Two-Species Cover Crop Mixtures: Growth and Impact on Corn Growth and Yield.

Cover crop mixtures, each containing two species, were evaluated in E. Lansing, MI. Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) was the constant species across mixtures and was planted with a grass or legume. Grasses trialed included annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), cereal rye (Secale cereale L.), and oats (Avena sativa L.). Legumes trialed included crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth), and winter pea (Pisum sativum L.). Each cover crop was also planted as a pure stand. There were two control treatments: weed-free and weedy. Objectives were to determine a). cover crop biomass production of pure stands vs. mixtures and b). cover crop impact on corn growth/yield.

Cover crops were drilled after wheat harvest in 2011 and terminated the following spring. Field corn was then planted. Neither cover crops nor corn received fertilizer or irrigation. Data collected included fall and spring cover crop and weed biomass, as well as corn stand, height, SPAD measurements, and yield. Results from the first year of this three year study are presented here.