TITLE:
Impact of Cover Crops and Fall-Applied Broiler Litter on Dryland No-Till Corn
AUTHORS:
Ardeshir Adeli, John P. Brooks, Dana Miles, Johnie N. Jenkins
KEYWORDS:
Broiler Litter, Cereal Rye, Crimson Clover, Mix Cover Crop, Dry Land, No-Till, Corn
JOURNAL NAME:
Agricultural Sciences,
Vol.17 No.3,
March
5,
2026
ABSTRACT: A four-year field study was conducted on Leeper silty clay loam at the Plant Science Center of Mississippi State University to evaluate the combined effects of cover cropping and fall-applied broiler litter (BL) (Gallus gallus) on no-till dryland corn (Zea mays L.). The experiment followed a split-plot randomized complete block design with three replications. The main plot treatments consisted of crimson clover (CC) (Trifolium incarnatum), cereal rye (CR) (Secale cereale L.), a mixture of cereal rye and crimson clover (Mix), and no winter cover crop. Each main plot was divided into sub-plots, with and without fall-applied BL. Before cover crop termination, aboveground biomass was collected, and dry matter was measured. After termination, pre-plant soil nitrate-N (NO3-N) content was determined. Results indicated that corn grain yield was lower with CC than with CR and Mix, likely due to its rapid residue decomposition, released nitrogen (N) early in the corn growth cycle and left less residue on the soil surface. No difference in corn grain yield was observed between CR and the Mix; however, grain N content was 33% higher in the Mix compared to CR alone, particularly in the drier year. The main effect of BL increased corn grain yield and grain N content by 16% and 19%, respectively, compared to inorganic fertilizer and the unfertilized control. The Mix cover crop combined with BL, may serve as an optimal cover crop strategy for sustaining corn grain yield.