Creating a NOVEL Collaborative Testing Network to Evaluate LONG-TERM Benefits of Cover CROPS.

Nitrogen and phosphorus losses from production agriculture are contributing to the impairment of air and water quality in the United States.  Cover crops have been identified as an agronomic tool to mitigate risks to water quality and improve cash crop yield resiliency.  Very little long-term cropping system data exists to develop multi-level (national, regional and local) best management practice recommendations for cover crop establishment. 

A Monsanto Technology Development Sustainability Field Team was formed in February 2013 to develop a testing framework and protocols for long-term cover crop trial research.  Along with internal funding, a funding mechanism was formed to create a Sustainability Research Program with the to provide funding to the collaborators participating in the project.  Collaborative cover crop research groups were formed and sites were established with the University of Arkansas, Southern Illinois University, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Wisconsin.  In addition, 10 internal sites were located on-farm with key growers in Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.  The main objective of the project is to generate a long-term data set for demonstration, extension and publication within the broader grower and academic communities.

Protocols were developed with similar methodology and treatment structure, yet were adapted to 3 regional cropping systems used in the Mississippi River Basin.  Treatments include combinations of cover crops with and without tillage within regionally adapted protocols applied to continuous corn (with and without stover removal), corn/soybean, and corn silage/alfalfa crop rotations.  Long-term cropping trials throughout the Mississippi River Basin present an opportunity for Monsanto to partner with growers and conservation groups to increase awareness and adoption of cover crops. This project provides an avenue to generate high quality information that can be used in education of growers, universities, consultants and general public on the management and benefits of cover crops.