scholarly journals Cover Crop Management and Weed Suppression in No-tillage Sweet Corn Production

HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 1262-1266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lidia M. Carrera ◽  
Aref A. Abdul-Baki ◽  
John R. Teasdale
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Sweet Corn ◽  
Crop Management ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Corn Yield ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Weed Biomass

Cover crops combined with conservation tillage practices can minimize chemical inputs and improve soil quality, soil water-holding capacity, weed suppression and crop yields. No-tillage production of sweet corn (Zea mays var. `Silver Queen') was studied for 2 years at the USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Md., to determine cover crop management practices that maximize yield and suppress weeds. Cover crop treatments were hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth), rye (Secale cereale L.) and hairy vetch mixture, and bare soil (no cover crop). There were three cover crop killing methods: mowing, rolling or contact herbicide paraquat. All plots were treated with or without atrazine and metolachlor after planting. There was a 23% reduction in sweet corn plant population in the rye-hairy vetch mixture compared to bare soil. Averaged over both years, sweet corn yield in hairy vetch treatments was 43% greater than in bare soil, whereas yield in the rye-hairy vetch mixture was 30% greater than in bare soil. There were no significant main effects of kill method or significant interactions between kill method and cover crop on yield. Sweet corn yields were not different for hairy vetch or rye-hairy vetch treatments with or without atrazine and metolachlor. However, yield in bare soil without the herbicides atrazine and metolachor were reduced by 63% compared to bare soil with these herbicides. When no atrazine and metolachlor were applied, weed biomass was reduced in cover crops compared to the bare soil. Regression analysis showed greater yield loss per unit of weed biomass for bare soil than for the vetch or rye-hairy vetch mixture. This analysis suggests that cover crops increased sweet corn yield in the absence of atrazine and metolachlor not only by reducing weed biomass, but also by increasing the competitiveness of corn to weeds at any given biomass.

scholarly journals Weed Populations, Sweet Corn Yield, and Economics Following Fall Cover Crops

2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 374-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelsey A. O'Reilly ◽  
Darren E. Robinson ◽  
Richard J. Vyn ◽  
Laura L. Van Eerd
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Sweet Corn ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Corn Yield ◽  
Viable Seed ◽  
Weed Biomass ◽  
Profit Margins ◽  
Oilseed Radish ◽  
Split Plot

The effectiveness of cover crops as an alternative weed control strategy should be assessed as the demand for food and fiber grown under sustainable agricultural practices increases. This study assessed the effect of fall cover crops on weed populations in the fall and spring prior to sweet corn planting and during sweet corn growth. The experiment was a split-plot design in a pea cover–cover crop–sweet corn rotation with fall cover crop type as the main plot factor and presence or absence of weeds in the sweet corn as the split-plot factor. The cover crop treatments were a control with no cover crop (no-cover), oat, cereal rye (rye), oilseed radish (OSR), and oilseed radish with rye (OSR+rye). In the fall, at Ridgetown, weed biomass in the OSR treatments was 29 and 59 g m−2lower than in the no-cover and the cereal treatments, respectively. In the spring, OSR+rye and rye reduced weed biomass, density, and richness below the levels observed in the control at Bothwell. At Ridgetown in the spring, cover crops had no effect on weed populations. During the sweet corn season, weed populations and sweet corn yields were generally unaffected by the cover crops, provided OSR did not set viable seed. All cover crop treatments were as profitable as or more profitable than the no-cover treatment. At Bothwell profit margins were highest for oat at almost Can$600 ha−1higher than the no-cover treatment. At Ridgetown, compared with the no-cover treatment, OSR and OSR+rye profit margins were between Can$1,250 and Can$1,350 ha−1and between Can$682 and Can$835 ha−1, respectively. Therefore, provided that OSR does not set viable seed, the cover crops tested are feasible and profitable options to include in sweet corn production and provide weed-suppression benefits.

Strategies to terminate summer cover crops for weed management in no-tillage vegetable production in southeast Brazil

Weed Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Roberto Botelho Ferraz Branco ◽  
Fernando de Carvalho ◽  
João Paulo de Oliveira ◽  
Pedro Luis da Costa Alves
Keyword(s):  
Pearl Millet ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Weed Biomass ◽  
Jack Bean ◽  
Organic Mulch ◽  
Sunn Hemp

Abstract Cover crop residue left on the soil surface as organic mulch in no-tillage crop production provides several environmental benefits, including weed suppression. Thus, many farmers who use cover crops attempt to reduce the use of agricultural inputs, especially herbicides. Therefore, our objectives were to study the potential of different cover crop species to suppress weeds and produce an in situ organic mulch, and evaluate the effect of the organic mulch with and without spraying glyphosate on weed suppression for vegetable (tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. and broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis) growth and yield. Five cover crop treatments (sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.), jack bean [Canavalia ensiformis (L.) DC.], pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.], grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench ssp. bicolor] and a no-cover crop (control)) were used in the main plots; and spraying or no spraying glyphosate on the flattened cover crop in the sub plots of split-plot experimental design. Organic mulch from pearl millet, sorghum and sunn hemp resulted in lower weed biomass during the early season of both tomato and broccoli than jack bean and no-cover crop (control). Spraying glyphosate after roller crimping reduced weed biomass by 103 g m−2 and 20 g m−2 by 45 and 60 days after transplanting (DAT) of tomato, respectively and resulted in a better tomato yield compared to non spraying. Glyphosate reduced weed biomass by 110 g m−2 in the early season of broccoli (30 DAT), but did not affect yield. Terminating high biomass cover crops with a roller crimper is a promising technique for weed management in vegetable crops, which has the potential to reduce or even eliminate the need for herbicide.

Weed Control and Sweet Corn (Zea maysvar.rugosa) Response in a No-till System with Cover Crops

Weed Science ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 355-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nilda R. Burgos ◽  
Ronald E. Talbert
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Sweet Corn ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Yellow Nutsedge ◽  
No Till ◽  
Agricultural Experiment ◽  
And Control

Studies were conducted at the Main Agricultural Experiment Station in Fayetteville and the Vegetable Substation in Kibler, Arkansas, in 1992 and 1993 on the same plots to evaluate weed suppression by winter cover crops alone or in combination with reduced herbicide rates in no-till sweet corn and to evaluate cover crop effects on growth and yield of sweet corn. Plots seeded to rye plus hairy vetch, rye, or wheat had at least 50% fewer early season weeds than hairy vetch alone or no cover crop. None of the cover crops reduced population of yellow nutsedge. Without herbicides, hairy vetch did not suppress weeds 8 wk after cover crop desiccation. Half rates of atrazine and metolachlor (1.1 + 1.1 kg ai ha−1) reduced total weed density more effectively in no cover crop than in hairy vetch. Half rates of atrazine and metolachlor controlled redroot pigweed, Palmer amaranth, and goosegrass regardless of cover crop. Full rates of atrazine and metolachlor (2.2 + 2.2 kg ai ha−1) were needed to control large crabgrass in hairy vetch. Control of yellow nutsedge in hairy vetch was marginal even with full herbicide rates. Yellow nutsedge population increased and control with herbicides declined the second year, particularly with half rates of atrazine and metolachlor. All cover crops except hairy vetch alone reduced emergence, height, and yield of sweet corn. Sweet corn yields from half rates of atrazine and metolachlor equalled the full rates regardless of cover crops.

scholarly journals SWEET CORN YIELD AND INSECT DAMAGE AS AFFECTED BY COVER CROPS AND NITROGEN

HortScience ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 489b-489
Author(s):  
Warren Roberts ◽  
Bob Cartwright
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Soil Cover ◽  
Sweet Corn ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Corn Yield ◽  
Insect Damage ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Black Plastic

The effects of cover crops and nitrogen on yield and insect damage of sweet corn were examined. In 1989, sweet corn was grown in bare soil plots, plots covered with rye (Secale cereale), and plots covered with hairy vetch (Vicia villosa). In 1990 a black plastic mulch treatment was substituted for the hairy vetch treatment. Each soil cover was fertilized with 45, 90, 134, or 179 kg/ha nitrogen (N) in 1989, and 34, 101, 168, 235, or 302 kg/ha N in 1990. Covers were planted in the fall, followed by sweet corn the following spring. There was no mowing or tilling of the cover crops. Corn yields were lower each year in the rye covered plots. There were more corn earworms on the rye covered plots. Corn pollination was poorer on the rye covered plots, but responded positively to increasing rates of N.

Use of Wild Radish (Raphanus raphanistrum) and Rye Cover Crops for Weed Suppression in Sweet Corn

Weed Science ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 588-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayank S. Malik ◽  
Jason K. Norsworthy ◽  
A. Stanley Culpepper ◽  
Melissa B. Riley ◽  
William Bridges
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Sweet Corn ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Corn Yield ◽  
Wild Radish ◽  
Raphanus Raphanistrum ◽  
Full Rate ◽  
Large Crabgrass

Field experiments were conducted near Blackville, SC, and Tifton, GA, in 2004 and 2005, to evaluate the effect of wild radish and rye cover crops on weed control and sweet corn yield when used in conjunction with lower-than-recommended herbicide rates. Cover crop treatments included wild radish, rye, and no cover crop, alone and in conjunction with half and full rates of atrazine (0.84 and 1.68 kg ai ha−1) plusS-metolachlor (0.44 and 0.87 kg ai ha−1) applied before sweet corn emergence. Florida pusley, large crabgrass, spreading dayflower, ivyleaf morningglory, and wild radish infested the test sites. Wild radish and rye cover crops without herbicides reduced total weed density by 35 and 50%, respectively, at 4 wk after planting (WAP). Wild radish in conjunction with the full rate of atrazine plusS-metolachlor controlled Florida pusley, large crabgrass, and ivyleaf morningglory better than rye or no cover crop treated with a full herbicide rate in 2004 at Blackville. In 2005, at Blackville, weed control in sweet corn following wild radish cover crop plots alone was not different from that following rye. Wild radish or rye in conjunction with a half or full rate of atrazine andS-metolachlor controlled > 95% Florida pusley, wild radish, and large crabgrass in sweet corn at Tifton during both years. Ten glucosinolates, potential allelopathic compounds, were identified in wild radish, including glucoiberin, progoitrin, glucoraphanin, glucoraphenin, glucosinalbin, gluconapin, glucotropaeolin, glucoerucin, glucobrassicin, and gluconasturtin. Sweet corn yields at Blackville and Tifton following wild radish or rye cover crops were similar between the half and full rates of atrazine plusS-metolachlor. Sweet corn in wild radish or rye cover crop plots without herbicides produced less-marketable ears than herbicide-treated plots, indicating that a combination of cover crops and herbicides are required to optimize yields and to obtain desirable weed control.

Influence of Cover Crop and Herbicide Treatment on Weed Control and Yield in No-Till Sweet Corn (Zea maysL.) and Pumpkin (Cucurbita maximaDuch.)

1996 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 341-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bethany A. Galloway ◽  
Leslie A. Weston
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Sweet Corn ◽  
Total Yield ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Herbicide Application ◽  
Weed Biomass ◽  
Crimson Clover ◽  
Herbicide Treatment

Sweet corn and pumpkin were planted no-tillage (NT) into cover crop residue treatments of vetch, rye, crimson clover, and ladino clover controlled with glyphosate, and a bare ground conventional tillage (CT) control. Objectives included evaluation of crop growth, yield, and weed suppression in NT versus CT treatments. Herbicide application was also investigated, with a plus and minus herbicide treatment (alachlor plus cyanazine for sweet corn, or ethalfluralin for pumpkin) as the main factor in the factorial experiment, and cover crops the subfactors. Weed control 4 wk after planting was dependent upon cover crop. The fewest weed numbers and least biomass were found in the ladino clover plots, but clover regrowth and subsequent competition with the cash crop were severe. Herbicides also affected weed biomass at 4 wk after vegetable planting, with least biomass in herbicide-treated plots. Neither cover crop nor herbicide treatment significantly affected weed weight by 8 wk after planting or pumpkin fruit weight at harvest. Pumpkin yield was not influenced by herbicide application. The vetch cover, although harboring greatest weed biomass, produced the greatest total yield (ear weight) in sweet corn. When averaged over cover crop, sweet corn yields were higher in herbicide-treated plots than in untreated ones. Both sweet corn and pumpkin maturity were generally delayed in the absence of herbicide treatments or in the presence of cover crop residues, especially clover and rye residues.

Tillage and Planting Date Effects on Weed Dormancy, Emergence, and Early Growth in Organic Corn

Weed Science ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 477-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Teasdale ◽  
Steven B. Mirsky
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crop ◽  
Dominant Species ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Crop Management ◽  
Planting Date ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Planting Dates ◽  
Weed Biomass ◽  
Giant Foxtail ◽  
Smooth Pigweed

Insufficient weed control is a major constraint to adoption of reduced-tillage practices for organic grain production. Tillage, cover crop management, and crop planting date are factors that influence emergence periodicity and growth potential of important weed species in these systems. We assessed two hairy vetch cover crop management practices, disk-kill and roll-kill, across a range of corn planting dates from early May to late June in three experiments in Beltsville, MD. Patterns of seed dormancy, emergence, and early weed growth were determined for overseeded populations of common ragweed, giant foxtail, and smooth pigweed, three important species in the Mid-Atlantic states that represent early to late emergence. Common ragweed emergence was lowest and dormancy was highest of the three species across all planting dates. Giant foxtail emergence was higher than the other species in roll-killed hairy vetch and included a significant number of seeds that germinated before rolling operations in late June. Smooth pigweed had the highest emergence and lowest dormancy in disk-killed hairy vetch in June. Individual giant foxtail plant weight was higher in roll-killed than disk-killed hairy vetch in 2 of 3 yr, whereas that of smooth pigweed plants was higher in disk-killed than roll-killed vetch in 2 of 3 yr. Giant foxtail was the dominant species in roll-killed hairy vetch (averaged 79% of total weed biomass at corn silking), probably because of early germination and establishment before rolling operations. Smooth pigweed was the dominant species in disk-killed hairy vetch at June planting dates (averaged 77% of total weed biomass), probably because of high growth rates under warm conditions in tilled soil. This research demonstrated that cover crop management practices and the timing of planting operations can shift the dominant species of weed communities in organic farming systems and must be considered in long-term weed management planning.

Integration of cover crops and fertilizer rates for weed management in celery

Weed Science ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (02) ◽  
pp. 326-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin S. Charles ◽  
Mathieu Ngouajio ◽  
Darryl D. Warncke ◽  
Kenneth L. Poff ◽  
Mary K. Hausbeck
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Fertility Level ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Bare Ground ◽  
Weed Biomass ◽  
Cereal Rye ◽  
Oilseed Radish

Field studies were carried out in Laingsburg, MI, from 2002 to 2004 on Houghton muck soil to assess the impacts of cover crops and soil fertility regimes on weed populations and celery yield. The cover crops were oilseed radish, cereal rye, hairy vetch, and a bare ground control. The fertility rates were full (180, 90, and 450 kg ha−1nitrogen [N], phosphorus pentoxide [P2O5], and potassium oxide [K2O], respectively), half (90, 45, and 225 kg ha−1N, P2O5, and K2O, respectively), and low (90 kg ha−1N). Each cover crop treatment was combined with the low or half rate of fertilizer. An additional treatment with bare ground plus the full rate of fertilizer was added as standard practice. Treatments were maintained in the same location for the duration of the study. Major weed species were common chickweed, prostrate pigweed, shepherd's-purse, common purslane, and yellow nutsedge. Each year, oilseed radish consistently produced the greatest biomass and provided over 98% early season weed biomass suppression. Hairy vetch and cereal rye provided about 70% weed suppression in early spring. Soil fertility level affected weed populations during the 2004 growing season. In 2004, weed biomass in treatments without cover crops or with vetch increased when greater amounts of fertilizer were applied. Within individual fertility levels, higher celery yields were recorded in the oilseed radish plots. For example, in the low fertility rate, celery yield was 34.8, 29.2, 23.9, and 24.4 ton ha−1in the oilseed radish, cereal rye, hairy vetch, and control plots, respectively in 2003. Overall, the results of this experiment indicate that when included in a system where hoeing and hand-weeding are the only weed control methods, cover crops can successfully improve weed management and celery yield on muck soils, allowing reduced fertilizer inputs.

scholarly journals Cover Crop Effectiveness Varies in Cover Crop-Based Rotational Tillage Organic Soybean Systems Depending on Species and Environment

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Vincent-Caboud ◽  
Léa Vereecke ◽  
Erin Silva ◽  
Joséphine Peigné
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Weed Biomass ◽  
Cereal Rye ◽  
Cereal Grain ◽  
Crop Biomass

Organic farming relies heavily on tillage for weed management, however, intensive soil disturbance can have detrimental impacts on soil quality. Cover crop-based rotational tillage (CCBRT), a practice that reduces the need for tillage and cultivation through the creation of cover crop mulches, has emerged as an alternative weed management practice in organic cropping systems. In this study, CCBRT systems using cereal rye and triticale grain species are evaluated with organic soybean directly seeded into a rolled cover crop. Cover crop biomass, weed biomass, and soybean yields were evaluated to assess the effects of cereal rye and winter triticale cover crops on weed suppression and yields. From 2016 to 2018, trials were conducted at six locations in Wisconsin, USA, and Southern France. While cover crop biomass did not differ among the cereal grain species tested, the use of cereal rye as the cover crop resulted in higher soybean yields (2.7 t ha−1 vs. 2.2 t ha−1) and greater weed suppression, both at soybean emergence (231 vs. 577 kg ha−1 of weed biomass) and just prior to soybean harvest (1178 vs. 1545 kg ha−1). On four out of six sites, cover crop biomass was lower than the reported optimal (<8000 kg ha−1) needed to suppress weeds throughout soybean season. Environmental conditions, in tandem with agronomic decisions (e.g., seeding dates, cultivar, planters, etc.), influenced the ability of the cover crop to suppress weeds regardless of the species used. In a changing climate, future research should focus on establishing flexible decision support tools based on multi-tactic cover crop management to ensure more consistent results with respect to cover crop growth, weed suppression, and crop yields.

Reduced-Herbicide Weed Management Systems for No-Tillage Corn (Zea mays) in a Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa) Cover Crop

1993 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 879-883 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Teasdale
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Standard Treatment ◽  
Corn Yield ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Hairy Vetch ◽  
Treatment Control ◽  
Vicia Villosa

Weed management treatments with various degrees of herbicide inputs were applied with or without a hairy vetch cover crop to no-tillage corn in four field experiments at Beltsville, MD. A hairy vetch living mulch in the no-treatment control or a dead mulch in the mowed treatment improved weed control during the first 6 wk of the season but weed control deteriorated in these treatments thereafter. Competition from weeds and/or uncontrolled vetch in these treatments without herbicides reduced corn yield in three of four years by an average of 46% compared with a standard PRE herbicide treatment of 0.6 kg ai/ha of paraquat plus 1.1 kg ai/ha of atrazine plus 2.2 kg ai/ha of metolachlor. Reducing atrazine and metolachlor to one-fourth the rate of the standard treatment in the absence of cover crop reduced weed control in three of four years and corn yield in two of four years compared with the standard treatment. Hairy vetch had little influence on weed control or corn yield with any herbicide treatments.

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