Quantifying the Nitrogen Cycling Benefits of Different Cover Crops Across Different Florida Organic Vegetable Production Systems
Project Director
Gabriel Maltais-Landry
Year Funded
2020
Award Number
2020-51300-32184
Funded Institution
University of Florida
Grant Program
OREI (Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative)
USDA NIFA Report
Project Overview
Organic vegetable production in Florida is challenged by plant-parasitic nematodes and sandy soils subject to nitrogen (N) leaching. Researchers planted summer cover crops to enhance N cycling and soil health, suppress pest nematodes and weeds, and improve yield and quality of fall pepper, cucumber, or bok choy. Treatments included sunnhemp (alone or with sorghum-sudangrass or millet) and a four-way mix with sesbania; and preplant organic fertilizer to meet crop N needs versus a half-rate preplant plus fertigation. A winter rye cover crop and spring chard followed vegetable harvest, then the same cover crop and fertility treatments were applied for a second season of fall vegetables. N transfer from cover crop to vegetable was tracked with N labeling; soils were analyzed for nutrients, carbon, nematodes, and microbial communities; and crop and weed biomass and yields were recorded.
Farmer Takeaways
(1) In Florida’s sandy soils and subtropical climate, summer cover crops provide only a little N directly to the following fall vegetable crop.
(2) Summer cover crops contribute to weed control, may offer subtle benefits to soil health, and do not entail yield tradeoffs.
(3) Applying all nutrients as pre-plant solid organic fertilizers provides more organic carbon and boosts early-season plant-available N and marketable yields.
(4) Reducing preplant fertilizer and supplementing N with fertigation may improve nutritional quality of vegetables.
