil properties across the eastern half of the United States. We collected a total of 5,339 cereal rye biomass observations across 197 site-years between 2001-2022. Cereal rye biomass values had a mean of 3,375 kg ha-1, a median of 2,336 kg ha-1, and a standard deviation of 3,276 kg ha-1. The dataset encompasses a wide range of agronomic, soil, and climate conditions. It can be used for empirical analyses to calibrate, validate, and evaluate process-based models, and to develop decision support tools for multi-scale management and policy decisions.