Effect of Winter Cover Crop on Canopy Coverage and Subsequent Effect on a Peanut Cotton Rotation.

Winter cover crops can improve soil health, conserve moisture and decrease inputs on a production area. Cover crops can also be harvested, and biomass used as feedstock and biofuels. Legumes are often used by the ability to fix atmospheric Nitrogen for following crops. Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) are important crops and widely used in Georgia. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different winter crops, such as lupin (Lupinus sp.); narrow-leaf lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.); cereal rye (Secale cereale L) and their combination on a peanut-cotton rotation in Georgia. The experimental design is a split-plot, with the main effect being the summer crops and the sub effect the winter cover crops. Measurements for the winter cover included percent ground cover using Canopeo®, biomass during development clipped at ground level (0.5 m²) and final yield of cover crop (cut by Carter forage harvester). Measurements for summer crops consisted of ground cover using aerial images, final yield and final biomass. Results for the first year after the implementation of the cover crops summer crops did not present any differences between the treatments. Second year presented lower yields overall, with a hot and dry season. Cover crops final biomass production presented differences for all three locations, except for one site year. Overall white lupin and narrow-leaf-lupin produced the highest biomass and rye the lowest for the first two years. Canopy coverage early season for the winter cover crops presented similar results, with white lupin and narrow-leaf-lupin with more early coverage.