Combining Strip Tillage and Cover Crops in Corn Production Systems.

Conservation tillage and utilization of cover crops are important components of corn production systems in the Midwest.  Combining strip tillage and brassica and legume cover crops could potentially reduce commercial fertilizer inputs and fuel costs. Research was established at East Lansing, MI and Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) in 2012 and 2013 to compare corn nitrogen status and yield in eighteen production systems.  The experimental design was a split block; the main blocks were tillage treatment (no-till, strip tillage, and conventional tillage) and the sub-plots were cover crop treatments including no cover, red clover, oilseed radish, and Austrian winter pea. Nitrogen measurements included pre-sidedress nitrogen sampling (PSNT) prior to V5, stalk nitrate samples, and whole corn plant sampling.  PSNT was used to determine the additional N required for the target yield goal at each site.  Time to 50% corn emergence and pollination were also measured.  In 2012, time to 50% corn emergence increased in no-till and where red clover was planted at both locations.  However, time to pollination was not delayed in these treatments compared with the no cover conventional till treatment  Lower rates of sidedress nitrogen were required in plots where red clover preceded corn at both KBS and East Lansing. Corn grain yields were greater when Austrian winter pea was planted in a strip-till system compared with conventional till at both sites.  No-till red clover treatments had lower yields when compared to strip-till and conventional systems.