Plant Growth Regulators, sometimes simply called PGRs, are human-applied chemicals that manipulate the hormone functions in plants. Since oats are more prone to lodging compared to other small grains, PGR application can help prevent yield loss by reducing plant height and improving plant standability and harvestability.

Legumes still can provide valuable N to today’s cropping systems. Legumes also contribute a non-nitrogen rotation effect due to addition of soil organic matter and improvement in soil health. Corn grown following alfalfa stands that are 2+ years old (and contained at least 50% alfalfa) require no nitrogen fertilizer on many soils. Red clover N credits are less than for alfalfa.

The study looked a pumpkin plots in Kansas, where the Halloween staple is frequently grown in rotation following soybeans, and are a staple of agritourism, according to the study published in the Soil Science Society of America Journal.