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ARS Home » Northeast Area » University Park, Pennsylvania » Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #413288
Research Project: Comprehensive Environmental Framework to Facilitate Resilient and Sustainable Intensification of Crop-Livestock Systems

Location: Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Research

Title: The LTAR Common Experiment at Upper Chesapeake Bay: Integrated

Author
item Soder, Kathy
item Dell, Curtis
item Adler, Paul
item Laboski, Carrie
item WILLIAMSON, BEN - Pennsylvania State University

Submitted to: Journal of Environmental Quality
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/14/2024
Publication Date: 6/13/2024
Citation: Soder, K.J., Dell, C.J., Adler, P.R., Laboski, C.A., Williamson, B. 2024. The LTAR Common Experiment at Upper Chesapeake Bay: Integrated. Journal of Environmental Quality. 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20591.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20591

Interpretive Summary: This paper is part of an invited series that will be published in a special issue of the Journal of Environmental Quality. This paper describes the Long-Term Agroecosystem Integrated Common Experiment at the Upper Chesapeake Bay location in State College, PA. A long-term study is being conducted to evaluate the impact of grazing corn stubble and interseeded cereal rye after corn grain harvest on subsequent corn grain yield, soil health, and extending the grazing season to decrease forage needs. In Phase I of the study (2017-2021) grazing did not decrease corn grain yields or negatively impact soil health parameters, and provided an additional 20-30 days of grazing for 24 beef cows on 4.8 ha.

Technical Abstract: Corn (Zea mays) crops harvested as grain in autumn do not provide opportunity for cover crop establishment, which may be remedied by interseeding cover crops into growing corn. Grazing cover crops after corn grain harvest could provide added revenues and increase nutrient cycling in the system while providing additional ecosystem services. However, tradeoffs between cash crop productivity and cover crop inclusion, and use as grazed forage, are not fully understood. This 4-year Long-Term Agroecosystem Research (LTAR) Integrated Common Experiment (ICE) project evaluated the effect of interseeding cereal rye (Secale cereale) into corn for grazing after corn grain harvest on corn grain yield and late-season grazing. Cereal rye was interseeded into corn in early June. After corn grain harvest, 6 paddocks at each location were randomly allotted to grazed (GRAZ) or not grazed (NG). The GRAZ paddocks were grazed with beef cattle in late autumn and again in early spring if regrowth allowed. Paddocks were flown with an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to characterize spatial forage yield and quality. Cereal rye provided an additional 20-30 grazing days in the autumn for 24 beef cows on 4.8 ha. Early spring growth shows potential to provide even greater forage yields than autumn, but growth is less dependable. Corn grain yields did not decrease except in 2019 (dry year) when yields were 40% lower. There were no significant differences in soil health indicators between GRAZ and NG. The UAS shows promise as a tool for monitoring forage yield and quality and optimizing grazing management.