Living Field Laboratory

KBS042:Living Field Laboratory

The Living Field Laboratory is a long-term rotation study established in 1993 under the direction of Emeritus Professor Dr. Richard Harwood to evaluate the benefits of cover crops (as green manure) and/or the addition of composted dairy manure in two integrated systems compared to a conventional and an organic system. The LFL accommodates every entry point of the crop rotation each year and has a factorial design that allows for the comparison of a number of interactions. These interactions include: differences in N management, rotation effects, and cover crops. From 1993 through 2005, the rotation consisted of corn (Zea mays L.)/corn/soybean (Glycine max)/wheat (Triticum aestivum) vs. continuous corn. During this period, crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) was seeded to 1st yr. corn, 2nd yr corn was in rye grass (Lolium multiflorum), soybean had no cover, and red clover (Trifolium pretense L.) was frost-seeded into wheat.

In 2006, under the direction of Dr. Sieglinde Snapp and through consultation with a farmer advisory group, the rotation was shortened to a 3 yr rotation of corn/soybean/wheat vs. continuous corn. The remaining plot in each management system was converted to a 2 yr rotation of corn/soybean. Cereal rye (Secale cereale) is now planted after corn regardless of crop rotation. Cereal rye follows soybean in the 2-yr rotation. Red clover is frost-seeded into wheat.

The management systems are: Conventional, Integrated Fertilizer and Integrated Compost. Weed management is identical across systems, and nitrogen fertilizer management adjusted to take into account soil N availability and balance nitrogen inputs across treatments. The cover crop is present as a split plot (plus minus) within each system. The split-plot cover crop treatment was established in 1993 in Integrated Fertilizer and in Integrated Compost, while the split-plot cover crop treatment was established 14 years later in 2007 in the Conventional treatment, to allow a comparison of short and long-term cover crop presence.

In 2007, the organic management system was changed to a comparison of a perennial grain systems (perennial wheat-alfalfa intercrop) and a 4-yr rotation of corn/soybean/wheat/ alfalfa (Medicago sativa). This allows the comparison of a typical Michigan field crop organic system to a novel system that involves a new, perennial system.

Tables

KBS042-001 Soil Classification

In 1992 the Living Field Laboratory site was mapped for soil texture, horizon iden...

KBS042-002 Soil Class Descriptions

KBS042-003 Texture

KBS042-004 Texture Descriptions

KBS042-005 Tillage

Tillage consists of chisel plow, field cultivate, row cultivate, and rotary hoe on...

KBS042-006 Planting

Corn and soybeans are planted at a 30 inch row spacing and wheat drilled at a 7 in...

KBS042-007 Cover Crops

All cover crops are purchased from Michigan State Seed (Grand Ledge, MI). Cover crops are pl...

KBS042-008 Fertilizer

Starter fertilizer was applied to corn when planted; nitrogen applied after PSNT...

KBS042-009 Compost

Compost is applied to the organic and compost management treatments and is the onl...

KBS042-010 Herbicides and Pesticides

Herbicides and pesticides were applied in spring prior to planting; banded herbici...

KBS042-011 Herbicide and Pesticide Composition

KBS042-012 Harvest

KBS042-013 Carbon Mineralization

Sampling

Soil cores are taken at 10 areas per plot at a depth of 10 cm usually aft...

KBS042-014 Nitrogen Mineralization

Sampling

Soil cores are taken at 10 areas per plot at a depth of 10 cm usually aft...

KBS042-015 C and N Content

Sampling

Sampling is conducted by one of two methods

Method 1

Soil...

KBS042-016 Nitrates

Sampling

Soil Nitrate is sampled approximately every 2 weeks through growing seaso...

KBS042-017 Deep Nitrate

Three soil cores are taken down the center of the plot at the north end, south end and middle ...

KBS042-018 Lysimeters

KBS042-019 Big Lysimeters

KBS042-020 Nutrients

KBS042-021 Yields

Protocols

Personel

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