scholarly journals Cover crops improve early season natural enemy recruitment and pest management in cotton production

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carson Bowers ◽  
Michael Toews ◽  
Yangxuan Liu ◽  
Jason M. Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Natural Enemy ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Cotton Production ◽  
Crimson Clover ◽  
Winter Cover ◽  
Winter Cover Crops ◽  
Abundance And Diversity

AbstractA shift to more ecologically based farming practices would improve the sustainability and economic stability of agricultural systems. Habitat management in and around agricultural fields can provide stable environments that aid in the proliferation of natural enemy communities that moderate pest populations and injury. Winter cover crops offer a potentially cost-effective approach to improving habitat that supports natural enemy communities early in the growing season. We investigated the effects of winter cover crops including cereal rye (Secale cereal L.) and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) on the abundance and diversity of natural enemies, key pest populations, biological control services, and cotton yield. Winter cover crops were established on 0.4 ha replicated field plots in the fall of 2017 and 2018. Suction sampling during each cotton development stage demonstrated that a rye cover crop promoted greater abundance and diversity of natural enemy communities in early cotton stages. Extensive leaf sampling of seedling cotton showed that cover crops significantly reduced thrips infestations. Furthermore, stink bug boll injury decreased on plots prepared with a rye cover compared to cotton lacking this additional habitat. Combining end of season yield results and management practices with an economic analysis of the costs of production, the value of cotton grown into a cover crop was cost competitive with conventional (no cover) cotton production. These results suggest that conventional growers utilizing cover crops could reduce insecticide inputs through natural reductions in pest pressure, and overall do not incur additional production costs.

scholarly journals WINTER COVER CROPS AND NITROGEN FERTILIZER EFFECTS ON TOMATO AND BEAN PRODUCTION: A THREE YEAR SUMMARY

HortScience ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 740a-740
Author(s):  
Kathy H. Brock ◽  
Heather A. Hatt ◽  
Dennis R. Decoteu
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Fertilizer ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Tomato Fruit ◽  
Nitrogen Rate ◽  
Tomato Production ◽  
Crimson Clover ◽  
Split Treatment ◽  
Winter Cover ◽  
Winter Cover Crops

Winter cover crops (wheat or rye and crimson clover) in combination with three levels of nitrogen fertilizer (0, 60, 120 kg/ha) were evaluated as to their influence on bean and tomato production (fruit yield, disease and insect injury on fruit) over a three year period (1991-1993). A split plot design was used with the cover crop as the main treatment and nitrogen rate as the split treatment. Results indicate that total marketable and cull yields for bean increased significantly in 1992 but decreased again in 1993. Tomato yields were significantly greater in 1991 than in 1992 and 1993 for both early and total marketable yields while early cull yield increased each year and total cull yield was highest in 1993. Cover crop had an effect on non-marketable tomato fruit. There was a higher incidence of cracked and insect damaged tomato fruit in association with clover or fallow treatment. Marketable yields responded in a quadratic manner while the number of cull fruit increased linearly for both bean and tomato as nitrogen rate increased. The incidence of diseased bean pods increased linearly as nitrogen rate increased. Catfaced tomato fruit responded in a quadratic manner and cracked tomato fruit increased linearly as nitrogen increased. Results from the three year evaluation do not indicate an influence of cover crop on marketable yields of bean and tomato.

scholarly journals Alternative Crop-growing Strategies: Use of Winter Cover Crops on Bell Pepper Production

HortScience ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 465A-465
Author(s):  
N.K.D. Ranwala ◽  
K. Brock ◽  
C.L. Ray ◽  
K. Greene ◽  
D.R. Decoteau
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Bell Pepper ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Marketable Yield ◽  
Crimson Clover ◽  
Alternative Crop ◽  
Bell Peppers ◽  
Winter Cover ◽  
Winter Cover Crops

The effects of two winter cover crops, rye and crimson clover, on bell pepper yield were studied. Cover crops were planted in fall and incorporated into the soil prior to bell pepper planting. Both cover crops increased the marketable number and weight of bell peppers, and reduced the cull number of bell peppers compared to fallow (control) treatment. Delaying the harvest increased the marketable yield in both cover crops. Since there was no difference in bell pepper yield between two cover crops, both cover crops can be used effectively for bell pepper production. Use of cover crops may reduce the production costs and harmful effects on the environment by reducing chemical dependency, and increase the crop yield.

scholarly journals SOIL NITROGEN RESPONSE TO COVER CROPS IN A TOMATO–BEAN ROTATION

HortScience ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 748e-748
Author(s):  
Dennis R. Decoteau ◽  
J.M. Davis ◽  
G.D. Hoyt ◽  
K.M. Batal ◽  
D.C. Sanders ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Inorganic Nitrogen ◽  
Nitrogen Response ◽  
Crimson Clover ◽  
Winter Cover Crop ◽  
Winter Cover ◽  
Winter Cover Crops ◽  
Soil Responses ◽  
Water Holding

A 5-year study using winter cover crops (wheat or rye, crimson clover, and fallow) in a tomato and bean rotation indicated several soil responses to the cover crops. Advantages of crimson clover winter cover crop to the soil in a tomato-bean rotation included adding organic matter to the soil, which resulted in an increase in the amount of inorganic nitrogen in the upper levels of the soil profile and an increase in the soil's water-holding capacity. An additional benefit of winter cover crops to the soil was the potential of reduced nitrogen leaching.

Nitrogen Assimilation and Biomass Yield of Winter Cover Crops Used in Sustainable Horticultural Crop Production

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 495a-495
Author(s):  
Bharat P. Singh ◽  
Upendra M. Sainju ◽  
Wayne F. Whitehead
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Nitrogen Assimilation ◽  
Biomass Yield ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Cereal Rye ◽  
Crimson Clover ◽  
Winter Cover ◽  
Winter Cover Crops

Cover crops are planted during winter to prevent soil erosion, improve soil quality, and supply nutrients to the subsequent spring crops. In a 2-year study, three winter cover crops were compared for their nitrogen assimilation and biomass yielding ability. The experimental design was randomized complete block replicated four times with cereal rye, hairy vetch, crimson clover, and a fallow control comprising the treatments. Cover crop roots were well distributed from 1 to 50 cm of soil depth and increased from fall to spring as temperature increased. There was greater reduction in soil inorganic N during fall and winter in cover crop plots compared to control. Early season soil NO–3 concentration was lower in rye than crimson clover or hairy vetch. The amount of N assimilated by hairy vetch and crimson clover was significantly greater than cereal rye or control. There was no difference in the biomass yield of the three cover crops during the first year, but cereal rye and crimson clover produced significantly greater biomass than hairy vetch during the second year. The results suggest that cereal rye is more suited for preventing leaching of residual N from the preceding summer crop, while the two legumes can supply more N to the following crop.

scholarly journals Assessing winter cover crop nutrient uptake efficiency using a water quality simulation model

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 5239-5253 ◽  
Author(s):  
I.-Y. Yeo ◽  
S. Lee ◽  
A. M. Sadeghi ◽  
P. C. Beeson ◽  
W. D. Hively ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Watershed Scale ◽  
Source Areas ◽  
Winter Cover Crop ◽  
Nitrate Export ◽  
Winter Cover ◽  
Winter Cover Crops

Abstract. Winter cover crops are an effective conservation management practice with potential to improve water quality. Throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed (CBW), which is located in the mid-Atlantic US, winter cover crop use has been emphasized, and federal and state cost-share programs are available to farmers to subsidize the cost of cover crop establishment. The objective of this study was to assess the long-term effect of planting winter cover crops to improve water quality at the watershed scale (~ 50 km2) and to identify critical source areas of high nitrate export. A physically based watershed simulation model, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), was calibrated and validated using water quality monitoring data to simulate hydrological processes and agricultural nutrient cycling over the period of 1990–2000. To accurately simulate winter cover crop biomass in relation to growing conditions, a new approach was developed to further calibrate plant growth parameters that control the leaf area development curve using multitemporal satellite-based measurements of species-specific winter cover crop performance. Multiple SWAT scenarios were developed to obtain baseline information on nitrate loading without winter cover crops and to investigate how nitrate loading could change under different winter cover crop planting scenarios, including different species, planting dates, and implementation areas. The simulation results indicate that winter cover crops have a negligible impact on the water budget but significantly reduce nitrate leaching to groundwater and delivery to the waterways. Without winter cover crops, annual nitrate loading from agricultural lands was approximately 14 kg ha−1, but decreased to 4.6–10.1 kg ha−1 with cover crops resulting in a reduction rate of 27–67% at the watershed scale. Rye was the most effective species, with a potential to reduce nitrate leaching by up to 93% with early planting at the field scale. Early planting of cover crops (~ 30 days of additional growing days) was crucial, as it lowered nitrate export by an additional ~ 2 kg ha−1 when compared to late planting scenarios. The effectiveness of cover cropping increased with increasing extent of cover crop implementation. Agricultural fields with well-drained soils and those that were more frequently used to grow corn had a higher potential for nitrate leaching and export to the waterways. This study supports the effective implementation of cover crop programs, in part by helping to target critical pollution source areas for cover crop implementation.

scholarly journals Growing degree days and cover crop type explain weed biomass in winter cover crops

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Baraibar ◽  
David A. Mortensen ◽  
Mitchell C. Hunter ◽  
Mary E. Barbercheck ◽  
Jason P. Kaye ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Growing Degree Days ◽  
Degree Days ◽  
Weed Biomass ◽  
Crop Type ◽  
Winter Cover ◽  
Winter Cover Crops

No-till seeded spinach after winterkilled cover crops in an organic production system

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 473-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie P. Lounsbury ◽  
Ray R. Weil
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Spinacia Oleracea ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
No Till ◽  
Winter Cover ◽  
Winter Cover Crops

AbstractOrganic no-till (NT) management strategies generally employ high-residue cover crops that act as weed-suppressing mulch. In temperate, humid regions such as the mid-Atlantic USA, high-residue winter cover crops can hinder early spring field work and immobilize nutrients for cash crops. This makes the integration of cover crops into rotations difficult for farmers, who traditionally rely on tillage to prepare seedbeds for early spring vegetables. Our objectives were to address two separate but related goals of reducing tillage and integrating winter cover crops into early spring vegetable rotations by investigating the feasibility of NT seeding spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), an early spring vegetable, into winterkilled cover crops. We conducted a four site-year field study in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions of Maryland, USA, comparing seedbed conditions and spinach performance after forage radish (FR) (Raphanus sativus L.), a low-residue, winterkilled cover crop, spring oat (Avena sativa L.), the traditional winterkilled cover crop in the area, a mixture of radish and oat, and a no cover crop (NC) treatment. NT seeded spinach after FR had higher yields than all other cover crop and tillage treatments in one site year and was equal to the highest yielding treatments in two site years. Yield for NT spinach after FR was as high as 19 Mg ha−1 fresh weight, whereas the highest yield for spinach seeded into a rototilled seedbed after NC was 10 Mg ha−1. NT seeding spring spinach after a winterkilled radish cover crop is feasible and provides an alternative to both high-residue cover crops and spring tillage.

scholarly journals Cover Crop Biomass Harvest Influences Cotton Nitrogen Utilization and Productivity

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Ducamp ◽  
F. J. Arriaga ◽  
K. S. Balkcom ◽  
S. A. Prior ◽  
E. van Santen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Animal Feed ◽  
N Uptake ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Cotton Production ◽  
Southeastern Us ◽  
N Concentration ◽  
Winter Cover ◽  
N Rates

There is a potential in the southeastern US to harvest winter cover crops from cotton (Gossypium hirsutumL.) fields for biofuels or animal feed use, but this could impact yields and nitrogen (N) fertilizer response. An experiment was established to examine rye (Secale cerealeL.) residue management (RM) and N rates on cotton productivity. Three RM treatments (no winter cover crop (NC), residue removed (REM) and residue retained (RET)) and four N rates for cotton were studied. Cotton population, leaf and plant N concentration, cotton biomass and N uptake at first square, and cotton biomass production between first square and cutout were higher for RET, followed by REM and NC. However, leaf N concentration at early bloom and N concentration in the cotton biomass between first square and cutout were higher for NC, followed by REM and RET. Seed cotton yield response to N interacted with year and RM, but yields were greater with RET followed by REM both years. These results indicate that a rye cover crop can be beneficial for cotton, especially during hot and dry years. Long-term studies would be required to completely understand the effect of rye residue harvest on cotton production under conservation tillage.

Small grain winter cover crops for conservation of residual soil nitrogen in the mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain

2001 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 66-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
F.J. Coale ◽  
J.M. Costa ◽  
G.A. Bollero ◽  
S.P. Schlosnagle
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Atlantic Coastal Plain ◽  
Residual Soil ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Cereal Rye ◽  
Winter Cover ◽  
Winter Cover Crops ◽  
Atlantic Coastal

AbstractCereal rye is an effective winter cover crop because it accumulates residual soil N and reduces nitrate leaching. Wheat, barley, and triticale are alternative winter small grain species that may be managed as winter cover crops and yet produce marketable commodities. The objectives of this research were to evaluate N recovery capacity and grain yields of wheat, barley, triticale, and cereal rye grown as winter cover crops. Field plots established in 1996 and 1997 at two different locations on Maryland's mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain were amended with annual spring applications of four rates of broiler litter in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Each manure rate plot was divided into four subplots by planting four winter small grain cover crops: wheat, barley, triticale, and cereal rye. Rye cover crop treatments were killed with herbicide when the plants were 30 to 50 cm tall, while the wheat, barley, and triticale treatments continued to grow until grain maturity. Barley, rye, triticale, and wheat cover crops exhibited similar capacities to accumulate soil N, and therefore, reduce the potential for NO3—N leaching to groundwater. At the time of rye kill-down, aerial biomass N accumulation ranged from 11 to 112 kg N ha−1 and soil NO3—N levels were low (<1.5 mg NO3—N kg−1) and relatively uniform across treatments. Average barley, triticale, and wheat grain yields increased with previous broiler litter application rate and initial soil NO3—N concentration. Potential income derived from the grain and straw produced could partially or completely offset cover crop production costs.

scholarly journals UTILIZING LANDSAT AND SENTINEL-2 TO REMOTELY MONITOR AND EVALUATE THE PERFORMANCE OF WINTER COVER CROPS THROUGHOUT MARYLAND

2020 ◽  
Vol XLII-3/W11 ◽  
pp. 125-130
Author(s):  
J. Peredo ◽  
C. Wayman ◽  
B. Whong ◽  
A. Thieme ◽  
L. R. Kline ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Support ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Decision Support Tool ◽  
The State ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
Crop Performance ◽  
Winter Cover ◽  
Winter Cover Crops ◽  
Sentinel 2

Abstract. Winter cover crops have been shown to limit erosion and nutrient runoff from agricultural land. To promote their usage, the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) subsidizes farmers who plant cover crops. Conventional verification of cover crop planting and analysis of subsequent crop performance requires on-the-ground fieldwork, which is costly and labor intensive. In partnership with the MDA, NASA's DEVELOP program utilized imagery from Landsat 5, Landsat 8, and the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 to create a decision support tool for satellite-based monitoring of cover crop performance throughout Maryland. Our teams created CCROP, an interactive graphical user interface, in Google Earth Engine which analyzes satellite imagery to calculate the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of fields across the state. Linear regression models were applied to convert NDVI to estimates of crop biomass and percent green ground cover, with measure of fit (R2) values ranging from 0.4 to 0.7. These crop metrics were implemented into an interactive filtering tool within CCROP which allows users to examine cover crop performance based on a variety of growing parameters. CCROP also includes a time series analysis routine for examining the progression of NDVI throughout the spring to help determine farmer-induced termination dates of cover crops. With this decision support tool, the MDA can analyze the effectiveness of cover crops throughout the state with reduced need to manually spot-check enrolled production fields, and can identify variables influencing overall cover crop performance to optimize implementation of their winter cover crop program via adaptive management approaches.

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