Date of Award:

8-2026

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Applied Sciences, Technology, and Education

Committee Chair(s)

Rhonda Miller

Committee

Rhonda Miller

Committee

Aaron Etienne

Committee

Matt Yost

Abstract

This study examines whether cover crops can be used in Utah and the Intermountain West to improve water quality and reduce contamination due to nutrient leaching from agricultural soils into the groundwater. Cover crops such as grasses, clover, and other seed mixtures can be planted to improve soil health, increasing the soil’s ability to retain water and nutrients, which reduces the amount of nitrate and phosphate fertilizers lost through leaching and contamination. In Utah, short growing seasons and limited irrigation water availability hinder the ability to establish cover crops. By planting the cover crop between the rows (intercropping) when the corn is at the V3-V5 stage, cover crops can become established while irrigation water is available. This study examines the effect of cover cropping vs. no cover crops on nutrient leaching on two producers’ fields in Lewiston, Utah. Leachate was collected using zero-tension lysimeters and the concentration of nitrate and phosphate were determined. Soil samples were also taken to see how nutrients moved through the soil surface over time. Intercropped cover crops significantly reduced total phosphate and total nitrate leaching annually, and aided in maintaining nitrogen on the field in organic forms for later use, benefitting water quality and agricultural operations.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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