187-6 Alternative Winter Cover Crop Species for Virginia.



Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Henry Gonzalez Convention Center, Hall C, Street Level

Ryan Stewart1, Wade Thomason1, Kiran Pavuluri1, Robert Clark1, Keith Balderson1 and Glenn Chapell2, (1)330 Smyth Hall (0404), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
(2)Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA
Winter cover crops have the potential to reduce the impact of agricultural production on the surrounding ecosystem, including the Chesapeake Bay.  However, the incrementally easiest acres, those that lend themselves to cover cropping, are likely already planted.  Thus, a dramatic increase in acreage is going to require adaptation and innovation of the current cover crop systems so that they offer greater flexibility and greater appeal.  To this end, trials were established in five diverse locations in Virginia to evaluate the performance of various cover crop species and species mixes for fall biomass, total season biomass and nitrogen uptake. 
See more from this Division: ASA Section: Agronomic Production Systems
See more from this Session: General Agronomic Production Systems: II