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Cover crops (CCs) offer ecosystem benefits, yet their impact on subsequent crop yields varies with climate, soil, and management practices. Using the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Eastern Nebraska Research, Education, and Extension Center (ENREEC), we identified optimal cereal rye management strategies focusing on planting, termination, and the intervals between CC termination and corn planting. Results showed minimal impact of CC management variations on corn yield, underscoring corn's resilience to management changes. Delayed planting notably decreased CC biomass, nitrogen uptake, and biomass nitrogen content on average by 8.8%, 11%, and 9.2% for every five-day delay from 25 September. Every 5-day increase in the interval between CC termination and corn planting reduced biomass by 19.3%. Conversely, each 5-day delay in CC termination from 10 September to 10 October increased biomass by 30%, enhancing SOC accumulation. SOC changes over the 30-year simulation ranged from 5.8% to 7.7%, peaking with late May terminations. The earliest termination showed the highest nitrogen content in biomass (3.4%), with the lowest (0.69%) in mid-May. Our results demonstrate that strategic CC management supports soil health without negatively impacting corn yield in Eastern Nebraska, providing valuable insights for farmers and practitioners aiming to implement sustainable CC practices while preserving crop productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managing annual row crops on marginally productive croplands can be environmentally unsustainable and result in variable economic returns. Incorporating perennial bioenergy feedstocks into marginally productive cropland can engender ecosystem services and enhance climate resiliency while also diversifying farm incomes. We use one of the oldest bioenergy-specific field experiments in North America to evaluate economically and environmentally sustainable management practices for growing perennial grasses on marginal cropland. This long-term field trial called 9804 was established in 1998 in eastern Nebraska and compared the productivity and sustainability of corn (Zea mays L.) --both corn grain and corn stover--and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) bioenergy systems under different harvest strategies and nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates. This experiment demonstrated that switchgrass, compared to corn, is a reliable and sustainable bioenergy feedstock. This experiment has been a catalyst for other bioenergy projects which have also expanded our understanding of growing and managing bioenergy feedstocks on marginal cropland. We (1) synthesize research from this long-term experiment and (2) provide perspective concerning both the knowledge gained from this experiment and knowledge gaps and how to fill them as well as the role switchgrass will play in the future of bioenergy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interest from the US commercial aviation industry and commitments established by the US Navy and Air Force to use renewable fuels has spurred interest in identifying and developing crops for renewable aviation fuel. Concern regarding greenhouse gas emissions associated with land-use change and shifting land grown for food to feedstock production for fuel has encouraged the concept of intensifying current prominent cropping systems through various double cropping strategies. Camelina ( Camelina sativa L.) and field pennycress ( Thlaspi arvense L.) are two winter oilseed crops that could potentially be integrated into the corn ( Zea mays L.)-soybean [( Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cropping system, which is the prominent cropping system in the US Corn Belt. In addition to providing a feedstock for renewable aviation fuel production, integrating these crops into corn-soybean cropping systems could also potentially provide a range of ecosystem services. Some of these include soil protection from wind and water erosion, soil organic C (SOC) sequestration, water quality improvement through nitrate reduction, and a food source for pollinators. However, integration of these crops into corn-soybean cropping systems also carries possible limitations, such as potential yield reductions of the subsequent soybean crop. This review identifies and discusses some of the key benefits and constraints of integrating camelina or field pennycress into corn-soybean cropping systems and identifies generalized areas for potential adoption in the US Corn Belt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]