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Using cover crops with corn silage to manage manure nutrient load in southern Idaho

Applied Research

Mario E. de Haro Marti
Extension Educator
UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO
GOODING

Abstract

In Southern Idaho, fertilization with dairy manure has increased levels of soil nutrients creating environmental concern. Currently, the region focuses on cash crops to extract soil nutrients, but cover crops (CC) can potentially extract excess nutrients from the soil while providing additional benefits. Corn silage plots planted with CCs were created to understand the effects different CC systems can have on nutrient extraction and forage yield and quality. In one study, CCs were inter-seeded in silage corn to determine the effect on corn silage production and on CC production. Treatments used a tall or short CC and changed CC planting to near corn-emergence or later in the vegetative development of the corn. Two post-management strategies were used either keeping the CC or terminating the cover CC. In an additional study, CCs are planted after harvest of the corn silage. Different management styles of the CC are compared including a control, a harvest, a simulated grazing, or a green manuring effect of the CC. In both studies, the control consisted of corn silage without any cover crop. Soil and tissue samples were taken, and silage yield and quality were measured and will be assessed to monitor the effects of the study. Preliminary results from this study have shown very few significant differences in soil analysis between CC treatments. There were, however, statistically significant differences between some treatments and the control. This situation indicates that having an active growing CC influences the soil nutrients and nutrient uptake compared to not having any CC when growing corn silage. The second trial with double cropping with a single fall mix after harvesting the corn silage was more successful in most years in growing much more CC mass than the interseeding CC, but his mass differential was present only for a short period in spring before harvesting or terminating the CC for corn planting. Results on the impact of fall CC and its different treatments compared to the control have not been fully analyzed yet.  

Poster has NOT been presented at any previous NACAA AM/PIC

This poster is being submitted only for display at AM/PIC. Poster is not to be judged, but the abstract will be published in the proceedings.

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Authors: Mario E. de Haro Marti, Steven Hines, Anthony Simerlink, Linda Schott, Clarence Robison, Miguel Mena Saldana
  1. de Haro Marti, M. Extension Educator, University of Idaho, Idaho, 83330-1178
  2. Hines, S. Extension Educator, University of Idaho, Idaho, 83338
  3. Simerlink, A. Extension Educator, University of Idaho, Idaho, 83211
  4. Schott, L. Extension Specialist, University of Idaho, Idaho, 83301
  5. Robison, C. Research Support Scientist, University of Idaho, Idaho, 83341
  6. Mena Saldana, M. Graduate Student, University of Idaho, Idaho, 83301