Common Experiment 2:
Pest Interactions

Team Leads: Alison Robertson, Iowa State University; Carlene Chase, University of Florida; John Tooker, Penn State University

Growers across the United States are showing an increased interest in delaying the termination of cover crops until the planting of the cash crop to achieve the maximum benefits. The PSA Common Experiment 2-Pest Interactions team will quantify and explain the effects of cover crop termination on insect populations, diseases, and weeds so farmers can better manage their operations.

Common Experiment 2 is a 3-year experiment across 16 states. The team will study the effects of winter cereal rye cover crop termination on corn as a part of a corn-soybean rotation. Information will be collected on seedling disease and stalk rot, weed populations, insect and slug prevalence, and cash crop performance.