Weed and Corn (Zea mays) Responses to a Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa) Cover Crop

1993 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 594-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melinda L. Hoffman ◽  
Emilie E. Regnier ◽  
John Cardina

Field studies were conducted in 1990 and 1991 to determine the effects of corn planting date and hairy vetch control method on the efficacy of fall-planted hairy vetch as a weedsuppressive cover crop for no-till corn. Glyphosate controlled hairy vetch when applied at the early bud growth stage (April), but hairy vetch residue provided no weed control compared to the weedy check. Mowing was not an effective means of suppressing hairy vetch at the early bud stage. Untreated hairy vetch reduced weed biomass 96% in 1990 and 58% in 1991 but reduced yield over 76% in April-planted corn. There was no competition of untreated hairy vetch with corn when corn planting was delayed until May or June (mid- or late-bloom growth stages of hairy vetch). Corn planted in May into untreated hairy vetch yielded similarly to corn planted in a no-cover weed-free check.

1994 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 777-784 ◽  
Author(s):  
William S. Curran ◽  
Lynn D. Hoffman ◽  
Edward L. Werner

Influences of a hairy vetch cover crop and residual herbicides were examined in field corn in 1991 and 1992. Hairy vetch was seeded in mid-August and killed the following May with tillage, mowing, or glyphosate plus 2,4-D (no-till). These cover crop management systems were compared with a no-cover treatment. Residual herbicides including atrazine plus metolachlor applied PRE at three rates and nicosulfuron plus thifensulfuron applied POST at a single rate were compared within cover crop management systems. All cover crop management systems effectively controlled hairy vetch except mowing in 1992. The corn population was reduced in mow treatments containing uncontrolled vetch. Hairy vetch mulch suppressed some weeds in the no-till treatments in 1991, but more annual grass was noted late in the season with no-till into hairy vetch than with the no-cover treatments in 1992. Residual herbicide performance was similar across cover crop management systems, except for fall panicum control which decreased in some no-till systems. Unlike soil-applied herbicides, performance of POST herbicides was unaffected by cover crop management systems.


Weed Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 527-533
Author(s):  
Alyssa I. Essman ◽  
Mark M. Loux ◽  
Alexander J. Lindsey ◽  
Anthony F. Dobbels ◽  
Emilie E. Regnier

AbstractCurrent recommendations for the control of glyphosate-resistant horseweed [Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronquist var. canadensis] in soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] consist of comprehensive herbicide programs, which often include herbicide applications outside the soybean growing season. Integration of cover crops with herbicides could potentially improve C. canadensis control and allow for a reduction in herbicide inputs. Two separate field studies were conducted from 2016 through 2018 with the objectives of: (1) determining the effect of planting date and seeding rate of a cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crop on C. canadensis population density and control in the subsequent soybean crop; and (2) determining whether the cover crop could replace a fall herbicide treatment or allow for a reduction in the use of spring-applied residual herbicides. There was no effect of rye planting date, late September versus late October, on C. canadensis density in either study. In 2016 to 2017, C. canadensis density was greater in the absence of a rye cover crop in both studies, but otherwise not affected by seeding rates of 50 versus 100 kg ha−1. In the 2017 to 2018 season, the presence of rye resulted in an increased C. canadensis density in the spring residual herbicide study (Study I), and had no effect in the fall herbicide study (Study II). Conyza canadensis densities were lowest in the treatments where a comprehensive spring residual or fall herbicide treatment had been applied, averaged over rye planting date and seeding rate. Earlier-planted rye at a higher seeding rate produced the most biomass but did not result in lower C. canadensis densities. These results suggest that cereal rye planted at a density of 50 kg ha−1 as a cover crop before no-till soybeans may be sufficient to reduce glyphosate-resistant C. canadensis plant density, but cannot be relied upon to reduce the need for fall herbicide treatments and spring residual programs.


Weed Science ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 477-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Teasdale ◽  
Steven B. Mirsky

Insufficient weed control is a major constraint to adoption of reduced-tillage practices for organic grain production. Tillage, cover crop management, and crop planting date are factors that influence emergence periodicity and growth potential of important weed species in these systems. We assessed two hairy vetch cover crop management practices, disk-kill and roll-kill, across a range of corn planting dates from early May to late June in three experiments in Beltsville, MD. Patterns of seed dormancy, emergence, and early weed growth were determined for overseeded populations of common ragweed, giant foxtail, and smooth pigweed, three important species in the Mid-Atlantic states that represent early to late emergence. Common ragweed emergence was lowest and dormancy was highest of the three species across all planting dates. Giant foxtail emergence was higher than the other species in roll-killed hairy vetch and included a significant number of seeds that germinated before rolling operations in late June. Smooth pigweed had the highest emergence and lowest dormancy in disk-killed hairy vetch in June. Individual giant foxtail plant weight was higher in roll-killed than disk-killed hairy vetch in 2 of 3 yr, whereas that of smooth pigweed plants was higher in disk-killed than roll-killed vetch in 2 of 3 yr. Giant foxtail was the dominant species in roll-killed hairy vetch (averaged 79% of total weed biomass at corn silking), probably because of early germination and establishment before rolling operations. Smooth pigweed was the dominant species in disk-killed hairy vetch at June planting dates (averaged 77% of total weed biomass), probably because of high growth rates under warm conditions in tilled soil. This research demonstrated that cover crop management practices and the timing of planting operations can shift the dominant species of weed communities in organic farming systems and must be considered in long-term weed management planning.


1988 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. S. Rothrock ◽  
W. L. Hargrove

The influence of winter legume cover crops and of tillage on soil populations of fungal genera containing plant pathogenic species in the subsequent summer sorghum crop were examined in field studies. Legume cover crops significantly increased populations of Pythium spp. throughout the sorghum crop compared with a rye cover crop or no cover crop. This stimulation of the populations of Pythium spp. was not solely due to colonization of cover-crop residue, as populations were significantly greater at the time the legume cover crop was desiccated. Removal of aboveground residue generally decreased populations of Pythium spp. in soil. Incorporation of residue by tillage increased populations of Pythium spp. at some sampling dates. Legumes differed in the magnitude of stimulation, with hairy vetch stimulating Pythium spp. more than crimson clover. Cover crop treatments did not consistently influence soil populations of Fusarium spp., Rhizoctonia solani, Rhizoctonia-like binucleate fungi, or Macrophomina phaseolina. Macrophomina phaseolina populations were significantly greater under no tillage.


Plant Disease ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 431-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. G. Zhou ◽  
K. L. Everts

Multiple applications of fungicides are used to manage anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum orbiculare and gummy stem blight caused by Didymella bryoniae, the two most common and destructive diseases on watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. To develop a sustainable, nonchemical management option, a split-plot experiment was conducted over 3 years to evaluate the effects of a no-till hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) cover crop on disease severity, plant growth, and fruit yield compared with two conventional bedding systems and fungicide application. The main plots were bedding strategies consisting of bare ground, polyethylene covering, or a hairy vetch cover crop that was planted in the fall, killed the following spring, and left on the soil surface as an organic mulch. The subplots were a nonfungicide control or a weekly application of a standard fungicide program. Hairy vetch mulch provided greater than a 65% reduction in the area under the disease progress curves of anthracnose and gummy stem blight and greater than an 88% decrease in diseased fruit compared with bare ground or polyethylene mulch. The reductions were comparable with those achieved by fungicide applications. Watermelon vine lengths in plots with hairy vetch were similar to or greater than those in plots with polyethylene or bare ground that were treated with fungicides. Marketable fruit in plots with hairy vetch was higher compared with bare ground in 2 of 3 years and was similar to that in plots treated with fungicides in all 3 years. Addition of fungicide application to hairy vetch treatment further reduced anthracnose in 1 year and gummy stem blight in 2 years but did not significantly increase fruit yield in all 3 years. This is the first demonstration that a no-till hairy vetch production system can reduce anthracnose and gummy stem blight on watermelon and that the production system has the potential to mitigate damage caused by these diseases.


1993 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 879-883 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Teasdale

Weed management treatments with various degrees of herbicide inputs were applied with or without a hairy vetch cover crop to no-tillage corn in four field experiments at Beltsville, MD. A hairy vetch living mulch in the no-treatment control or a dead mulch in the mowed treatment improved weed control during the first 6 wk of the season but weed control deteriorated in these treatments thereafter. Competition from weeds and/or uncontrolled vetch in these treatments without herbicides reduced corn yield in three of four years by an average of 46% compared with a standard PRE herbicide treatment of 0.6 kg ai/ha of paraquat plus 1.1 kg ai/ha of atrazine plus 2.2 kg ai/ha of metolachlor. Reducing atrazine and metolachlor to one-fourth the rate of the standard treatment in the absence of cover crop reduced weed control in three of four years and corn yield in two of four years compared with the standard treatment. Hairy vetch had little influence on weed control or corn yield with any herbicide treatments.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-54
Author(s):  
Kara B. Pittman ◽  
Charles W. Cahoon ◽  
Kevin W. Bamber ◽  
Lucas S. Rector ◽  
Michael L. Flessner

AbstractCover crops provide a number of agronomic benefits, including weed suppression, which is important as cases of herbicide resistance continue to rise. To effectively suppress weeds, high cover crop biomass is needed, which necessitates later termination timing. Cover crop termination is important to mitigate potential planting issues and prevent surviving cover crop competition with cash crops. Field studies were conducted in Virginia to determine the most effective herbicide options alone or combined with glyphosate or paraquat to terminate a range of cover crop species. Results revealed that grass cover crop species were controlled (94% to 98%) by glyphosate alone 4 wk after application (WAA). Overall, legume species varied in response to the single active-ingredient treatments, and control increased with the addition of glyphosate or paraquat. Mixes with glyphosate provided better control of crimson clover and hairy vetch by 7% to 8% compared with mixes containing paraquat 4 WAA. Mix partner did not influence control of Austrian winter pea. No treatment adequately controlled rapeseed in this study, with a maximum of 58% control observed with single active-ingredient treatments and 62% control with mixes. Height reduction for all cover crop species supports visible rating data. Rapeseed should be terminated when smaller, which could negate weed suppressive benefits from this cover crop species. Growers should consider herbicide selection and termination timing in their cover crop plan to ensure effective termination.


Weed Science ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 380-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. B. Mirsky ◽  
W. S. Curran ◽  
D. M. Mortenseny ◽  
M. R. Ryany ◽  
D. L. Shumway

Integrated weed management tactics are necessary to develop cropping systems that enhance soil quality using conservation tillage and reduced herbicide or organic weed management. In this study, we varied planting and termination date of two cereal rye cultivars (‘Aroostook’ and ‘Wheeler’) and a rye/hairy vetch mixture to evaluate cover-crop biomass production and subsequent weed suppression in no-till planted soybean. Cover crops were killed with a burn-down herbicide and roller-crimper and the weed-suppressive effects of the remaining mulch were studied. Cover-crop biomass increased approximately 2,000 kg ha−1from latest to earliest fall planting dates (August 25–October 15) and for each 10-d incremental delay in spring termination date (May 1–June 1). Biomass accumulation for cereal rye was best estimated using a thermal-based model that separated the effects of fall and spring heat units. Cultivars differed in their total biomass accumulation; however, once established, their growth rates were similar, suggesting the difference was mainly due to the earlier emergence of Aroostook rye. The earlier emergence of Aroostook rye may have explained its greater weed suppression than Wheeler, whereas the rye/hairy vetch mixture was intermediate between the two rye cultivars. Delaying cover-crop termination reduced weed density, especially for early- and late-emerging summer annual weeds in 2006. Yellow nutsedge was not influenced by cover-crop type or the timing of cover-crop management. We found that the degree of synchrony between weed species emergence and accumulated cover-crop biomass played an important role in defining the extent of weed suppression.


Weed Science ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 300-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam S. Davis

Termination of cover crops prior to no-till planting of soybean is typically accomplished with burndown herbicides. Recent advances in cover-crop roller–crimper design offer the possibility of reliable physical termination of cover crops without tillage. A field study within a no-till soybean production system was conducted in Urbana, IL, from 2004 through 2007 to quantify the effects of cover crop (cereal rye, hairy vetch, or bare soil control), termination method (chemical burndown or roller–crimper), and postemergence glyphosate application rate (0, 1.1, or 2.2 kg ae ha−1) on soybean yield components, weed–crop interference, and soil environmental variables. Biomass of weeds surviving management within a soybean crop following either a vetch or rye cover crop was reduced by 26 and 56%, respectively, in the rolled system compared to the burndown system. Soybean yield loss due to weed interference was unaffected by cover-crop termination method in soybean following a rye cover crop, but was higher in the rolled than burndown treatment in both hairy vetch and bare soil treatments. In soybean following a rye cover crop, regardless of termination method, yield loss to weed interference was unaffected by glyphosate rate, whereas in soybean following a vetch cover crop or bare soil, yield loss decreased with glyphosate rate. Variation in soybean yield among cover crops and cover-crop termination treatments was due largely to differences in soybean establishment, rather than differences in the soil environment. Use of a roller–crimper to terminate a cover crop preceding no-till soybean has the potential to achieve similar yields to those obtained in a chemically terminated cover crop while reducing residual weed biomass.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document