Soil Health Factors and Crop Yield As Affected By Cover Crop Management

The overall objective of project is to determine the optimum cover crop termination date as it affects soil health factors and corn and soybean grain yield. This will be accomplished by monitoring soil health factors throughout the growing season as they are influenced by cover crop species and termination date. The effects of cover crop species (cereal crop, legume, and mix) and termination time over three years will be determined and the additive effects of these management choices on soil health changes during the growing season will be correlated to grain yield. Additionally, whether soil microbial communities are enhanced when grain crops are planted directly into the living cover crop 'green' will be monitored and if this affects grain yield.