mixed cover crop field

The resources below provide information to aid producers in making decisions about their cropping systems. Cropping systems refer to the combination of a) the type of crop planted, 2) growing and management methods, and 3) the sequence of crops previously planted on the same land. Practices in a particular field or farm's cropping system, like diversifying crop rotations, planting cover crops, or altering tillage, can make a significant difference for soil health, soil nutrition, and crop yield.

Cover crop use can potentially improve subsequent crop yields through enhanced soil health and reduced soil erosion, can cut fertilizer, herbicide and pesticide costs, and can protect water quality, all of which can increase farm sustainability. The potential to fulfill these benefits may be increased by using mixed rather than single species cover crops. Although there has been substantial research on single species cover crops, research on mixed species cover crops is in its infancy, so many of the potential benefits are hypothesized rather than known. Species can be selected for desired traits such as fixing nitrogen, producing large amounts of root and shoot biomass, or scavenging resources from deep soil layers. Because each crop in a species mix may respond differently to soil, pest and weather conditions, mixtures may increase cover crop survival, ground cover, biomass and nitrogen production, weed control, duration of growing season, range of beneficial insects attracted or pests deterred and forage options.

Cover Crop Mixture Research

A multi-year study, funded by Western SARE, was a collaborative project with researchers and Montana producers to look at cover crop mixtures as a partial replacement of fallow in rain-fed cropping systems. A portion of that study was continued with funding from the Montana Fertilizer Advisory Committee. In the winter of 2015 we sent a survey to 500 Montana producers to learn of their experiences and perspective about mixed species cover crops.

The collaborators on the WARE study were: Perry Miller, Clain Jones, Cathy Zabinski, Meg Housman and Kristi D'Agati, Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences at Montana State University; Susan Tallman, USDA-NRCS Agronomist; Jay Norton, Department of Ecosystem Science and Management at University of Wyoming; Jane Holzer, Montana Salinity Control Association; and Carl Vandermolen, Herb Oehlke and Chad Doheny, producers.

The results of this research, along with four MSU Extension documents and a Crops & Soils magazine article written using the results, are below:

Cover Crop & Cropping System Resources

Publications

Fertilizer Facts

 Videos

Research Papers

  • Chen, C, P Miller, F Muehlbauer, K Neill, D Wichman, and K McPhee. 2006. Winter pea and lentil response to seeding date and micro and macro-environments. Agronomy Journal. 98:1655-1663
  • Jones, C., P. Miller, A. Sigler, T. Rick, and S. Ewing. 2018. Deep Soil Nitrate Levels Following Four Years of Differing Nitrogen Rates and Cropping Systems.  Great Plains Soil Fertility Conference Proceedings.
  • Jones, C, P Miller, M Burgess, S Tallman, M Housman, J O’Dea, A Bekkerman, and C Zabinski. 2015. Cover cropping in the semi-arid west: effects of termination timing, species, and mixtures on nitrogen uptake, yield, soil quality, and economic return. In: Western Nutrient Management Conference Proceedings. 11:39-44. Reno, NV. Mar 5-6, 2015.
  • McCauley, AM, CA Jones, PR Miller, MH Burgess, and CA Zabinski. 2012. Nitrogen fixation by pea and lentil green manures in a semi-arid agroecoregion: effect of planting and termination timing. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems. 92:305-314

  • Miller, P., A. Bekkerman, C. Jones, M. Burgess, J. Holmes, and R. Engel. 2015. Pea in rotation with wheat reduced uncertainty of economic returns in southwest Montana. Agronomy Journal. 107:541–550. doi:10.2134/agronj14.0185

  • Miller, P.R., EJ Lighthiser, CA Jones, JA Holmes, TL Rick, and JM Wraith. 2011. Pea green manure management affects organic winter wheat yield and quality in semiarid Montana. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 91:497-508

  • Miller, P., R. Engel, and J. Holmes. 2006. Cropping sequence effect of pea and pea management on spring wheat in the northern Great Plains. Agronomy Journal. 98:1610–1619. doi:10.2134/agronj2005.0302

  • O’Dea, J, C Jones, C Zabinski, PR Miller, and I Keren. 2015. Legume and cropping intensity effects on selected soil quality attributes after eight years in a dryland wheat agroecosystem. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems. 95:179-194.
  • Housman, M, S Tallman, C Jones, P Miller, and C Zabinski. Soil biological response to multi-species cover crops in the Northern Great Plains. Agriculture, Ecosystems, & Environment. 313. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2021.107373

External Resources

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