Use of biofuel cover crops improves soil nitrogen retention, study finds

Researchers at the USDA Agricultural Research Service and the Conservation Systems Research Center found that use of fertilized, high-residue cover crops reduces soil erosion and improves soil quality. The study was conducted using rye as a cover crop in the nation’s Cotton Belt. The researchers found that more nitrogen was retained in the soil, when fertilized cover crops were planted, compared to non-fertilized cover crops. The overall impact was a reduction in the amount of nitrogen needed for soil preparation for the primary crop. Rye is an ethanol feedstock, and nitrogen inputs are a costly and controversial aspect of crop production, given that nitrogen run-off is blamed for the Gulf of Mexico “dead zone”.

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