Using In-Season Cover Crops to Improve Soil Health and Reduce Nitrogen Fertilizer Use in the Chesapeake Bay Drainage

Nitrogen is an essential plant nutrient and a significant source of water quality impairment. The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary impaired with excess nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment. This project will develop a series of demonstration plots and education and outreach opportunities to elevate producer participation in no-till, cover cropping and environmental stewardship programs. The focus will be on intercropping legumes with com as an in season cover crop (living mulch). A successful demonstration of the concept is the first step to implementation. These demonstration plots will serve as living examples of the power of cover cropping and conservation. To highlight the benefit of these innovative techniques, state of the art soil testing technologies will be used to monitor soil quality and nutrient status. The data coupled with real demonstration plots for producers to examine will lay the groundwork for the next generation of best management practice development and innovation. The lessons learned from these demonstration plots will be used to develop new West Virginia Best Management Practices and set the stage for a brighter more environmentally sound future for agriculture.