Role of cover crops and nicosulfuron dosage on weed control and productivity in corn crop

AbstractA field experiment was conducted at the research farm of the University of Tehran to evaluate the effect of cover crops and herbicide (nicosulfuron) dosage on corn (Zea mays L.) productivity. Cover crops suppressed weed biomass and density during the fallow period; however, there was no significant effect on weed biomass or weed density in the subsequent corn crop. A mixture of cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.) was the most weed-suppressive cover in the fallow period. Nicosulfuron applied at different amounts suppressed weed biomass and density in corn when compared with weedy plots. Application of 40 g ai ha−1 of nicosulfuron was as effective on weed control as the recommended application. Cover crops did not affect corn growth; however, corn yield improved with herbicide application.

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Mechanical and thermal weed control in organic crops

10.32469/10355/63464 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Ricardo Costa Silva

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Hot Water ◽

Limiting Factors ◽

Corn Yield ◽

Weed Biomass ◽

No Till ◽

Potential Alternative ◽

Grass Biomass

Effective weed control is one of the most yield-limiting factors in organic corn and soybean production. Additionally, the amount of tillage needed to control weeds in organic practice is often criticized for its negative impacts on soil quality. This research was conducted in central Missouri from 2016-2017 to compare cultivation, flame application, between-row mowing, and hot water spray for in-season weed control in organic corn and soybeans. Between-row mowing and hot water application were paired with notillage and a crimped winter cover crop of cereal rye (Secale cereale L.). When weeds reached 10.2 cm, weed control practices were implemented and repeated as necessary until canopy closure. Grass and broadleaf weed biomass between crop rows was determined at multiple dates throughout the 2016 and 2017 seasons and in-row weed levels were determined at the final collection date for each crop each year. Broadleaf weed biomass at the end of the soybean season in 2016 was lower in the two treatments utilizing no-till and cover crops as primary weed control and hot water and mowing as secondary control. Soybean yield was adversely affected by flaming but not significantly different for the cultivation, mowing and hot water treatments. In 2017, soybean had less between-row grass biomass in the cultivation and flaming treatments than in hot water and mowing, but broadleaf levels were the same in the mowed treatment as the cultivated and flamed treatments. In 2016, grass biomass was lower in the no-till treatments between corn rows and higher in the crop rows than the other two treatments. Weed control treatments led to no significant differences in corn yield in 2016 and higher yields in the no-till treatments in 2017. In-row weed levels were significantly higher in corn in 2017 for the hot water treatment. Hot water at the levels applied in this research was not an effective weed control method. Since the overuse of cultivation can decrease soil organic matter levels and increase soil erosion, alternatives techniques are important to grant farmers the possibility to use their land for a long time. The crimped cover crop used in the no-till treatments limited weed growth in early-season corn and soybean and when coupled with between-row mowing is a potential alternative to cultivation in organic crop production. Flaming is also a potential alternative to cultivation in corn production.

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Effect of cereal rye and canola on winter and summer annual weed emergence in corn

Weed Technology ◽

10.1017/wet.2020.51 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 34 (6) ◽

pp. 787-793

Author(s):

Stephanie A. DeSimini ◽

Kevin D. Gibson ◽

Shalamar D. Armstrong ◽

Marcelo Zimmer ◽

Lucas O.R. Maia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Corn Yield ◽

Crop Species ◽

Weed Biomass ◽

Cereal Rye ◽

Giant Ragweed ◽

Corn Grain ◽

Corn Grain Yield

AbstractField experiments were conducted in 2017 and 2018 at two locations in Indiana to evaluate the influence of cover crop species, termination timing, and herbicide treatment on winter and summer annual weed suppression and corn yield. Cereal rye and canola cover crops were terminated early or late (2 wk before or after corn planting) with a glyphosate- or glufosinate-based herbicide program. Canola and cereal rye reduced total weed biomass collected at termination by up to 74% and 91%, in comparison to fallow, respectively. Canola reduced horseweed density by up to 56% at termination and 57% at POST application compared to fallow. Cereal rye reduced horseweed density by up to 59% at termination and 87% at POST application compared to fallow. Canola did not reduce giant ragweed density at termination in comparison to fallow. Cereal rye reduced giant ragweed density by up to 66% at termination and 62% at POST application. Termination timing had little to no effect on weed biomass and density reduction in comparison to the effect of cover crop species. Cereal rye reduced corn grain yield at both locations in comparison to fallow, especially for the late-termination timing. Corn grain yield reduction up to 49% (4,770 kg ha–1) was recorded for cereal rye terminated late in comparison to fallow terminated late. Canola did not reduce corn grain yield in comparison to fallow within termination timing; however, late-terminated canola reduced corn grain yield by up to 21% (2,980 kg ha–1) in comparison to early-terminated fallow. Cereal rye can suppress giant ragweed emergence, whereas canola is not as effective at suppressing large-seeded broadleaves such as giant ragweed. These results also indicate that early-terminated cover crops can often result in higher corn grain yields than late-terminated cover crops in an integrated weed management program.

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Cover crops and topography differentially influence weeds at a watershed scale

Weed Technology ◽

10.1017/wet.2019.83 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 34 (1) ◽

pp. 73-81 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Gurbir Singh ◽

Gurpreet Kaur ◽

Karl W. Williard ◽

Kelly A. Nelson ◽

Jon E. Schoonover

Keyword(s):

Cover Crops ◽

Weed Management ◽

Weed Suppression ◽

Watershed Scale ◽

Hairy Vetch ◽

Weed Biomass ◽

Cereal Rye ◽

Topographic Positions ◽

Winter Fallow

AbstractCover crops (CCs) play an important role in integrated weed management. Data necessary to evaluate the role of CCs in weed management at the watershed scale with topographic positions are lacking. We evaluated the effects of cereal rye and hairy vetch CCs on weed suppression at different topographic positions (shoulder, backslope, and footslope) at a watershed scale. Watersheds with a CC treatment followed a crop rotation of corn–cereal rye–soybean–hairy vetch, whereas watersheds without a CC (no-CC) had a crop rotation of corn–winter fallow–soybean–winter fallow. A negative relationship was present between CCs and weed biomass at the shoulder, backslope, and footslope topographic landscape positions, with R2 values of 0.40, 0.48, and 0.50, respectively. In 2016, a cereal rye CC reduced weed biomass 46% to 50% at footslope and shoulder positions compared to no CC. In 2018, a cereal rye CC reduced weed biomass between 52% and 85% at all topographic positions in CC treatment watersheds compared to no-CC watersheds. Hairy vetch in 2017 reduced weed biomass 62% to 72% at footslope and shoulder topographic positions in CC watersheds compared to no-CC. The C:N ratio of weed biomass in CC treatment watersheds was generally higher compared to watersheds without CCs. In this study, several significant interactions were found between the topographic positions and CC treatments. Cover crop–induced weed suppression at different topographic positions can lead to developing better site-specific weed control strategies. Therefore, CC interactions with topography, weed germination potential, and the role of soil moisture at the watershed scale should be further evaluated.

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Spring-planted cover crops for weed control in soybean

Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems ◽

10.1017/s1742170521000107 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

Katja Koehler-Cole ◽

Christopher A. Proctor ◽

Roger W. Elmore ◽

David A. Wedin

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Biomass Production ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Weed Management ◽

Block Design ◽

Weed Suppression ◽

Crop Species ◽

Cold Temperatures ◽

Weed Biomass ◽

Small Grains

Abstract Replacing tillage with cover crops (CC) for weed management in corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] systems with mechanical weed control has many soil health benefits but in the western Corn Belt, CC establishment after harvest is hampered by cold temperatures, limited labor and few compatible CC species. Spring-planted CC may be an alternative, but information is lacking on suitable CC species. Our objective was to evaluate four spring-planted CC with respect to biomass production and weed suppression, concurrent with CC growth and post-termination. Cover crop species tested were oat (Avena sativa L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), brown mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.] and yellow mustard (Brassica hirta Moench). They were compared to no-CC treatments that were either tilled pre- and post-planting of soybean (no-CC tilled) or not tilled at all (no-CC weedy). CC were planted in late March to early April, terminated 52–59 days later using an undercutter, and soybean was planted within a week. The experiment had a randomized complete block design with four replications and was repeated for 3 years. Mustards and small grains produced similar amounts of biomass (1.54 Mg ha−1) but mustard biomass production was more consistent (0.85–2.72 Mg ha−1) than that of the small grains (0.35–3.81 Mg ha−1). Relative to the no-CC weedy treatment, mustards suppressed concurrent weed biomass in two out of 3 years, by 31–97%, and small grains suppressed concurrent weed biomass in only 1 year, by 98%. Six weeks after soybean planting, small grains suppressed weed biomass in one out of 3 years, by 79% relative to the no-CC weedy treatment, but mustards did not provide significant weed suppression. The no-CC tilled treatment suppressed weeds each year relative to the no-CC weedy treatment, on average 87%. The ineffective weed control by CC reduced soybean biomass by about 50% six weeks after planting. While spring-planted CC have the potential for pre-plant weed control, they do not provide adequate early season weed suppression for soybean.

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Influence of a Rye Cover Crop on the Critical Period for Weed Control in Cotton

Weed Science ◽

10.1614/ws-d-14-00075.1 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 63 (1) ◽

pp. 346-352 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Nicholas E. Korres ◽

Jason K. Norsworthy

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Critical Period ◽

Yield Loss ◽

Growing Season ◽

Weed Biomass ◽

Weed Density ◽

Presence And Absence ◽

Weed Removal

Cover crops are becoming increasingly common in cotton as a result of glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth; hence, a field experiment was conducted in 2009 and 2010 in Marianna, AR, with a rye cover crop used to determine its effects on the critical period for weed control in cotton. Throughout most of the growing season, weed biomass in the presence of a rye cover crop was lesser than that in the absence of a rye cover crop. In 2009, in weeks 2 through 7 after planting, weed biomass was reduced at least twofold in the presence of a rye cover compared with the absence of rye. In 2009, in both presence and absence of a rye cover crop, weed removal needed to begin before weed biomass was 150 g m−2, or approximately 4 wk after planting, to prevent yield loss > 5%. Weed density was less in 2010 than in 2009, so weed removal was not required until 7 wk after planting, at which point weed biomass values were 175 and 385 g m−2in the presence and absence of a cover crop, respectively.

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Integration of cover crops and fertilizer rates for weed management in celery

Weed Science ◽

10.1614/ws-05-078r.1 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 54 (02) ◽

pp. 326-334 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Kevin S. Charles ◽

Mathieu Ngouajio ◽

Darryl D. Warncke ◽

Kenneth L. Poff ◽

Mary K. Hausbeck

Keyword(s):

Soil Fertility ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Weed Management ◽

Weed Suppression ◽

Fertility Level ◽

Hairy Vetch ◽

Bare Ground ◽

Weed Biomass ◽

Cereal Rye ◽

Oilseed Radish

Field studies were carried out in Laingsburg, MI, from 2002 to 2004 on Houghton muck soil to assess the impacts of cover crops and soil fertility regimes on weed populations and celery yield. The cover crops were oilseed radish, cereal rye, hairy vetch, and a bare ground control. The fertility rates were full (180, 90, and 450 kg ha−1nitrogen [N], phosphorus pentoxide [P2O5], and potassium oxide [K2O], respectively), half (90, 45, and 225 kg ha−1N, P2O5, and K2O, respectively), and low (90 kg ha−1N). Each cover crop treatment was combined with the low or half rate of fertilizer. An additional treatment with bare ground plus the full rate of fertilizer was added as standard practice. Treatments were maintained in the same location for the duration of the study. Major weed species were common chickweed, prostrate pigweed, shepherd's-purse, common purslane, and yellow nutsedge. Each year, oilseed radish consistently produced the greatest biomass and provided over 98% early season weed biomass suppression. Hairy vetch and cereal rye provided about 70% weed suppression in early spring. Soil fertility level affected weed populations during the 2004 growing season. In 2004, weed biomass in treatments without cover crops or with vetch increased when greater amounts of fertilizer were applied. Within individual fertility levels, higher celery yields were recorded in the oilseed radish plots. For example, in the low fertility rate, celery yield was 34.8, 29.2, 23.9, and 24.4 ton ha−1in the oilseed radish, cereal rye, hairy vetch, and control plots, respectively in 2003. Overall, the results of this experiment indicate that when included in a system where hoeing and hand-weeding are the only weed control methods, cover crops can successfully improve weed management and celery yield on muck soils, allowing reduced fertilizer inputs.

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Integration of residual herbicides with cover crop termination in soybean

Weed Technology ◽

10.1017/wet.2019.111 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 34 (1) ◽

pp. 11-18 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Derek M. Whalen ◽

Lovreet S. Shergill ◽

Lyle P. Kinne ◽

Mandy D. Bish ◽

Kevin W. Bradley

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Biomass Accumulation ◽

Field Studies ◽

Italian Ryegrass ◽

Cereal Rye ◽

Herbicide Treatments ◽

Residual Herbicide ◽

Herbicide Programs

AbstractCover crops have increased in popularity in midwestern U.S. corn and soybean systems in recent years. However, little research has been conducted to evaluate how cover crops and residual herbicides are effectively integrated together for weed control in a soybean production system. Field studies were conducted in 2016 and 2017 to evaluate summer annual weed control and to determine the effect of cover crop biomass on residual herbicide reaching the soil. The herbicide treatments consisted of preplant (PP) applications of glyphosate plus 2,4-D with or without sulfentrazone plus chlorimuron at two different timings, 21 and 7 d prior to soybean planting (DPP). Cover crops evaluated included winter vetch, cereal rye, Italian ryegrass, oat, Austrian winter pea, winter wheat, and a winter vetch plus cereal rye mixture. Herbicide treatments were applied to tilled and nontilled soil without cover crop for comparison. The tillage treatment resulted in low weed biomass at all collection intervals after both application timings, which corresponded to tilled soil having the highest sulfentrazone concentration (171 ng g−1) compared with all cover crop treatments. When applied PP, herbicide treatments applied 21 DPP with sulfentrazone had greater weed (93%) and waterhemp (89%) control than when applied 7 DPP (60% and 69%, respectively). When applied POST, herbicide treatments with a residual herbicide resulted in greater weed and waterhemp control at 7 DPP (83% and 77%, respectively) than at 21 DPP (74% and 61%, respectively). Herbicide programs that included a residual herbicide had the highest soybean yields (≥3,403 kg ha−1). Results from this study indicate that residual herbicides can be effectively integrated either PP or POST in conjunction with cover crop termination applications, but termination timing and biomass accumulation will affect the amount of sulfentrazone reaching the soil.

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Cover Crop Effectiveness Varies in Cover Crop-Based Rotational Tillage Organic Soybean Systems Depending on Species and Environment

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy9060319 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 319 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Laura Vincent-Caboud ◽

Léa Vereecke ◽

Erin Silva ◽

Joséphine Peigné

Keyword(s):

Cover Crops ◽

Weed Management ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Weed Suppression ◽

Future Research ◽

Weed Biomass ◽

Cereal Rye ◽

Cereal Grain ◽

Crop Biomass

Organic farming relies heavily on tillage for weed management, however, intensive soil disturbance can have detrimental impacts on soil quality. Cover crop-based rotational tillage (CCBRT), a practice that reduces the need for tillage and cultivation through the creation of cover crop mulches, has emerged as an alternative weed management practice in organic cropping systems. In this study, CCBRT systems using cereal rye and triticale grain species are evaluated with organic soybean directly seeded into a rolled cover crop. Cover crop biomass, weed biomass, and soybean yields were evaluated to assess the effects of cereal rye and winter triticale cover crops on weed suppression and yields. From 2016 to 2018, trials were conducted at six locations in Wisconsin, USA, and Southern France. While cover crop biomass did not differ among the cereal grain species tested, the use of cereal rye as the cover crop resulted in higher soybean yields (2.7 t ha−1 vs. 2.2 t ha−1) and greater weed suppression, both at soybean emergence (231 vs. 577 kg ha−1 of weed biomass) and just prior to soybean harvest (1178 vs. 1545 kg ha−1). On four out of six sites, cover crop biomass was lower than the reported optimal (<8000 kg ha−1) needed to suppress weeds throughout soybean season. Environmental conditions, in tandem with agronomic decisions (e.g., seeding dates, cultivar, planters, etc.), influenced the ability of the cover crop to suppress weeds regardless of the species used. In a changing climate, future research should focus on establishing flexible decision support tools based on multi-tactic cover crop management to ensure more consistent results with respect to cover crop growth, weed suppression, and crop yields.

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Reduced-Herbicide Weed Management Systems for No-Tillage Corn (Zea mays) in a Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa) Cover Crop

Weed Technology ◽

10.1017/s0890037x00037921 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 879-883 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

John R. Teasdale

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Weed Management ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Standard Treatment ◽

Corn Yield ◽

No Tillage ◽

Hairy Vetch ◽

Treatment Control ◽

Vicia Villosa

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.

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WINTER-KILLED LEGUMINOUS COVER CROPS FOR SWEET CORN

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.27.11.1161f ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 27 (11) ◽

pp. 1161f-1161

Author(s):

Francis X. Mangan ◽

Stephen J. Herbert

Keyword(s):

Cover Crops ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Sweet Corn ◽

Field Research ◽

Corn Yield ◽

High Nitrogen ◽

Vicia Villosa ◽

Nitrogen Levels ◽

Nitrogen Treatments ◽

Legume Growth

Field research was conducted in Deerfield, Mass. to study the effects of leguminous cover crops on sweet corn yield. Oat was planted alone and in combination with four leguminous cover crops August 8, 1990. Cover crop residue was disked once and sweet corn seeded April 23, 1991. Each cover crop combination had three rates of nitrogen added in two applications. Sweet corn seeded into stands of hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) yielded the highest of the cover crop combinations. All leguminous cover crop treatments yielded higher than oat alone or no cover crop when no synthetic nitrogen was added. Cover crop combinations were seeded again in the same field plots August 12, 1991. Oat biomass in November was greater where there had been leguminous cover crops or high rates of synthetic nitrogen. Legume growth was retarded in the plots that had previously received high nitrogen. It is thought that legume growth was reduced in the high nitrogen treatments due to increased oat growth and higher soil nitrogen levels which could inhibit root nodulation.

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