The effect of cover crops on the yield of carrot (Daucus carota L.) in ploughless and conventional tillage

The experimental design included seven cover crop species and six kinds of soil tillage in the field cultivation of carrot. The use of cover crops had a positive impact on the yield of marketable roots of carrot in comparison with the cultivation without the cover crops. A significant increase of marketable yield was noted after phacelia, buckwheat, mustard and sunflower. The flat ploughless tillage significantly reduced the marketable yield of roots in comparison with traditional ploughing. The largest marketable yield of roots was obtained from cultivation on ridges after mixing the biomass of buckwheat or phacelia or mustard with the soil, and the smallest, after reduced spring tillage using aggregate without cover crops. The largest marketable yield in flat ploughless tillage was obtained when using grubber before winter, and the biomass of phacelia was mixed with soil. Growing carrot on the ridges had a positive influence on increasing the share of the marketable yield of roots in comparison with other variants of cultivation including the conventional tillage. The all cover crops with the exception of spring vetch significantly increased the share of marketable roots in the yield compared with cultivation without cover crops. The largest percentage of the marketable yield was noted after use of phacelia.

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Conservation Tillage of Sweetpotato

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.32.4.605f ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 32 (4) ◽

pp. 605F-606

Author(s):

Lewis W. Jett ◽

Timothy P. Talbot

Keyword(s):

Cover Crops ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Ipomoea Batatas ◽

Conservation Tillage ◽

Cultural Practice ◽

Planting Date ◽

White Grub ◽

Storage Roots ◽

Marketable Yield ◽

Crop Species

A cultural practice that can modify and conserve the soil environment is needed in sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] production. The objective of this research was to evaluate conventional and conservation tillage of sweetpotato with four cover crop species (fallow, ryegrass, rye, and wheat). The cover crops were seeded in late Oct. 1995, and the sweetpotato transplants (`Beauregard') were transplanted at two dates the following spring (May and June). Conservation tillage significantly lowered soil temperature (10 cm depth) during storage root initiation and development. Moreover, each cover crop significantly reduced weed emergence and soil erosion. The ryegrass conservation tillage treatment significantly increased marketable yield of sweetpotato in the first planting date, while rye and wheat performed equally well in the second planting date. In the second planting date, white grub (Phyllophaga ephilida Say) injury to storage roots was significantly higher in the conservation tillage treatments. However, conservation tillage seems to be a viable alternative to the conventional method of sweetpotato production.

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Effect of cover crops on emergence and growth of carrot (Daucus carota L.) in no-plow and traditional tillage

Acta Agrobotanica ◽

10.5586/aa.2014.053 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 68 (1) ◽

pp. 63-73

Author(s):

Marzena Błażewicz-Woźniak ◽

Dariusz Wach ◽

Mirosław Konopiński ◽

Elżbieta Patkowska ◽

Monika Baltyn

Keyword(s):

Cover Crops ◽

Avena Sativa ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Sinapis Alba ◽

White Mustard ◽

Crop Species ◽

Daucus Carota L ◽

Number Of Leaves ◽

Crop Biomass

The aim of the experiment was to determine the influence of cover crop biomass incorporated into the soil at different times and using different treatments on carrot emergence and growth. 7 species of cover crops were included in the study: Secale cereale, Avena sativa, Vicia sativa, Sinapis alba, Phacelia tanacetifolia, Fagopyrum esculentum, and Helianthus annuus. Number of emerged carrot plants significantly depended on the cover crop used and on the method of pre-winter and spring pre-sowing tillage. Carrot emerged best after a rye or oats cover crop. Regardless of the cover crop species used, the largest number of carrots emerged in cultivation on ridges. In other variants of no-plow tillage, number of seedlings was significantly lower and did not differ from that under traditional plow tillage. The highest leaf rosettes were formed by carrot growing after a rye or oats cover crop. The highest rosettes were produced by carrots in the treatments where tillage was limited to the use of a tillage implement in spring and the lowest ones after pre-winter plowing. The effect of tillage on the emergence and height of carrot leaves largely depended on weather conditions in the successive years of the study. The largest number of leaves was found in carrots grown after a buckwheat cover crop and in cultivation without cover crop, while the smallest one after phacelia and white mustard. Carrots produced the largest number of leaves after a sunflower cover crop and the use of a tillage implement in spring, while the number of leaves was lowest when the mustard biomass was incorporated into the soil in spring. The use of cover crops significantly increased the mass of leaves produced by carrot as compared to the cultivation without cover crop. The largest mass of leaves was produced by carrots grown after the phacelia and mustard cover crops. Conventional plow tillage and pre-winter tillage using a stubble cultivator promoted an increase in the mass of carrot leaves.

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Energy Input on Cover Crop Cultivation

Agricultural Engineering ◽

10.1515/agriceng-2017-0037 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 65-72

Author(s):

Leszek Majchrzak ◽

Tomasz Piechota ◽

Tomasz Piskier

Keyword(s):

Cover Crops ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Energy Input ◽

Field Pea ◽

Soil Tillage ◽

Mustard Seed ◽

Research Station ◽

White Mustard ◽

Cumulative Energy ◽

Crop Species

AbstractThe research was carried out in 2015-2016 at the Research Station Brody belonging to Poznan University of Life Sciences. The experiment was assumed with blocks randomized in four replications. The aim of the study was to determine the size and structure of energy inputs incurred on cover crops cultivation in different soil tillage systems. The cumulative energy consumption methodology was used to analyse the energy expenditure on field pea and white mustard seed. Based on the research, it was found that sowing field pea as a cover crop as compared to white mustard increased the cumulative energy input by 63.2%. Applied sowing technologies, regardless of cover crop species, reduced cumulative energy use by 22.5% (strip tillage) and direct sowing by 40.7% as compared to traditional tillage. The structure of energy input depended on the type of used cover crop species, which was based on the energy value of the seed used. The value of the energy efficiency index for growing both cover crop species increased with the simplification of the tillage.

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High probability of yield gain through conservation agriculture in dry regions for major staple crops

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-82375-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yang Su ◽

Benoit Gabrielle ◽

Damien Beillouin ◽

David Makowski

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Relative Yield ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Machine Learning Algorithms ◽

Agricultural Practice ◽

Crop Species ◽

Yield Gain

AbstractConservation agriculture (CA) has been promoted to mitigate climate change, reduce soil erosion, and provide a variety of ecosystem services. Yet, its impacts on crop yields remains controversial. To gain further insight, we mapped the probability of yield gain when switching from conventional tillage systems (CT) to CA worldwide. Relative yield changes were estimated with machine learning algorithms trained by 4403 paired yield observations on 8 crop species extracted from 413 publications. CA has better productive performance than no-till system (NT), and it stands a more than 50% chance to outperform CT in dryer regions of the world, especially with proper agricultural management practices. Residue retention has the largest positive impact on CA productivity comparing to other management practices. The variations in the productivity of CA and NT across geographical and climatical regions were illustrated on global maps. CA appears as a sustainable agricultural practice if targeted at specific climatic regions and crop species.

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Redistribution of phosphorus in soil through cover crop roots

Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology ◽

10.1590/s1516-89132004000300007 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 47 (3) ◽

pp. 381-386 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

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.

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Systemic Colonization by Metarhizium robertsii Enhances Cover Crop Growth

Journal of Fungi ◽

10.3390/jof6020064 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 64

Author(s):

Imtiaz Ahmad ◽

María del Mar Jiménez-Gasco ◽

Dawn S. Luthe ◽

Mary E. Barbercheck

Keyword(s):

Cover Crops ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

Crop Growth ◽

Above Ground Biomass ◽

Crop Species ◽

Metarhizium Robertsii ◽

Cereal Rye ◽

Ground Biomass

Fungi in the genus Metarhizium (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) are insect pathogens that can establish as endophytes and can benefit their host plant. In field experiments, we observed a positive correlation between the prevalence of M. robertsii and legume cover crops, and a negative relationship with brassicaceous cover crops and with increasing proportion of cereal rye in mixtures. Here, we report the effects of endophytic M. robertsii on three cover crop species under greenhouse conditions. We inoculated seeds of Austrian winter pea (Pisum sativum L., AWP), cereal rye (Secale cereale L.), and winter canola (Brassica napus L.) with conidia of M. robertsii to assess the effects of endophytic colonization on cover crop growth. We recovered M. robertsii from 59%, 46%, and 39% of seed-inoculated AWP, cereal rye, and canola plants, respectively. Endophytic M. robertsii significantly increased height and above-ground biomass of AWP and cereal rye but did not affect chlorophyll content of any of the cover crop species. Among inoculated plants from which we recovered M. robertsii, above-ground biomass of AWP was positively correlated with the proportion of colonized root but not leaf tissue sections. Our results suggest that winter cover crops may help to conserve Metarhizium spp. in annual cropping systems.

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

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10060840 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 840 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

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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Cover crop species affect mycorrhizae-mediated nutrient uptake and pest resistance in maize

Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems ◽

10.1017/s1742170519000061 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 35 (5) ◽

pp. 467-474 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Ebony G. Murrell ◽

Swayamjit Ray ◽

Mary E. Lemmon ◽

Dawn S. Luthe ◽

Jason P. Kaye

Keyword(s):

Nutrient Uptake ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Cover Crop ◽

European Corn Borer ◽

Pest Resistance ◽

Plant Nutrient ◽

Crop Species ◽

Maize Crop ◽

Corn Borer ◽

Maize Growth

AbstractArbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can increase plant nutrient uptake and chemical defense production, both of which can improve plants’ ability to resist insect herbivory. Cover crops—non-commercial species planted in between cash crops in a crop rotation—can naturally alter both soil nutrients and AMF. We tested whether different cover crop species alter AMF colonization, plant nutrient status and plant–insect interactions in a subsequent maize crop. Cover crop species were either non-mycorrhizal, non-leguminous (canola, forage radish), mycorrhizal non-leguminous (cereal rye, oats), mycorrhizal leguminous (clover, pea) or absent (fallow). We measured the cascading consequences of cover crop treatment on maize root AMF colonization, maize growth and performance of an herbivorous insect (European corn borer) feeding on the maize. Maize AMF colonization was greater in plots previously planted with mycorrhizal (rye, oats) than non-mycorrhizal (canola, radish) cover crops or no cover crop (fallow). AMF colonization was linked to increased plant phosphorous and nitrogen, and maize growth increased with low plant N:P. Induced jasmonic acid pathway plant defenses increased with increasing maize growth and AMF colonization. European corn borer survivorship decreased with lower plant N:P, and insect development rate decreased with increased induced plant defenses. Our data describe a cascade in which cover crop species selection can increase or decrease mycorrhizal colonization of subsequent maize crop roots, which in turn impacts phosphorus uptake and may affect herbivory resistance in the maize. These results suggest that farmers could select cover crop species to manage nutrient uptake and pest resistance, in order to amend or limit fertilizer and pesticide use.

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The Correct Cover Crop Species Integrated with Slurry Can Increase Biomass, Quality and Nitrogen Cycling to Positively Affect Yields in a Subsequent Spring Barley Rotation

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10111760 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 1760

Author(s):

Paul Cottney ◽

Lisa Black ◽

Ethel White ◽

Paul N. Williams

Keyword(s):

Cover Crops ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Spring Barley ◽

C:N Ratio ◽

Brassica Species ◽

Carbon Accumulation ◽

Soil Mineral Nitrogen ◽

Crop Species ◽

N Accumulation

The aim of this study is to identify species of cover crops that cause an increase in biomass and total nutrient accumulation in response to manure/slurry. This could improve nutrient efficiency and intensify the benefits from over-winter cover crops in arable rotations and improve following commercial crop yields. In a pot experiment, sixteen cover crops were grown for 100 days in response to slurry. Growth and nutrient (N, P, K, Mg and S) accumulation were measured, and then residue was reincorporated into the soil with spring barley (Hodeum vulgare L.) sown and harvested for yield. In response to slurry, tillage radish (Raphanus sativus L.) increased N accumulation by 101% due to a significant increase in biomass and % N (p < 0.05) over its relative control plots. Significant interactions between species and the application of slurry were found in cover crop biomass, cover crop and spring barley nutrient uptake, as well as cover crop carbon accumulation, particularly in the brassica species used. Slurry integrated with cover crops both reduced the cover crop C:N ratio and enhanced nutrient cycling compared to the control when soil mineral nitrogen (SMN) and spring barley crop N offtake were pooled. However, this was not observed in the legumes. This study shows that slurry integration with cover crops is a promising sustainable farming practice to sequester N and other macro-nutrients whilst providing a range of synergistic benefits to spring barley production when compared to unplanted/fallow land rotations. However, this advantage is subject to use of responsive cover crop species identified in this study.

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Carryover of Common Corn and Soybean Herbicides to Various Cover Crop Species

Weed Technology ◽

10.1614/wt-d-16-00062.1 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 21-31 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Cody D. Cornelius ◽

Kevin W. Bradley

Keyword(s):

Cover Crops ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Production Systems ◽

Italian Ryegrass ◽

Hairy Vetch ◽

Crop Species ◽

Cereal Rye ◽

Crimson Clover ◽

Crop Establishment ◽

Biomass Reduction

The recent interest in cover crops as component of Midwest corn and soybean production systems has led to the need for additional research, including the effects of residual corn and soybean herbicide treatments on fall cover crop establishment. Field studies were conducted in 2013, 2014, and 2015 in Columbia, Missouri to investigate the effects of common residual herbicides applied in corn and soybean on establishment of winter wheat, tillage radish, cereal rye, crimson clover, winter oat, Austrian winter pea, Italian ryegrass, and hairy vetch. Cover crops were evaluated for stand and biomass reduction 28 d after emergence (DAE). Rainfall from herbicide application to cover crop seeding date was much greater in 2014 and 2015, which resulted in less carryover in these years compared to 2013. When averaged across all herbicides evaluated in these experiments, the general order of sensitivity of cover crops to herbicide carryover, from greatest to least was Austrian winter pea=crimson clover>oilseed radish>Italian ryegrass>hairy vetch>wheat >winter oat>cereal rye. Cereal rye had the fewest instances of biomass or stand reduction with only four out of the 27 herbicides adversely effecting establishment. Pyroxasulfone consistently reduced Italian ryegrass and winter oat biomass at least 67% in both the corn and soybean experiments. In the soybean experiment, imazethapyr- and fomesafen-containing products resulted in severe stand and biomass reduction in both years while flumetsulam-containing products resulted in the greatest carryover symptoms in the corn experiment. Results from these experiments suggest that several commonly used corn and soybean herbicides have the potential to hinder cover crop establishment, but the severity of damage will depend on weather, cover crop species, and the specific herbicide combination.

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