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Impact of Cover Crop Termination Timing on Grain Corn Productivity
Darby, Heather M Ruhl, Lindsey C. Bruce, John Krezinski, Ivy Ziegler, Sara
Darby, Heather M
Ruhl, Lindsey C.
Bruce, John
Krezinski, Ivy
Ziegler, Sara
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Abstract
In 2020, UVM Extension’s Northwest Crops & Soils Program initiated a three-year trial at Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, VT to assess the impact of cover crop termination timing on weed biomass, corn seedling populations, vigor, pest damage, and grain corn yield. Cover crops can offer a wide range of benefits including improved soil health, weed suppression, and erosion control. These benefits can contribute to higher crop yield and better crop quality. However, the impact a cover crop has on these benefits can be impacted by amount of plant material (biomass), which can increase with later termination timing. This project evaluated early season corn grain plant stands, weed biomass, and yields of four cover crop management practices: no cover crop, planting brown (cover crop terminated 3-4 weeks before corn planting), planting green/brown (cover crop terminated 2-8 days before corn planting), and planting green (cover crop terminated 3-5 days after corn planting).
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Date
2025-03-01