Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Current Competitive Grant

Winter rye cover crop effect on corn seedling pathogens

Project ID: E2012-03

This 3-year grant for $87,156 was awarded in 2012.

Location: Story county

While cover crops are an excellent management tool for sustainable agriculture, decreases in corn yield have been observed following winter rye cover crops. This project tests the hypothesis that glyphosate-killed rye cover crops are hosts for corn seedling pathogens. There will be studies in a controlled environment and on-farm field studies, as well as testing of management strategies to prevent or minimize corn yield decreases.

Tom Kaspar

Tom Kaspar Tom Kaspar is a Plant Physiologist at the USDA-ARS National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment in Ames, Iowa. He also serves as a USDA Collaborator/Professor with the Agronomy Department at Iowa State University. He focuses on crop and soil management to improve water quality and soil productivity. His recent research has focused on the environmental benefits of small grain cover crops in corn-soybean rotations. [Contact lead investigator]

Co-Investigator(s):

Tom Moorman, USDA-ARS National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment


This competitive grant project is part of the Leopold Center's Ecology Initiative.

Topics: Corn-soybean cropping systems, Cover crops, double crops, strip cropping, Farming systems