Winter cover crops could cut nitrogen pollution in Illinois’ agricultural drainage water up to 30%, according to recent research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Winter cover crops could cut nitrogen pollution in Illinois’ agricultural drainage water up to 30%, according to recent research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. But how will future climate change affect nitrogen loss, and will cover crops still be up to the job? A new study investigating near- and far-term climate change in Illinois suggests cover crops will still be beneficial, but not to the same degree. The report also forecasts corn and soybean yield across the state, finding corn will suffer much more than soybean, especially in southern regions.
In their earlier study, the research team adapted a crop simulation model known as Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) to estimate how efficiently cereal rye could remove nitrate from tile drainage water if planted widely across Illinois. In their new study, the team used DSSAT again to forecast growth of cereal rye, as well as corn and soybean, in the near-term (2021-2040) and far-term (2041-2060) under two climate scenarios for Illinois: a best-case-scenario and a business-as-usual case.
The team took a piecemeal approach, modeling each component of the system separately before combining them into a holistic prediction for the impact of cover crops under climate change.
Read more at: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Photo Credit: Lauren Quinn, University of Illinois
