WINTER COVER BIOMASSS PRODUCTION AND SOIL PENETRABILITY

Winter cover crops can benefit production systems in the southeastern US. Winter cover crops, such as rye (Secale cereale) can reduce weed pressure, increase water infiltration, and improve soil quality over a long period of time. Although several studies have focused on the effects of having a winter cover present, none have focused on studying the effect of different biomass amounts. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of rye biomass amounts on soil penetrability. Using different rye planting dates and termination times, several levels of biomass were obtained. Soil penetrability, as measured with a penetrometer, was improved with increasing biomass amount. Low rye biomass amounts did not result in decreased cone index values. Winter cover crops can effectively be used to improve soil conditions for crop production in combination with other conservation agriculture practices, such as non-inversion tillage