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 Yield and Nitrogen Concentration of Tomato following Winter Cover Crops

HortScience ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 669c-669
Author(s):  
Bharat P. Singh ◽  
Upendra M. Sanju ◽  
Wayne F. Whitehead
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Tomato Fruit ◽  
N Uptake ◽  
Inorganic N ◽  
Tomato Crop ◽  
Total N ◽  
Crimson Clover ◽  
N Concentration ◽  
Winter Cover ◽  
Winter Cover Crops

Our objective was to determine the effect of winter cover crops on the yield and N concentration of the following crop of tomato. No commercial fertilizer was applied to the tomato crop. Cover crops were planted in fall in a randomized complete-block design with control (fallow), rye, hairy vetch, and crimson clover treatments. `Mountain Pride' tomato was planted in spring after incorporating cover crops into the soil. Soil inorganic N content during the tomato growing season was significantly affected by the nature of cover crops planted during winter. Tomato planted after legumes had significantly greater amounts of inorganic N available for uptake compared to nonlegume or control. A rye cover crop did not have any effect on the yield of the ensuing tomato crop. On the contrary, a 15% increase in tomato fruit yields resulted from cover cropping with legumes. The N concentration in fruit in all treatments was similar. However, tomato grown after rye had significantly lower vegetative N concentration. Total N uptake was significantly greater in tomato succeeding legumes compared to nonlegume or fallow. It was concluded that by adding inorganic N into the soil, legumes increased the fruit yield and N uptake of the succeeding tomato crop.

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 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 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 Comparison of Mixtures vs. Monocultures of Cover Crops for Fresh-market Tomato Production With and Without Herbicide

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (7) ◽  
pp. 1163-1166 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Teasdale ◽  
Aref A. Abdul-Baki
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
C:N Ratio ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Fresh Market ◽  
Vicia Villosa ◽  
Tomato Production ◽  
Crimson Clover ◽  
Marketable Fruit

Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth), crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.), and rye (Secale cereale L.) and mixtures of rye with hairy vetch and/or crimson clover were compared for no-tillage production of staked, fresh-market tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) on raised beds. All cover crops were evaluated both with or without a postemergence application of metribuzin for weed control. Biomass of cover crop mixtures were higher than that of the hairy vetch monocrop. Cover crop nitrogen content varied little among legume monocrops and all mixtures but was lower in the rye monocrop. The C:N ratio of legume monocrops and all mixtures was <30 but that of the rye monocrop was >50, suggesting that nitrogen immobilization probably occurred only in the rye monocrop. Marketable fruit yield was similar in the legume monocrops and all mixtures but was lower in the rye monocrop when weeds were controlled by metribuzin. When no herbicide was applied, cover crop mixtures reduced weed emergence and biomass compared to the legume monocrops. Despite weed suppression by cover crop mixtures, tomatoes grown in the mixtures without herbicide yielded lower than the corresponding treatments with herbicide in 2 of 3 years. Chemical name used: [4-amino-6-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-3-(methylthio)-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one](metribuzin).

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.

Net returns and risk for cover crop use in Alabama tomato production

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 334-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah M. Duzy ◽  
Ted S. Kornecki ◽  
Kipling S. Balkcom ◽  
Francisco J. Arriaga
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Production System ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Fresh Market ◽  
Tomato Production ◽  
Crimson Clover ◽  
Net Returns

AbstractTomato (Solanum lycopersicumL.) producers are faced with uncertain yields and prices, and utilizing a production system that will reduce risk while maintaining yield may keep tomato producers economically sustainable into the future. A conservation tillage production system with high biomass cover crops may be an economically viable alternative for tomato producers in Alabama. The objective of this study was to compare the economics of alternative production systems using different cover crops, such as cereal rye (Secale cerealeL.) and crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatumL.), and different subsoiler shanks for fresh-market tomato production relative to a commonly used plastic mulch system to determine the preferred treatment. Gross revenues and net returns from tomato production using a rye cover crop were higher than tomato production using plastic mulch in 2 of the 4 years. For the clover cover crop, gross revenues and net returns were higher in 1 out of the 4 years. Under tomato prices and weather conditions observed during 2005–2008, the preferred treatment for a risk neutral producer was planting tomatoes into a rye cover crop with a wide shank. For a strongly risk averse producer, all cover crop treatments were preferred to plastic mulch. The use of a cover crop in tomato production has the potential to be an equally profitable, less risky alternative to plastic mulch in Alabama.

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.

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