While later cover crop termination in the spring can allow for more biomass accumulation, such later termination can change the C-to-N composition of the plants impacting residue decomposition. Therefore, identifying the best time for cover crop termination to provide optimal N cycling benefits can help farmers make decisions about cover crop management.

Researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences have developed an important component of a new system that corn growers can use to adjust nitrogen fertilizer applications based on site-specific measurements of cover crops and soil organic matter. The development is notable because while the wide use of cover crops in rotations with corn in the last decade has resulted in reductions in nutrient pollution and sedimentation, the introduction of cover crops has muddled growers' decision-making regarding how much nitrogen fertilizer to apply to meet their cash crop demands. Read more in this press release from Penn State University.