PROFITABILITY OF LEGUME COVER CROPS IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION

Data from agronomic field trials in Maryland were used to construct ni trogen response functions for no-till corn following four cover crops and winter fallow. The estimated nitrogen response functions were used to estimate profit-maximizing nitrogen application rates and maximum profit under each treatment. Hairy vetch proved more profitable than c rimson clover, Austrian peas, wheat, or fallow under a wide range of p rices for corn, nitrogen and vetch seed and of herbicide costs. A hair y vetch-corn rotation exhibited small savings in nitrogen relative to wheat-corn or fallow-corn rotations at profit-maximizing application r ates, perhaps because vetch improves nitrogen uptake and thus increase s the marginal productivity of nitrogen.