Performance of a No-tillage Seeder with Different Cover Crop Species and Residue Management for Sweet Sorghum for Sustainable Biofuel Production

The strategy for sustainable biofuel production should be compatible with increasing SOM (soil organic matter) to improve soil quality for biomass productivity and reducing purchased inputs for production. Combining cover crops with no-tillage offers many benefits for improving soil quality, but requires a higher level of management to achieve maximum benefit. This study evaluated the performance of a no-tillage seeder for sweet sorghum production and identified appropriate ways of using the no-tillage seeder with various amounts of cover crop residue. Previous field research revealed that using a medium (360 rpm) PTO rotational speed and mixed-seeding of rye and hairy vetch with a no-tillage seeder is effective for increasing sweet sorghum germination under cover crop residue mulch.