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The Quick Wash (QW) treatment extracts phosphorus (P) from manure and municipal sludge (MS), producing an organic acidified by-product with adequate nitrogen (N):P ratio to meet crop N requirements. Yet, data on crop response to N using QW by-products are lacking. We evaluated the response of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and potential N leaching in sandy soil to N applications using raw wastes, their corresponding QW by-products, and ammonium sulfate (AMS) fertilizer. Treatments included a control (no amendment added), raw and acid-washed chicken litter, dairy and swine manure, MS, and AMS at 100, 200, and 400 kg N ha−1. We found no significant differences in annual ryegrass yield and N uptake between the raw and acidified organic QW by-products. However, ryegrass produced 4–30% more biomass with AMS than organic amendments. The total residual soil inorganic N under AMS treatments ranged between 6.3 and 67.9 mg pot−1 and accounted for 5–17% of the total N applied, but it was <1% for all the organic amendments. We found no differences in soil N leaching between raw and acid-washed forms of each organic soil amendment. Our results indicated that acidified organic QW by-products can improve environmental quality by substantially reducing the amount of applied P with no penalties for crop yield losses compared to raw manure and MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cover crops can increase crop water productivity (CWP) and succeeding crop yield. However, cover crops adoption in the Southern High Plains of USA is slow due to limited water available for crop production. This study evaluated the effects of winter cover crops on soil water dynamics, corn silage yield and nutritive values, and corn silage CWP in a semi-arid irrigated condition. Three winter cover crop mixtures: grasses + brassicas + legumes (GBL), grasses + brassicas (GB), grasses + legumes (GL), and control or no cover crop (NCC) were evaluated for soil water storage, cover crop biomass, corn silage yield, nutritive values, and crop evapotranspiration (ET), and the cover crop-corn silage system water productivity (SWP) under a no-till irrigated corn silage production system. All cover crop treatments reduced soil water storage before their termination in both years. However, water storage was higher for all cover crop treatments than for NCC during corn growth. Average CWP for corn was improved by 14–29% with cover crop mixtures over the NCC. Corn silage yield among cover crop treatments was 9–26% higher than NCC. Nutritive value components of cover crops such as non-fat carbohydrates, relative forage quality, and Ca and Mg were higher in the GBL and GL mixtures than the GB in one of the two years. This study demonstrated increased corn silage yield and water productivity with cover cropping. Cover crops mixtures with legumes could offer a high-quality alternative forage for crop-cattle integrated systems, including dairy producers in the Southern High Plains region. • Cover crop effects on soil water dynamics and water use was studied. • Soil water depleted during cover crop growth. • Cover crops improved corn yield by 9–26% and CWP for corn by 14–29%. • Cover crop mixtures with legumes produced a higher forage nutritive value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate smart agriculture has been emphasized for mitigating anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, yet the mitigation potential of individual management practices remain largely unexplored in semi-arid cropping systems. This study evaluated the effects of different winter cover crop mixtures on CO2 and N2O emissions, net GHG balance (GHGnet), greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI), yield-scaled GHG emissions, and soil properties in irrigated forage corn (Zea mays L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) rotations. Four cover crop treatments: (1) grasses, brassicas, and legumes mixture (GBL), (2) grasses and brassicas mixture (GB), (3) grasses and legumes mixture (GL), and (4) a no-cover crop (NCC) control, each replicated four times under corn and sorghum phase of the rotations, were tested in the semi-arid Southern Great Plains of USA. Results showed 5–10 times higher soil respiration with cover crop mixtures than NCC during the cover crop phase and no difference during the cash crop phase. The average N2O-N emission in NCC was 44% lower than GL and 77% lower than GBL in corn and sorghum rotations. Cash crop yield was 13–30% greater in cover crop treatments than NCC, but treatment effects were not observed for GHGnet, yield-scaled emissions, and GHGI. Integrating cover crops could be a climate smart strategy for forage production in irrigated semi-arid agroecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]