Use of cover crops in short rotation hardwood plantations to control erosion

Abstract

This study was designed to test whether the cultivation of cover crops between tree rows in short-rotation woody crop (SRWC) plantations could reduce erosion. Sweetgum ( Liquidambar styraciflua L.) seedlings were planted as the SRWC at a 1.5×3 m spacing. Four cover crops, annual ryegrass ( Lolium multiflorum L. a winter annual grass); tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea L. a cool-season perennial grass); crimson clover ( Trifolium incarnatum L. a winter annual legume); and Interstate sericea lespedeza [ Lespedeza cuneata (Dumont) G. Don. a summer growing-perennial legume], were tested at two different strip widths (1.22 and 2.44 m) in comparison with complete competition control. Erosion was measured from 1 August, 1995 to 8 March, 1997 (585 days) by sediment accumulation near the fence where 72 PVC pipes were inserted into soil on a 4.65 m 2 (50 ft 3) grid area of each plot. The total rainfall recorded during this period was 2422.91 mm (95.3 in.). All cover crops reduced erosion over the complete competition free plot (control), although tall fescue performed poorly at the narrow strip width. There were no significant differences between grasses and legumes for erosion control. Winter annual crops provided significantly more erosion protection than summer growing-perennials. With the exception of tall fescue, narrow strip widths performed as well as wider strip widths. The results indicate that cover crops ryegrass, crimson clover, lespedeza and tall fescue controlled about 64, 61, 51 and 37% soil erosion respectively as compared to the control during the critical early years of stand development in SRWC hardwood plantations.