Submission Type
Poster
Abstract
Tallgrass prairies are abundant and rich habitats where soil microbial communities frequently interact with native grass and forb species. Cover crops increase available soil nutrients and promote healthy soil microbial communities in agriculture, and therefore may provide similar benefits to restoration. A prairie restoration in Madison Co, IL was initiated in autumn 2021 using areas with two different cover crop types, NLS Soil Health Mix and Winter Oat, as well as areas with no cover crops. A greenhouse project exposed five native forb species (Monarda fistulosa, Rudbeckia hirta, Pycnanthemum virginianum, Desmodium canadensis (legume), and Asclepias incarnata) to live and sterilized soil inocula from these three soil treatments. Results suggested individual species vary in their response to soil microbes associated with cover crops. All species excluding Asclepias had significant biomass responses to cover crop, though in different directions. Monarda experienced reduced growth in NLS Soil Health Mix soils, while Pycnanthemum experienced enhanced growth in the same cover crop, and both Rudbeckia and Desmodium had increased growth in soil unexposed to cover crops. Given the variation in growth responses across species, justifying cover crops as a viable restoration technique is difficult. Adjacent projects looking at weedy grass responses to cover crops and site-wide vegetation surveys show responses based on cover crop type, suggesting that the field study results were not microbially mediated. Despite the presence of soil microbes appearing to promote growth in some pollinator-supporting plants in a greenhouse, the influence of cover crops in augmenting their effects remains unsure.
Included in
The influence of cover crops on plant-soil microbe interactions of native prairie forbs
Tallgrass prairies are abundant and rich habitats where soil microbial communities frequently interact with native grass and forb species. Cover crops increase available soil nutrients and promote healthy soil microbial communities in agriculture, and therefore may provide similar benefits to restoration. A prairie restoration in Madison Co, IL was initiated in autumn 2021 using areas with two different cover crop types, NLS Soil Health Mix and Winter Oat, as well as areas with no cover crops. A greenhouse project exposed five native forb species (Monarda fistulosa, Rudbeckia hirta, Pycnanthemum virginianum, Desmodium canadensis (legume), and Asclepias incarnata) to live and sterilized soil inocula from these three soil treatments. Results suggested individual species vary in their response to soil microbes associated with cover crops. All species excluding Asclepias had significant biomass responses to cover crop, though in different directions. Monarda experienced reduced growth in NLS Soil Health Mix soils, while Pycnanthemum experienced enhanced growth in the same cover crop, and both Rudbeckia and Desmodium had increased growth in soil unexposed to cover crops. Given the variation in growth responses across species, justifying cover crops as a viable restoration technique is difficult. Adjacent projects looking at weedy grass responses to cover crops and site-wide vegetation surveys show responses based on cover crop type, suggesting that the field study results were not microbially mediated. Despite the presence of soil microbes appearing to promote growth in some pollinator-supporting plants in a greenhouse, the influence of cover crops in augmenting their effects remains unsure.
Comments
Scott J. Meiners: Eastern Illinois University