Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Accomplishments:

The NCCC-211 team is an integral part of the Midwest Cover Crop Council (MCCC); as such our efforts are often one and the same. NCCC-211 has active or in-process representation from ten states now, having gained new representatives from Ohio and Illinois. We continue to look for new representation from MO and SD. The MCCC has representation from all 12 states and 2 Canadian provinces with university, ARS, agri-business, agency, farmer, and non-profit representation. NCCC-211 and MCCC are focused on developing tools and outreach materials to facilitate widespread successful adoption of cover crops across the Midwest.  The MCCC was awarded a 2022 Educational and Outreach Material Award for Short Publications, from the American Society of Agronomy, for our series “Cover Crop Recipes.”

Short-term outcomes: There is greater awareness and understanding of cover crops and their potential beneficial effects across the Midwest.  Farmers are asking for more information and guidance about how to integrate them into their cropping systems.  Members of NCCC-211 and MCCC have contributed to this greater understanding among agricultural audiences.

Outputs:

Cover Crop Recipes continue to be developed to provide a starting point for farmers who are new to growing cover crops. In total 34 state specific Recipes (4 new Recipes in 2022) have been developed.

A new intern worked with states on updating the state pages on our website, along with developing a webpage on termination of cover crops.

The website was refreshed and updated to make navigation easier and to give it a more modern look and feel.

The province of Manitoba was added to the MCCC.

New funds from NRCS were obtained, which allowed hiring a half-time Extension Educator at MSU who will work on developing and implementing cover crop trainings for NRCS and other field staff who work directly with farmers.

With the cover crop decision tool, we continued to update states’ data on a rolling basis, with two more states completed in 2022.  This work is done in conjunction with technical experts in each state, building consensus among professionals working in each state.

USDA-NIFA SAS CAP Precision Sustainable Agriculture (PSA) Coordinated Agriculture Project continued with representatives from 6 states (IA, IN, KS, MI, NE, WI). This project has coordinated research protocols for on-farm experiments (3 per state) in IA, IN, KS, NE, and WI to investigate soil moisture and cover crop decomposition. Additionally, experiment station trials include cover crop plus optimal N rates and termination timing influence on pest/disease dynamics, and cover crop decomposition. In addition, the newly developed undergraduate cover crop course that was offered for the first time in the fall of 2021 simultaneously at 7 institutions, was offered again in fall 2022. Michigan State University and University of Nebraska - Lincoln representatives promoted MCCC/NCCC-211 materials to be included (i.e. all students received a Cover Crop Field Guide, management course module showcased the Selector Tool). This course has received excellent reviews from students who enjoy learning from students and faculty across the 7 institutions.

Activities:

Number of graduate students, postdocs, and visiting scientists involved in cover crop work: 71

Number of presentations: 233

Number of research publications: 56

Milestones:

Through strategic planning the MCCC executive committee refined 3 key focus areas: education, network growth, and collective impact. Educational milestones have been achieved through publication of additional cover crop recipes, new web materials such as the termination page, and assistance with trainings and workshops around the region. A network growth milestone was achieved by MCCC participating as an exhibitor at several national meetings attended by farmers and other agribusiness, such as Commodity Classic, to help broaden the reach and distribution of outreach materials. Collective impact is being accomplished through the SAS CAP project and also the work of the Program Manager in assisting the new Western Cover Crops Council in their development of a Selector Tool for their region. .

• Malone, L.C., S. Mourtzinis, J.M. Gaska, J.G. Lauer, M.D. Ruark, and S.P. Conley. 2022. Cover crops in a Wisconsin annual cropping system: Feasibility and yield effects. Agronomy J. 114:1052-1067.
• Abha Bhattarai, Garrett Steinbeck, Brian B. Grant, Margaret Kalcic, Kevin King, Ward Smith, Nuo Xu, Jia Deng, and Sami Khanal. 2022. Development of a calibration approach using DNDC and PEST for improving estimates of management impacts on water and nutrient dynamics in an agricultural system. Environmental Modelling & Software. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2022.105494.
• Kushal KC, and Sami Khanal. 2023. Agricultural productivity and water quality tradeoffs of winter cover crops at a landscape scale through the lens of remote sensing. Journal of Environmental Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.117212.
• Varga, B. Csukas, S. Khanal, and B.R. Bakshi. 2023. Lessons from the biosphere for the anthroposphere: Analysis of recycling structures of conservational measures. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2023.106919.
• Huo, D., Frey, T., Lindsey, L. E., & Benitez, M.-S. 2022. Yield and soil responses to adding wheat to a corn–soybean rotation. Crop Forage & Turfgrass Mgmt. https://doi.org/10.1002/cft2.20143.
• McGlinch, G. J., & Lindsey, L. E. 2022. Seeding rate effect on winter malting barley yield and quality. Agronomy Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21094.
• Raudenbush, A.L., Pekarcik, A.J.; Haden, V.R.; and Tilmon, K.J. 2021. Evaluation of Slug Refuge Traps in a Soybean Reduced-Tillage Cover Crop System. Insects 2021, 12, 62. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12010062.
• Verhoff, K. A., Phippen, W. B., Heller, N. J., & Lindsey, A. (2022). Winter-type oilseed pennycress crop staging guide. Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management, 8, e20165. https://doi.org/10.1002/cft2.20165.
• Koirala, D. Barker, C. Helfer, W. Phippen, N. Heller, A. Hard, S. Wells, and A. Lindsey. 2022. A process to enhance germination of a wild pennycress variety. Seed Science and Technology, 50, 2, 195-205. https://doi.org/10.15258/sst.2022.50.2.03.
• Martin, T., Culman, S. & Sprunger, C.D. 2022. Quality or Quantity? Determining the Impact of Fine Root Traits on Soil Health in Row Crop Agriculture. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 22, 2322–2333. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-022-00811-1
• Martin Tvisha, Sprunger Christine D. 2022. Sensitive Measures of Soil Health Reveal Carbon Stability Across a Management Intensity and Plant Biodiversity Gradient. Frontiers in Soil Science. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsoil.2022.917885.
• Blanco‐Canqui, H., 2022. Cover crops and carbon sequestration: Lessons from US studies. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 86(3), pp.501-519.
• Grint, K., Proctor, C., DeWerff, R., Smith, D., Arneson, N., Arriaga, F., Stoltenberg D., Werle, R. (2022). Low Carryover Risk of Corn and Soybean Herbicides Across Soil Management Practices and Environments. Weed Technol.1-25. doi:10.1017/wet.2021.97
• Inveninato Carmona, G., Robinson, E., Tonon Rosa, A., Proctor, C.A., Anthony Justin McMechan, A.J. (2022) Impact of cover crop planting and termination dates on arthropod activity in the following corn. Journal of Economic Entomology, 115(4), 1177-1190 doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toac090
• Koehler-Cole, K.,  Elmore, R, Blanco-Canqui, H., Francis, C., Shaprio, C., Proctor, C., Ruis, S., Heeren, D. (2022). Cover crop planting practices determine their performance in the US Corn Belt. Agron. J. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.21247
• Krupek, F.S., Mizero, S., Redfearn, D., and Basche, A. Assessing how cover crops close the soil health gap at on-farm experiments. Agricultural and Environmental Letters
• Krupek, F.S., Redfearn, D., Eskridge, K.M. and Basche, A., Ecological intensification with soil health practices demonstrates positive impacts on multiple soil properties: A large-scale farmer-led experiment. Geoderma. 409, 115594. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2021.115594
• Lucadamo, E., A. Holmes, S.E. Wortman, and A. Yannarell. 2022. Post-termination effects of cover crop monocultures and mixtures on soil inorganic nitrogen and microbial communities on two organic farms in Illinois. Frontiers in Soil Science https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoil.2022.824087
• Samuelson, M.B., Reid, E.V., Drijber, R., Jeske, E., Blanco-Canqui, H., Mamo, M., Kadoma, I. and Wortman, S.E., 2022. Effects of compost, cover crops, and local conditions on degradation of two agricultural mulches in soil. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 37(2), pp.128-141.
• Gutknecht, J., Journey, A., Peterson, H., Blair, H., & Cates, A. (2022). Cover crop management practices to promote soil health and climate adaptation: Grappling with varied success from farmer and researcher observations. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY. doi: 10.1002/jeq2.20383
• Thurston, C.L., Grossman, J.M., Fudge, R. et al. Cold stress reduces nodulation and symbiotic nitrogen fixation in winter annual legume cover crops. Plant Soil 481, 661–676 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-022-05667-z
• Candelaria-Morales, N., Grossman, J., Fernandez, A., & Rogers, M. (2022). Exploring multifunctionality of summer cover crops for organic vegetable farms in the Upper Midwest. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 37(3), 198-205. doi:10.1017/S1742170521000545
• Bloszies SA, Reberg‐Horton SC, Heitman JL, Woodley AL, Grossman JM, Hu S. Legume cover crop type and termination method effects on labile soil carbon and nitrogen and aggregation. Agronomy Journal. 2022 May;114(3):1817-32.
• Perkus, E. A., Grossman, J. M., Pfeiffer, A., Rogers, M. A., & Rosen, C. J. (2022). Exploring Overwintered Cover Crops as a Soil Management Tool in Upper-midwest High Tunnels, HortScience, 57(2), 171-180. Retrieved Feb 10, 2023, from https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/hortsci/57/2/article-p171.xml
• Perrone S, Grossman J, Liebman A, Wells S, Sooksa-nguan T, Jordan N. Legume cover crop contributions to ecological nutrient management in upper Midwest vegetable systems. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 2022:129.
• Gregg S, Coulter JA, Strock JS, Liu R, Garcia y Garcia A. Double-Cropped Winter Camelina with and without Added Nitrogen: Effects on Productivity and Soil Available Nitrogen. Agriculture. 2022 Sep 15;12(9):1477.
• Mohammed YA, Gesch RW, Matthees HL, Wells SS. Maturity selection but not sowing date enhances soybean productivity and land use in a winter camelina–soybean relay system. Food and Energy Security. 2022 Feb;11(1):e346.
• Cubins JA, Wells SS, Walia MK, Wyse DL, Becker R, Forcella F, Gardner RD, Johnson GA, Gesch RW. Harvest attributes and seed quality predict physiological maturity of pennycress. Industrial Crops and Products. 2022 Feb 1;176:114355.
• Moore VM, Schlautman B, Fei SZ, Roberts LM, Wolfe M, Ryan MR, Wells S, Lorenz AJ. Plant Breeding for Intercropping in Temperate Field Crop Systems: A. Breeding for Intercropping. 2022 Dec 2.
• Rakkar M, Jungers JM, Sheaffer C, Bergquist G, Grossman J, Li F, Gutknecht JL. Soil health improvements from using a novel perennial grain during the transition to organic production. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 2023 Jan 1;341:108164.
• Anderson, J.V, B. Bigger, K. Howatt, J. Mettler, and M.T. Berti. 2022. Weed pressure, yield and nutrient content in field grown sulfonylurea camelina and canola. Agronomy https://doi.org//10.3390/agronomy1932225
• Picasso, V., M. Berti, K. Cassida. S. Collier, D. Fang, A. Finan, M. Krome, D. Hanaway, W. Lamp., and A.W. Stevens. 2022. Diverse perennial circular forage systems are needed to foster resilience, ecosystem services, and socioeconomic benefits in agricultural landscapes. Grassland Res. doi: 10.1002/glr2.12020
• Roth R.T., K. Chen, J.R. Scott, J. Jung, Y. Yang, J.J. Camberato, S.D. Armstrong. 2023. Prediction of Cereal Rye Cover Crop Biomass and Nutrient Accumulation Using Multi-Temporal Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Based Visible-Spectrum Vegetation Indices. Remote Sensing 15 (3), 580
• Preza-Fontes, G., H. Miller, R. Roth, S. D. Armstrong. 2022. Corn yield response to starter nitrogen rates following cereal rye cover crop. Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management 8 (2), e20187.
• Ma, Meilin and Reeling, Carson and Hughes, Megan and Armstrong, Shalamar and Roth, Richard, Comparison of Conservation Incentives under Long-Run Yield Uncertainty and Farmer Risk Aversion (September 29, 2022). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4233615 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4233615
• Gupta R; J. W. Coppess; H. Jeong; M. Ruffatti; S. D. Armstrong, & R. Bhattarai. 2022. Modeling the impact of winter cover crop on tile drainage and nitrate loss using DSSAT Model. Agricultural Water Management 272, 107862.
• G. Lacey, J. J. Camberato, & S. D. Armstrong. 2022. Field gased ¹⁵N estimate of cereal rye residue nitrogen release in a corn and soybean system. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 1-13.
• Dada, A. O., D. R. Smith & S. D. Armstrong. 2022. Phosphorus sorption and desorption as impacted by long-term cover cropping at two soil surface depths. Journal of Environmental Quality 52 (1), 126-136
• Roth, R. T., G. Lacey, J. J.Camberato, & S. D. Armstrong. 2022. Quantifying the fate of nitrogen from cereal rye root and shoot biomass using 15N. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 1-16.
• Thompson, N. M., M. N. Hughes, E. K. Nuworsu, , C. J. Reeling, S. D. Armstrong, J. R. Mintert, K. A. Foster. (2022). Opportunities and challenges associated with “carbon farming” for u.s. row-crop producers. choices. DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.329528
• Quinn, D., H. Poffenbarger, F.E. Miguez, and C.D. Lee. 2023. Optimum Nitrogen Rate and Timing in Corn Following a Rye Cover Crop. Field Crops Res. 291:108794.
• Quinn, D.J., H.J. Poffenbarger, and C.D. Lee. 2022. Rye Cover Crop and In-Furrow Fertilizer and Fungicide Impacts on Corn Optimum Seeding Rate and Grain Yield. Europ. J. Agron. 139:126529.
• L. Hodgskiss, B.G. Young, S.D. Armstrong and W.G. Johnson. 2022.Utilizing cover crops for weed suppression within buffer areas of 2, 4-D-resistant soybean.Weed Technology 36 (1), 118-129
• Alves de Oliveira, L., A. Muñoz Ventura,  Preza-Fontes, K.D. Greer, C.M. Pittelkow, R. Bhattarai, R. Christianson, & L. Christianson. 2022. Assessing the concept of control points for dissolved reactive phosphorus losses in subsurface drainage. Journal of Environmental Quality., 51, 1155–1167. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20400
• Muñoz‐Ventura, A., R.D. Christianson, R. Bhattarai, and L.E. Christianson. 2022. Runoff and drainage trade-offs from cover crops exposed to freeze-thaw events. Agrosystems, Geosciences & Environment, 5, 20334. https://doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20324
• Preza-Fontes, G., L.E. Christianson, K. Greer, R. Bhattarai, and C.M. Pittelkow. 2022. In-season split nitrogen application and cover cropping effects on nitrous oxide emissions in rainfed maize. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2021.107813.
• Acharya, J., T.B. Moorman, T.C. Kaspar, A.W. Lenssen, Gailans, and A. Robertson. 2022. Effect of planting into a green winter cereal rye cover crop on growth and development, seedling disease and yield of corn. Plant Dis. (doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-21-0836-RE).
• Bartel, C.A., K.J. Moore, S. Fei, A.W. Lenssen, R.L. Hintz, and S.M. Kling. 2022. Evaluating chemical suppression treatments to alter red:far-red ratio in perennial groundcovers for maize production. Agronomy 12:1854 (doi10.3390/agronomy12081854).
• Bartel, C.A., K.J. Moore, S. Fei, A.W. Lenssen, R.L. Hintz, and S.M. Kling. 2022. Evaluating strip and no-till maintenance of perennial groundcovers for annual grain production. Crops 2:268-286 (doi:10.3390/crops2030020).
• Chen, A.A., S.Fei, A.W. Lenssen, and K.J. Moore. 2022. Photothermal controls of vegetative dormancy in Poa secunda. Grassland Research (doi:10.1002/glr2.12008).
• Chen, A., S. Fei, A.W. Lenssen, and K.J. Moore. 2022. Evaluating cool-season grass species as potential perennial groundcover for maize production. Agronomy Journal 114:2415–2429 (doi:10.1002/agj2.21087).
• Kimmelshue, C., A.S. Goggi, and K. Moore. 2022. Single plant grain yield in corn (Zea mays) based on emergence time, seed size, planting depth, and plant to plant distance. Crops 2:62-86 (doi:10.3390/crops2010006).
• Kimmelshue, C., A.S. Goggi, and K. Moore. 2022. Seed size, planting depth, and a perennial ground cover system effect on corn emergence and grain yield. Agronomy 12:437 (doi:10.3390/agronomy12020437).
• Leuthold, S.J., D. Quinn, F. Miguez, O. Wendroth, M. Salmerón, H. Poffenbarger. 2022. Topographic effects on soil microclimate and surface cover crop residue decomposition in rolling cropland. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment (doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2021.107609).
• Nichols, V., E.B. Moore, Gailans, T.C. Kaspar, and M. Liebman. 2022. Site-specific effects of winter cover crops on soil water storage. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment (doi.org/10.1002/agg2.20238).
• Schooman, E.D. and J.G. Arbuckle. 2022. Cover crops and speciality crop agriculture: Exploring cover crop use among begetable and fruit growers in Michigan and Ohio. J. Soil Water Cons. 77:403-417 (doi.org/10.2489/jswc.2022.00006).
• Quinn, D.J., H.J. Poffenbarger, F.E. Miguez, C.D. Lee. 2023. Corn optimum nitrogen fertilizer rate and application timing when following a rye cover crop. Field Crops Research (doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2022.108794).