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<\/p>\nCereal rye is a winter annual cover crop that helps protect soil from erosion, retain residual nitrogen, and support soil structure between growing seasons. After harvest the soil is left exposed to rain, wind and nutrient movement. Cover crops are particularly beneficial in protecting soil during that vulnerable period between cash crops. Cereal rye is a winter annual grass which is very useful in that it can be established in the fall and then go back into growth in the spring in many of the temperate zones. It’s not just the residue of the crop that’s of benefit, the living rye will have roots growing and taking up nutrients. Some of the benefits of cereal rye as a cover crop are not immediately apparent. Below ground the roots will be holding the soil together and taking up the residual nitrogen, contributing to the long term health of the soil.
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Erosion can occur long before gullies actually appear. Raindrops can dislodge soil particles which can then be removed by either moving water or wind.<\/p>\n
Cereal rye protects the soil in two ways. The shoots will cover the soil surface and protect it from both rain and wind erosion. The roots are fibrous and help to bind the soil particles. The fine roots spread out through the upper soil and help to hold the aggregates together so they don’t break up as easily.<\/p>\n
This is particularly important when corn, soybeans, or other cash crops no longer cover the field. Rye growth depends heavily on planting time and weather. A late or poorly established stand will provide far less living cover than a good, well established stand. Surface protection is particularly important if a storm comes in before the next crop being planted.<\/p>\n
Nitrogen left over after harvest can end up out of reach of the following crop. Nitrate (a mobile form of nitrogen) can move down with drainage water and be lost from the root zone. This can result in nutrient loss and increase the potential for groundwater contamination.<\/p>\n
Cereal rye is often described as a nitrogen scavenger. As the roots grow, they can take up available soil nitrogen and hold it in the plant. It’s effectively holding some of the nitrogen in living biomass during the off-season. The amount that gets scavenged will of course vary with the amount of nitrogen available and the extent of rye growth.<\/p>\n
This is nutrient retention rather than nitrogen fixation. Cereal rye doesn’t fix atmospheric nitrogen like the nitrogen fixing legumes do. Nitrogen held in the rye stems, leaves, and roots may be released through decomposition over time, but it won’t all become available to the following crop at once.<\/p>\n
Cereal rye continues to have an influence on the soil after its growth has been terminated. The roots will break down below ground, the stems and leaves will remain as surface residue and that residue will help to mitigate the impact of raindrop until the next crop is established.<\/p>\n
Below ground the decomposing roots provide the organic matter for the soil organisms. The roots and the soil organisms in turn can help to form stable aggregates and pore spaces which are important for air, water and future crop roots (though improved infiltration and water storage are by no means guaranteed). Repeated additions of roots and residue can also contribute to soil organic matter over time.<\/p>\n
Long term research shows why patience is the key. In a no-till corn\u2013soybean trial on poorly structured soil in SE Indiana, aggregate stability improved after 4 years of cereal rye. Broader changes in soil carbon and physical properties were evident after 10 years. The results from one field don’t necessarily establish a timeline for all farms.<\/p>\n
Think of a North American field in the aftermath of an fall corn or soybean crop. If the conditions are right for cereal rye to establish before winter, the field will enter the off-season with living roots rather than relying only on leftover crop residue for protection.<\/p>\n
As rain and snowmelt move through the field, rye roots can take up residual nitrogen, while the plant cover can help hold the soil in place. Growth will likely slow down or cease in the winter and then resume in the spring. When the rye is terminated, the remaining plant material can still provide some soil cover as the next cash crop is getting established. The residue may still be visible between the young crop rows.<\/p>\n
Results are dependent on planting time, growth and weather and are therefore not guaranteed.<\/p>\n
More rye growth can lead to more roots and more residue, but it can also complicate spring management. The living rye will be taking up soil moisture which could be a problem in a dry spring. The microbes will be actively breaking down the carbon-rich residues and can temporarily tie up soil nitrogen, particularly if corn is the following crop.<\/p>\n
Termination timing is something we need to think about. Allowing the rye to grow longer may increase soil cover. Termination earlier may reduce the amount of moisture competition or the amount of nitrogen tie-up. The decision will be dictated by the soil, the crop, the equipment and local advice.<\/p>\n
Cereal rye makes an important contribution to soil protection both at the surface and below ground. The roots help to hold the topsoil in place, retain nitrogen that could otherwise be lost, and provide organic material that supports soil processes over the long term. The most important contribution is in the protection of the soil over the winter and between crops. You have to bear in mind of course that the amount of benefit any individual field will derive will be a function of the establishment, the termination, the weather and the management.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Cereal rye is a winter annual cover crop that helps protect soil from erosion, retain residual nitrogen, and support soil structure between growing seasons. After harvest the soil is left exposed to rain, wind and nutrient movement. Cover crops are particularly beneficial in protecting soil during that vulnerable period between cash crops. Cereal rye is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":319,"featured_media":11279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[84],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/319"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11277"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11277\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11283,"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11277\/revisions\/11283"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canamek.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}