Cover Cropping to Improve Soil Moisture Retention and Crop Yield
Applied Research
Marina Miquilini
ANR Extension Educator
Xenia
Abstract
As weather patterns become more unpredictable, farmers need reliable strategies to manage soil moisture and protect crop yields. Cover crops are known to improve water infiltration, but they also use moisture through transpiration, leaving questions about how they affect overall soil moisture for crops. This study tests the hypothesis that cover crops enhance soil moisture retention throughout the growing season. To better understand this balance, we monitored soil moisture in two no-till fields with cover crops and one conventionally tilled field without cover crops to evaluate how cover crops influence soil moisture at the local level. METER TEROS 11 sensors with ZL6 data loggers were installed at depths of 2 inches and 4 inches to monitor soil moisture hourly throughout the growing season. Sensors were temporarily removed during planting and nitrogen sidedress activities and reinstalled immediately after. Results indicate that both cover-cropped fields exhibited distinct soil moisture patterns compared to the conventionally tilled field. At the 2-inch depth, the tilled field held an average of 3.2% more soil moisture than the cover-cropped fields from April to June. However, during the drought period in July and August, the cover-cropped fields held an average of 2.9% more soil moisture than the tilled field, a notable benefit under the extreme dry conditions experienced in Ohio. By September, this trend shifted again, with the tilled field showing 1.8% higher soil moisture than the cover-cropped fields. At the 4-inch depth, moisture levels were generally more stable across all fields, though during the extreme drought, the cover-cropped fields maintained an average of 4.4% higher soil moisture compared to the tilled field. Overall, the cover-cropped fields demonstrated improved soil moisture retention, particularly during periods of drought stress, highlighting their potential role in improving field-level resilience to extreme weather events. Additionally, cover-cropped fields produced slightly higher corn yields, averaging 164 and 170 bu/ac, compared to 160 bu/ac in the conventionally tilled field. This project highlights the potential of integrating cover crops to enhance soil moisture retention and crop productivity, particularly under increasingly unpredictable weather conditions. Acknowledgments to the farm partner for their participation in this project.
Poster has NOT been presented at any previous NACAA AM/PIC
This poster is being submitted for judging. It will be displayed at the AM/PIC if not selected as a State winner. The abstract will be published in the proceedings.
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Authors: Marina Miquilini, Elizabeth Hawkins
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Miquilini, M. ANR Extension Educator , The Ohio State University Extension , Ohio, 45385
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Hawkins, E. Field Specialist, Agronomic Systems , The Ohio State University Extension , Ohio, 45177