Theses and Dissertations
Issuing Body
Mississippi State University
Advisor
Czarnecki, Joby M.
Committee Member
Baker, Beth
Committee Member
Krutz, L. Jason
Committee Member
Smith, Brian K.
Date of Degree
11-25-2020
Original embargo terms
Visible to MSU only for 2 years
Document Type
Graduate Thesis - Open Access
Major
Agronomy
Degree Name
Master of Science
Degree Name
Master of Science (M.S.)
College
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
College
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Department
Department of Plant and Soil Sciences
Department
Department of Plant and Soil Sciences
Abstract
Winter fallow corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production systems are susceptible to erosion and agrochemical transport. This research determined the effects of Cover Crop Minimum Tillage (CCMT) on erosion and agrochemical transport from corn-soybean rotations at field scale, while assessing impacts to agroeconomics and irrigation in Mississippi’s Delta Region. CCMT did not affect total suspended solids (p = 0.53), total inorganic phosphorus (TIP) (p = 0.30), or total nitrogen (TN) (p = 0.25) loads, but did reduce TIP (p = 0.018), TN (p = 0.011), and nitrate-nitrite (p = 0.007) concentrations. An economic loss of $281/ha with no effect on yield (p = 0.09), irrigation use efficiency (p = 0.38), or consumptive water use (p = 0.83) was observed. CCMT will not improve profitability of corn-soybean rotations in the Delta and transitioning from fallowing to CCMT will have varying effects on erosion and agrochemical transport.
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/11668/20833
Sponsorship
USDA-NIFA CARE program, award #2016-08477
Recommended Citation
Badon, Thomas Beauregard, "Agronomic, economic, and ecological response of corn and soybean production systems to winter cover cropping and minimum tillage management in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley" (2020). Theses and Dissertations. 423.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/423