2022 Fall Farm Outlook

Page 32 2022 Fall Farm Outlook Lincoln Daily News Oct 2022 A second study by Kim published in Frontiers in Microbiology, “focused on nitrogen cycling by identifying microbial functional genes in soil, rather than characterizing microbes themselves.”Kim says this study showed“applying a lot of nitrogen fertilizers definitely disrupted nitrogen cycling communities.” Among the negative aspects of cover crops Kim discovered, he also found some positives. For example, he points out, “cover crops also enhanced soil biodiversity, as microbes with more diverse niches and functions were associated with this practice.” As Kim says, “Details like these – especially that cover crops can have both positive and negative effects on soil microbes – may have been missed with the broader microbial analyses of the past.” Benefits of cover crops For María Villamil, a researcher at the University of Illinois and an American Society of Agronomy member,the benefits of cover crops outweigh the drawbacks. In “Choosing the right cover crops to protect the soil,” Villamil says you should choose cover crops “that can survive the winter, grow a lot in the spring, and hold onto soil that whole time.” While “some cover crops might slightly decrease future crop yields,”Villamil says “in the long-term, protecting our soil is worth it.” Certain strategies need to be followed to reap the benefits of cover crops. Villamil says “If we want to see benefits from cover crops, we need to focus on managing our cropping systems for cover crops, giving them room to grow, and using them strategically following corn crops, or silage corn or even wheat, if we are lucky to have this crop in the rotation.” To Villamil, the main goal with cover crops “should be protecting the soil and leaving the soil nutrients in place.” Positive effects on soil are a significant benefit of planting cover crops. An articleon the Cover Crop Project from the University of Illinois National Center for Supercomputing Applications says, “To date, extensive research has found that adopting cover crops in the fallow season of commercial row crop production can improve soil health by, among other things, improving soil organic matter, carbon, as well as water retention and some weed suppression.” In deciding whether to plant cover crops, exploring and considering both advantages and disadvantages is important. If carefully managed, it seems the benefits may outweigh the drawbacks. CONTINUED --