Sod-based Rotation Research Articles

Long‐term integration of bahiagrass into a cover‐cropped and strip‐tilled peanut–cotton rotation has a limited effect on soil carbon and other soil properties

AbstractIntegrating a perennial forage grass like bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge) into the traditional rotation of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) increases yields and reduces irrigation needs in the Southeast United States. However, the long‐term effects of this sod‐based rotation (SBR) on soil properties remain unclear. Eighteen years after establishing SBR and the traditional rotation, we collected samples to a depth of 120 cm in 30‐cm increments and measured soil carbon and other soil properties (e.g., Mehlich‐extractable nutrients). Soil C was 6% higher with SBR in the top 30 cm of soil after 18 years, with no impact on soil C in deeper soil layers. Similarly, there was no effect of SBR on other soil properties (soil texture, pH, and Mehlich‐extractable P and Mg), except for lower soil K in SBR. Our results indicate a limited effect of SBR on soil C and other properties in this system where SBR is not grazed and where strip tillage and cover cropping were implemented in both rotations.

Integrated crop-livestock systems result in less nitrate leaching than ungrazed crop systems in North Florida.

Integrated crop-livestock systems provide an array of benefits to agricultural systems, including a reduction in nitrogen (N) leaching. A farm approach to integrate crops and livestock is the adoption of grazed cover crops. Moreover, the addition of perennial grasses into crop rotations may improve soil organic matter and decrease N leaching. However, the effect of grazing intensity in such systems is not fully understood. This 3-year study investigated short-term effects of cover crop planting (cover and no cover), cropping system (no grazing, integrated crop-livestock [ICL], and sod-based rotation [SBR]), grazing intensity (heavy, moderate, and light grazing), and cool-season N fertilization (0, 34, and 90kg N ha-1 ) on NO3 -N and NH4 -N concentration in leachate, and cumulative N leaching by using 1.5-m deep drain gauges. The ICL was a cool-season cover crop-cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) rotation, whereas SBR was a cool-season cover crop-bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flüggé) rotation. There was a treatment × year × season for cumulative N leaching (p=0.035). Further contrast analysis indicated that cover crops decreased cumulative N leaching compared to no cover (18vs. 32kg N ha-1 season-1 ). Nitrogen leaching was lesser for grazed compared to nongrazed systems (14vs. 30kg N ha-1 season-1 ). Treatments containing bahiagrass had lesser NO3 -N concentration in leachate (7vs. 11mg L-1 ) and cumulative N leaching (8vs. 20kg N ha-1 season-1 ) compared to ICL systems. Adding cover crops can reduce cumulative N leaching in crop-livestock systems; moreover, warm-season perennial forages can further enhance this benefit.

Effects of Grass-Based Crop Rotation, Nematicide, and Irrigation on the Nematode Community in Cotton

Plant-parasitic and free-living nematodes - bacterivores, fungivores, omnivores, predators - comprise the nematode community. Nematicide application and crop rotation are important tools to manage plant-parasitic nematodes, but effects on free-living nematodes and nematode ecological indices need further study. The nematicide fluopyram was recently introduced in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) production and its effects on the nematode community need assessment. This research was conducted in 2017 and 2018 at a long-term field site in Quincy, FL where perennial grass/sod-based (bahiagrass, Paspalum notatum) and conventional cotton rotations were established in 2000. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of fluopyram nematicide, crop rotation phase, and irrigation on free-living nematodes and nematode ecological indices based on three soil sampling dates each season. We did not observe consistent effects of crop rotation phase on free-living nematodes or nematode ecological indices. Only omnivores were consistently negatively impacted by fluopyram. Nematode ecological indices reflected this negative effect by exhibiting a degraded/ stressed environmental condition relative to untreated plots. Free-living nematodes were not negatively impacted by nematicide when sod-based rotation was used.

Absolute microbiome profiling highlights the links among microbial stability, soil health, and crop productivity under long-term sod-based rotation

Absolute microbiome profiling highlights the links among microbial stability, soil health, and crop productivity under long-term sod-based rotation

Long-term sod-based rotation promotes beneficial root microbiomes and increases crop productivity

Long-term sod-based rotation promotes beneficial root microbiomes and increases crop productivity

Integrating perennial bahiagrass into the conventional rotation of cotton and peanut enhances interactions between microbial and nematode communities

Integrating two years of bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge) into the peanut (Arachis hypogea L.) and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cropping system improves soil quality and crop production as compared to a conventional peanut-cotton-cotton rotation (CR). However, it is unclear if this system, known as a sod-based rotation (SBR), affects soil biological communities (e.g., soil microorganisms and nematodes) and their trophic interactions. Furthermore, how soil trophic groups respond to agricultural management (e.g., irrigation) is understudied. In April 2017, we collected pre-planting soil samples (0–30 cm) from cotton plots located in Quincy (Florida, United States) that had been under CR (cotton grown in two consecutive years) and SBR (cotton grown only once) for 17 years. We used amplicon sequencing to investigate soil microbial communities and an inverted microscope technique to quantify nematodes. Compared to CR, SBR significantly increased nematode alpha diversity (one-way ANOVA; P < 0.05) and induced different nematode communities. In contrast, there were no significant differences in the diversity and structure of bacterial communities between SBR and CR. SBR plots were significantly enriched in Nitrospira, while the second of two consecutive years of cotton growth in CR had a higher relative abundance of Alphaproteobacteria (one-way ANOVA; P < 0.05). Plant-parasitic (848 counts per 100 g dry soil) and bacterial-feeding nematodes (798 counts per 100 g dry soil) had a similar abundance in SBR, while plant-parasitic nematodes (7772 counts per 100 g dry soil) were predominant in CR (<1000 counts per 100 g dry soil for all other taxa). SBR exhibited a greater number of significant paired Pearson correlations (P < 0.05) among functional groups of bacteria and nematodes compared to CR systems. Irrigation had no effect on the diversity and structure of bacterial and nematode communities in SBR, although some soil bacterial and nematode groups responded to irrigation. Overall, these results suggest that integrating bahiagrass to diversify the conventional peanut-cotton rotation is a sustainable approach to enhance soil biodiversity, with more diverse nematode communities and complex soil trophic interactions that will affect the response to crops and irrigation. Thus, future crop rotations should increase plant functional trait diversity (e.g., by adding perennial grasses) to maximize benefits to soil communities.

Nematicide influence on cotton yield and plant-parasitic nematodes in conventional and sod-based crop rotation.

Plant-parasitic nematodes (Rotylenchulus reniformis (reniform, RN), Helicotylenchus dihystera (spiral), and Mesocriconema ornatum (ring)) and yield were investigated in cotton phases of conventional (peanut–cotton–cotton) and sod-based (bahiagrass–bahiagrass–peanut–cotton) rotations with or without irrigation and fluopyram nematicide at a long-term research site, established in 2000, in Quincy, Florida, USA. Objectives were to determine impacts of nematicide application on cotton yield and evaluate effects of nematicide on plant-parasitic nematodes in these rotations in 2017 and 2018. Reniform nematode population densities were greater in conventional cotton than sod-based cotton. Ring and spiral nematode population densities were greater in sod-based cotton than conventional cotton. Plots receiving nematicide had increased RN population densities in preplant 2018 soil samples and spiral nematode population densities in preplant 2017, harvest 2017, preplant 2018, and harvest 2018 soil samples compared to untreated plots. Cotton seed yield in conventional rotation was increased by 18% following nematicide application in 2017 but decreased by 10% in sod-based rotation in 2018, relative to the untreated control. Sod-based rotation had greater cotton yield than conventional rotation in 2017 and 2018. Nematicide application did not improve cotton yield in sod-based rotation and was inconsistent in conventional rotation.

Cattle Grazing Affects Peanut Root Characteristics in a Bahiagrass-Based Crop Rotation System

ABSTRACT The critical aspect of production agriculture in the southeastern US with increasing associated costs is to improve economic and agronomic sustainability. A four yr sod-based rotation system consisting of two yr of bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flueggé) (grazed or non-grazed) followed by a yr of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and a yr of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), each with winter cover crop (grazed or non-grazed) was established in Marianna, FL. The effect of grazing on root parameters (length, volume, surface area, and diameter) of peanut was observed using a mini-rhizotron. There were differences in several root parameters between grazed and non-grazed plots including: peanut root length (307 mm in grazed vs 167 mm in non-grazed), volume (50 mm3 in grazed vs. 23 mm3 in non-grazed), surface area (399 mm2 in grazed vs. 197 mm2 in non-grazed), and diameter (2.4 mm in grazed vs. 1.7 mm in non-grazed). Roots at the 45-60 cm and 60-75 cm depths had significantly greater length in the grazed than the non-grazed plots. Likewise, surface area was significantly greater in the grazed plots at the 30-45 cm, 45-60 cm and 60-75 cm depths. Grazed plots at the 40-65 cm depths showed significant increase in root diameter. No significant difference in peanut yield was observed for the grazed or non-grazed treatments. A more developed root system associated with cattle grazing in the sod-based rotation system may enable peanuts to be more resilient in adverse environmental conditions such as drought stress, enhance nutrient cycling without affecting yield, thereby improving long-term sustainability.

Profitability of Organic Vegetable Production via Sod Based Rotation and Conventional Versus Strip Tillage in the Southern Coastal Plain

&lt;p class="sar-body"&gt;&lt;span lang="EN-US"&gt;There are little economic data concerning the profitability of organic vegetable crops in the Southern Coastal Plain, especially in reference to sod-based rotation and tillage alternatives. A three-year experiment was conducted at the North Florida Research and Education Center-Quincy involving a crop rotation sequence of oats and rye (winter), bush beans (spring), soybean (summer) and broccoli (fall). Bush beans and broccoli were the cash crops. This paper presents analyses of the riskiness of organic production utilizing years in bahiagrass prior to initiating the crop rotation sequence and conventional tillage (CT) versus strip tillage (ST). Methods of “Risk-rated enterprise budget” and “Analyses of Variance-Covariance Matrix (ANOVA)” were utilized for determining relative profitability, and coefficient of variation was applied for measuring riskiness of each treatment. Three years of bahiagrass prior to initiating the crop rotation sequence, in combination with conventional tillage, had the highest profitability and ranked as the least risky scenario. The second most profitable treatment was conventional tillage with four years of bahiagrass. Focusing on strip tillage, four years of bahiagrass with strip-tillage ranked third in term of profitability.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Weed Seed Banks Are More Dynamic in a Sod-Based, Than in a Conventional, Peanut–Cotton Rotation

Crop rotation promotes productivity, nutrient cycling, and effective pest management. However, in row-crop systems, rotation is frequently limited to two crops. Adding a third crop, especially a perennial crop, might increase crop-rotation benefits, but concerns about disruption of agricultural and ecological processes preclude grower adoption of a three-crop rotation. The objective of the present research was to determine whether weed seed banks differ between a sod-based rotation (bahiagrass–bahiagrass–peanut–cotton) and a conventional peanut–cotton rotation (peanut–cotton–cotton) and the importance of crop phase in weed seed-bank dynamics in a long-term experiment initiated in 1999 in Florida. Extractable (ESB) and germinable (GSB) seed banks were evaluated at the end of each crop phase in 2012 and 2013, and total weed seed or seedling number, Shannon-Weiner's diversity (H′), richness, and evenness were determined. ESB increased in H′ (36%), richness (29%), and total number of weed seeds (40%) for sod-based compared with conventional rotation, whereas GSB increased 32% in H′, 27% in richness, and 177% in total number of weed seedlings. Crop phase was a determinant factor in the differences between crop rotations. The first year of bahiagrass (B1) exhibited increases in weed seed and seedling number, H′, and richness and had the highest values observed in the sod-based rotation. These increases were transient, and in the second year of bahiagrass (B2), weed numbers and H′ decreased and reached levels equivalent to those in the conventional peanut–cotton rotation. The B1 phase increased the germinable fraction of the seed bank, compared with the other crop phases, but not the total number of weed seeds as determined by ESB. The increases in H′ and richness in bahiagrass phases were mainly due to grass weed species. However, these grass weed species were not associated with peanut and cotton phases of the sod-based rotation. The results of the present study demonstrated that including bahiagrass as a third crop in a peanut–cotton rotation could increase weed community diversity, mainly by favoring increases in richness and diversity, but the structure and characteristics of the rotation would prevent continuous increases in the weed seed bank that could affect the peanut and cotton phases.

A sod-based cropping system for irrigation reductions

AbstractCotton and peanut grown under irrigation make up over 769,000 ha in the Southeast USA. The consumptive use of water for irrigation has significantly impacted groundwater resources, spring flows and streamflows in many parts of this region, particularly during severe droughts. This situation is further complicated with extreme weather events and climate variability. In this study, we compare yields and water use in a non-irrigated sod-based rotation system (SBR; bahiagrass–bahiagrass–peanut–cotton) to an irrigated conventional rotation system (ICR; peanut–cotton–cotton). Root mass of oat cover crop following peanut or cotton in a SBR and ICR system was also measured. A soil water assessment model (SWAT) was used to simulate irrigation water demands over a 34 yr period (1980–2013) under different soil types to quantify water saving potential of SBR. The average peanut yield in ICR from 2002 to 2013 was 4509 kg ha−1, while that in SBR was 4874 kg ha−1. Likewise the average cotton yield in ICR during the same period was 1237 kg ha−1, while that in SBR was 1339 kg ha−1. Oats had greater root mass in SBR than ICR. Simulation results indicate that crops in SBR consistently had substantially lower irrigation requirements (between 11 and 22 cm yr−1) than those in ICR in dry years. The water-saving potential of SBR varies positively with increasing sand content in soil.

Grassland-Cropping Rotations: An Avenue for Agricultural Diversification to Reconcile High Production with Environmental Quality.

A need to increase agricultural production across the world to ensure continued food security appears to be at odds with the urgency to reduce the negative environmental impacts of intensive agriculture. Around the world, intensification has been associated with massive simplification and uniformity at all levels of organization, i.e., field, farm, landscape, and region. Therefore, we postulate that negative environmental impacts of modern agriculture are due more to production simplification than to inherent characteristics of agricultural productivity. Thus by enhancing diversity within agricultural systems, it should be possible to reconcile high quantity and quality of food production with environmental quality. Intensification of livestock and cropping systems separately within different specialized regions inevitably leads to unacceptable environmental impacts because of the overly uniform land use system in intensive cereal areas and excessive N-P loads in intensive animal areas. The capacity of grassland ecosystems to couple C and N cycles through microbial-soil-plant interactions as a way for mitigating the environmental impacts of intensive arable cropping system was analyzed in different management options: grazing, cutting, and ley duration, in order to minimize trade-offs between production and the environment. We suggest that integrated crop-livestock systems are an appropriate strategy to enhance diversity. Sod-based rotations can temporally and spatially capture the benefits of leys for minimizing environmental impacts, while still maintaining periods and areas of intensive cropping. Long-term experimental results illustrate the potential of such systems to sequester C in soil and to reduce and control N emissions to the atmosphere and hydrosphere.

How much do sod-based rotations reduce nitrate leaching in a cereal cropping system?

Nitrogen is essential to improving agricultural production systems, explaining why the contamination of groundwater by this nutrient is widespread. The aim of this paper was to describe data collected over 9 years on estimated leaching levels using a simple computation procedure and measurements of soil water content and water balance, nitrate concentrations in drainage water and meteorological data, and to assess the impacts of the duration of the grassland phase and the level of nitrogen fertilization on grassland on the drainage water quality. The study was carried out at a site of the Long-term Environmental Research Observation and Experimentation facility (SOERE) for Environmental Research- Agro-ecosystems, Biogeochemical Cycles and Biodiversity, run by the INRA experimental unit of Lusignan. The experimental treatments were sequences of maize, wheat and barley with different grassland rotational periods (a pure arable crop rotation; three or six years of grassland receiving high-level nitrogen applications; six years of grassland with a low N application rate and long-term grassland with nitrogen application). The study covered the period from April 2005 to June 2013, during which most drainage occurred in the autumn and early winter. Treatments with the longest duration of grassland exhibited less drainage than those containing a higher proportion of arable crops. The average nitrate concentration was 52.7±38.63mgNO3L−1 under a pure crop rotation, compared to 14.9±14.76mgNO3L−1 under a permanent grassland treatment. There were significant differences (P<0.0001) in cumulative nitrogen leaching between the different cropping systems, ranging from 9 to 37kgNha−1year−1. The introduction of mowed grassland sequences into this arable crop rotation caused a marked reduction in the nitrate levels in groundwater, and the greater the proportion of grassland within the rotation the more markedly was the NO3− concentration reduced, whatever the level of N fertilization during the grassland sequence.

Soil Organic Carbon Dynamics in a Sod‐Based Rotation on Coastal Plain Soils

A frequently used cropping system in the southeastern Coastal Plain is an annual rotation of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) under conventional tillage (CT). The traditional peanut–cotton rotation (TR) often results in erosion and loss of soil organic carbon (SOC). Incorporation of bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Fluegge) into the peanut–cotton rotation for 2 yr (also called a sod‐based rotation or SBR) has been suggested for improving SOC, particularly in conjunction with conservation tillage practices. To determine the effect of the SBR on carbon sequestration, SOC and its isotopic composition were evaluated on established (&gt;10 yr) crop rotation systems. Cropping systems evaluated included (i) TR under CT, (ii) TR under strip tillage (ST), (iii) SBR under CT, (iv) SBR under ST, and (v) SBR under ST with cattle grazing. Total SOC, bahiagrass‐derived SOC, and potential C mineralization increased in the top 10 cm of soil, indicating the potential for ST to improve soil fertility in SBR systems. Grazing bahiagrass decreased SOC in the 5 to 10 cm depth, but this effect was not observed for the subsequent peanut crop and did not appear to have a long‐term negative effect on SOC storage. The SBR did not show consistent improvements in total SOC compared with the TR. A 3‐yr comparison of SOC concentration revealed C increases in SBR and TR systems, indicating that other conservation practices (e.g., winter cover cropping) are the primary contributors to SOC storage for Coastal Plain soils evaluated in this study. Isotopic analysis of mineralized CO2 indicated bahiagrass‐derived SOC may be preferred over C3 crop‐derived SOC for degradation.

A Return-Risk Analysis of Southern Row Crop Enterprises and the Sod-Based Rotation

A Return-Risk Analysis of Southern Row Crop Enterprises and the Sod-Based Rotation

Agricultural Management Options for Climate Variability and Change: Sod-Based Rotation

A sod-based rotation is when a producer adapts a conventional peanut/cotton rotation by growing a perennial grass, such as bahiagrass, during two years of the rotation. The perennial grass can be grazed, cut for hay or harvested for seed for additional income. Using a sod-based rotation can improve soil water-holding capacity and potentially reduce impacts of dry spells and droughts. This 4-page fact sheet was written by David Wright, Jim Marois, Clyde Fraisse, and Daniel Dourte, and published by the UF Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, August 2012.

Improved growth and nutrient status of an oat cover crop in sod-based versus conventional peanut-cotton rotations

Nitrogen (N) leaching from agricultural soils is a major concern in the southeastern USA. A winter cover crop following the summer crop rotation is essential for controlling N leaching and soil run-off, thereby improving sustainable development. Rotation of peanut (Arachis hypogea L.) and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) with bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) (i.e. sod-based rotation) can greatly improve soil health and increase crop yields and profitability. In the sod-based rotation, the winter cover crop is an important component. The objective of this study was to determine effects of summer crops, cotton and peanut, on growth and physiology of a subsequent oat (Avena sativa L.) cover crop in both a conventional (Peanut-Cotton-Cotton) and sod-based (Bahiagrass-Bahiagrass-Peanut-Cotton) rotations. Two rotations with an oat cover crop were established in 2000. In the 2006-07 and 2007-08 growing seasons, oat plant height, leaf chlorophyll and sap NO3-N concentrations, shoot biomass, and N uptake were determined. Our results showed that the previous summer crop in the two rotations significantly influenced oat growth and physiology. Oat grown in the sod-based rotation had greater biomass, leaf chlorophyll and NO3-N concentrations as compared with oat grown in the conventional rotation. At pre-heading stage, oat in the sod-based rotation had 44% greater biomass and 32% higher N uptake than oat in the conventional rotation; oat following peanut produced 40 to 49% more biomass and accumulated 27 to 66% more N than oat following cotton. Therefore, the sod-based rotation improved not only summer crops, but also the winter cover crop. Increased oat growth and N status from the sod-based rotation indicated greater soil quality and sustainability. bahiagrass / crop rotation/ oat biomass / nitrogen uptake / soil quality / sustainability

Peanut Yield and Grade Responses to Timing of Bahiagrass Termination and Tillage in a Sod-based Crop Rotation

Abstract Rotation of row crops with perennial grasses has been shown to improve soil quality characteristics, decrease pest incidence, and increase crop yield. Experiments were conducted in Florida during 2006 and 2007 at Marianna and Quincy to determine effects of termination date and subsequent tillage of established bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum L.) on peanut (Arachis hypogea L.) yield and market grade characteristics when rotating from bahiagrass to a row crop. Treatments included two bahiagrass termination dates (fall vs. spring) and six tillage methods [strip-till (in-row subsoiling), disk plus moldboard plow, disk plus chisel, disk plus paratill plus strip-till, disk, and strip-till with 45 kg N/ha]. Bahiagrass termination timing did not affect soil mechanical resistance, peanut yield or market grade characteristics, including percentages of sound mature kernels, split kernels, other kernels, and hulls. Although significant differences in soil mechanical resistance were detected among tillage treatments, peanut yield did not differ among the tillage methods except for the disk alone in 2007 at Quincy. Strip-till peanut yield did not respond to N application. When pooled over termination timing, peanut yields in strip-till, disk plus moldboard plow, disk plus chisel, disk plus paratill plus strip-till, disk, and strip-till plus 45 N were 4830, 5000, 4810, 4810, 4770, and 4620 kg/ha, respectively. These results indicate that when using perennial grasses in sod-based rotations, farmers have a wide window from fall to spring to terminate bahiagrass for optimum peanut production regardless of tillage system.

Low Input, Sustainable Production System for Fresh Market Tomatoes

Revised! ENY-678, a 6-page illustrated fact sheet by Jim Rich, Fred Rhoads and Steve Olson, describes a system using disease resistant plant cultivars and sod-based rotation systems to replace or augment chemical alternatives to methyl bromide. Includes references. Published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, May 2008.

Cotton Roots, Earthworms, and Infiltration Characteristics in Sod–Peanut–Cotton Cropping Systems

Diverse cropping systems offer many advantages to farmers. We evaluated root growth, soil water infiltration, and earthworm population densities in a conventional peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)/cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) rotation using conservation tillage (CT), and a peanut/cotton/bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Fluegge) farming system. The rotations were initiated in 2000 in Quincy, FL, and in 2001 in Headland, AL, in both cases on a Dothan sandy loam (fine, loamy siliceous, thermic Plinthic Kandiudults). In 2003, a year with more uniform rainfall, cotton in the sod‐based rotation had larger average crown root diameter per plant (22.6 vs. 16.3 mm), root area (87.2 vs. 57.4 cm2), root length (640 vs. 460 cm), and root biomass (18.59 vs. 10.45 g) as compared with cotton in the peanut/cotton rotation. Water infiltration rates were higher in both cotton and peanut after bahiagrass compared with the conventional peanut/cotton rotation in 2003. Earthworm population densities were greater in the sod rotation compared with the traditional peanut/cotton cropping system. Water infiltration was positively correlated to earthworm population densities. Despite the improvements in soil quality, cotton yield in the sod rotation was the same as the traditional cropping systems. Cotton developed excessive vegetative growth in the bahiagrass system at the expense of lint yield. Further research is needed to determine the N rate for the sod‐based rotation in comparison with the conventional cotton/peanut rotation.