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Organic producers in the mid-Atlantic region of the USA are interested in reducing tillage, labor and time requirements for grain production. Cover crop-based, organic rotational no-till grain production is one approach to accomplish these goals. This approach is becoming more viable with advancements in a system for planting crops into cover crop residue flattened by a roller–crimper. However, inability to consistently control weeds, particularly perennial weeds, is a major constraint. Cover crop biomass can be increased by manipulating seeding rate, timing of planting and fertility to achieve levels (>8000 kg ha−1) necessary for suppressing summer annual weeds. However, while cover crops are multi-functional tools, when enhancing performance for a given function there are trade-off with other functions. While cover crop management is required for optimal system performance, integration into a crop rotation becomes a critical challenge to the overall success of the production system. Further, high levels of cover crop biomass can constrain crop establishment by reducing optimal seed placement, creating suitable habitat for seed- and seedling-feeding herbivores, and impeding placement of supplemental fertilizers. Multi-institutional and -disciplinary teams have been working in the mid-Atlantic region to address system constraints and management trade-off challenges. Here, we report on past and current research on cover crop-based organic rotational no-till grain production conducted in the mid-Atlantic region.

Manure application may improve plant growth, yield, and ecological sustainability. This study investigates optimized organic fertilizer application methods for enhancing buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) productivity in semi-arid conditions. Treatments include broadcasting (Br) and subsurface banding (Ba) of poultry (PM) and cattle (CM) manure and foliar spraying (S) of manure extracts (1:5 and 1:10 ratios), urea fertilizer (UF), and a control. Subsurface-banded poultry manure (BaPM) maximized chlorophyll b (4.0 µg/mL), carotenoids (2.30 µmol/mL), anthocyanin (0.02 µmol/mL), leaf area index (2.03), seed nitrogen (3.4%), and spikes per plant (17). BaPM achieved the highest seed yield (646 kg/ha), comparable to BrPM, BaCM, and SPM(1:5). The maximum seed phosphorus content (0.43%) was observed in the BaPM, BrPM, and SCM(1:10) treatments. Dry matter peaked under UF (4870 kg/ha) and BaPM (4641 kg/ha). Banding placement improved nutrient uptake by enhancing root zone retention, while foliar poultry extract (1:5) mitigated phosphorus deficiency. These findings demonstrate that integrating certain manure types with targeted application methods—particularly subsurface banding of poultry manure—optimizes nutrient use efficiency, crop performance, and environmental sustainability in buckwheat cultivation.

Subsurface-banding manure and winter cover cropping are farming techniques designed to reduce N loss. Little is known, however, about the effects of these management tools on denitrifying microbial communities and the greenhouse gases they produce. Abundances of bacterial (16S), fungal (ITS), and denitrification genes (nirK, nirS, nosZ-I, and nosZ-II) were measured in soil samples collected from a field experiment testing the combination of cereal rye and hairy vetch cover cropping with either surface-broadcasted or subsurface-banded poultry litter. The spatial distribution of genes was mapped to identify potential denitrifier hotspots. Spatial distribution maps showed increased 16S rRNA genes around the manure band, but no denitrifier hotspots. Soil depth and nitrate concentration were the strongest drivers of gene abundance, but bacterial gene abundance also differed by gene, soil characteristics, and management methods. Gene copy number of nirK was higher under cereal rye than hairy vetch and positively associated with soil moisture, while nirS gene copies did not differ between cover crop species. The nirS gene copies increased when manure was surface broadcasted compared to subsurface banded and was positively associated with pH. Soil moisture and pH were positively correlated to nosZ-II but not to nosZ-I gene copy numbers. We observed stronger correlations between nosZ-I and nirS, and nosZ-II and nirK gene copies compared to the reverse pairings. Agricultural management practices differentially affect spatial distributions of genes coding for denitrification enzymes, leading to changes in the composition of the denitrifying community.

The inability to incorporate manure into permanent pasture leads to the concentration of nutrients near the soil surface with the potential to be transported off site by runoff water. In this study, we used rainfall simulations to examine the effect of broiler chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) litter application method and the runoff timing on nutrient and E. coli losses from tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) pasture on a Hartsells sandy loam soil (fine-loamy, siliceous, subactive, thermic Typic Hapludults)) in Crossville, AL. Treatments included two methods of litter application (surface broadcast and subsurface banding), commercial fertilizer, and control. Litter was applied at a rate of 8.97 Mg ha-1. Treatments were assigned to 48 plots with four blocks (12 plots each) arranged in a randomized complete block design to include three replications in each block. Simulated rainfall was applied to treatments as follows: Day 1, block 1 (runoff 1); Day 8, block 2 (runoff 2); Day 15, block 3 (runoff 3); and Day 22, block 4 (runoff 4). Total phosphorus (TP), inorganic N, and Escherichia coli concentrations in runoff from broadcast litter application were all significantly greater than from subsurface litter banding. The TP losses from broadcast litter applications averaged 6.8 times greater than those from subsurface litter applications. About 81% of the runoff TP was in the form of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) for both litter-application methods. The average losses of NO3-N and total suspended solids (TSS) from subsurface banding plots were 160 g ha-1 and 22 kg ha-1 compared to 445 g ha-1 and 69 kg ha-1 for the broadcast method, respectively. Increasing the time between litter application and the first runoff event helped decrease nutrient and E. coli losses from surface broadcast litter, but those losses generally remained significantly greater than controls and subsurface banded, regardless of runoff timing. This study shows that subsurface litter banding into perennial grassland can substantially reduce nutrient and pathogen losses in runoff compared to the traditional surface-broadcast practice.

Dry poultry litter is typically land applied by surface broadcasting, a practice that exposes certain litter nutrients to volatilization loss. Applying litter with a new, experimental implement that places the litter in narrow bands below the soil surface may reduce or eliminate such losses but has not been tested experimentally. The objective of this research was to quantify cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) lint yield and fiber quality improvements when fertilized with broiler litter applied in narrow subsurface bands at planting or after crop establishment compared with the traditional surface broadcast and standard inorganic fertilization. Applying litter at 6.7 Mg ha-1 increased lint yield from 984 kg ha-1 when applied by surface broadcast to an average of 1052 kg ha-1 when applied by subsurface band at planting or 1 mo later. Applying the same litter rate by subsurface banding 1 mo after planting had the added benefit of improving fiber properties, fiber length in particular. Chlorophyll index measurements showed that plants received greater N nutrition, suggesting that litter-derived N was conserved when the litter was applied by subsurface banding relative to surface broadcast. These results demonstrate that applying dry poultry litter in narrow subsurface bands with this implement conserves litter-derived N and may lead to a reduction in the litter application rate relative to the conventional surface broadcast method, with an added benefit of improved fiber quality when the litter is applied after crop establishment.

High residue levels provide excellent erosion control but can result in cool, wet seedbeds creating a situation where starter fertilizer may be beneficial. Research was conducted from 1999 to 2001 evaluating N rates in starter containing N, P, K, and sometimes S; and different starter fertilizer placements for continuous no-till corn (Zea mays L.). Placements consisted of direct seed contact, dribble over-the-row, and a subsurface band (5 cm below and 5 cm to the side of the seed row). Nitrogen rates for direct seed and dribble placements were 11, 22, 45, and 56 kg N ha(-1); and 34, 67, 101, and 134 kg N ha(-1) for the subsurface placement. Nitrogen was balanced at 168 kg ha(-1) on all treatments, including a no-starter check using broadcast ammonium nitrate at planting. Addition of S in starter was evaluated with subsurface placement. Starter fertilizer, regardless of placement, often increased early season dry matter production and significantly increased grain yields. Increasing N above 22 kg ha(-1) in direct seed contact did not increase yields and significantly reduced stands 2 of 3 yr. Stands were unaffected with higher N rates in dribble over-the-row and subsurface placements; however, applying N above 11 and 34 kg ha(-1), respectively, resulted in little added yield benefit. Inclusion of 11 kg S ha(-1) in a subsurface starter fertilizer sometimes increased early season dry matter production, grain yield, and nutrient uptake. Results suggest starter fertilizer is an effective, efficient way of stimulating early growth and improving yields of continuous no-till corn in Kansas.