Cover crop effect on main crop production

[Arjun Thapa]

Hello all,

We have a seven-year study about the cover crop effects on sediment and nutrient load in the edge of the field and cotton yield by setting a pair field. The measured value showed cover crop has a little more cotton production than without a cover crop. However, the APEX simulation shows either the same or a little less cotton production due to the cover crop. I also attached the management practice in this email for with and without cover crop management field. I set up all the parameters, irrigation, seed rate, land use number, etc. same for both APEX Editor files.  If anybody is interested in answering this question or any suggestions will be appreciated. If you want to see the APEX Editor file during help, please let me know. I can share it.

Thanks,

Arjun Thapa

email: ath...@aggies.ncat.edu

[Jaehak]

You harvest the spring crop in October and wait until Feb to plant winter wheat. Then you stop/kill the wheat in less than two months? This seems unusual for a winter cover crop. You may have reasons for managing your field this way. what's your short-term/long-term expectations of the winter cover cropping in terms of benefiting the spring crops? Once you identify these benefits, you may have a clue of how the model should be parameterized.

Jaehak