Cover crops for erosion control in bioenergy hardwood plantations
- Alabama A&M Univ., Normal, AL (United States); and others
The use of cover crops between tree rows has been suggested as a means of reducing soil erosion in short-rotation woody crops (SRWC) plantations for bioenergy production. This study is designed to test whether cover crops could reduce erosion without significantly reducing the growth and biomass yield of sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) planted as the SRWC at a 1.5 X 3 in spacing. Four cover crops, winter rye grass (Lolium multigeonum L., a winter annual grass); tall fescue (Fescuta eliator L., a winter perennial grass); crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L., a winter annual legume); and interstate sericea (Lespedeza ameata L., a growing season perennial legume), are tested at two different strip widths (1.22 and 2.44 m) as well as a control with complete competition control. Small berms were built to direct runoff to a sediment fence installed at the down slope ends of each plot. Soil erosion is measured by sediment accumulation near the fence. Height, ground-line diameter and crown width of trees were measured on a monthly basis. During the first growing season all cover crops reduced growth of trees. There were some significant differences among cover crop regimes. Slight differences in soil erosion were detected during the first growing season. The control plots lost more soil per hectare than cover crops, however, strip widths and cover crops did not show any significant difference.
- OSTI ID:
- 478735
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960958--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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