Can years of no-till and cover crop management reduce the risks of rye ahead of corn?
That’s the question Jim Hebbe, a returning Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program (NOPP) participant from Green Lake County, is looking to answer. His project evaluates how a rye cover crop affects nitrogen dynamics and corn yield in a field with more than a decade of no-till and cover crop management.
A rye cover crop can help reduce nitrogen losses, but ahead of corn it can also increase nitrogen requirements and reduce yields.
Because little research has examined rye in fields managed with long-term soil health practices, Jim wants to know whether years of building soil health on his fields will lessen or eliminate these risks.
His motivation for research comes from a desire to answer questions with confidence. “I’ve always been someone who likes experimenting and testing things. I have a lot of questions and am curious about if practices or products are working on my farm, so I want to do replicated research plots to figure that out,” Jim explains. “I’ve realized how important it is to do replications, as they truly answer your questions with some confidence.” We are glad to see Jim returning for another NOPP project and look forward to learning from the results!