Cereal rye cover crops added to a corn-soybean rotation have little to no negative effect on yield, and actually increased soybean yields in eight site-years and corn yield in two site-years, according to a nine-year study conducted by Iowa Learning Farms and Practical Farmers of Iowa.
Corn and soybean yields in 2017 were higher than expected, resulting in the largest grain surpluses in recent years.
Researchers began collecting initial data last fall on university-owned farmland near Ames to quantify the impact of construction utilities equipment, field traffic and deep tillage on crop yield and soil compaction.
Cereal rye cover crops added to a corn-soybean rotation have little to no negative effect on yield and actually increased soybean yields in seven site-years and corn yield in two-sites years, according to an eight-year study conducted by the Iowa Learning Farms and Practical Farmers of Iowa.
