Nitrogen contribution of rye–hairy vetch cover crop mixtures to organically grown sweet corn

2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Lawson ◽  
Ann Marie Fortuna ◽  
Craig Cogger ◽  
Andy Bary ◽  
Tami Stubbs
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Sweet Corn ◽  
N Availability ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Total N ◽  
Available N ◽  
Laboratory Incubation ◽  
N Release ◽  
Organically Grown

AbstractOrganic cropping systems that utilize winter grown cereal–legume cover crop mixtures can increase plant available nitrogen (N) to a subsequent cash crop, but the rate of N release is uncertain due to variations in residue composition and environmental conditions. A study was conducted to evaluate N availability from rye (Secale cereale L.)–hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) cover crop mixtures and to measure the response of organically grown sweet corn (Zea mays L.) to N provided by cover crop mixtures. Nitrogen availability from pure rye, pure hairy vetch, and rye–vetch mixtures was estimated using laboratory incubation with controlled temperature and soil moisture. Sweet corn N response was determined in a 2-year field experiment in western Washington with three cover crop treatments as main plots (50:50 rye–vetch seed mixture planted mid September, planted early October, and none) and four feather meal N rates as subplots (0, 56, 112 and 168 kg available N ha−1). Pure hairy vetch and a 75% rye–25% hairy vetch biomass mixture (R75V25) released similar amounts of N over 70 days in the laboratory incubation. But, the initial release of N from the (R75V25) treatment was nearly 70% lower, which may result in N release that is better timed with crop uptake. Cover crops in the field were dominated by rye and contained 34–76 kg ha−1 total N with C:N ranging from 18 to 27. Although time of planting and management of cover crop quality improved N uptake in sweet corn, cover crops provided only supplemental plant available N in this system.

scholarly journals Release of Available Nitrogen after Incorporation of a Legume Cover Crop in Concord Grape

HortScience ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 875-880 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle E. Bair ◽  
Joan R. Davenport ◽  
Robert G. Stevens
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Blood Meal ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Sweet Clover ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Available N ◽  
N Release ◽  
Legume Cover Crops ◽  
Concord Grape ◽  
N Demand

Legume cover crops can be used to provide nitrogen (N) to organically produced Concord (Vitis labruscana Bailey) grape. The cover crop must be incorporated at a time such that subsequent N mineralization is synchronous with plant demand to maximize the amount of N available to the grape plant. The objectives of this research were to 1) evaluate the effectiveness of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa subsp. villosa L.) and yellow sweet clover [Melilotus officinalis (L.) Lam.] in providing N to organically grown Concord grape, 2) examine the synchronization of N release from mineralization after incorporation of cover crops with plant N demand, and 3) compare soluble, more readily available sources of N to legume cover crops in providing N to grape. This work was conducted on two Concord vineyards, one commercial (COM) and one research (RES) vineyard. Both vineyards were overhead sprinkler-irrigated and plots were established in a Latin square design with four or six replicates of each treatment. Treatments consisted of hairy vetch and yellow sweet clover planted in either the spring or fall, 112 kg·ha−1 N added as either urea or blood meal, and a 0 kg·ha−1 N control. Soils were sampled weekly (0 to 30 cm) from budbreak to cover crop plot treatment establishment and were analyzed for soluble (NO3-N and NH4-N) N. Soluble N release in the plots was monitored with ion exchange membranes (plant root simulators). Grapes were harvested and evaluated for yield and °Brix. Legume and fertilizer treatments resulted in increased N availability from grape bloom until veraison. As a result of rapid nitrification, NH4-N was less useful than NO3-N in determining N mineralization patterns. Available N peaks as high as 40 mg·kg−1 NO3-N were well timed with the critical N demand period for Concord grape. Soluble N sources (urea and blood meal) peaked higher than plant sources. No differences were detected between legume treatments. Legume covers did, however, supply more available N per unit of biomass to the soil than a small grain cover. Yield and oBrix varied by year but not by treatment, suggesting that the cover crop or plant and soil N reserves provided sufficient available N to the grape through the study period.

scholarly journals Cover Crop Management and Weed Suppression in No-tillage Sweet Corn Production

HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 1262-1266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lidia M. Carrera ◽  
Aref A. Abdul-Baki ◽  
John R. Teasdale
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Sweet Corn ◽  
Crop Management ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Corn Yield ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Weed Biomass

Cover crops combined with conservation tillage practices can minimize chemical inputs and improve soil quality, soil water-holding capacity, weed suppression and crop yields. No-tillage production of sweet corn (Zea mays var. `Silver Queen') was studied for 2 years at the USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Md., to determine cover crop management practices that maximize yield and suppress weeds. Cover crop treatments were hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth), rye (Secale cereale L.) and hairy vetch mixture, and bare soil (no cover crop). There were three cover crop killing methods: mowing, rolling or contact herbicide paraquat. All plots were treated with or without atrazine and metolachlor after planting. There was a 23% reduction in sweet corn plant population in the rye-hairy vetch mixture compared to bare soil. Averaged over both years, sweet corn yield in hairy vetch treatments was 43% greater than in bare soil, whereas yield in the rye-hairy vetch mixture was 30% greater than in bare soil. There were no significant main effects of kill method or significant interactions between kill method and cover crop on yield. Sweet corn yields were not different for hairy vetch or rye-hairy vetch treatments with or without atrazine and metolachlor. However, yield in bare soil without the herbicides atrazine and metolachor were reduced by 63% compared to bare soil with these herbicides. When no atrazine and metolachlor were applied, weed biomass was reduced in cover crops compared to the bare soil. Regression analysis showed greater yield loss per unit of weed biomass for bare soil than for the vetch or rye-hairy vetch mixture. This analysis suggests that cover crops increased sweet corn yield in the absence of atrazine and metolachlor not only by reducing weed biomass, but also by increasing the competitiveness of corn to weeds at any given biomass.

scholarly journals Cover Crop and Tillage Effects on Production and Nitrogen Nutrition of Sweet Corn

HortScience ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 669d-669
Author(s):  
Gary R. Cline ◽  
Anthony F. Silvernail
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Sweet Corn ◽  
Nitrogen Nutrition ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Corn Production ◽  
Total N ◽  
Foliar N

A split-plot factorial experiment examined effects of tillage and winter cover crops on sweet corn. 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. No significant effects of tillage on sweet corn yields were detected. Following corn not receiving inorganic N, vetch produced cover crop total N yields of 130 kg·ha–1 that were over three-times greater than those obtained with rye. Following rye winter covercrops, addition of ammonium nitrate to corn significantly (P < 0.05) increased corn yields and foliar N concentrations compared to treatments not receiving N. However, following vetch, corn yields and foliar N concentrations obtained without N fertilization equaled those obtained with N fertilization following rye or vetch. Available soil N was significantly (P < 0.05) greater following vetch compared to rye for ≈9 weeks after corn planting and peaked ≈4 weeks after planting. It was concluded that no-tillage sweet corn was successful and N fixed by vetch was able to sustain sweet corn production.

scholarly journals Nutrient Management with Cover Crops and Compost Affects Development and Yield in Organically Managed Sweetpotato Systems

HortScience ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 1423-1433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle D. Treadwell ◽  
Nancy G. Creamer ◽  
Greg D. Hoyt ◽  
Jonathan R. Schultheis
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Organic Fertilizer ◽  
Total Yield ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Inorganic N ◽  
Available N ◽  
Soil Inorganic N ◽  
Organically Managed ◽  
Soil Inorganic

A 3-year field experiment was initiated in 2001 to evaluate different organic sweetpotato production systems that varied in cover crop management and tillage. Three organic systems: 1) compost and no cover crop with tillage (Org-NCC); 2) compost and a cover crop mixture of hairy vetch and rye incorporated before transplanting (Org-CCI); and 3) compost and the same cover crop mixture with reduced tillage (Org-RT) were compared with a conventionally managed system (Conv) with tillage and chemical controls. Yield of No. 1 sweetpotato roots and total yield were similar among management systems each year, except for a reduction in yield in Org-RT in 2002. The percentage of No. 1 grade roots was at least 17% and 23% higher in Org-CCI and Org-NCC than Org-RT in 2001 and 2002, respectively, and similar to Conv in 2001 and 2004. Organic and conventional N sources contributed to soil inorganic N reserves differently the 2 years this component was measured. In 2002, soil inorganic N reserves at 30 DAT were in the order: Org-CCI (90 kg·ha−1) > Org-NCC (67 kg·ha−1) > Org-RT (45 kg·ha−1), and Conv (55 kg·ha−1). No differences in soil inorganic N reserves were observed among systems in 2004. Sweetpotato N, P, and K tissue concentrations were different among systems only in 2004. That year, at 60 days after transplanting, tissue N, P, and K were greatest in Org-CCI. In 2001 and 2004, N (4.09% to 4.56%) and K (3.79% to 4.34%) were higher than sufficiency ranges for N (3.2% to 4.0%) and K (2.5% to 3.5%) defined by North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recommendations for all treatments. No tissue macronutrient or micronutrient concentrations were limiting during this experiment. Reduced rainfall during the 2002 sweetpotato growing season may have contributed to the low microbially mediated plant-available N from the organic fertilizer sources. Despite differences in the nutrient content of organic and conventional fertility amendments, organically managed systems receiving compost with or without incorporated hairy vetch and rye produced yields equal to the conventionally managed system.

Weed Control and Sweet Corn (Zea maysvar.rugosa) Response in a No-till System with Cover Crops

Weed Science ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 355-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nilda R. Burgos ◽  
Ronald E. Talbert
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Sweet Corn ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Yellow Nutsedge ◽  
No Till ◽  
Agricultural Experiment ◽  
And Control

Studies were conducted at the Main Agricultural Experiment Station in Fayetteville and the Vegetable Substation in Kibler, Arkansas, in 1992 and 1993 on the same plots to evaluate weed suppression by winter cover crops alone or in combination with reduced herbicide rates in no-till sweet corn and to evaluate cover crop effects on growth and yield of sweet corn. Plots seeded to rye plus hairy vetch, rye, or wheat had at least 50% fewer early season weeds than hairy vetch alone or no cover crop. None of the cover crops reduced population of yellow nutsedge. Without herbicides, hairy vetch did not suppress weeds 8 wk after cover crop desiccation. Half rates of atrazine and metolachlor (1.1 + 1.1 kg ai ha−1) reduced total weed density more effectively in no cover crop than in hairy vetch. Half rates of atrazine and metolachlor controlled redroot pigweed, Palmer amaranth, and goosegrass regardless of cover crop. Full rates of atrazine and metolachlor (2.2 + 2.2 kg ai ha−1) were needed to control large crabgrass in hairy vetch. Control of yellow nutsedge in hairy vetch was marginal even with full herbicide rates. Yellow nutsedge population increased and control with herbicides declined the second year, particularly with half rates of atrazine and metolachlor. All cover crops except hairy vetch alone reduced emergence, height, and yield of sweet corn. Sweet corn yields from half rates of atrazine and metolachlor equalled the full rates regardless of cover crops.

scholarly journals Effect of 15n-labeled hairy vetch and nitrogen fertilization on maize nutrition and yield under no-tillage¹

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 1337-1345 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Alan de Almeida Acosta ◽  
Telmo Jorge Carneiro Amado ◽  
Andreas de Neergaard ◽  
Mads Vinther ◽  
Leandro Souza da Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crop ◽  
Soil Classification ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
Total N ◽  
N Release

This study evaluated the effect of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) as cover crop on maize nutrition and yield under no tillage using isotope techniques. For this purpose, three experiments were carried out: 1) quantification of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in hairy vetch; 2) estimation of the N release rate from hairy vetch residues on the soil surface; 3) quantification of 15N recovery by maize from labeled hairy vetch under three rates of mineral N fertilization. This two-year field experiment was conducted on a sandy Acrisol (FAO soil classification) or Argissolo Vermelho distrófico arênico (Brazilian Soil Classification), at a mean annual temperature of 18 ºC and mean annual rainfall of 1686 mm. The experiment was arranged in a double split-plot factorial design with three replications. Two levels of hairy vetch residue (50 and 100 % of the aboveground biomass production) were distributed on the surface of the main plots (5 x 12 m). Maize in the sub-plots (5 x 4 m) was fertilized with three N rates (0, 60, and 120 kg ha-1 N), with urea as N source. The hairy vetch-derived N recovered by maize was evaluated in microplots (1.8 x 2.2 m). The BFN of hairy vetch was on average 72.4 %, which represents an annual input of 130 kg ha-1 of atmospheric N. The N release from hairy vetch residues was fast, with a release of about 90 % of total N within the first four weeks after cover crop management and soil residue application. The recovery of hairy vetch 15N by maize was low, with an average of 12.3 % at harvest. Although hairy vetch was not directly the main source of maize N nutrition, the crop yield reached 8.2 Mg ha-1, without mineral fertilization. There was an apparent synergism between hairy vetch residue application and the mineral N fertilization rate of 60 kg ha-1, confirming the benefits of the combination of organic and inorganic N sources for maize under no tillage.

Cover crop contributions to N supply and water conservation in corn production

1991 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 106-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Preston G. Sullivan ◽  
David J. Parrish ◽  
John M. Luna
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Fertilizer N ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Soil Water Retention ◽  
Corn Production ◽  
Total N ◽  
No Till

AbstractWinter annual legume cover crops can reduce nitrogen (N) fertilizer requirements and provide a water-conserving mulch to a subsequent crop. A two-year study was designed to test cover crops of rye (Secale cereale L.), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth), and big/lower vetch (Vicia grandiflora Scopoli) for their ability to produce N and to conserve soil water for a succeeding corn (Zea mays L.) crop. We measured the cover crops' biomass, N yield, carbon (C) to N ratio, and influence on a subsequent corn crop grown under two tillage regimes (disk tillage or no-till). Nitrogen content in cover crop biomass at time of corn planting ranged from 37 to 187 kg/ha. Pure stands of hairy vetch and a mixture of hairy vetch plus bigflower vetch had generally higher N yields, and rye was lowest. Rye growing in association with hairy vetch had lower C:N ratios than rye growing alone. Legume C:N ratios remained generally unchanged from earlier (disked) to later (herbicide) kill dates, but total N and biomass typically increased in the last 2 to 3 weeks before corn planting. Soil water retention was affected by tillage in some cases; no-till was superior to disk incorporation in each case where there was a tillage effect. Cover crops with greater biomass resulted in greater soil water retention. Among cover crops, uptake ofNby corn was greater from hairy vetch or hairy vetch plus bigflower vetch mixture. Biological immobilization of N appeared to be reducing N uptake by corn grown in rye residues. Corn in nonlegume plots fertilized with 140 or 210 kg N/ha took up more N than corn following legumes, but there was no corresponding yield increase. Corn biomass yields following the cover crops ranged from 8.6 to 18.0 Mg/ha with no additional fertilizer N. In the second year of the study, average corn yields following hairy vetch (15.3 Mg/ha) or hairy-bigflower vetch mixtures (16.4 Mg/ha) were not statistically different from corn yields produced by a 140 kg N/ha fertilizer rate (17.4 Mg/ha). These results suggest N from a legume cover crop can replace or substantially reduce fertilizer N requirements in corn production systems in the Appalachian region.

scholarly journals Cover Crop Rotations Alter Soil Microbiology and Reduce Replant Disorders in Strawberry

HortScience ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 1303-1308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Toren Seigies ◽  
Marvin Pritts
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Methyl Bromide ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Sweet Corn ◽  
Strawberry Plant ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
History Of ◽  
Multiple Species ◽  
Bare Fallow ◽  
Root Health

In July 2001, a study was established in a field with a 30-year history of perennial strawberry production to examine effects on replant disorder of 12 different species of preplant cover crops, soil fumigation (methyl bromide plus chloropicrin), and fallow management. In May 2002, strawberries (`Jewel') were planted into pots containing soils with the incorporated cover crops, grown for 1 year, and then fruited. Strawberry yields in 2003 were highest in pots containing indiangrass (Sorghastrum avenaceum) and brown mustard (Brassica juncea) -incorporated soils, resulting in 32% and 28%, respectively, higher yield than plants in pots containing untreated, bare fallow soil. Yield was lowest in fumigated soil or soil incorporated with sunnhemp (Crotolaria juncea), having 19% and 10% less yield than the fallow treatment, respectively. In Aug. 1999, a complementary study was established in a field with a 7-year history of continuous perennial strawberry production to examine the effects of single species and multiple species rotations on replant disorder, bacterial populations, and fungal pathogens over 2 fruiting years. Cover crop treatments included various monocultures and sequences of perennial alfalfa (Medicago sativa), brown mustard, kale (B. oleracea `Winterbor'), sweet corn (Zea mays `Saccharata'), rye (Secale cereale), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), marigold (Tagetes patula `Nema-gone'), oats (Avena sativa `Newdak'), and sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor × S. sudanese). These rotations were compared with the effects of fumigation using methyl bromide with chloropicrin (99:1), continuous strawberry, and bare fallow. Symptoms of replant disorder developed in the continuous strawberry plots within a few months of planting. Plants in the fumigation treatment produced greater fruit yield than all other treatments in 2003, 139% more than plants from the continuous strawberry treatment. Strawberry plants grown in the kale/sweet corn/rye treatment had consistently high yield, and both the hairy vetch/marigold/rye and the oats/sudangrass/rye treatments led to marked improvement over the continuous strawberry treatment. Plants from the brown mustard treatment also were more vigorous and productive than plants from the continuous strawberry treatment during 2002 despite having relatively low foliar biomass and a relatively high level of fungal infection on strawberry plant roots. In the field, symptoms of replant disorder were best overcome by fumigation with methyl bromide or multiple species rotations, particularly that of kale followed by sweet corn and rye. Although Rhizoctonia levels were associated with poor root health, general fungal and bacterial root infection rates were not consistently associated with the presence of visible symptoms of replant disorder nor with strawberry plant growth and productivity.

Nitrogen release from shoots and roots of crimson clover, hairy vetch, and red clover

2020 ◽  
Vol 100 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-188
Author(s):  
X.M. Yang ◽  
C.F. Drury ◽  
W.D. Reynolds ◽  
L.A. Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Half Life ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Organic N ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Inorganic N ◽  
Total N ◽  
Crimson Clover ◽  
N Release ◽  
Legume Cover Crops

Nitrogen (N) release from legume cover crops is a key N source for subsequent crops in rotation. In this study, chopped fresh shoots or roots (<5 mm) of crimson clover (CC), hairy vetch (HV), and red clover (RC) were incorporated into a 50:50 mixture of air-dried sandy loam soil (<2 mm) and washed builders sand at a rate of 300 mg N kg−1. The mixtures were packed in leaching tubes (four replicates), leached with 100 mL of 5 mmol L−1 CaCl2, and then incubated for 10 wk (22 °C, 0.33 bar matric potential) with weekly leaching. Total N and inorganic N (NH4+ plus NO3−) in leachate were quantified and organic N was determined as the difference between total N and inorganic N. More N was released from shoots (63.4%–70.0% of initial N) than from roots (27.3%–50.7% of initial N). Mineralized organic N and inorganic N followed the first order, single N-pool mineralization model [Nt = N0(1 – e−kt); R2 = 0.94−0.99]. Potentially mineralizable N (N0, as % of initial N) was similar for shoots (CC = 75.1%, HV = 74.2%, and RC = 71.3%), but varied for roots (CC = 36.2%, HV = 52.6%, and RC = 53.0%). The N0 pool in shoots had a half-life (t1/2 = ln 2/k) of 11.0, 9.8, and 15.1 d for CC, HV, and RC, respectively; and a half-life in roots of 23.9, 8.5, and 25.7 d, respectively. Hence, HV released its stored N in both roots and shoots faster than CC and RC. The results in this study would help farmers optimize their choice in legume cover crops and termination times to better synchronize N release with crop uptake.

scholarly journals Nitrogen cycling, profit margins and sweet corn yield under fall cover crop systems

2012 ◽  
Vol 92 (2) ◽  
pp. 353-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelsey A. O'Reilly ◽  
John D. Lauzon ◽  
Richard J. Vyn ◽  
Laura L. Van Eerd
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Cycling ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Sweet Corn ◽  
Corn Yield ◽  
Available N ◽  
Profit Margins ◽  
Cereal Rye

O'Reilly, K. A., Lauzon, J. D., Vyn, R. J. and Van Eerd, L. L. 2012. Nitrogen cycling, profit margins and sweet corn yield under fall cover crop systems. Can. J. Soil Sci. 92: 353–365. In order to improve N best management practices in southwestern Ontario vegetable farming, the effect of cover crops on N dynamics in the fall and spring prior to sweet corn planting and during sweet corn season was assessed. The experiment was a split plot design in a fresh green pea – cover crop – sweet corn rotation that took place over 2 site-years at Bothwell and Ridgetown in 2006–2007 and 2007–2008, respectively. The main plot factor was fall cover crop type with five treatments including oat (Avena sativa L.), cereal rye (Secale cereale L.), oilseed radish (OSR; Raphanus sativus L. var. oleoferus Metzg Stokes), mixture OSR plus cereal rye (OSR&rye) and a no cover crop control. Compared with no cover crop, sweet corn profit margins were higher by $450 ha−1 for oat at Bothwell and $1300 and $760 ha−1 for OSR and OSR&rye, respectively, at Ridgetown. By comparing plant available N over the cover crop season, the cover crops tested were more effective at preventing N loss at Bothwell than at Ridgetown likely due to higher precipitation and sandier soil at Bothwell. Despite differences in site characteristics, cover crops did not result in increased plant available N compared with no-cover during the sweet corn season at either site, indicating that these cover crops will not provide an N credit to the following crop and growers should not modify N fertilizer applications based on cover crops.

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