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NITROGEN MANAGEMENT

Nitrate Leaching as Influenced by Cover Crops in Large Soil Monoliths

National Soil Tilth Lab., 2150 Pammel Dr., Ames, IA 50011-3120

* Corresponding author (logsdon{at}nstl.gov)

Received for publication April 25, 2001. Unacceptable levels of NO₃ leaching to ground water and drainage systems can occur under corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotations. Cover crops have the potential to reduce NO₃ leaching, but this process has not been well documented. Lysimeters utilizing large soil monoliths are an excellent approach for studying NO₃ leaching because inputs can be controlled and outputs accurately measured. The objective of this study was to see if fall cover crops could reduce NO₃ leaching from large soil monoliths. We used three (1 by 1 by 1.5 m deep) monoliths in each of two controlled climate chambers with oat (Avena sativa L.) or rye (Secale cereale L.) fall cover crop interplanted into soybean in mid-August. The study was continued for two cover crop cycles in each chamber. In Chamber 1, drainage was significantly reduced due to oat or rye cover crops for the fall through summer of Years 1 and 2 (first cover crop cycle), and NO₃ loss was reduced for most of the same time period. In Chamber 2, NO₃ loss was reduced for the spring-summer season of the second year (first cover crop cycle). Although drainage was less under cover crops for Chamber 1, the soil water content was not consistently lower because of replenishment by watering. The soil monoliths were useful for showing that oat and rye cover crops in a corn–soybean rotation can reduce NO₃ leaching from lysimeters and suggest that the same trend would be true in the field.

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