Abstract
AbstractCover crop (CC) roots are critical for soil ecosystem service delivery including soil stabilization, C and nutrient cycling, soil health improvement, and others. However, most CC studies only evaluate CC aboveground biomass yield, neglecting the belowground portion of the plant. The objectives of this study were to quantify the impacts of (a) CC planting (pre‐ and post‐harvest) dates and (b) early (2–4 wk before main crop planting) and late (at main crop planting) CC termination with and without corn (Zea mays L.) residue removal on root biomass yield. We assessed the effects of CC planting or termination dates on root biomass yield for surface 10 cm of soil at four sites through sampling at CC termination and separating roots from soil with a hydropneumatic elutriation system. Pre‐harvest CC planting had limited and variable impacts on root biomass yield compared with post‐harvest planting. Corn residue removal had no impact on root biomass yield. However, CC termination date had effects at the Irrigated but not at the Rainfed site. At the Irrigated site, late‐terminated CCs doubled root biomass yield in both years compared to early terminated and no CC. At this site, under late‐terminated CCs, root biomass yield was 2.8 Mg ha–1 attributed to their higher aboveground biomass yield and later termination. At the Rainfed site, root biomass yield was 1.6 Mg ha–1. Overall, late termination of CCs can increase root biomass yield; however, early planting into the cash crop did not consistently increase root biomass yield under the conditions of this study.
Highlights
Plant roots are critical to the delivery of soil ecosystem services as they directly interact with the soil
We only evaluated the impact of the pre- and post-harvest planting of rye vs. no Cover crop (CC) on root biomass yield as rye was the most successful treatment
Cover crop planting date effects on CC aboveground biomass differed by site and year
Summary
Plant roots are critical to the delivery of soil ecosystem services as they directly interact with the soil. Roots influence soil processes and properties more than aboveground biomass (Six et al, 2002; Wilhelm, Johnson, Hatfield, Voorhees, & Linden, 2004). To soil C is often overlooked as many studies focus on the amount of retained aboveground biomass to preserve soil C (Rasse, Rumpel, & Dignac, 2005; Wilhelm, Johnson, Karlen, & Lightle, 2007). A review by Rasse et al (2005) showed that root biomass contribution to soil C was, on average, 2.4 times that of aboveground biomass. As another example, 60–80% of new C in particulate organic matter can be from belowground biomass yield (Mazzilli, Kemanian, Ernst, Jackson, & Pineiro, 2015).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
