Summer Cover Crop Trial
Project Leads
Dr. Sean Smukler, Associate Professor, Department of Applied Biology and Soil Science, Sustainable Agriculture Landscapes Lab, Faculty of Land and Food Systems
Alan Lee, Lab Coordinator
Raelani Kesler, Research Technician
Funding
Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm; Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Fisheries; UBC Faculty of Land and Food Systems
About the Project
Cover crops can provide many benefits for subsequent cash crops through the addition of plant-available nitrogen, which is especially important in organic agriculture. However, the amount of nitrogen contributed by cover crops is dependent on the cover crop species, the timing of planting and termination, and environmental factors. The benefits of nitrogen application must also be weighed against total biomass production and the ability of the cover crop to suppress weeds. This project thus seeks to identify cover crop mixes well suited to growing season production in South Coastal British Columbia and analyze their potential for soil nitrogen contribution. Additionally, this project will assess the performance of summer cover crop mixes under irrigated and non-irrigated conditions and compare a two-succession and one-succession approach to year-round soil cover.