On-Farm Trials with Cover Crops in the Steppes of Ukraine.

PURPOSE

In Ukraine, we have tested winter rye, mustard and oil radish as cover crops. Cruciferae crops were seeded late in summer so that  frost would kill the plants before they produced seeds  These cover crops have been successful in our production systems.  To expand our success with cover crops, we would like to explore the benefit of crop mixtures, which have been effective in the U.S.A.   Therefore, in 2012, we set up an experiment in the steppe region of Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine to examine mixtures (cocktails) of cover crops. Our cover crop treatments are:  1) Avena strigosa {black oats}; 2) Vicia sativa + Avena strigosa + Helianthus annuus {vetch + oats + sunflower}; 3) Melilotus officianalis + Onobrychis viciifolia + Avena strigosa {sweet clover+ sainfoin + oats}; 4) Lupinus {lupine}; 5) barley + peas + oil radish; 6) Sorghum sudanense + Helianthus annuus {Sudangrass + sunflower}.

We designed these six (6) treatments to determine the best crop cocktails for our soils. We also will measure the response of the following cash crops, development of soil microbiota, moisture accumulation, and permeability into the soil.  We will present results collected in the 2012 growing season.      

TREATMENTS

We selected above stated six (6) treatments for the following reasons: Treatment 1: With black oats, we want to see how well it is adapted to the conditions of our region and whether it creates problems as a weed.  Treatments 2 & 3: Can we increase nitrogen and carbon content in the soil and reduce compaction with these mixtures?  Treatment 4: Will lupine as a cover crop improve soil structuring?  Treatment 5: Our goal with this cocktail is to accumulate nitrogen and carbon in the soil and release unavailable P forms; and Treatment 6:  Will the mixture of sudangrass and sunflower alleviate soil compaction, improve water storage capacity, and improve nutrient availability for the following cash crops?