caa a22 4500 388054034 CHVBK 20180307125101.0 cr unu---uuuuu 161130e199803 xx s 000 0 eng 10.1017/S0889189300007578 doi S0889189300007578 pii (NATIONALLICENCE)cambridge-10.1017/S0889189300007578 Performance, economics, and adoption of cover crops in Wisconsin cash grain rotations: On-farm trials [Elektronische Daten] Cover crop performance depends largely on management factors that must be customized to particular farm situations and, therefore, is suited for on-farm research, with farmers involved in both management and evaluation. Cover crop sequences that were successful in a research station study were tested over a variety of soils and management strategies in collaboration withfarmers. The two-year cover crop sequences consisted of a short-season crop followed by a cover crop in year one and corn in year two. The cover crops themselves were evaluated by their agronomic and economic performance and their acceptance by farmers. Four cover crop systems (companionseeded red clover, sequentially seeded hairy vetch, sequentially seeded oat, and fallow) were compared for ground cover, above-ground biomass and above-ground nitrogen yield, subsequent corn grain yield, and N fertilizer replacement value (N-FRV). Cover crops were essential for erosion control following vegetable crops and tillage, but were not necessary following small grains. Companion-seeded red clover produced the most ground cover, yielded up to 133 kg N/ha, and had a higher average N-FRV than sequentially seeded hairy vetch on sandy loam soils, but was not preferred by farmers who harvested small grain straw as well as grain. Sequentially seeded hairy vetch gave excellent cover when no-till seeded, produced more than 125 kg N/ha in half the siteyears, and had a higher average N-FRV than companion-seeded red clover on silt loam soils. First-year N-FRV for the legume cover crops averaged 67 kg N/ha over both soil types. The participating farmers indicated that their decisions to adopt cover crops would be based primarily on their need for ground cover, and secondarily on the profitability of using cover crops as an N source. However, when valued solely as an N source for the next year's crop (and not for any potential long-term benefits), cover crops were not an economical alternative to N fertilizer. We suggest focusing future cover crop research and extension efforts on outreach to farmers growing crops that do not provide sufficient ground cover, such as short-season vegetable crops, and optimizing the cover crop system to maximize its erosion control benefits and increase its profitability over N fertilizer. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1998 nitrogen fertilizer nationallicence fertilizer replacement value nationallicence ground cover nationallicence on-farm research nationallicence Upper Midwest nationallicence Mallory Ellen B. Graduate student of Agronomy and Land Resources, Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 Posner Joshua L. Professor, Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 Baldock Jon O. Owner and Research Director of AGSTAT, Verona, WI, 53593 American Journal of Alternative Agriculture Cambridge University Press 13/1(1998-03), 2-11 0889-1893 13:1<2 1998 13 AJA https://doi.org/10.1017/S0889189300007578 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0889189300007578 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Mallory Ellen B. Graduate student of Agronomy and Land Resources, Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Posner Joshua L. Professor, Department of Agronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Baldock Jon O. Owner and Research Director of AGSTAT, Verona, WI, 53593 NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- American Journal of Alternative Agriculture Cambridge University Press 13/1(1998-03), 2-11 0889-1893 13:1<2 1998 13 AJA CC0 http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0 nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-cambridge