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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 #408424
Research Project: Enhancing Sustainability of Mid-Atlantic Agricultural Systems Using Agroecological Principles and Practices

Location: Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory

Title: Early-season biomass and weather enable robust cereal rye covercrop biomass predictions

Author
item HUDDELL, ALEXANDRA - University Of Maryland
item NEEDELMAN, BRIAN - University Of Maryland
item LAW, EUGENE - University Of Delaware
item ACKROYD, VICTORIA - University Of Maryland
item BAGAVATHIANNAN, MUTHUKUMAR - Texas A&M University
item BRADLEY, KEVIN - University Of Missouri
item DAVIS, ADAM - University Of Illinois
item EVANS, JEFFERY - Farmscape Analytics
item EVENMAN, WESLEY - North Carolina State University
item Mirsky, Steven
item FLESSNER, MICHAEL - Virginia Tech
item JORDAN, NICHOLAS - Minnesota State University
item SCHWARTZ-LAZARO, LAUREN - Blue River Technology
item LEON, RAMON - North Carolina State University
item LINDQUIST, JOHN - University Of Nebraska
item NORSWORTHY, JASON - University Of Arkansas
item SHERGILL, LOVREET - Montana State University
item VANGESSEL, MARK - University Of Delaware

Submitted to: Agricultural & Environmental Letters
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/11/2023
Publication Date: 2/13/2024
Citation: Huddell, A., Needelman, B., Law, E.P., Ackroyd, V.J., Bagavathiannan, M.V., Bradley, K., Davis, A.S., Evans, J.A., Evenman, W.J., Mirsky, S.B., Flessner, M.L., Jordan, N., Schwartz-Lazaro, L.M., Leon, R., Lindquist, J., Norsworthy, J.K., Shergill, L.S., Vangessel, M. 2024. Early-season biomass and weather enable robust cereal rye covercrop biomass predictions. Agricultural & Environmental Letters. https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20121.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20121

Interpretive Summary: Total above ground cover crop biomass is the primary factor influencing their benefits to farmers and the environment. The ability to predict cover crop biomass would greatly aid farmer management decisions. This study evaluated the best predictors of cover crop biomass at termination using data from a large experiment replicated across 11 states between 2016 and 2020. Early and late season cover crop biomass were found to be closely linked. We developed a model to predict late season cereal rye biomass using early season biomass, growing degree days (i.e. heat units accumulated), planting date, termination date, photosynthetic active radiation, and site coordinates (i.e. location). This work will enable researchers to advance models and tools to predict cover crop growth and development.

Technical Abstract: Farmers need accurate estimates of winter cover crop biomass to inform termination dates or to estimate cover crop residue nitrogen release to subsequent cash crops. This study explores the best predictors of cereal rye cover crop biomass at termination using data from a large experiment replicated across 11 states between 2016 and 2020. There was a strong allometric relationship between early season and late season cover crop biomass. A random forest model predicted late season cereal rye biomass within about ~1,000 kg ha-1 using early season biomass, growing degree days, planting date, termination date, photosynthetically active radiation, and site coordinates. Similar modeling approaches could be combined with remotely sensed early season biomass estimations to improve the accuracy of predicting winter cover crop biomass at termination for decision support tools.