Use Winter Cover Crops to Reduce Italian Ryegrass Infestations

A split-plot factorial experiment examined effects of tillage and winter cover crops on sweet corn in 1997. Main plots received tillage or no tillage. Cover crops consisted of hairy vetch, winter rye, or a mix, and N treatments consisted of plus or minus N fertilization. Following watermelon not receiving inorganic N, vetch, and mix cover cropsproduced total N yields of ≈90 kg/ha that were more than four times greater than those obtained with rye. However, vetch dry weight yields (2.7 mg/ha) were only about 60% of those obtained in previous years due to winter kill. Following rye winter cover crops, addition of ammonium nitrate to corn greatly increased (P < 0.05) corn yields and foliar N concentrations compared to treatments not receiving N. Following vetch, corn yields obtained in tilled treatments without N fertilization equaled those obtained with N fertilization. However, yields obtained from unfertilized no-till treatments were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than yields of N-fertilized treatments. Available soil N was significantly (P < 0.05) greater following vetch compared to rye after corn planting. No significant effects of tillage on sweet corn plant densities or yields were detected. It was concluded that no-tillage sweet corn was successful, and N fixed by vetch was able to sustain sweet corn production in tilled treatments but not in no-till treatments.In previous years normal, higher-yielding vetch cover crops were able to sustain sweet corn in both tilled and no-till treatments.

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Response of Winter Cover Crops to Soil Compaction

Soil Science Society of America Journal ◽

10.2136/sssaj1958.03615995002200020025x ◽

1958 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 181-184 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

W. J. Flocker ◽

J. A. Vomocil ◽

M. T. Vittum

Keyword(s):

Cover Crops ◽

Soil Compaction ◽

Winter Cover ◽

Winter Cover Crops

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A 3-year field study to assess winter cover crops as nitrogen sources for an organic maize crop in Mediterranean Portugal

European Journal of Agronomy ◽

10.1016/j.eja.2021.126302 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 128 ◽

pp. 126302

Author(s):

Adelaide Perdigão ◽

José L.S. Pereira ◽

Nuno Moreira ◽

Henrique Trindade ◽

João Coutinho

Keyword(s):

Field Study ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Nitrogen Sources ◽

Maize Crop ◽

Winter Cover ◽

Winter Cover Crops

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Assessing the Impacts of Future Climate Conditions on the Effectiveness of Winter Cover Crops in Reducing Nitrate Loads into the Chesapeake Bay Watersheds Using the SWAT Model

Transactions of the ASABE ◽

10.13031/trans.12390 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 60 (6) ◽

pp. 1939-1955 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Sangchul Lee ◽

Ali M. Sadeghi ◽

In-Young Yeo ◽

Gregory W. McCarty ◽

W. Dean Hively

Keyword(s):

Coastal Plain ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Nitrate Reduction ◽

Future Climate ◽

Baseline Scenario ◽

Climate Conditions ◽

Reduction Efficiency ◽

Simulation Results ◽

Winter Cover ◽

Winter Cover Crops

Abstract. Winter cover crops (WCCs) have been widely implemented in the Coastal Plain of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW) due to their high effectiveness in reducing nitrate loads. However, future climate conditions (FCCs) are expected to exacerbate water quality degradation in the CBW by increasing nitrate loads from agriculture. Accordingly, the question remains whether WCCs are sufficient to mitigate increased nutrient loads caused by FCCs. In this study, we assessed the impacts of FCCs on WCC nitrate reduction efficiency in the Coastal Plain of the CBW using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Three FCC scenarios (2085-2098) were prepared using general circulation models (GCMs), considering three Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) greenhouse gas emission scenarios. We also developed six representative WCC implementation scenarios based on the most commonly used planting dates and species of WCCs in this region. Simulation results showed that WCC biomass increased by ~58% under FCC scenarios due to climate conditions conducive to WCC growth. Prior to implementing WCCs, annual nitrate loads increased by ~43% under FCC scenarios compared to the baseline scenario (2001-2014). When WCCs were planted, annual nitrate loads were substantially reduced by ~48%, and WCC nitrate reduction efficiency was ~5% higher under FCC scenarios relative to the baseline scenario. The increase in WCC nitrate reduction efficiency varied with FCC scenario and WCC planting method. As CO2 concentrations were higher and winters were warmer under FCC scenarios, WCCs had greater biomass and thus demonstrated higher nitrate reduction efficiency. In response to FCC scenarios, the performance of less effective WCC practices (i.e., barley, wheat, and late planting) under the baseline scenario indicated a ~14% higher increase in nitrate reduction efficiency compared to WCC practices with greater effectiveness under the baseline scenario (i.e., rye and early planting) due to warmer temperatures. The SWAT simulation results indicated that WCCs were effective in mitigating nitrate loads accelerated by FCCs, suggesting the role of WCCs in mitigating nitrate loads will likely be even more important under FCCs. Keywords: Future climate conditions (FCCs), SWAT, Water quality, Winter cover crops (WCCs).

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Sources of variability in the effectiveness of winter cover crops for mitigating N leaching

Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment ◽

10.1016/j.agee.2016.01.019 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 220 ◽

pp. 226-235 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Edmar I. Teixeira ◽

Paul Johnstone ◽

Emmanuel Chakwizira ◽

John de Ruiter ◽

Brendon Malcolm ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cover Crops ◽

N Leaching ◽

Winter Cover ◽

Winter Cover Crops

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PERFORMANCE OF ‘NANICÃO JANGADA’ BANANA PLANTS INTERCROPPED WITH WINTER COVER CROPS

Revista Brasileira de Fruticultura ◽

10.1590/0100-29452016729 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 38 (4) ◽

Author(s):

RICARDO SFEIR DE AGUIAR ◽

PAULO VICENTE CONTADOR ZACCHEO ◽

CARMEN SILVIA VIEIRA JANEIRO NEVES ◽

MARCELO SFEIR DE AGUIAR ◽

FERNANDO TEIXEIRA DE OLIVEIRA

Keyword(s):

Cover Crops ◽

Crop Residues ◽

Production Systems ◽

Soil Management ◽

Dry Mass ◽

Vegetative Development ◽

Chicken Litter ◽

Winter Cover ◽

Winter Cover Crops

ABSTRACT The use of cover crops species may be an important strategy in the pursuit of sustainability of agroecosystems, considering benefits to soil, such as improvements of physical and chemical characteristics, and weed control. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of winter cover crops and other soil managements on chemical soil properties, on the cycle, on the production of the first cycle and on the fruit quality of banana cv. Nanicão Jangada in Andirá – PR, Brazil. The experiment was carried out in a commercial. Planting of banana suckers from the grower area occurred in the first half of March 2011, with a spacing of 2.40 m between rows and 1.90 m between plants. The experiment was designed in randomized blocks with four replications and six plants per plot. The six treatments were: black oat (Avenastrigosa Schreb), forage turnip (Raphanus sativus L. var. oleiferus), consortium of black oat and forage turnip, chicken litter, residues of banana plants, and bare ground. The evaluations were vegetative development and life cycle of banana plants, yield and quality of fruits, soil chemical characterstics, and fresh and dry mass of green manures. The results were submitted to ANOVA (F Test), and Tukey test at 5 % probability. Black oat and black oat with forage turnip consortium were superior in biomass production. Systems of soil management had no effect on the variables, except in the periods between planting and flowering and between planting and harvest, which were shorter in the treatment of soil management with crop residues, longer in the treatment with forage turnip, and intermediate in the other treatments.

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Effects of the timing of ploughing-in temporary leguminous pastures and two winter cover crops on nitrogen mineralization, nitrate leaching and spring wheat growth

The Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.1017/s0021859600071185 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 124 (1) ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

G. S. Francis ◽

R. J. Haynes ◽

P. H. Williams

Keyword(s):

Spring Wheat ◽

Nitrate Leaching ◽

Cover Crops ◽

N Uptake ◽

First Year ◽

Mineral N ◽

Leaching Losses ◽

Winter Cover ◽

Winter Cover Crops ◽

Second Year

SUMMARYTwo field experiments at Canterbury, New Zealand during 1991–93 investigated the effect of the timing of ploughing a 4-year-old ryegrass/white clover pasture and the effect of two winter cover crops on subsequent N mineralization, nitrate leaching and growth and N uptake of the following wheat crops.Net N mineralization of organic N (of plant and soil origin) increased with increased fallow period between ploughing and leaching. The total amount of N accumulated in the profile by the start of winter ranged from 107 to 131 and from 42 to 45 kg N/ha for fallow treatments started in March and May respectively. Winter wheat (planted in May) had no effect on mineral N contents by the start of winter, whereas greenfeed (GF) oats (planted in March) significantly reduced the mineral N content in one year.Cumulative leaching losses over the first winter after ploughing-in pasture varied markedly between years in relation to rainfall amount and distribution. Leaching losses were greater from the March fallow (72–106 kg N/ha) than the May fallow treatments (8–52 kg N/ha). Winter wheat did not reduce leaching losses in either year. GF oats did not reduce losses in 1991/92, but losses in 1992/93, when major drainage events occurred late in the winter, were only c. 40% of those under fallow.Incorporation of a large amount (> 7 t/ha dry matter) of pasture or GF oat residue in spring depressed yield and total N uptake of the following spring wheat, largely due to net N immobilization which could be overcome by the application of fertilizer N.First-year treatments had very little residual effect in the second year. Leaching losses over the second winter (mean 142 kg N/ha) were largely unaffected by the extent of first year leaching losses. Second year leaching losses were greater than first year losses, probably due to the greater amount of mineral N at depth in the soil before the start of the second winter.

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