HOME > DATATABLES > MAIN CROPPING SYSTEM EXPERIMENT (MCSE) > PLANTING REPORT FOR THE MCSE

Planting report for the MCSE — Main Cropping System Experiment (MCSE)

Data in the KBS LTER core database may not be published without written permission of the lead investigator or project director Full terms of use

Planting details for Replicate 1. The other replicates are usually planted the same day but where excluded from this dataset to reduce the number of repeated rows.

This datatable is part of the Main Cropping System Experiment Field Logs and treatment descriptions dataset. This dataset includes information about the LTER main site treatments, agronomic practices carried out on the treatments and approved site use requests.

Most long-term hypotheses associated with the KBS LTER site are being tested within the context of the main cropping systems study. This study was established on a 48 ha area on which a series of 7 different cropping systems were established in spring 1988, each replicated in one of 6 ha blocks. An eighth never-tilled successional treatment, is located 200 m off-site, replicated as four 0.06 ha plots.

Cropping systems include the following treatments:

  • T1. Conventional: standard chemical input corn/soybean/wheat rotation conventionally tilled (corn/soybean prior to 1992)
  • T2. No-till: standard chemical input corn/soybean/wheat rotation no-tilled (corn/soybean prior to 1992)
  • T3. Reduced input: low chemical input corn/soybean/wheat rotation conventionally tilled (ridge till prior to 1994)
  • T4. Biologically based: zero chemical input corn/soybean wheat rotation conventionally tilled (ridge till prior to 1994)
  • T5. Poplar: Populus clones on short-rotation (6-7 year) harvest cycle
  • T6. Switchgrass (converted in 2018 from continuous alfalfa, replanted every 6-7 years)
  • T7. Early successional community: historically tilled soil
  • T8. Mown grassland community: never-tilled soil.

For specific crops in a given year see the Annual Crops Summary Table.

In 1993 a series of forest sites were added to the main cropping system study to provide long-term reference points and to allow hypotheses related to substrate diversity to be tested. These include:

  • TCF. Coniferous forest: three conifer plantations, 40-60 years old
  • TDF. Decidious forest: three deciduous forest stands, two old-growth and one 40-60 years post-cutting
  • TSF. Mid-successional forest: three old-field (mid-successional) sites 40+ years post-abandonment.

All share a soil series with the main cropping system treatments, and are within 5 km of all other sites.

For each system (and for a number of microplot treatments nested within the main treatment plots) the following baseline variates are being measured (described in greater detail in other data set descriptors):

  • plant characteristics, including species distributions and abundances, net aboveground productivity by functional group (crop vs. non dominant biomass, selected non dominant biomass), economic yields, tissue C and N contents, seed bank composition;
  • soil chemical and physical characteristics, including soil moisture, pH, inorganic N and P pools, total C, N, and P pools, bulk density;
  • soil biological characteristics, including microbial biomass C and N, N mineralization rates (buried bags), microbial populations, invertebrate populations; and
  • insect and pathogen dynamics, including distributions and abundances of major insect pests and predators and of Fusarium pathogens.

Note

Experiment: Main Cropping System Experiment (MCSE)
Data available from: November 1988 to November 2019
Dataset: KBS004
Datatable ID: KBS004-013.100
Repository link: http://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/e5642426f9200404b6ba3af45ad9c423
Related Tables:
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Last Updated 2021-08-19
Variate Description Units
obs date The observation date
Treatment experimental treatment
Replicate LTER Replicate
Plot LTER Plot
Material material used
Rate rate of application number
Unit units per acre
propagules per acre the number of propagules (seeds or plants) planted per acre number/acre
propagule rate estimation flag a flag to indicate if the number of propagules has been estimate and 'E' indicates and estimated values based on the source_for_estimation and a an empty values indicates a reported value.
source for estimation references for the conversion from the reported planting rates to the propagules_per_acre column
Comment aa note about the sample
source the source URL for the observation

Data Excerpt

obs_date treatment replicate plot material rate unit propagules_per_acre propagule_rate_estimation_flag source_for_estimation comment source
2022-08-11 T3 R3 T3R3 red clover 23.3 pound 6407500.0 E https://www.stockseed.com/Shop/legumes/medium-red-clover and Seeding rate should be 6 to 15 lbs/ac -- https://extension.psu.edu/management-of-red-clover-as-a-cover-crop No-till seeded red clover at 23.3 lbs/A pure live seed (clover was planted at 23.3 lbs/A to achieve 12 lbs/A pure live seed giving coating material and germination percent) in the LTER Main Site T3 plots all replications (5, 4, 2, 1, 3, 6). Original target rate was 12lbs/A. A total of 333 lbs of seed was planted across all reps. After planting and weighing left over clover the actual planting rate was 11.5 lbs/A pure live seed at a rate of 23.3 lbs/A. To prevent weed pressure in the spring, T3 plots were sprayed and it was decided red clover would be seeded following harvest. Plots were sprayed with a pre-plant burn down to control the post harvest weed flush. Clover planted 1/4 inch into the ground. The East half of all plots were planted first on August 10, the West half of all reps were planted the following day, August 11. Weather conditions on 8/10 at 11:00 am were: Temperature 73.8 F RH 66.8% wind speed 1.00 mph Direction West Weather conditions on 8/10 at 5:30 pm were: Temperature 79.4 F RH 53.3% wind speed 5.68 mph Direction Northwest Weather conditions on 8/11 at 9:00 am were: Temperature 68.3 F RH 62.5% wind speed 1.00 mph Direction Northeast Weather conditions on 8/11 at 4:30 pm were: Temperature 75.6 F RH 41.9% wind speed 6.33 mph Direction North https://aglog.kbs.msu.edu/observations/5539
2022-08-11 T3 R4 T3R4 red clover 23.3 pound 6407500.0 E https://www.stockseed.com/Shop/legumes/medium-red-clover and Seeding rate should be 6 to 15 lbs/ac -- https://extension.psu.edu/management-of-red-clover-as-a-cover-crop No-till seeded red clover at 23.3 lbs/A pure live seed (clover was planted at 23.3 lbs/A to achieve 12 lbs/A pure live seed giving coating material and germination percent) in the LTER Main Site T3 plots all replications (5, 4, 2, 1, 3, 6). Original target rate was 12lbs/A. A total of 333 lbs of seed was planted across all reps. After planting and weighing left over clover the actual planting rate was 11.5 lbs/A pure live seed at a rate of 23.3 lbs/A. To prevent weed pressure in the spring, T3 plots were sprayed and it was decided red clover would be seeded following harvest. Plots were sprayed with a pre-plant burn down to control the post harvest weed flush. Clover planted 1/4 inch into the ground. The East half of all plots were planted first on August 10, the West half of all reps were planted the following day, August 11. Weather conditions on 8/10 at 11:00 am were: Temperature 73.8 F RH 66.8% wind speed 1.00 mph Direction West Weather conditions on 8/10 at 5:30 pm were: Temperature 79.4 F RH 53.3% wind speed 5.68 mph Direction Northwest Weather conditions on 8/11 at 9:00 am were: Temperature 68.3 F RH 62.5% wind speed 1.00 mph Direction Northeast Weather conditions on 8/11 at 4:30 pm were: Temperature 75.6 F RH 41.9% wind speed 6.33 mph Direction North https://aglog.kbs.msu.edu/observations/5539
2022-08-11 T3 R1 T3R1 red clover 23.3 pound 6407500.0 E https://www.stockseed.com/Shop/legumes/medium-red-clover and Seeding rate should be 6 to 15 lbs/ac -- https://extension.psu.edu/management-of-red-clover-as-a-cover-crop No-till seeded red clover at 23.3 lbs/A pure live seed (clover was planted at 23.3 lbs/A to achieve 12 lbs/A pure live seed giving coating material and germination percent) in the LTER Main Site T3 plots all replications (5, 4, 2, 1, 3, 6). Original target rate was 12lbs/A. A total of 333 lbs of seed was planted across all reps. After planting and weighing left over clover the actual planting rate was 11.5 lbs/A pure live seed at a rate of 23.3 lbs/A. To prevent weed pressure in the spring, T3 plots were sprayed and it was decided red clover would be seeded following harvest. Plots were sprayed with a pre-plant burn down to control the post harvest weed flush. Clover planted 1/4 inch into the ground. The East half of all plots were planted first on August 10, the West half of all reps were planted the following day, August 11. Weather conditions on 8/10 at 11:00 am were: Temperature 73.8 F RH 66.8% wind speed 1.00 mph Direction West Weather conditions on 8/10 at 5:30 pm were: Temperature 79.4 F RH 53.3% wind speed 5.68 mph Direction Northwest Weather conditions on 8/11 at 9:00 am were: Temperature 68.3 F RH 62.5% wind speed 1.00 mph Direction Northeast Weather conditions on 8/11 at 4:30 pm were: Temperature 75.6 F RH 41.9% wind speed 6.33 mph Direction North https://aglog.kbs.msu.edu/observations/5539
2022-08-11 T3 R2 T3R2 red clover 23.3 pound 6407500.0 E https://www.stockseed.com/Shop/legumes/medium-red-clover and Seeding rate should be 6 to 15 lbs/ac -- https://extension.psu.edu/management-of-red-clover-as-a-cover-crop No-till seeded red clover at 23.3 lbs/A pure live seed (clover was planted at 23.3 lbs/A to achieve 12 lbs/A pure live seed giving coating material and germination percent) in the LTER Main Site T3 plots all replications (5, 4, 2, 1, 3, 6). Original target rate was 12lbs/A. A total of 333 lbs of seed was planted across all reps. After planting and weighing left over clover the actual planting rate was 11.5 lbs/A pure live seed at a rate of 23.3 lbs/A. To prevent weed pressure in the spring, T3 plots were sprayed and it was decided red clover would be seeded following harvest. Plots were sprayed with a pre-plant burn down to control the post harvest weed flush. Clover planted 1/4 inch into the ground. The East half of all plots were planted first on August 10, the West half of all reps were planted the following day, August 11. Weather conditions on 8/10 at 11:00 am were: Temperature 73.8 F RH 66.8% wind speed 1.00 mph Direction West Weather conditions on 8/10 at 5:30 pm were: Temperature 79.4 F RH 53.3% wind speed 5.68 mph Direction Northwest Weather conditions on 8/11 at 9:00 am were: Temperature 68.3 F RH 62.5% wind speed 1.00 mph Direction Northeast Weather conditions on 8/11 at 4:30 pm were: Temperature 75.6 F RH 41.9% wind speed 6.33 mph Direction North https://aglog.kbs.msu.edu/observations/5539
2022-08-11 T3 R5 T3R5 red clover 23.3 pound 6407500.0 E https://www.stockseed.com/Shop/legumes/medium-red-clover and Seeding rate should be 6 to 15 lbs/ac -- https://extension.psu.edu/management-of-red-clover-as-a-cover-crop No-till seeded red clover at 23.3 lbs/A pure live seed (clover was planted at 23.3 lbs/A to achieve 12 lbs/A pure live seed giving coating material and germination percent) in the LTER Main Site T3 plots all replications (5, 4, 2, 1, 3, 6). Original target rate was 12lbs/A. A total of 333 lbs of seed was planted across all reps. After planting and weighing left over clover the actual planting rate was 11.5 lbs/A pure live seed at a rate of 23.3 lbs/A. To prevent weed pressure in the spring, T3 plots were sprayed and it was decided red clover would be seeded following harvest. Plots were sprayed with a pre-plant burn down to control the post harvest weed flush. Clover planted 1/4 inch into the ground. The East half of all plots were planted first on August 10, the West half of all reps were planted the following day, August 11. Weather conditions on 8/10 at 11:00 am were: Temperature 73.8 F RH 66.8% wind speed 1.00 mph Direction West Weather conditions on 8/10 at 5:30 pm were: Temperature 79.4 F RH 53.3% wind speed 5.68 mph Direction Northwest Weather conditions on 8/11 at 9:00 am were: Temperature 68.3 F RH 62.5% wind speed 1.00 mph Direction Northeast Weather conditions on 8/11 at 4:30 pm were: Temperature 75.6 F RH 41.9% wind speed 6.33 mph Direction North https://aglog.kbs.msu.edu/observations/5539
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