scholarly journals Extreme Grain-Based Cropping Systems: When Herbicide-Free Weed Management Meets Conservation Tillage in Northern Climates

2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 204-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Légère ◽  
Steven J. Shirtliffe ◽  
Anne Vanasse ◽  
Robert H. Gulden
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Green Manure ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Low Input ◽  
No Till ◽  
Green Manure Crops

The challenges associated with the adoption of conservation tillage and/or low-input cropping systems, whether organic or herbicide-free, across Canada are shaped by scale, environment, and local practices. A study in eastern Canada captured the challenges of introducing low-input cropping systems in mature (20+ yr) tillage treatments in a barley/red clover/corn/soybean rotation. Each mature tillage system came with its own weed problems, but this did not affect crops such as barley and red clover, which produced similar yields across high and low input systems. However, some form of primary tillage was needed to achieve adequate weed control and yield in organic (ORG) and herbicide-free (HF) systems. The HF and ORG systems with no-till actually failed to produce a corn crop but produced soybean yields that were half or less than that for other treatments. The successful combination of conservation tillage practices and low-input systems in eastern Canada would thus appear to be crop-specific, being easier to achieve in competitive cereal crops. In western Canadian organic agriculture, tillage is practiced with low-disturbance chisel plows instead of inversion plows. However, green manure crops (summer cover crops) are often terminated with tandem discs. Both roller crimpers and mowing can successfully kill annual green manure crops such as field pea and rye, and usually result in reduced weed growth following termination. However, the lack of tillage can result in lower crop yields in wheat following green manure terminated by roller crimping compared to tillage. Challenges for no-till organic practices include perennial weed control and soil fertility. Overall, flexible crop production programs such as the former Manitoba Pesticide Free Production program and the “Agriculture raisonnéeTM” program in Québec are more likely to promote sustained environmental, economic, and social prosperity than rigid adherence to organic or no-till practices.

Progress towards no-till organic weed control in western Canada

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J. Shirtliffe ◽  
Eric N. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Faba Bean ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Green Manure ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Organic Production ◽  
Field Pea ◽  
Western Canada ◽  
No Till ◽  
Green Manure Crops

AbstractOrganic farmers in western Canada rely on tillage to control weeds and incorporate crop residues that could plug mechanical weed-control implements. However, tillage significantly increases the risk of soil erosion. For farmers seeking to reduce or eliminate tillage, potential alternatives include mowing or using a roller crimper for terminating green manure crops (cover crops) or using a minimum tillage (min-till) rotary hoe for mechanically controlling weeds. Although many researchers have studied organic crop production in western Canada, few have studied no-till organic production practices. Two studies were recently conducted in Saskatchewan to determine the efficacy of the following alternatives to tillage: mowing and roller crimping for weed control, and min-till rotary hoeing weed control in field pea (Pisum sativum L.). The first study compared mowing and roller crimping with tillage when terminating faba bean (Vicia faba L.) and field pea green manure crops. Early termination of annual green manure crops with roller crimping or mowing resulted in less weed regrowth compared with tillage. When compared with faba bean, field pea produced greater crop biomass, suppressed weeds better and had less regrowth. Wheat yields following pea were not affected by the method of termination. Thus, this first study indicated that roller crimping and mowing are viable alternatives to tillage to terminate field pea green manure crops. The second study evaluated the tolerance and efficacy of a min-till rotary harrow in no-till field pea production. The min-till rotary hoe was able to operate in no-till cereal residues and multiple passes did not affect the level of residue cover. Field pea exhibited excellent tolerance to the min-till rotary hoe. Good weed control occurred with multiple rotary hoe passes, and pea seed yield was 87% of the yield obtained in the herbicide-treated check. Therefore, this second study demonstrated that min-till rotary hoeing effectively controls many small seeded annual weeds in the presence of crop residue and thus can reduce the need for tillage in organic-cropping systems.

Chemical weed control options for zero-tillage spring barley

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 383-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Samson ◽  
Anne Légère ◽  
Romain Rioux
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Spring Barley ◽  
Zero Tillage ◽  
No Till ◽  
Herbicide Treatments ◽  
Control Options ◽  
Postemergence Herbicides

The need for yearly applications of non-selective and postemergence herbicides was evaluated in zero-tillage barley cropping systems in eastern Québec. The effects of six glyphosate treatments, fall-applied, at several rates and frequencies, and four postemergence herbicide treatments, on weed populations and crop yields, were measured over 2 yr in a zero-tillage spring barley monoculture. Yearly fall applications of glyphosate at rates at or above 0.5 kg a.i. ha−1 combined with postemergence herbicide treatments controlled most weed groups and provided optimum barley yields. Key words: Zero-tillage, no-till, conservation tillage, weed control, barley

Integration of cover crops into no-till and ridge-till wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) – corn (Zea mays L.) cropping sequence

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. Swanton ◽  
K. Chandler ◽  
K. J. Janovicek
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Hordeum Vulgare L ◽  
Wheat Growth ◽  
Weed Growth ◽  
Oilseed Radish ◽  
No Till

The use of underseeded red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) as a cover crop in winter wheat has been declining because of poor clover establishment during dry growing seasons, the lack of selective herbicides for weed control in clover, and the difficulty in using burn-down herbicides to remove the clover before planting no-till corn. During 1990–1992, we conducted on-farm trials on silt loam no-till and sandy ridge-till fields in southern Ontario to evaluate the establishment and growth of alternative stubble-seeded cover crops following wheat and their effects on subsequent weed and volunteer wheat growth. In general, oats (Avena sativa L.), oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus L.), and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) produced more biomass than the other stubble-seeded cover crops, hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.), red clover, and buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum L.). In comparison, winter-hardy underseeded hairy vetch and red clover produced the most biomass and provided better weed control; however, any reduction in herbicide use is offset by the need to burn down these cover crops. An evaluation of cover-crop effects on post-wheat-harvest weed growth was not possible because of sparse and variable weed growth, which occurred even in the absence of a cover crop. However, volunteer wheat biomass was inversely correlated with cover-crop biomass. At the no-till site, cover-crop response to straw baling and the subsequent effects on weed and volunteer wheat growth and corn performance also were evaluated. Straw baling had minimal effects on cover-crop growth; however, volunteer wheat growth doubled. No-till corn was not adversely affected by the amounts of residue present where cover crops were established the previous year. Importantly, reducing the amount of wheat straw by baling increased early-season growth rates and corn grain yield by 0.91 Mg ha−1. We conclude that alternative stubble-seeded cover crops, such as oats, barley and oilseed radish, are suitable for no-till corn. At present, cover crops augment weed management but are not a substitute for herbicides, as burn-down herbicides are required to remove existing weeds or winter-hardy cover crops. Key words: Underseeded, stubble seeded, baling, volunteer wheat

scholarly journals Large-Leaved Lupin (Lupinus polyhyllus Lind.) and Early Red Clover (Trifolium pratense L.) as Green Manure Grops

2013 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 242-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enn Lauringson ◽  
Liina Talgre ◽  
Arvo Makke
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Biomass Production ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Green Manure ◽  
Trifolium Pratense ◽  
Life Sciences ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Trifolium Pratense L ◽  
Green Manure Crops

Trials with large-leaved lupine (‘Lupi’) and early red clover (‘Jõgeva 433’) as green manure were carried out to study their suitability for green manure production. The trials were carried out on the trial fields of the Estonian University of Life Sciences in 2008-2010. Biomass production abilities of various plants grown with or without a cover crop were examined. In the experiment, different green manure crops with undersowing and pure sowing were compared for amounts of N, C, P, K and organic matter driven into soil and their effect on cereal yield. The value of these green manure crops as manure was estimated, based on their effect on the succeeding cereal yield. From green manure plants, sown with cover crops, red clover gave the best results, while large-leaved lupine was better grown as pure crop (18% more biomass than red clover in similar situation). Biomass from large-leaved lupine, grown without cover crop, was also the most efficient in returning nutrients into the soil. Pure green manure had bigger effect and it lasted longer if grown as undersowing.

Nitrate Leaching to a Shallow Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain Aquifer as Influenced by Conventional No-Till and Low-Input Sustainable Grain Production Systems

1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (3-5) ◽  
pp. 691-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Craig ◽  
R. R. Weil
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Atlantic Coastal Plain ◽  
Grain Production ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
Low Input ◽  
No Till

In December, 1987, the states in the Chesapeake Bay region, along with the federal government, signed an agreement which called for a 40% reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus loadings to the Bay by the year 2000. To accomplish this goal, major reductions in nutrient loadings associated with agricultural management practices were deemed necessary. The objective of this study was to determine if reducing fertilizer inputs to the NT system would result in a reduction in nitrogen contamination of groundwater. In this study, groundwater, soil, and percolate samples were collected from two cropping systems. The first system was a conventional no-till (NT) grain production system with a two-year rotation of corn/winter wheat/double crop soybean. The second system, denoted low-input sustainable agriculture (LISA), produced the same crops using a winter legume and relay-cropped soybeans into standing wheat to reduce nitrogen and herbicide inputs. Nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in groundwater were significantly lower under the LISA system. Over 80% of the NT groundwater samples had NO3-N concentrations greater than 10 mgl-1, compared to only 4% for the LISA cropping system. Significantly lower soil mineral N to a depth of 180 cm was also observed. The NT soil had nearly twice as much mineral N present in the 90-180 cm portion than the LISA cropping system.

Weed Control in a Conservation Tillage Rotation in the Texas Blacklands

Weed Science ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 695-699 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven M. Brown ◽  
James M. Chandler ◽  
John E. Morrison
Keyword(s):  
Control Systems ◽  
Weed Control ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Grain Sorghum ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Sorghum Halepense ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
No Till ◽  
Primary Tillage ◽  
And Control

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate weed control systems in a conservation tillage rotation of grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor(L.) Moench.] – cotton (Gossypium hirsutumL.) – wheat (Triticum aestivumL.). Herbicide systems included fall and spring/summer inputs of high and low intensity. Tillage regimes were no-till (NT) and reduced-till (RT) systems; the latter included fall primary tillage followed by spring stale seedbed planting. Both tillage systems utilized controlled traffic lanes and wide, raised beds. Effective johnsongrass [Sorghum halepense(L.) Pers. # SORHA] control required intense herbicide inputs at one or both application periods, i.e., in the fall and/or spring/summer. Grain sorghum and cotton yields for the most intense weed control system, which included high inputs in both the fall and spring/summer, were not superior to systems that included high inputs in only one of the two application periods. Seedling johnsongrass emergence occurred before spring planting in RT (but not in NT) in 2 of 3 yr, and control measures were ineffective. After 3 yr, the predominant weeds were johnsongrass and browntop panicum (Panicum fasciculatumSw. # PANFA).

scholarly journals Use of Crop Rotations, Cover Crops and Green Manures for Disease Suppression in Potato Cropping Systems

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 153-168
Author(s):  
Robert P. Larkin
Keyword(s):  
Disease Control ◽  
Microbial Activity ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Green Manure ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Crop Rotations ◽  
Disease Suppression ◽  
Green Manures ◽  
Rotation Crops

Crop rotations and the inclusion of cover crops and green manures are primary tools in the sustainable management of soil-borne diseases in crop production systems. Crop rotations can reduce soil-borne disease through three general mechanisms: (1) serving as a break in the host-pathogen cycle; (2) by altering the soil physical, chemical, or biological characteristics to stimulate microbial activity and diversity; or (3) directly inhibiting pathogens through the release of suppressive or toxic compounds or the enhancement of specific antagonists. Brassicas, sudangrass, and related plant types are disease-suppressive crops well-known for their biofumigation potential but also have other effects on soil microbiology that are important in disease suppression. The efficacy of rotations for reducing soil-borne diseases is dependent on several factors, including crop type, rotation length, rotation sequence, and use of the crop (as full-season rotation, cover crop, or green manure). Years of field research with Brassica and non-Brassica rotation crops in potato cropping systems in Maine have documented the efficacy of Brassica green manures for the reduction of multiple soil-borne diseases. However, they have also indicated that these crops can provide disease control even when not incorporated as green manures and that other non-biofumigant crops (such as barley, ryegrass, and buckwheat) can also be effective in disease suppression. In general, all crops provided better disease control when used as green manure vs. as a cover crop, but the addition of a cover crop can improve control provided by most rotation crops. In long-term cropping system trials, rotations incorporating multiple soil health management practices, such as longer rotations, disease-suppressive rotation crops, cover crops, and green manures, and/or organic amendments have resulted in greater yield and microbial activity and fewer disease problems than standard rotations. These results indicate that improved cropping systems may enhance productivity, sustainability, and economic viability.

scholarly journals Low-Input Maize-Based Cropping Systems Implementing IWM Match Conventional Maize Monoculture Productivity and Weed Control

Agriculture ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillaume Adeux ◽  
Simon Giuliano ◽  
Stéphane Cordeau ◽  
Jean-Marie Savoie ◽  
Lionel Alletto
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Low Input

scholarly journals Temporal Change of Soil Carbon on a Long-Term Experimental Site with Variable Crop Rotations and Tillage Systems

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Laamrani ◽  
Paul R. Voroney ◽  
Aaron A. Berg ◽  
Adam W. Gillespie ◽  
Michael March ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Crop Rotations ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
No Till

The impacts of tillage practices and crop rotations are fundamental factors influencing changes in the soil carbon, and thus the sustainability of agricultural systems. The objective of this study was to compare soil carbon status and temporal changes in topsoil from different 4 year rotations and tillage treatments (i.e., no-till and conventional tillage). Rotation systems were primarily corn and soy-based and included cereal and alfalfa phases along with red clover cover crops. In 2018, soil samples were collected from a silty-loam topsoil (0–15 cm) from the 36 year long-term experiment site in southern Ontario, Canada. Total carbon (TC) contents of each sample were determined in the laboratory using combustion methods and comparisons were made between treatments using current and archived samples (i.e., 20 year and 9 year change, respectively) for selected crop rotations. Overall, TC concentrations were significantly higher for no-till compared with conventional tillage practices, regardless of the crop rotations employed. With regard to crop rotation, the highest TC concentrations were recorded in corn–corn–oats–barley (CCOB) rotations with red clover cover crop in both cereal phases. TC contents were, in descending order, found in corn–corn–alfalfa–alfalfa (CCAA), corn–corn–soybean–winter wheat (CCSW) with 1 year of seeded red clover, and corn–corn–corn–corn (CCCC). The lowest TC concentrations were observed in the corn–corn–soybean–soybean (CCSS) and corn–corn–oats–barley (CCOB) rotations without use of cover crops, and corn–corn–soybean–winter wheat (CCSW). We found that (i) crop rotation varieties that include two consecutive years of soybean had consistently lower TC concentrations compared with the remaining rotations; (ii) TC for all the investigated plots (no-till and/or tilled) increased over the 9 year and 20 year period; (iii) the no-tilled CCOB rotation with 2 years of cover crop showed the highest increase of TC content over the 20 year change period time; and (iv) interestingly, the no-till continuous corn (CCCC) rotation had higher TC than the soybean–soybean–corn–corn (SSCC) and corn–corn–soybean–winter wheat (CCSW). We concluded that conservation tillage (i.e., no-till) and incorporation of a cover crop into crop rotations had a positive effect in the accumulation of TC topsoil concentrations and could be suitable management practices to promote soil fertility and sustainability in our agricultural soils.

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