scholarly journals Winter rye cover cropping changes squash (Cucurbita pepo) phyllosphere microbiota and reduces Pseudomonas syringae symptoms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rémi Maglione ◽  
Marie Ciotola ◽  
Mélanie Cadieux ◽  
Vicky Toussaint ◽  
Martin Laforest ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Syringae ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Cucurbita Pepo ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
16S Sequencing ◽  
Conservation Practice ◽  
Cover Cropping ◽  
Microbial Biocontrol Agents

Cover cropping is a soil conservation practice that may reduce the impacts of the economically important pathogen Pseudomonas syringae on crops including squash (Cucurbita pepo). To date, no studies have directly quantified the effect of rye cover crops on P. syringae populations, nor on the bacterial community of squash leaves. In this work, we tested the hypothesis that the protective effects of cover cropping on squash may be mediated by cover cropping effects on the plant’s microbiota that in turn protects against P. syringae. Using combined 16S sequencing and culture-based approaches, we showed that rye cover cropping protects squash against P. syringae, by decreasing pathogen population size on squash leaves and increasing fruit health and marketability at harvest. We also found evidence of a strong effect of rye cover crops on bacterial communities of the squash phyllosphere. Those findings were more striking early in the growing season. Finally, we identified numerous phyllosphere bacteria belonging to the genera Sphingomonas, Methylobacterium and Pseudomonas that were promoted by rye cover crops. Overall, our findings suggest cover cropping is effective for the sustainable management of P. syringae on squash and may provide a reservoir of potential microbial biocontrol agents colonizing the phyllosphere.

scholarly journals Winter rye cover cropping changes squash (Cucurbita pepo) phyllosphere microbiota and reduces Pseudomonas syringae symptoms

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rémi Maglione ◽  
Marie Ciotola ◽  
Mélanie Cadieux ◽  
Vicky Toussaint ◽  
Martin Laforest ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudomonas Syringae ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Cucurbita Pepo ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
16S Sequencing ◽  
Conservation Practice ◽  
Cover Cropping ◽  
Microbial Biocontrol Agents

AbstractCover cropping is a soil conservation practice that may reduce the impacts of the economically important pathogen Pseudomonas syringae on crops including squash (Cucurbita pepo). To date, no studies have directly quantified the effect of rye cover crops on P. syringae populations, nor on the bacterial community of squash leaves. In this work, we tested the hypothesis that the protective effects of cover cropping on squash may be mediated by cover cropping effects on the plant’s microbiota that in turn protects against P. syringae. Using combined 16S sequencing and culture-based approaches, we showed that rye cover cropping protects squash against P. syringae, by decreasing pathogen population size on squash leaves and increasing fruit health and marketability at harvest. We also found evidence of a strong effect of rye cover crops on bacterial communities of the squash phyllosphere. Those findings were more striking early in the growing season. Finally, we identified numerous phyllosphere bacteria belonging to the genera Sphingomonas, Methylobacterium and Pseudomonas that were promoted by rye cover crops. Overall, our findings suggest cover cropping is effective for the sustainable management of P. syringae on squash and may provide a reservoir of potential microbial biocontrol agents colonizing the phyllosphere.

scholarly journals The Potential for Cereal Rye Cover Crops to Host Corn Seedling Pathogens

2016 ◽  
Vol 106 (6) ◽  
pp. 591-601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew G. Bakker ◽  
Jyotsna Acharya ◽  
Thomas B. Moorman ◽  
Alison E. Robertson ◽  
Thomas C. Kaspar
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Winter Cereal ◽  
Conservation Practice ◽  
Seedling Disease ◽  
Cereal Rye ◽  
Cover Cropping ◽  
Corn Seedling

Cover cropping is a prevalent conservation practice that offers substantial benefits to soil and water quality. However, winter cereal cover crops preceding corn may diminish beneficial rotation effects because two grass species are grown in succession. Here, we show that rye cover crops host pathogens capable of causing corn seedling disease. We isolated Fusarium graminearum, F. oxysporum, Pythium sylvaticum, and P. torulosum from roots of rye and demonstrate their pathogenicity on corn seedlings. Over 2 years, we quantified the densities of these organisms in rye roots from several field experiments and at various intervals of time after rye cover crops were terminated. Pathogen load in rye roots differed among fields and among years for particular fields. Each of the four pathogen species increased in density over time on roots of herbicide-terminated rye in at least one field site, suggesting the broad potential for rye cover crops to elevate corn seedling pathogen densities. The radicles of corn seedlings planted following a rye cover crop had higher pathogen densities compared with seedlings following a winter fallow. Management practices that limit seedling disease may be required to allow corn yields to respond positively to improvements in soil quality brought about by cover cropping.

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.

Effects of Cover Crops and Tillage on Sweet Corn Production

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 476d-476
Author(s):  
Gary R. Cline ◽  
Anthony F. Silvernail
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Sweet Corn ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Corn Production ◽  
Total N ◽  
No Till ◽  
Winter Cover ◽  
Winter Cover Crops

A split-plot factorial experiment examined effects of tillage and winter cover crops on sweet corn in 1997. 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. Following watermelon not receiving inorganic N, vetch, and mix cover cropsproduced total N yields of ≈90 kg/ha that were more than four times greater than those obtained with rye. However, vetch dry weight yields (2.7 mg/ha) were only about 60% of those obtained in previous years due to winter kill. Following rye winter cover crops, addition of ammonium nitrate to corn greatly increased (P < 0.05) corn yields and foliar N concentrations compared to treatments not receiving N. Following vetch, corn yields obtained in tilled treatments without N fertilization equaled those obtained with N fertilization. However, yields obtained from unfertilized no-till treatments were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than yields of N-fertilized treatments. Available soil N was significantly (P < 0.05) greater following vetch compared to rye after corn planting. No significant effects of tillage on sweet corn plant densities or yields were detected. It was concluded that no-tillage sweet corn was successful, and N fixed by vetch was able to sustain sweet corn production in tilled treatments but not in no-till treatments.In previous years normal, higher-yielding vetch cover crops were able to sustain sweet corn in both tilled and no-till treatments.

scholarly journals Soybean Relative Maturity, Not Row Spacing, Affected Interseeded Cover Crops Biomass

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 441
Author(s):  
Hans J. Kandel ◽  
Dulan P. Samarappuli ◽  
Kory L. Johnson ◽  
Marisol T. Berti
Keyword(s):  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Soil Cover ◽  
Plant Density ◽  
Row Spacing ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
Soybean Yield ◽  
Early Maturing ◽  
Crop Biomass

Adoption of cover crop interseeding in the northwestern Corn Belt in the USA is limited due to inadequate fall moisture for establishment, short growing season, additional costs, and need for adapted winter-hardy species. This study evaluated three cover crop treatments—no cover crop, winter rye (Secale cereale L.), and winter camelina (Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz)—which were interseeded at the R6 soybean growth stage, using two different soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) maturity groups (0.5 vs. 0.9) and two row spacings (30.5 vs. 61 cm). The objective was to evaluate these treatments on cover crop biomass, soil cover, plant density, and soybean yield. Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield was also measured the following year. The early-maturing soybean cultivar (0.5 maturity) resulted in increased cover crop biomass and soil cover, with winter rye outperforming winter camelina. However, the early-maturing soybean yielded 2308 kg·ha−1, significantly less compared with the later maturing cultivar (2445 kg·ha−1). Narrow row spacing had higher soybean yield, but row spacing did not affect cover crop growth. Spring wheat should not follow winter rye if rye is terminated right before seeding the wheat. However, wheat planted after winter camelina was no different than when no cover crop was interseeded in soybean. Interseeding cover crops into established soybean is possible, however, cover crop biomass accumulation and soil cover are limited.

Relationships between cover performance and date of fall-seeding where winter rye was broadcast into a standing potato crop

1992 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 269-274
Author(s):  
Linnell M. Edwards ◽  
John M. Sadler
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Potato Crop ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Winter Survival ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
Winter Ground ◽  
Post Harvest

Winter rye was broadcast into a potato crop just after topkilling with the object of avoiding post-harvest delays in establishing a winter ground cover. Rye treatments were interseeded (i) at intervals of 1 d for up to 10 d before potato digging, without post-harvest tillage and (ii) just after digging and preparatory seedbed tillage as a comparative standard. Generally, cover performance of rye, measured as plant count, tiller count or dry mass of plants showed significant (P < 0.05) increase with decreasing days to potato digging up to 3 or 4 d before digging. There was no sacrifice of rye cover using this inter-seeding approach compared with traditional post-(potato) harvest seeding in a prepared seedbed. Seeding 3–4 d before potato harvest is recommended on the basis of superior fall plant count, spring tiller count and shoot dry mass, and winter survival indices on either of these days.Key words: Cover crops, winter rye, winter survival, companion cropping

scholarly journals Under-vine cover crops: impact on weed development, yield and grape composition

OENO One ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 975-983
Author(s):  
Javier Abad ◽  
Marín Diana ◽  
Santesteban L. Gonzaga ◽  
Cibriáin José Félix ◽  
Sagüés Ana
Keyword(s):  
Water Stress ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Vegetative Growth ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Semi Arid

This study aims to evaluate the interest of using an under-vine cover crop as a sustainable management tool replacing herbicides or tillage to control weeds, evaluating its effects on yield and berry parameters in a semi-arid climate. The performance of Trifolium fragiferum as an under-vine cover crop was evaluated in 2018 and 2019 in a Merlot vineyard in Traibuenas (Navarra, Spain). This trial showed that the soil under the vines was covered by 80 % of the cover crop in August 2018 and 100 % in Aug 2019, with clover (T. fragiferum) comprising around 26 % and 70 % of the cover crop surface, respectively. The presence of the cover crop only reduced the number of shoots in the second year, although both years there was an increment in water stress. Neither yield, cluster weight nor berry weight were affected by the presence of the under-vine cover crop. Similarly, no changes in grape composition were observed. The use of T. fragiferum-like cover crops under the vine allows for better control of weeds, provided a good installation is achieved. In the first two years, this cover crop reduced vegetative growth and increased water deficit slightly. However, no changes in yield and grape composition were observed.In a context of herbicide suppression and search for sustainable management, under-vine clover cover crops constitute a viable alternative in semi-arid regions provided drip irrigation can be applied. 

scholarly journals Rye (Secale cereale L.) and Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) Intercrop Management in Fresh-market Vegetables

1996 ◽  
Vol 121 (3) ◽  
pp. 586-591 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasey N. Mwaja ◽  
John B. Masiunas ◽  
Catherine E. Eastman
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Secale Cereale ◽  
Diamondback Moth ◽  
Cabbage Looper ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Fresh Market ◽  
Vicia Villosa ◽  
Snap Bean

The effect of cover-crop management on growth and yield of `Bravo' cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. Capitata L.), `Market Pride' tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), and `Mustang' snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) was determined. Each fall, `Wheeler' winter rye (Secale cereale L.) and `Oregon Crown' hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) were interseeded. The following spring, the cover crops were killed by either applying glyphosate and mowing (CC-G) or mowing and disking (CC-D). Trifluralin was preplant incorporated into bare ground as a conventional tillage (CT) treatment. In 1992 and 1993, a chicken (Gallus gallus L.) based fertilizer was applied to half the subplots. The greatest snap bean and cabbage yields were in CT. The system with the greatest tomato yields varied. In 1991, the greatest tomato yields were in the CT treatment, while in 1992 yields were greatest in the CT and CC-D treatments, and in 1993 the greatest yields were in CT and CC-G. Cabbage yields were greater in the fertilized than the unfertilized treatments. In 1992, infestations of diamondback moth, imported cabbageworm, and cabbage looper were greater in CT than in the CC-G treatment. Three years of the CC-G treatment increased soil organic matter from 3.07% to 3.48% and increased soil pH from 6.30 to 6.51, while neither changed in the CT. Chemical names used: N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine (glyphosate); 2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipro`pyl-4-(trifluoromethyl) benzenamine (trifluralin).

scholarly journals Mustard Cover Crop Growth and Weed Suppression in Organic, Strawberry Furrows in California

HortScience ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 432-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric B. Brennan ◽  
Richard F. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Sinapis Alba ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Shoot Biomass ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Seeding Rate ◽  
Crop Cover ◽  
Cover Cropping ◽  
Growing Seasons

Strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa Duch.) production in California uses plastic mulch–covered beds that provide many benefits such as moisture conservation and weed control. Unfortunately, the mulch can also cause environmental problems by increasing runoff and soil erosion and reducing groundwater recharge. Planting cover crops in bare furrows between the plastic cover beds can help minimize these problems. Furrow cover cropping was evaluated during two growing seasons in organic strawberries in Salinas, CA, using a mustard (Sinapis alba L.) cover crop planted at two seeding rates (1× and 3×). Mustard was planted in November or December after strawberry transplanting and it resulted in average densities per meter of furrow of 54 and 162 mustard plants for the 1× and 3× rates, respectively. The mustard was mowed in February before it shaded the strawberry plants. Increasing the seeding rate increased mustard shoot biomass and height, and reduced the concentration of P in the mustard shoots. Compared with furrows with no cover crop, cover-cropped furrows reduced weed biomass by 29% and 40% in the 1× and 3× seeding rates, respectively, although weeds still accounted for at least 28% of the furrow biomass in the cover-cropped furrows. These results show that growing mustard cover crops in furrows without irrigating the furrows worked well even during years with relatively minimal precipitation. We conclude that 1) mustard densities of ≈150 plants/m furrow will likely provide the most benefits due to greater biomass production, N scavenging, and weed suppression; 2) mowing was an effective way to kill the mustard; and 3) high seeding rates of mustard alone are insufficient to provide adequate weed suppression in strawberry furrows.

Investigating tarps to facilitate organic no-till cabbage production with high-residue cover crops

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie P Lounsbury ◽  
Nicholas D Warren ◽  
Seamus D Wolfe ◽  
Richard G Smith
Keyword(s):  
Biological Activity ◽  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Biomass Production ◽  
Nutrient Availability ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
No Till ◽  
Crop Biomass

AbstractHigh-residue cover crops can facilitate organic no-till vegetable production when cover crop biomass production is sufficient to suppress weeds (>8000 kg ha−1), and cash crop growth is not limited by soil temperature, nutrient availability, or cover crop regrowth. In cool climates, however, both cover crop biomass production and soil temperature can be limiting for organic no-till. In addition, successful termination of cover crops can be a challenge, particularly when cover crops are grown as mixtures. We tested whether reusable plastic tarps, an increasingly popular tool for small-scale vegetable farmers, could be used to augment organic no-till cover crop termination and weed suppression. We no-till transplanted cabbage into a winter rye (Secale cereale L.)-hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) cover crop mulch that was terminated with either a roller-crimper alone or a roller-crimper plus black or clear tarps. Tarps were applied for durations of 2, 4 and 5 weeks. Across tarp durations, black tarps increased the mean cabbage head weight by 58% compared with the no tarp treatment. This was likely due to a combination of improved weed suppression and nutrient availability. Although soil nutrients and biological activity were not directly measured, remaining cover crop mulch in the black tarp treatments was reduced by more than 1100 kg ha−1 when tarps were removed compared with clear and no tarp treatments. We interpret this as an indirect measurement of biological activity perhaps accelerated by lower daily soil temperature fluctuations and more constant volumetric water content under black tarps. The edges of both tarp types were held down, rather than buried, but moisture losses from the clear tarps were greater and this may have affected the efficacy of clear tarps. Plastic tarps effectively killed the vetch cover crop, whereas it readily regrew in the crimped but uncovered plots. However, emergence of large and smooth crabgrass (Digitaria spp.) appeared to be enhanced in the clear tarp treatment. Although this experiment was limited to a single site-year in New Hampshire, it shows that use of black tarps can overcome some of the obstacles to implementing cover crop-based no-till vegetable productions in northern climates.

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