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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Laboratory for Agriculture and The Environment » Agroecosystems Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #410324
Research Project: Managing Nutrient, Carbon, and Water Fluxes to Provide Sustainable and Resilient Cropping Systems for Midwestern Landscapes

Location: Agroecosystems Management Research

Title: How does winter cover crop harvest impact soils?

Author
item Ruis, Sabrina

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/5/2023
Publication Date: 11/5/2023
Citation: Ruis, S.J. 2023. How does winter cover crop harvest impact soils?[abstract]. Anaerobic Digestion on the Farm Conference.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Cover crops can be a key component to the delivery of soil ecosystem services from agricultural lands. Recent discussions around cover crops highlight their multifunctionality, including the potential for harvest. As part of this panel, this discussion focuses on the impacts of winter cover crop harvest on soils. Some of the potential concerns with cover crop harvest include reduced carbon input, aggregation, biological activity, and nutrient cycling, and increased erosion and compaction. However, the few research studies on cover crop harvest impacts on soils show limited effects on soils. These limited effects can be related to cover crop roots and stubble, cover crop presence during critical periods of soil vulnerability, and soil resiliency. Most cover crop harvest studies were conducted under no-till conditions, but based on other research studies we know intensive tillage can degrade soil properties, and this would likely be the case when tilling harvested cover crop area. Numerous considerations are needed when deciding to harvest cover crops, including cutting height, equipment type, soil type and topography, frequency of harvest, soil conditions at harvest, and timing of harvest. Overall, while research generally shows minimal effects of cover crops on soils, careful consideration of best management practices is needed to ensure harvest does not cause negative impacts on soils.