Comparison of Conventional and Alternative Nursery Weed Management Strategies

1995 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 761-767 ◽  
Author(s):  
James B. Calkins ◽  
Bert T. Swanson
Keyword(s):  
Weed Management ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
Field Management ◽  
Companion Crop ◽  
Herbicide Management

Soil cultivation (3 to 5 times/yr) and herbicide management (oxadiazon, 3.92 kg ai/ha), agricultural standards for reducing weed competition, were compared to three alternative nursery field management systems regarding weed suppression: ‘Norcen’ bird's-foot trefoil companion crop, ‘Wheeler’ winter rye cover crop/mulch, and grass sod (80% ‘Eton’ perennial ryegrass and 20% ‘Ruby’ red fescue). Field management treatment had a significant effect on observed weed populations. Weed densities were also subject to yearly variations caused by climate and endogenous weed life cycles. Herbicide management (oxadiazon) consistently provided the best control of undesired vegetation (0.3 weeds/m2) followed by the grass sod (0.7 weeds/m2), Wheeler rye cover crop/mulch (1.7 weeds/m2), Norcen bird's-foot trefoil companion crop (8.6 weeds/m2), and cultivated (55.7 weeds/m2) treatments, respectively. Although the grass sod treatment provided excellent control of undesired vegetation, as an alternative to cultivation and herbicide use, it proved to be excessively competitive with the nursery crop. The bird's-foot trefoil treatment quickly became infested with broadleaf weeds the eradication of which proved difficult. The Wheeler winter rye cover crop/mulch field management system provided acceptable weed control combined with other beneficial effects on the plant/soil environment. Results support the effectiveness of Wheeler winter rye and perhaps other allelopathic cover crop/mulch systems in controlling undesired vegetation in horticultural field production systems.

scholarly journals Comparison of Conventional and Alternative Nursery Field Management Systems: Soil Physical Properties

1998 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 90-97
Author(s):  
James B. Calkins ◽  
Bert T. Swanson
Keyword(s):  
Bulk Density ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Soil Characteristics ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Field Management ◽  
Soil Temperatures ◽  
Companion Crop ◽  
Herbicide Management ◽  
Nursery Field

Abstract Effects of five nursery field management systems on the physical properties of a Waukegan silt loam soil were investigated: cultivation, herbicide management (oxadiazon), legume companion crop—‘Norcen’ bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus ‘Norcen’), winter cereal cover crop/mulch—‘Wheeler’ winter rye (Secale cereale ‘Wheeler’), and mixed grass sod—80% ‘Eton’ perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne ‘Eton’) and 20% ‘Ruby’ red fescue (Festuca rubra ‘Ruby’). Six tree species were included in the study: Fraxinus pennsylvanica ‘Marshall Seedless’, Malus ‘Red Splendor’, Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis ‘Skyline’, Acer rubrum ‘Northwood’, Thuja occidentalis ‘Techny’ and Picea glauca var. densata. Field management treatment effects on soil water infiltration capacity, aggregation, bulk density, and temperature were quantified. Significant treatment differences were observed for all soil characteristics investigated. Bare soil treatments (cultivation and herbicide management) generally reduced water infiltration, soil aggregation, and winter soil temperatures and increased bulk density and summer soil temperatures compared to cover crop treatments. After seven years, water infiltration was increased 2 to 4 times for the bird's-foot trefoil companion crop, 3 to 6 times for the rye cover crop/mulch, and 4 to 9 times for the grass companion crop compared to cultivated and herbicide management treatments. Under herbicide management, bulk density of surface soil was increased by 19.7% compared to cultivation. Bulk densities of compacted soil layers just below the depth of cultivation were reduced by 6.6% when maintained with rye and grass cover/companion crops for seven years. Soil aggregation was dramatically reduced by herbicide management and increased for soil maintained under grass sod; only 17.1% of soil aggregates measured 2.0 mm while 72.7% measured 0.5 mm for herbicide managed plots compared to 77.0% and 15.5% for soil maintained with a grass companion crop, respectively. Herbicide management was most often associated with negative effects on soil characteristics important to longterm productivity while grass sod and the rye cover crop/mulch system were most beneficial. The effects of cultivation and the bird's-foot trefoil companion crop on soil physical characteristics were intermediate. The bird's-foot trefoil treatment was difficult to manage and tree growth was reduced sufficiently for the trefoil and grass sod treatments to disqualify them as possible alternatives to cultivation or herbicide management. Implications of soil physical characteristics, as influenced by field management practice, regarding plant performance and soil management are discussed.

scholarly journals Effects of Long-Term Cover Cropping on Weed Seedbanks

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia Nichols ◽  
Lydia English ◽  
Sarah Carlson ◽  
Stefan Gailans ◽  
Matt Liebman
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
Maize Crop ◽  
Cover Cropping ◽  
Crop Biomass

Cool-season cover crops have been shown to reduce soil erosion and nutrient discharge from maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production systems. However, their effects on long-term weed dynamics are not well-understood. We utilized five long-term research trials in Iowa to quantify germinable weed seedbank densities and compositions after 10+ years of cover cropping treatments. All five trials consisted of zero-tillage maize-soybean rotations managed with and without the inclusion of a yearly winter rye (Secale cereal L.) cover crop. Seedbank sampling was conducted in the early spring before crop planting at all locations, with three of the five trials having grown a soybean crop the preceding year, and two a maize crop. Two of the trials (both previously soybean) showed significant and biologically relevant decreases (4,070 and 927 seeds m−2, respectively) in seedbank densities in cover crop treatments compared to controls. In another two trials, one previously maize and one previously soybean, no difference was detected in seedbank densities. In the fifth trial (previously maize), there was a significant, but biologically unimportant increase of 349 seeds m−2. All five trials' weed communities were dominated by common waterhemp [Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.)], and changes in seedbank composition from cover-cropping were driven by changes in this species. Although previous studies have shown that increases in cover crop biomass are strongly correlated with weed suppression, in our study we did not find a relationship between seedbank changes and the mean amount of cover crop biomass produced over a 10-years period (experiment means ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 Mg ha−1 yr−1), the stability of the cover crop biomass production, nor the amount produced going into the previous crop's growing season. We conclude that long-term use of a winter rye cover crop in a maize-soybean system has the potential to meaningfully reduce the size of weed seedbanks compared to winter fallows. However, identifying the mechanisms by which this occurs requires further research into processes such as seed predation and seed decay in cover cropped systems.

scholarly journals Managing glyphosate-resistant weeds with cover crop associated with herbicide rotation and mixture

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 381-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aroldo Marochi ◽  
Antonio Ferreira ◽  
Hudson Kagueyama Takano ◽  
Rubem Silvério Oliveira Junior ◽  
Ramiro Fernando Lopez Ovejero
Keyword(s):  
Weed Management ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Suppression Effect ◽  
Herbicide Programs

ABSTRACT Herbicide resistance has become a major concern for agricultural systems, and integrating weed management practices seem to be the most promise way for its mitigation. The effects of cropping systems including ruzigrass (Urochloa ruziziensis) associated with herbicide rotation programs were evaluated for the management of glyphosate resistant conyza (Conyza sumatrensis) and sourgrass (Digitaria insularis) in soybean and corn production systems. A 3x3 factorial was evaluated in four consecutive soybean (spring-summer) and corn (fall-winter) double cropping seasons. Factor A consisted of three combinations of cropping systems in the fall-winter: corn, corn plus ruzigrass, and ruzigrass alone. Factor B was based on increasing levels of diversity in herbicide mode of action over the four-year period (5, 8, and 11 MoAs). The results indicate that using ruzigrass significantly increased soil coverage by cover crop residues. In general, the cover crop was more efficient for conyza than for sourgrass control, whereas herbicide programs provided greater control on sourgrass than on conyza. Besides the weed suppression effect, the accumulation of ruzigrass biomass on the soil surface during the fall-winter also improved yield of soybean in the spring-summer. The integration of ruzigrass as a cover crop and the use of herbicide programs with multiple modes of action can provide efficient control of glyphosate-resistant conyza and sourgrass. The use of only one of these strategies was not effective in most cases, especially for the long term.

scholarly journals Comparison of Conventional and Alternative Nursery Field Management Systems: Tree Growth and Performance

1996 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 142-149
Author(s):  
James B. Calkins ◽  
Bert T. Swanson
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Treatment Effects ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
System Quality ◽  
Field Management ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Herbicide Management ◽  
Nursery Field

Abstract The effects of 5 nursery field maintenance systems (cultivation, herbicide management, legume (bird's-foot trefoil) companion crop, winter cereal (rye) cover crop/mulch, and mixed grass sod) on the growth and performance of field-grown trees were investigated. Six tree species were included in this study: Fraxinus pennsylvanica ‘Marshall's Seedless’; Malus ‘Red Splendor’; Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis ‘Skyline’; Acer rubrum ‘Northwood’; Thuja occidentalis ‘Techny’; and Picea glauca var. densata. Height, lateral branch extension, and caliper growth were measured each year for 7 years. Plant quality was assessed at the end of the study. All growth parameters were affected by field management treatment. Field management treatment effects on growth were influenced by differences in climate between years and were species dependent. Caliper growth was more sensitive to cover crop competition than height growth. Height and caliper growth were initially reduced for deciduous trees grown together with cover crops, but treatment differences in height became less significant over time. Caliper of evergreens was also reduced, but field management treatment effects on height were variable. Trees grown under bare soil conditions (cultivation and herbicide management) were more densely branched than those grown with cover crops. Herbicide management and cultivation generally supported the most vigorous growth and resulted in the best quality plants. Of the cover/companion crops evaluated, the rye cover crop/mulch treatment only slightly reduced plant performance compared to cultivated and herbicide management treatments while bird's-foot trefoil and grass companion crops proved to be too competitive. A winter rye cover crop/mulch field management system appears to have potential as an alternative to conventional field production systems. Using such a system, quality plants can be produced with fewer inputs and fewer negative impacts on the environment and long term productivity.

Utility of Winter Rye Living Mulch for Weed Management in Zucchini Squash Production

2008 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 724-728 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Alan Walters ◽  
Bryan G. Young
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
Vegetable Crops ◽  
Living Mulch ◽  
Herbicide Treatment ◽  
Mulch Cover

The extended production of allelochemicals from a living mulch cover crop may potentially enhance weed management and crop productivity compared with traditional zucchini squash production systems. However, the efficacy of a living mulch cover crop in no-tillage (NT) systems with herbicides has not been determined for many vegetable crops. The objective of this research was to evaluate weed management and zucchini squash production using the combination of NT and a herbicide-suppressed winter rye cover crop with or without PRE herbicides. When used in combination with herbicides, the winter rye living mulch reduced the biomass of redroot pigweed compared to the herbicides applied alone, but did not influence the biomass of smooth crabgrass for any herbicide treatment. Visual estimates of weed control were similar for each herbicide treatment with and without the winter rye living mulch. The herbicide-suppressed winter rye resulted in excessive stunting of zucchini squash at 56 d after treatment which correlated with 20 and 50% squash yield reductions for the 2004 and 2005 growing seasons, respectively. Although some squash yield loss may have resulted from direct competition with the winter rye living mulch, yield reductions most likely resulted from allelopathy. The winter rye living mulch was the primary contributing factor for reduced squash yield and did not interact with herbicide treatment. All treatments containing herbicides resulted in yields similar to the weed-free treatment. Because of excessive zucchini injury, this research suggests that the use of herbicide-suppressed winter rye living mulch does not appear to be a feasible option for increased weed control in zucchini squash production regardless of the herbicide treatment.

Weed suppression in a broccoli–winter rye intercropping system

Weed Science ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 281-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. C. Brainard ◽  
R. R. Bellinder
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Light Availability ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Rapid Emergence

Interseeded cover crops have the potential to maintain and improve soil quality, reduce the incidence of insect pests, and suppress weeds in vegetable production systems. However, the successful use of interseeded cover crops has been limited by their tendency to either inadequately suppress weeds or suppress both weeds and the crop. We hypothesized that in irrigated broccoli production, winter rye could suppress annual weeds through rapid emergence and shading, without adversely affecting the taller transplanted broccoli crop. In field experiments conducted in New York from 1999–2001, broccoli was cultivated at 0, 10, or 10 and 20 d after broccoli transplanting (DAT), with or without rye at the final cultivation. Rye interseeded at 0 DAT suppressed weeds and improved yields relative to unweeded controls but resulted in broccoli yield losses relative to weed-free controls in 2 of 3 years. Rye seeded at either 10 or 20 DAT did not reduce broccoli yields but had little effect on weeds for a given level of cultivation and resulted in Powell amaranth seed production of up to 28,000 seeds m−2. Rye interseeded at 0 DAT reduced light availability to weeds in 2000 but not in 2001 when Powell amaranth avoided shading from rye through rapid emergence and vertical growth. In greenhouse pot experiments, low temperatures for 7 d after seeding delayed the emergence of Powell amaranth by 3 d relative to rye and increased the suppression of Powell amaranth by rye from 61 to 85%. Our results suggest that winter rye may be more successfully integrated into broccoli production (1) when sown at higher densities, (2) in locations or seasons (e.g., spring) with lower initial temperatures, and (3) in combination with other weed management tools.

scholarly journals Plant Cold Acclimation, Hardiness, and Winter Injury in Response to Bare Soil and Groundcover-Based Nursery Field Management Systems

1998 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-89
Author(s):  
James B. Calkins ◽  
Bert T. Swanson
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crop ◽  
Cold Hardiness ◽  
Acer Rubrum ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
Thuja Occidentalis ◽  
Field Management ◽  
Herbicide Management ◽  
Nursery Field

Abstract Effects of five nursery field management systems [cultivation, herbicide management (oxadiazon), legume companion crop (bird's-foot trefoil), winter cereal cover crop/mulch (winter rye), and mixed grass sod (red fescue/perennial ryegrass)] on cold hardiness and the incidence of winter injury were investigated over a seven-year period. Six tree species were included in the research: Fraxinus pennsylvanica ‘Marshall Seedless’, Malus ‘Red Splendor’, Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis ‘Skyline’, Acer rubrum ‘Northwood’, Thuja occidentalis ‘Techny’, and Picea glauca var. densata. Treatment differences in fall coloration, leaf abscission, and winter injury were observed. Cold hardiness levels were determined for Acer rubrum ‘Northwood’, Malus ‘Red Splendor’, and Thuja occidentalis ‘Techny’ using controlled freezing tests. Species specific differences in cold hardiness development were observed in response to field management treatment: bare soil treatments (cultivation and herbicide management) delayed acclimation and reduced cold hardiness compared to cover crop/mulch (winter rye) and companion crop (bird's-foot trefoil and grass) treatments. Winter injury, which occurred almost exclusively in the bare soil treatments, was limited to Acer and Gleditsia. The types of injury observed included frost cracking, sunscald, branch tip dieback, dieback of large portions of the crown, and complete plant mortality. Compared to bare soil treatments, the presence of cover/companion crops and mulches in nursery field management systems increased plant cold hardiness and reduced plant losses to winter injury. Susceptibility of Gleditsia to winter injury was influenced by Nectria cinnabarina infection which was also influenced by field management treatment.

scholarly journals Juneberry Growth Is Affected by Weed Control Methods

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Willard ◽  
Harlene Hatterman Valenti
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
Control Methods ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Vicia Villosa ◽  
Companion Crop ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
Weed Emergence

Weed control is necessary to ensure success in early stages of juneberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) orchard development; however, juneberry growers have limited chemical weed control options. A field trial was initiated at Prosper, ND, to evaluate the efficacy of physical and chemical weed control methods and their effects on juneberry growth. Woven landscape fabric most effectively eliminated weed emergence, whereas winter rye (Secale cereale) cover crop allowed the most weeds to emerge throughout the study. During both years, a hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) companion crop provided poor early- to midseason weed control, but weed suppression increased over time as hairy vetch grew to cover open areas. However, hairy vetch was very competitive with juneberry, reducing crop height, width, and overall growth. Plants within the herbicide treatments (glyphosate at 0.75 lb/acre plus oryzalin at 2 lb/acre and linuron at 1.7 lb/acre followed by flumioxazin at 1 oz/acre) and the hand-weeded control, which was weeded three times each year, had the greatest growth.

scholarly journals Time of Interseeding of Lana Vetch and Winter Rye Cover Strips Determines Competitive Impact on Pumpkins Grown Using Organic Practices

HortScience ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 1716-1722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Vanek ◽  
H.C. Wien ◽  
Anu Rangarajan
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Soil Water Potential ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Dominant Factor ◽  
Yield Reduction ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
Soil Nitrate ◽  
Vicia Villosa

Growing a main vegetable crop for harvest and a cover crop for residue return to soil in the same growing season is a promising strategy to sustain soil quality in vegetable rotations. Our research evaluated cover crop strips interseeded between pumpkins (Cucurbita pepo L.) as a way to implement such a strategy. Cover crop types were lana vetch (Vicia villosa ssp. dasycarpa Ten.) and a lana vetch–winter rye (Secale cereale L.) mix, interseeded before, at the same time, or after pumpkins. The competitive impact of different cover crop strips was assessed using pumpkin yield, cover strip biomass, crop nitrogen status, soil nitrate status, and soil water potential. Cover strips were also assessed for competitiveness with native weeds. Seeding date affected the competitiveness of cover strips with pumpkins, while cover type did not. Cover crops seeded before pumpkins or at the same time reduced pumpkin yield in proportion to biomass produced by the cover strips early in pumpkin growth. Cover strips seeded after pumpkins did not reduce yield. Tilling in a before-seeded cover strip at 30 days after pumpkin seeding gave higher pumpkin yield than before-seeded cover strips that were not tilled. At three of four sites, after-seeded cover strips had the lowest percent weed biomass in strips, and at two sites with moderate weed pressure vetch–rye strips were more effective than vetch alone in suppressing weeds. Cover strips seeded before or at the same time as pumpkins reduced pumpkin yield by taking up resources that were otherwise available to pumpkins. At a high-rainfall site, competition for soil nitrate by cover crop strips was the dominant factor in reducing pumpkin yield. At a low-rainfall site, the dominant factor was competition for water. Because of effective weed suppression and lack of pumpkin yield reduction, interseeding vetch–rye strips after pumpkins was a promising practice, as was tilling in preexistent cover strips at an interval <30 days after pumpkin seeding. Good previous weed management and rye–vetch mixes at high seeding rates are necessary to allow interseeded cover strips to outcompete weeds.

Weed Community Dynamics and Suppression in Tilled and No-Tillage Transitional Organic Winter Rye–Soybean Systems

Weed Science ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily R. Bernstein ◽  
David E. Stoltenberg ◽  
Joshua L. Posner ◽  
Janet L. Hedtcke
Keyword(s):  
Weed Management ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Crop Management ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Soybean Production ◽  
Late Season

Grower adoption of no-tillage (NT) approaches to organic soybean production has been limited, in part because of the perceived risks of ineffective cover crop management and lack of season-long weed suppression. We conducted research in 2008 and 2009 to assess those risks by quantifying the effects of winter rye cover-crop management (tilling, crimping, or mowing), soybean planting date (mid May or early June), and row width (19 or 76 cm) on weed recruitment, emergence patterns, season-long suppression, and late-season weed community composition in transitional organic production systems. The weed plant community consisted largely of summer annual species in each year, with velvetleaf or common lambsquarters as the most abundant species. Seedling recruitment from the soil seedbank varied between years, but velvetleaf recruitment was consistently greater in the tilled rye than in the NT rye treatments. Weed emergence tended to peak early in the season in the tilled rye treatment, but in the NT rye treatments, the peak occurred in mid or late season. More-diverse summer annual and perennial species were associated with the NT rye treatments. Even so, weed suppression (as measured by late-season weed shoot mass) was much greater in crimped or mowed rye NT treatments than it was in the tilled treatment. Weed suppression among NT rye treatments was greater in 19- than in 76-row spacing treatments in each year and was greater for mid May than it was for early June planted soybean in 2009. The NT planting of soybean into standing rye before termination (crimping or mowing) facilitated timely planting of soybean, as well as effective, season-long weed suppression, suggesting that those approaches to rye and weed management are of less risk than those typically perceived by growers. Our results suggest that NT systems in winter rye provide effective weed-management alternatives to the typical tillage-intensive approach for organic soybean production.

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