Soil Physical Properties Under a Corn-Soybean Rotation Using No-Tillage and a Cereal Rye (Secale cereale L.) Cover Crop.

Throughout the Midwest, the use of cover crops and no-tillage is becoming a popular way to manage soil sustainability in corn-soybean (Zea mays L. – Glycine max L. Merr.) rotations. The Corn-based Cropping Systems Coordinated Agricultural Project (CSCAP) was begun in 2011 across nine states in the Corn Belt region. The goal of the CSCAP is to increase resiliency of corn-based cropping systems to the stresses of climate variation. This project is a collaboration of ten universities and two USDA Agricultural Research Service Laboratories. With the partnership of Purdue University, two field sites were established in Indiana. The site at the Southeast Purdue Agricultural Center (SEPAC) in Butlerville, IN consists of four blocks of no-till corn and soybean plots rotating every year. The blocks are divided into four treatments: a corn no cover crop control, corn with cereal rye cover, a soybean no cover crop control, and soybean with cereal rye cover. Soil and crop measurements are being taken over a five-year period to evaluate potential changes in the system with time. The soil quality parameters being measured are soil carbon and nitrogen, moisture content, temperature, penetration resistance, aggregation, bulk density, infiltration, and soil nitrate and ammonium in fall and spring. Other measurements include cover crop biomass and heights, cover crop nitrogen contents, corn grain and stover nitrogen contents, and corn and soybean yield. Data on soil properties and cover crop growth from the SEPAC site during the first three years of this project will be presented.