Corn Production with Perennial Ground Covers: Evaluation of Cover Species and Their Effects On Corn Growth and Development.

Corn stover has been identified as an important feedstock for future ethanol production but factors such as increased soil erosion and decreased soil health will likely occur if removal is not supported by proper management.  To address this issue 35 species of grasses and legumes were evaluated as potential perennial ground covers in corn.  Selection of species encompassed both C3 and C4 species and a wide range of developmental and morphological features such as height at maturity, vegetative spread rate, and sod and clump forming growth habits.  The objectives were to: (i) identify species that could support a high level of corn production while requiring minimal management, and (ii) to identify a potential ideotype for future selections.  Species that were low growing and slow spreading were more conducive to corn production but at a minimum reduced yields 23%.  Conditions that slowed corn growth in early development such as cool temperatures, and frost damage allowed C3 species to gain a competitive advantage. Strip tillage was difficult during initial establishment of corn due to the sod forming habit of some species and indicates the need for strip-planting of cover species. Species that consistently worked well with corn were meadow fescue, sheep fescue, Canada bluegrass, fowl bluegrass, and colonial bentgrass.  These species also offer the most flexibility during spring management as they are not as aggressive as other species evaluated.  Based on these observations an ideotype should be low growing, slow spreading, and late to green-up in the early spring to minimize competition with corn.