Monitoring Soil Nitrate to Estimate Cover Crop Nitrogen Contribution in Organic Vegetable Production Fields

Authors: Nick Andrews, Dan M. Sullivan, and Kristin Pool, Oregon State University

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Organic vegetable growers rely on legume cover crops as an economical source of plant-available  N. This research evaluated N contributions to summer vegetable crops by cover crops (CC)  residues by monitoring soil nitrate (NO3-N) concentrations during the summer crop growing season. Replicated field plots were established with three CC mixes: solo common vetch (V),  phacelia + V (PV), and cereal rye + V (RV), plus a winter fallow (F) control in grower fields in the north Willamette Valley OR. Soil textures were … Read the rest