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

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. 

Crops & Soils ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 53 (5) ◽  
pp. 42-51
Author(s):  
Clain Jones ◽  
Kathrin Olson‐Rutz ◽  
Perry Miller ◽  
Cathy Zabinski

2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 832-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin D. DeVore ◽  
Jason K. Norsworthy ◽  
Kristofor R. Brye

Glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth has become a major problem for cotton producers throughout much of the southern United States. With cotton producers relying heavily on glyphosate-resistant cotton, an alternative solution to controlling resistant Palmer amaranth is needed. A field experiment was conducted during 2009 and 2010 at Marianna, AR, in which a rye cover crop and no cover crop were tested in combination with deep tillage with the use of a moldboard plow and no tillage to determine the impact on Palmer amaranth emergence in cotton. To establish a baseline population, 500,000 glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth seeds were placed in a 2-m2area in the middle of each plot and incorporated into the soil, and emergence was evaluated five times during the season. In 2009, both tillage and the cover crop reduced Palmer amaranth emergence in cotton, but the combination of the two reduced emergence 85%. In the second year, only the cover crop reduced Palmer amaranth emergence in cotton, a 68% reduction. Cover crops and deep tillage will not eliminate glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth; however, use of these tools will likely reduce the risks of failures associated with residual herbicides along with selection pressure placed on both PRE- and POST-applied herbicides. Additional efforts should focus on the integration of the best cultural practices identified in this research with use of residual herbicides and greater focus on limiting Palmer amaranth seed production and reducing the soil seedbank.


Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 445
Author(s):  
Laura Depalo ◽  
Giovanni Burgio ◽  
Serena Magagnoli ◽  
Daniele Sommaggio ◽  
Francesco Montemurro ◽  
...  

A key aspect in cover crop management is termination before the cash crop is planted. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of termination methods on ground-dwelling arthropods. The conventional mechanical termination method—i.e., green manuring by means of a disc harrow—was compared to flattening using a roller crimper. Two different crop systems were investigated for two growing seasons; cauliflower was grown in autumn after the termination of a mixture of cowpea, pearl millet, and radish, and tomato was cropped in spring and summer after the termination of a mixture of barley and vetch. Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae), rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), and spiders (Araneae) were sampled by means of standard pitfall traps throughout the growing season of both cash crops. The roller crimper increased the overall abundance of ground beetles in the first growing season of both cash crops, whereas in the second year, no significant effect could be detected. Rove beetles were more abundant in plots where the cover crops were terminated by the roller crimper. Finally, green manuring increased the abundance of spiders, especially on the first sampling date after cover crop termination. Albeit different taxa showed different responses, the termination of cover crops by a roller crimper generally increased the abundance of ground dwelling arthropods. Given that most of the sampled species were generalist predators, their increased abundance could possibly improve biological control.


2004 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Choi ◽  
I. Song ◽  
S. Stine ◽  
J. Pimentel ◽  
C. Gerba

Two different irrigation systems, subsurface drip irrigation and furrow irrigation, are tested to investigate the level of viral contamination and survival when tertiary effluent is used in arid and semi-arid regions. The effluent was injected with bacteriophages of PRD1 and MS2. A greater number of PRD1 and MS2 were recovered from the lettuce in the subsurface drip-irrigated plots as compared to those in the furrow-irrigated plots. Shallow drip tape installation and preferential water paths through cracks on the soil surface appeared to be the main causes of high viral contamination in subsurface drip irrigation plots, which led to the direct contact of the lettuce stems with the irrigation water which penetrated the soil surface. The water use efficiency of the subsurface drip irrigation system was higher than that of the furrow irrigation system. Thus, subsurface drip irrigation is an efficient irrigation method for vegetable crops in arid and semi-arid regions if viral contamination can be reduced. Deeper installation of drip tapes, frequent irrigations, and timely harvests based on cumulative heat units may further reduce health risks by ensuring viral die-off under various field conditions.


Weed Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 534-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jess M. Bunchek ◽  
John M. Wallace ◽  
William S. Curran ◽  
David A. Mortensen ◽  
Mark J. VanGessel ◽  
...  

AbstractIntensified cover-cropping practices are increasingly viewed as a herbicide-resistance management tool but clear distinction between reactive and proactive resistance management performance targets is needed. We evaluated two proactive performance targets for integrating cover-cropping tactics, including (1) facilitation of reduced herbicide inputs and (2) reduced herbicide selection pressure. We conducted corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] field experiments in Pennsylvania and Delaware using synthetic weed seedbanks of horseweed [Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronquist] and smooth pigweed (Amaranthus hybridus L.) to assess winter and summer annual population dynamics, respectively. The effect of alternative cover crops was evaluated across a range of herbicide inputs. Cover crop biomass production ranged from 2,000 to 8,500 kg ha−1 in corn and 3,000 to 5,500 kg ha−1 in soybean. Experimental results demonstrated that herbicide-based tactics were the primary drivers of total weed biomass production, with cover-cropping tactics providing an additive weed-suppression benefit. Substitution of cover crops for PRE or POST herbicide programs did not reduce total weed control levels or cash crop yields but did result in lower net returns due to higher input costs. Cover-cropping tactics significantly reduced C. canadensis populations in three of four cover crop treatments and decreased the number of large rosettes (>7.6-cm diameter) at the time of preplant herbicide exposure. Substitution of cover crops for PRE herbicides resulted in increased selection pressure on POST herbicides, but reduced the number of large individuals (>10 cm) at POST applications. Collectively, our findings suggest that cover crops can reduce the intensity of selection pressure on POST herbicides, but the magnitude of the effect varies based on weed life-history traits. Additional work is needed to describe proactive resistance management concepts and performance targets for integrating cover crops so producers can apply these concepts in site-specific, within-field management practices.


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