Amelioration of soil compaction by a cover-crop for no-tillage lettuce production

1995 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 553 ◽  
Author(s):  
RJ Stirzaker ◽  
I White
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Hot Weather

Excessive cultivation in many horticultural areas results in soil structural decline and poor utilization of water and nutrients. There are no reliable techniques for growing irrigated vegetables without cultivation. This work explores the hypothesis that a winter legume cover-crop can overcome the soil limitations of no-tillage and provide an alternative to excessive cultivation in the vegetable industry. We grew lettuce (Lactuca sativa) under no-tillage in field trials on a sandy loam soil following a bare winter fallow or a cover-crop of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum), and compared this with cultivation by rotary hoe. The clover died naturally in early summer or was desiccated in the spring to form a mulch of at least 5 t ha-1 on the soil surface. The experiment was carried out over a 2.5 year period. The first crop was grown during hot weather and the soil in the no-tillage treatments was only moderately compacted. The yield of lettuce was similar in the no-tillage and cultivated treatments, and increased by about 30% when a mulch was added to each treatment. The soil was artificially compacted after the first crop. The second crop was grown 18 months later, during cooler spring weather, and following two further cover-crops. The yield of no-tillage lettuce was only 40% of that obtained with cultivation. Yield in the no-tillage treatment was doubled in two different ways: (1) by the addition of a surface mulch, and (2) through changes to soil structure stimulated by a cover-crop in the absence of a mulch. The experiments showed that a well-managed cover-crop can significantly ameliorate a compacted sandy soil by modifying soil temperature, soil strength, and by stimulating the formation of biopores.

scholarly journals Suitability of peanut residue as a nitrogen source for a rye cover crop

2007 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kipling Shane Balkcom ◽  
Charles Wesley Wood ◽  
James Fredrick Adams ◽  
Bernard Meso
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
N Application ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Application Rates ◽  
Arachis Hypogaea L ◽  
Secale Cereale L ◽  
Biomass Yields

Leguminous winter cover crops have been utilized in conservation systems to partially meet nitrogen (N) requirements of succeeding summer cash crops, but the potential of summer legumes to reduce N requirements of a winter annual grass, used as a cover crop, has not been extensively examined. This study assessed the N contribution of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) residues to a subsequent rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crop grown in a conservation system on a Dothan sandy loam (fine-loamy, kaolinitic, thermic Plinthic Kandiudults) at Headland, AL USA during the 2003-2005 growing seasons. Treatments were arranged in a split plot design, with main plots of peanut residue retained or removed from the soil surface, and subplots as N application rates (0, 34, 67 and 101 kg ha-1) applied in the fall. Peanut residue had minimal to no effect on rye biomass yields, N content, carbon (C) /N ratio, or N, P, K, Ca and Zn uptake. Additional N increased rye biomass yield, and N, P, K, Ca, and Zn uptakes. Peanut residue does not contribute significant amounts of N to a rye cover crop grown as part of a conservation system, but retaining peanut residue on the soil surface could protect the soil from erosion early in the fall and winter before a rye cover crop grows sufficiently to protect the typically degraded southeastern USA soils.

Tarnished Plant Bug (Hemiptera: Miridae) on Selected Cool-Season Leguminous Cover Crops

1990 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 463-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Bugg ◽  
Felix L. Wäckers ◽  
Kathryn E Brunson ◽  
Sharad C. Phatak ◽  
James D. Dutcher
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Lygus Lineolaris ◽  
Cool Season ◽  
Tarnished Plant Bug ◽  
Trifolium Incarnatum ◽  
Crimson Clover ◽  
Late Instar

Replicated field trials indicated that tarnished plant bug (TPB), Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois) (Hemiptera: Miridae) attained relatively-high densities on hybrid vetches, Vicia sativa L. X V. cordata Wulf cv ‘Cahaba White’ and ‘Vantage’, lower densities on crimson clover, Trifolium incarnatum L. cv ‘Dixie,’ and particularly-low densities on subterranean clover, Trifolium subterraneum L. cv ‘Mt. Barker’. Densities of TPB were also relatively low on an additional 10 types of subterranean clover, including 7 cultivars representing T. subterraneum, 1 cultivar of T. brachycalycinum Katznelson and Morley, and 3 of T. yanninicum Katznelson and Morley. Field longevity trials indicated that late-instar and adult TPB lived longer when caged on crimson clover than on hybrid vetch, which in turn supported better survival than did subterranean clover. When adult TPB were caged on hybrid vetch or subterranean clover with or without floral and fruiting structures, there was no evidence that the presence of these structures prolonged TPB survival on either crop. In laboratory choice tests with flowering and fruiting shoots of three cover crops, TPB preferred crimson clover over hybrid vetch, which in turn was more attractive than subterranean clover. When shoots were presented after reproductive structures had been excised, there was no statistically-significant preference by TPB.

Effect of tillage practices on the fate of hard seeds of subterranean clover in a ley farming system

1985 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 568 ◽  
Author(s):  
GB Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Minimum Tillage ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
Tillage Treatment ◽  
Clover Seed

In a rotation of 1 year pasture/l year crop, a subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum cv. Daliak) pasture was either left untilled or subjected to minimum or conventional tillage. One set of tillage treatments was imposed in each ofthree crop years while another set of treatments was imposed in only the first crop year. Regenerating clover plants were prevented from setting seed. In the first crop, 44% of the clover seeds were buried below 2 cm of soil by minimum tillage; this proportion was 65% in the conventional tillage treatment. In the first pasture regeneration year, seedling densities were highest in the no-tillage treatment. Conversely, there were more residual seeds in the tilled treatments and, in the second and third pasture regeneration years, this led to higher seedling densities than in the no-tillage treatment. The effects of tillage were more marked in the conventional than in the minimum-tillage treatment. Clover establishment was improved by repeat tillage operations which returned some of the buried seeds closer to the soil surface. Although more seedlings overall were obtained from the no-tillage treatment, the disadvantage of fewer seedlings in the tilled treatments was offset by the spread of seedling establishment over a number of pasture years. This spread, which would be more marked with harder-seeded cultivars, could be desirable in environments in which clover seed production is unreliable.

The effect of a Mediterranean summer environment on the permeability of hard seeds of subterranean clover

1962 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 377 ◽  
Author(s):  
BJ Quinlivan ◽  
AJ Millington
Keyword(s):  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Maximum Level ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Hard Seed ◽  
Seed Content ◽  
Artificial Environment ◽  
Different Strains

Burr samples of nine strains of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) were collected from field sward trials at monthly intervals during the summer and autumn months and tested for hard seed content. Similar tests were carried out on burrs exposed to an artificial environment in a laboratory oven, which simulated the temperature conditions on a bare soil surface during the hot summer months in the agricultural districts of Western Australia. The maximum level of hard-seededness for all strains was achieved in the late spring or early summer soon after field maturity. There was significant variation in the maximum hard seed content of the different strains. Over the summer and autumn months the hard seed content of all strains declined in the samples from the field and the laboratory. There was considerable variability among strains in the rate and pattern of decline in hard seed content, and in the percentage of hard seed remaining in the autumn. The agronomic significance of the strain variability and the possibility of its inclusion in a breeding and selection programme are discussed.

scholarly journals Effect of Previous Crop Roots on Soil Compaction in 2 Yr Rotations under a No-Tillage System

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 202
Author(s):  
Jay D. Jabro ◽  
Brett L. Allen ◽  
Tatyana Rand ◽  
Sadikshya R. Dangi ◽  
Joshua W. Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Crop Productivity ◽  
Parent Material ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Tillage System

Compacted soils affect global crop productivity and environmental quality. A field study was conducted from 2014 to 2020 in the northern Great Plains, USA, to evaluate the effect of various rooting systems on soil compaction in 2 yr rotations of camelina (Camelina sativa L.), carinata (Brassica carinata A.) and a cover crop mix planted in place of fallow with durum (Triticum durum D.). The study was designed as a randomized complete block with three replications in a no-tillage system. The soil was classified as Dooley sandy loam (fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, frigid Typic Argiustolls) derived from glacial till parent material. Three measurements of soil penetration resistance (PR) were taken with a penetrometer to a depth of 0–30 cm within each plot. Soil moisture contents were determined using a TDR sensor at the time of PR measurements. Both measurements were monitored prior to planting in spring and after harvest. Initial PR results from spring 2014 showed that all plots had an average of 2.244 MPa between the 8–20 cm depth, due to a history of tillage and wheel traffic caused by various field activities. Covariance analysis indicated that soil PR was not significantly affected by crop type and moisture content. After one cycle of the 2 yr rotation, the 2016 measurements indicated that the compacted layer existed at the same initial depths. However, after two and three cycles, soil PR values were reduced to 1.480, 1.812, 1.775, 1.645 MPa in spring 2018 and 1.568, 1.581, 1.476, 1.458 MPa in 2020 under camelina, carinata, cover crop mix, and durum treatments, respectively. These findings indicate that previous cover crop roots could effectively improve soil compaction by penetrating the compacted layer, decompose over time and form voids and root channels. Although these results are novel and significant, further research is needed on different soils and under cover crops with different root systems to support our findings prior to making any conclusion.

A method for mechanically killing cover crops to optimize weed suppression

1995 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 157-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.G. Creamer ◽  
B. Plassman ◽  
M.A. Bennett ◽  
R.K. Wood ◽  
B.R. Stinner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Mechanical Method ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Crimson Clover

AbstractResidues of dead cover crops can suppress weeds by providing a mulch on the soil surface. The cover crop usually is killed with herbicides, but a mechanical method is desirable in systems intended to reduce chemical use. We designed and built an undercutter to kill cover crops by severing their roots while flattening the intact aboveground biomass on the surface of raised beds. We studied which cover crop species could be killed with the undercutter and compared the weed control potential of cover crop residues after flail mowing, sicklebar mowing, and undercutting.Whether a species was killed by the undercutter depended primarily on growth stage. Species that were in mid- to late bloom or beyond, including rye, hairy vetch, bigflower vetch, crimson clover, barley, and subterranean clover, were easily killed by undercutting. There were no differences in dry weights of broadleaf weeds between the undercut and simulated sicklebar mowed treatments, both of which had less weed biomass than the clean-tilled or flail-mowed plots.

scholarly journals Influence of cover crop treatments on the performance of a vineyard in a humid region

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. e0907 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emiliano Trigo-Córdoba ◽  
Yolanda Bouzas-Cid ◽  
Ignacio Orriols-Fernández ◽  
Emilia Díaz-Losada ◽  
Jose M. Mirás-Avalos
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Vegetative Growth ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Soil Tillage ◽  
Native Vegetation ◽  
Stem Water Potential ◽  
Berry Quality ◽  
Berry Composition

Vineyards are usually managed by tilling the inter-rows to avoid competition from other plants for soil water and nutrients. However, in humid and sub-humid climates, such as that of NW Spain, cover crops may be an advantage for controlling vine vegetative growth and improving berry composition, while reducing management costs. The current study was conducted over three consecutive growing seasons (2012-2014) to assess the effects of establishing three permanent cover crop treatments on water relations, vine physiology, yield and berry composition of a vineyard of the red cultivar ‘Mencía’ (<em>Vitis vinifera </em>L.) located in Leiro, Ourense. Treatments consisted of four different soil management systems: ST, soil tillage; NV, native vegetation; ER, English ryegrass (<em>Lolium perenne</em> L.); and SC, subterranean clover (<em>Trifolium subterraneum</em> L.). Midday stem water potential was more negative in the native vegetation treatment, causing significant reductions in leaf stomatal conductance on certain dates. Total vine leaf area and pruning weight was reduced in the cover crop treatments in the last year of the experiment. Yield was unaffected by the presence of a cover crop. No significant differences among treatments were observed for berry composition; however, wines were positively affected by the SC treatment (higher tannin content and colour intensity and lower malic acid concentration when compared with ST). Wines from the cover crop treatments were preferred by taste panelists. These results indicate that in humid climates cover crop treatments can be useful for reducing vine vegetative growth without compromising yield and berry quality.

Time of sowing and the presence of a cover-crop determine the productivity and persistence of perennial pastures in mixed farming systems

2014 ◽  
Vol 65 (10) ◽  
pp. 988 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guangdi D. Li ◽  
Richard C. Hayes ◽  
Jeff I. McCormick ◽  
Matthew J. Gardner ◽  
Graeme A. Sandral ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Perennial Species ◽  
Sowing Time ◽  
Annual Legumes ◽  
Mixed Farming

Incorporation of perennial pastures into cropping rotations can improve whole-farm productivity, profitability and sustainability of mixed farming systems in southern Australia. However, success in establishing perennial pastures depends on choice of species, time of sowing, method of establishment, seasonal conditions, and whether sowing is under a cover-crop. Field experiments were sown from 2008 to 2010 to determine effects of sowing time and the presence of a cover-crop on the performance of four perennial pasture species, lucerne (Medicago sativa L.), chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), phalaris (Phalaris aquatica L.) and cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.), at Yerong Creek, New South Wales (NSW). Results showed that lucerne was the most productive pasture, followed by chicory and phalaris, with cocksfoot being the poorest performer. Under favourable seasonal conditions, lucerne and chicory pastures produced 29.3 and 25.0 t ha–1 of total dry matter (DM), comprising 71% and 52%, respectively, of sown perennial species in the sward in their second growing season, when sown in autumn. Spring-sown pastures produced 24.6 and 18.3 t ha–1 of total DM in the second season, with 55% and 47% of sown species in the sward being lucerne and chicory, respectively. However, spring-sown pastures contained a very low proportion of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) in the sward in the first 2 years, despite efforts to broadcast seeds at the break of season in the following year. It is recommended that non-legume perennial species, such as chicory and phalaris, be sown in autumn with companion annual legumes until methods are developed and tested to establish annual legumes reliably in spring. However, lucerne can be established in autumn or spring because it can fix its own nitrogen and is not reliant on a companion legume. Cocksfoot cv. Kasbah, in general, appears less suitable than the other perennial species for this medium-rainfall environment in southern NSW. Our study showed that pastures sown without a cover-crop had the most reliable establishment, whereas pastures sown with a cover-crop in a dry year had poor establishment or total failure, as well as a significant reduction of grain yield from the cover-crop. In a wet year, pastures established satisfactorily under a cover-crop; however, growth of the cover-crop still suppressed pasture DM production in subsequent years. Research is under way to model our data to determine the likely financial implications of establishing perennial pastures under cover-crops.

scholarly journals Redistribution of phosphorus in soil through cover crop roots

2004 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 381-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Júlio C. Franchini ◽  
Marcos A. Pavan ◽  
Mário Miyazawa
Keyword(s):  
Pisum Sativum ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Lupinus Albus ◽  
Growth Period ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Phosphate Fertilizer ◽  
Vicia Sativa ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Soil P

The objective of this study was to evaluate if cover crops can absorb P from the upper layers and transport it in their roots to subsoil layers. Samples of an Oxisol were placed in PVC columns. Super phosphate fertilizer was applied to the 0-10 cm soil surface layers. The cover crops tested were: Avena strigosa, Avena sativa, Secale cereale, Pisum sativum subsp arvense, Pisum sativum, Vicia villosa, Vicia sativa, Lupinus angustifoliu, Lupinus albus, and Triticum aestivum. After a growth period of 80 days the cover crop shoots were cut off and the soil was divided into 10cm layers and the roots of each layer were washed out. The roots and shoots were analyzed separated for total P contribution to the soil. Considerable amount of P was present in the roots of cover crops. Vicia sativa contained more than 60% of total plant P in the roots. The contribution of Vicia sativa to soil P bellow the fertilized zone was about 7 kg ha-1. It thus appeared that there existed a possibility of P redistribution into the soil under no tillage by using cover crops in rotation with cash crops. Vicia sativa was the most efficient cover crop species as P carrier into the roots from superficial layer to lower layers.

scholarly journals No-tillage sorghum and garbanzo yields match or exceed standard tillage yields

2022 ◽  
pp. 112-120
Author(s):  
Jeffrey P. Mitchell ◽  
Anil Shrestha ◽  
Lynn Epstein ◽  
Jeffery A. Dahlberg ◽  
Teamrat Ghezzehei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
San Joaquin Valley ◽  
Agricultural Water Use ◽  
No Till ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Crop System

To meet the requirements of California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, there is a critical need for crop production strategies with less reliance on irrigation from surface and groundwater sources. One strategy for improving agricultural water use efficiency is reducing tillage and maintaining residues on the soil surface. We evaluated high residue no-till versus standard tillage in the San Joaquin Valley with and without cover crops on the yields of two crops, garbanzo and sorghum, for 4 years. The no-till treatment had no primary or secondary tillage. Sorghum yields were similar in no-till and standard tillage systems while no-till garbanzo yields matched or exceeded those of standard tillage, depending on the year. Cover crops had no effect on crop yields. Soil cover was highest under the no-till with cover crop system, averaging 97% versus 5% for the standard tillage without cover crop system. Our results suggest that garbanzos and sorghum can be grown under no-till practices in the San Joaquin Valley without loss of yield.

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