Mid-Southern, USA Corn Management Practices to Improve Infiltration and Decrease Nutrient Runoff.

Mid-Southern, USA corn is typically planted on sealing silt loam soils that are characterized by low infiltration rates. Cover crops may increase infiltration rates and decrease nutrient runoff by improving aggregate stability. Studies were established in Stoneville, MS in 2017 and 2018 to investigate the effects of cover crops and tillage system on infiltration and nutrient runoff under simulated rainfall and furrow irrigation. Experimental design is a randomized complete block with four replications. Treatments include reduced tillage/no cover as a control, no tillage/no cover, and four cover crops in a reduced tillage system: Austrian winter pea (Pisum sativum L.), cereal rye (Secale cereal L.), crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.), and tillage radish (Raphanus sativus L.). In 2017, under simulated rainfall, Austrian winter pea reduced runoff compared to the RTNC control, while cereal rye increased runoff amounts of some nutrients. Under furrow irrigation, runoff volume decreased from 2017 to 2018 by 24.8 and 12.3% in the no tillage/no cover and tillage radish treatments. No tillage/no cover also increased furrow advance time by 133% from 2017 to 2018. 2018 results, including infiltration under rainfall simulation and nutrient and sediment transport for both simulated rainfall and furrow irrigation, will be presented as well.