Legume Cover Crop Impacts on Soil Nitrogen Cycling and Soil Fertility on Organic Vegetable Farms
Principal Investigator:
Jennifer Blesh
Assistant Professor, School for Environment and Sustainability, and Sustainable Food Systems Initiative, University of Michigan
440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
[email protected].
Collaborators:
Dr. Sieglinde Snapp
Professor, Soils and Cropping Systems Ecologist, Michigan State University
3700 E. Gull Lake Dr., Kellogg Biological Station, Hickory Corners, MI 49060
Dr. Daniel Brainard
Associate Professor, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University
Plant & Soil Sciences Building, East Lansing, MI 48824
Locations: Central and Southeastern Michigan
Research activities:
This participatory, on-farm research project addressed the following objectives:
- Identify legume cover crops (grown in monocultures and mixtures) that build SOM and
increase nutrient cycling capacity on organic vegetable farms. - Identify rotations and management practices that maximize BNF and reduce N
surpluses. - Develop workshop activities and outreach materials to share information with smallscale,
organic vegetable farmers of varying levels of experience.