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<p>Cover crops can cycle nitrogen (N) in corn (<i>Zea mays</i> L.) production systems by absorbing this highly mobile nutrient during the winter and early spring and releasing it during the growth of the next crop. To better understand the N dynamics in a no-till cover crop-corn cropping system, we measured the decomposition and N release of three cover crops—cereal rye (<i>Secale cereale</i> L.), hairy vetch (<i>Vicia villosa</i> Roth), and a rye-vetch mix in 2021, 2022, and 2023 in Nebraska. We also measured corn yield without N fertilizer inputs following the cover crops. In 2021 and 2023, the cereal rye and mix treatments produced more biomass than hairy vetch, while in 2022, the cover crop biomass production was similar across treatments. In all three years, hairy vetch had a higher rate of biomass decomposition and N release, followed by mixture and cereal rye treatments. Between 50 and 67% of the initial N content was released by all the cover crop treatments yearly. The rainfall variability over the years affected the percentage of biomass decomposed and N release, as well as the time of N release during the corn growing season. There were no differences in corn yield between cover crop and no cover crop treatments. The N release was likely not only dependent on the chemical composition of the cover crops, but also on the rainfall distribution. In addition, none of the cover crops decreased corn yield compared to no cover crop.</p>

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Cover crop decomposition and nitrogen release over three years of precipitation variability in the Western Corn Belt

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月28日

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  • Tauana F. Almeida,
  • Lucas Canisares,
  • Gustavo Pesini,
  • Emily Robinson,
  • Hanna Poffenbarger,
  • Katja Koehler-Cole,
  • Andrea Basche

摘要

Cover crops can cycle nitrogen (N) in corn (Zea mays L.) production systems by absorbing this highly mobile nutrient during the winter and early spring and releasing it during the growth of the next crop. To better understand the N dynamics in a no-till cover crop-corn cropping system, we measured the decomposition and N release of three cover crops—cereal rye (Secale cereale L.), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth), and a rye-vetch mix in 2021, 2022, and 2023 in Nebraska. We also measured corn yield without N fertilizer inputs following the cover crops. In 2021 and 2023, the cereal rye and mix treatments produced more biomass than hairy vetch, while in 2022, the cover crop biomass production was similar across treatments. In all three years, hairy vetch had a higher rate of biomass decomposition and N release, followed by mixture and cereal rye treatments. Between 50 and 67% of the initial N content was released by all the cover crop treatments yearly. The rainfall variability over the years affected the percentage of biomass decomposed and N release, as well as the time of N release during the corn growing season. There were no differences in corn yield between cover crop and no cover crop treatments. The N release was likely not only dependent on the chemical composition of the cover crops, but also on the rainfall distribution. In addition, none of the cover crops decreased corn yield compared to no cover crop.