III. Management schemes used on the cover crops will not
affect the ear leaf area, ear leaf weight, or ear leaf N
concentration of corn.

 Growth and nutrition of corn is dependent upon having a
sufficient leaf area, the area of the leaves in relation to the
land on which they are growing. Nitrogen nutrition and management
schemes influence the corn plant's leaf area, and subsequently,
growth and yield.

 Each cover crop is manipulated under each different management
scheme which includes the type of tillage (no-tillage vs.
conventional), the type of cover crop sacrifice (forage, green
manure, or mulch), and the amount of applied inorganic N
fertilizer. Two different plots of land, each with one of the two
cover crops planted in the fall, were divided into five sections of
different management schemes which were further subdivided into
five sections of different applied amounts of inorganic N
fertilizer. Each of these individual sections are repeated four
times to insure reliable data. The corn plants in each separate
section were analyzed by picking the top ear leaf off five random
plants and determining total leaf area, dry weight, and N
concentration.

 Too little N and improper management will result in reduced
corn yield, reduced production for export sales, loss of profits,
inefficiency, and waste of resources. Too much N again results in
inefficiency as well as possible ground water pollution. If corn
could be produced in its ideal conditions with minimum tillage and
N application, resources would be maximized and efficiency
increased with less labor and less expense.

 The objective of this research was to determine the best
management practice of using rye or crimson clover and N fertilizer
to optimize corn ear leaf area, dry weight and N concentration.


 PROCEDURES
 Two different species (crimson clover, rye) of cover crops
were planted in October 1991 on two separate plots of land. In
April 1992 the winter cover crop was manipulated according to five
different management schemes within each plot of land to nourish
the summer crop corn.

 Each plot was divided into five main plots with each main plot
subjected to different manipulations of the cover crop. The
manipulations were as follows: (A) conventional tillage and
subsoil/forage of the winter crop, (B) conventional tillage and
subsoil/green manure of the winter crop, (C) no-tillage and
subsoil/mulch of the winter crop, (D) no-tillage and subsoil/forage
of the winter crop, and (E) conventional tillage and subsoil/fallow
(control). Furthermore, each of the above main plots were divided