Project Number: 1265-12130-002-11
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Aug 01, 2008
End Date: Sep 30, 2010

Objective:
¿ Expand implementation of winter small grain commodity cover crops on farms throughout the Chester River watershed, resulting in reduced loads of nutrients and sediments to the Chesapeake Bay. ¿ Use on-farm research and demonstration to evaluate the cost/benefit and yield effects associated with eliminating fall fertilization of winter grain crops, including hulless barley and wheat. ¿ Use remote sensing techniques to evaluate commodity cover crop performance in the landscape and to identify the most effective agronomic methods for nutrient sequestration. ¿ Develop valuation methods for determining nutrient trading credits associated with cover crops and commodity cover crops, based upon the results of remote sensing and on-farm research. ¿ Contribute to development of a University of Maryland rule-of-thumb decision making tool promoting proper fall management of small grains ¿ determining the minimum fall fertilizer requirement based on previous crop yield and fertilization, soil texture, and climate. ¿ Promote farmer understanding and implementation of commodity cover crops through outreach using field research sites to involve farmers throughout the watershed in an evaluation of the production economics of environmentally beneficial winter cover crops.

Approach:
This project will evaluate the environmental and economic benefits associated with hulless barley and wheat commodity cover crops grown within the Chester River Watershed. Using a combination of remote sensing and on-farm research, the project will quantify nutrient uptake by winter small grain commodity cover crops, along with potential yield reductions and economic cost/benefit associated with eliminating fall fertilization on small grains. Results of this study will be used to refine cost-share program payment policies and to explore possible nutrient trading credit valuation methodologies.