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INFLUENCE OF COVER CROPS ON SOIL FERTILITY AND SOIL DWELLING INSECTS

Investigating the effects of cover crops on soil fertility and soil-dwelling insects at AAMU's research station, analyzing nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon levels, and carabid beetle populations.

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INFLUENCE OF COVER CROPS ON SOIL FERTILITY AND SOIL DWELLING INSECTS

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  1. INFLUENCE OF COVER CROPS ON SOIL FERTILITY AND SOIL DWELLING INSECTS Kendra Royston Dr. Regine Mankolo, Dr.Rufina Ward

  2. Introduction • Soil Fertility • Phosphorus • Nitrogen • Carbon • Soil-dwelling Insects • Carabid Beetles

  3. Objectives • To determine the level of nitrogen, phosphorous and carbon in the soil under different cover crops • To determine influence of cover crops on diversity and abundance of carabids and tiger beetles • To relate levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon in the soil with carabid and tiger beetle populations

  4. Materials and Methods • Location of Study • AAMU’s Winfred Thomas Agricultural Research Station • Treatments: 4 cover crops + fallow (no cover crop) • with 3 replications • COVER CROPS: • Rye • Crimson Clover • Hairy Vetch • Austrian Winter Peas

  5. Materials and Methods • Soil Extraction Method • CNS • ICP • Spectrophotometer • Insect Collection • Pitfall Trap

  6. RESULTSSoil Fertility Data Only the means are presented in this study.

  7. Inorganic P

  8. Total P

  9. Nitrogen

  10. Carbon

  11. Carabid Data

  12. Table 1. Species of carabids collected across cover crops. Harpalus pennsylvanicus Scarites quadriceps Selenophorus sp. Anisodactylus furvus Anisodactylus dulcicollis Anisodactylus spp. Cyclotrechelus sp. Agonum octopunctatum Agonum punctiforme Amara sp. Poecilus chalcites Pterostichus sp. Cicindela punctulata Megacephala virginicana Megacephala carolina Carabus sp. . . There were at least 16 different species of carabids caught in the pitfall traps during the study.

  13. Table. 2. Number of carabid species from various cover crops. Cover Crops Number of Species Collected Species and # Collected Crimson clover 10 Harpalus pennsylvanicus (29) Scarites quadriceps (1) Anisodactylus furvus (1) Anisodactylus dolcicollis (2) Anisodactylus spp. (4) Agonum octopunctatum (1) Amara sp. (1) Pterostichus sp. (1) Megacephala virginicana (1) Cicindela punctulata (1) Data Table for Carabids

  14. Rye 10 Harpalus pennsylvanicus (17) Selenophorus sp. (1) Anisodactylus furvus (2) Anisodactylus dolcicollis (1) Anisodactylus spp. (1) Agonum punctiforme (1) Amara sp. (1) Cicindela punctulata (2) Megacephala virginicana (2) Carabus sp. (1) Table 2 continued Cover # Species Species # Individuals Crops

  15. 6 Table 2 continued Cover # Species Species # Individuals Crops Harpalus pennsylvanicus (25) Scarites quadriceps (1) Anisodactylus furvus (1) Anisodactylus spp. (6) Poecilus chalcites (1) Cicindela punctulata (2) Hairy Vetch

  16. Harpalus pennsylvanicus (41) Scarites quadriceps (1) Anisodactylus dolcicollis (5) Anisodactylus spp. (5) Poecilus chalcites (1) Cicindela punctulata (2) Carabus sp. (1) 7 Table 2 continued Cover # Species Species # Individuals Crops Austrian winter pea

  17. 8 Table 2 continued Cover # Species Species # Individuals Crops Harpalus pennsylvanicus (21) Scarites quadriceps (3) Anisodactylus furvus (2) Anisodactylus spp. (6) Agonum punctiforme (1) Amara sp. (3) Megacephala virginicana (1) Megacephala carolina (1) Fallow

  18. . • Based on the number of collected carabids per species over time across cover crops: • H. pennsylvanicus (133) > Anisodactylus spp. (35) > C. punctulata (7 ) > S. quadriceps ( 6 ) • Amara sp. (5) > M. virginicana ( 4 ) • > Others (1 each)

  19. Cover Crops Week Number Ave. Catch / Week 1 2 3 4 Crimson Clover 20 12 6 4 10.5 Rye 15 3 5 5 7.0 Hairy Vetch 21 6 4 5 12.0 Austrian Winter Pea 33 2 12 11 14.5 Fallow 22 4 4 9 9.75 Table 3. Number of carabids collected over four weeks. ..

  20. Conclusion • Nitrogen, carbon and phosphorus are higher in the Austrian Winter Pea. Under a long term study this cover-crop might be the best for the release of these nutrients. • Harpalus pennsylvanicus is most abundant among all carabid species collected in all cover crops studied. Fewer carabids were collected from Rye compared to other cover crops and control (fallow). The most number of H. pennsylvanicus was collected from Austrian Winter Pea. •  Austrian winter pea is the best cover crop for improved soil fertility and high number of carabid beetles. • Our data suggest that among the carabids collected, H. pennsylvanicus seemed to be the best bioindicator of soil fertility.

  21. Thank you! • Dr. Regine Mankolo • Dr. Elica M. Moss • Dr. Rufina Ward • Dr. Yong Wong • Grad Students: Sydney and Ogo.

  22. Works Cited • http://www.uga.edu/lea/cns.html http://www.cee.vt.edu/ewr/environmental/teach/smprimer/icpms/icpms.htm http://www.jdb.se/sbfi/publ/boston/boston7.html http://www.garfield.library.upenn.edu/classics1986/A1986A368100001.pdf http://www.mansfield.ohio-state.edu/~ocosta/PhD/04_Chapter3.pdf

  23. Methods Soil samples were extracted using Mehlich I for inorganic P measurement Mehlich-1 Solution= 0.05 M HCl+0.0125 M Sulfuric acid. Procedure • 1. Place 5 g of dried, sieved soil into 125 mL Erlenmeyer flask • 2. Add 20 mL of the Mehlich I extraction solution • 3. Shake for 5 min w/ table top shaker. • 4. Centrifuge or filter through Whatman #42 filter paper and collect filtrate. • 5. From filtrate measure available P (Murphy-Riley Method)using the spectrophotometer. • Total P Extraction with microwave digestion- • A representative sample of up to 0.5 g is digested in 9mL of concentrated nitric acid and usually 3mL of HCL acid for 15 min. using microwave digestion. Back

  24. Materials and Methods Back • Pitfall trap and field collection (3 days/week for 4 weeks) • Wash, sort and identify insects in the lab

  25. CNS • Back

  26. ICP-AES • Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry [ICP-AES]. • The ICP was used to analyze the total Phosphorus • Back

  27. Spectrophotometer Back

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