scholarly journals Cover Crop Performance between Plastic-mulched Beds: Impacts on Weeds and Soil Resources

HortScience ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (7) ◽  
pp. 1069-1077
Author(s):  
Alyssa R. Tarrant ◽  
Daniel C. Brainard ◽  
Zachary D. Hayden
Keyword(s):  
White Clover ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Italian Ryegrass ◽  
Eragrostis Tef ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Living Mulch ◽  
Cash Crop ◽  
Weed Biomass

Growing a cover crop living mulch between plastic-mulched beds may reduce soil erosion while providing other agroecosystem services. However, information regarding the relative differences among living mulch species to maximize services and minimize competition for nutrients and water in adjacent plastic-mulched beds is limited. A 2-year experiment in Michigan evaluated nine living mulch species for biomass production, in-season weed suppression, and potential for cash crop competition. Species included three warm season grasses {Italian ryegrass [Lolium perenne L. ssp. multiflorum (Lam.) Husnot], teff [Eragrostis tef (Zuccagni) Trotter, and sudangrass [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench ssp. drummondii (Nees ex Steud.) de Wet & Harlan]}; three cool season grasses [barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), rye (Secale cereale L.), and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)]; and three clover species grown in combination with rye {Dutch white clover (Trifolium repens L.), New Zealand white clover (T. repens L.) and yellow blossom sweet clover [Melilotus officinalis (L.) Lam.]}. Although all living mulch treatments significantly reduced in-season weed biomass relative to the weedy control in 2018, weeds were generally a dominant component of total biomass in all living mulch treatments other than teff. Weed biomass was negatively correlated with living mulch biomass, and teff exhibited both the greatest biomass and weed suppression in both years. However, despite spatial and physical separation, all living mulches demonstrated the potential to compete with a cash crop by reducing soil inorganic nitrogen and moisture levels in adjacent plastic mulch–covered beds. Growers interested in integrating living mulches into plasticulture systems must consider desired benefits such as enhanced weed suppression, soil quality, and harvesting conditions alongside potential risks to cash crop yields.

scholarly journals Ecosystem Services and Cash Crop Tradeoffs of Summer Cover Crops in Northern Region Organic Vegetable Rotations

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivian M. Wauters ◽  
Julie M. Grossman ◽  
Anne Pfeiffer ◽  
Rodrigo Cala
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Biomass Accumulation ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Soil Protection ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Cash Crop ◽  
Vegetable Farming

Intensive production practices characterizing vegetable farming contribute to high productivity, but often at the expense of supporting and regulating ecosystem services. Diversification with cover crops may support increased resilience through soil organic matter (SOM) contributions and physical soil protection. Vegetable farming often includes spring and fall production, limiting establishment and productive potential of over-wintered cover crops that are more widely used in the USA. In northern climate vegetable systems, warm-season cover crops planted during short summer fallows could be a tool to build resilience via ecosystem service enhancement. This project evaluated summer cover crops in the northern USA (MN and WI) for biomass accumulation, weed suppression, and contribution to fall cash crop yield. Our study included four site years, during which we investigated the effects of four cover crop species treatments, grown for 30 (short duration, SD) or 50 days (long duration, LD) alongside bare fertilized and unfertilized control treatments: buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) and sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) monocultures, and biculture of chickling vetch (Lathyrus sativus) or cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) with sorghum-sudangrass (sudex) (Sorghum bicolor x S. bicolor var. Sudanese). To quantify cover crop quantity, quality, and weed suppression capacity, we measured cover crop and weed biomass, and biomass C:N. To quantify effects on cash crops, we measured fall broccoli yield and biomass. Mean total biomass (cover crop + weeds) by site year ranged from 1,890 kg ha−1 in MN Y1 to 5,793 kg ha−1 in WI Y2 and varied among species in Y1 for both the SD and LD treatments. Most cover crops did not outcompete weeds, but treatments with less weeds produced more overall biomass. Data from Y1 show that cover crops were unable to replace fertilizer for fall broccoli yield, and led to reduced fall crop yield. Broccoli in Y2 did not reach maturity due to fall freeze. Summer cover crops, because of their biomass accumulation potential, may be used by farmers in northern climates to fit into cropping system niches that have historically been left as bare soil, but care with timing is necessary to optimize weed suppression and mitigate tradeoffs for cash crop production.

Can hemp hurd or paper mulch and biochar application improve weed management in matted-row strawberry production systems?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Greta G. Gramig ◽  
Samantha K. Hogstad ◽  
Patrick M. Carr
Keyword(s):  
Weed Management ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Yield Data ◽  
Weed Biomass ◽  
Soil Temperatures ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hemp Hurd ◽  
Amended Soil

Abstract During 2015 and 2016, studies were conducted at Absaraka and Dickinson, North Dakota to evaluate the impacts of hemp (applied at 1156 m3 ha−1) and commercial paper mulch, as well as soil-applied biochar (applied at 11.25 m3 ha−1), on weed suppression and strawberry growth during the establishment year, and on weed suppression and strawberry yield during the production year, in a matted row production (MRP) system. During 2015, biochar influenced dry weed biomass only within the hemp mulch, with slightly more weed biomass associated with biochar application compared to zero biochar (3.1 vs 0.4 g m−2), suggesting that biochar may have increased weed germination and/or emergence from beneath hemp mulch. Biochar application also slightly increased soil pH, from 6.9 in non-amended soil to 7.0 in amended soil. Strawberry runner number during 2015 was greater in association with hemp or paper mulch compared to zero mulch (4.5 and 4.9 vs 2.4 runners plant −1, respectively). This result mirrored a similar differential in per berry mass across sites (7.6 and 7.4 vs 6.2 g berry −1 for hemp mulch, paper mulch and zero mulch, respectively). These results may be related to hemp and paper mulch reducing maximum soil temperatures during summer 2015. During the establishment year, both hemp and paper mulch suppressed weeds well compared to zero mulch, although at Absaraka hemp mulch provided slightly better weed suppression than paper mulch. During the production year, both mulches continued to suppress weeds compared to zero mulch at Dickinson. However, at Absaraka, only hemp mulch provided weed suppression compared to zero mulch, possibly because of faster paper degradation caused by greater numbers of large precipitation events and greater relative humidity at Absaraka compared to Dickinson. Weeds were removed from plots during 2015 to allow separation of weed suppression from other possible mulch impacts; therefore, yield data do not reveal striking differences among mulch treatments. Because previous research has demonstrated the impact of weed management during the establishment of strawberries in a matted row system, we concluded that hemp mulch may provide more durable weed suppression compared to paper mulch, which would increase strawberry yield protection in an MRP system. Material cost may be an issue for implementing hemp mulch, as hemp hurd cost was 25 times paper mulch at the application rates used in this study. However, hemp mulch could still be a beneficial option, especially for organic strawberry growers desiring a renewable and environmentally sound replacement for plastic mulch who are able to find affordable local sources of this material.

scholarly journals Mustard Cover Crop Growth and Weed Suppression in Organic, Strawberry Furrows in California

HortScience ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 432-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric B. Brennan ◽  
Richard F. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Sinapis Alba ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Shoot Biomass ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Seeding Rate ◽  
Crop Cover ◽  
Cover Cropping ◽  
Growing Seasons

Strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa Duch.) production in California uses plastic mulch–covered beds that provide many benefits such as moisture conservation and weed control. Unfortunately, the mulch can also cause environmental problems by increasing runoff and soil erosion and reducing groundwater recharge. Planting cover crops in bare furrows between the plastic cover beds can help minimize these problems. Furrow cover cropping was evaluated during two growing seasons in organic strawberries in Salinas, CA, using a mustard (Sinapis alba L.) cover crop planted at two seeding rates (1× and 3×). Mustard was planted in November or December after strawberry transplanting and it resulted in average densities per meter of furrow of 54 and 162 mustard plants for the 1× and 3× rates, respectively. The mustard was mowed in February before it shaded the strawberry plants. Increasing the seeding rate increased mustard shoot biomass and height, and reduced the concentration of P in the mustard shoots. Compared with furrows with no cover crop, cover-cropped furrows reduced weed biomass by 29% and 40% in the 1× and 3× seeding rates, respectively, although weeds still accounted for at least 28% of the furrow biomass in the cover-cropped furrows. These results show that growing mustard cover crops in furrows without irrigating the furrows worked well even during years with relatively minimal precipitation. We conclude that 1) mustard densities of ≈150 plants/m furrow will likely provide the most benefits due to greater biomass production, N scavenging, and weed suppression; 2) mowing was an effective way to kill the mustard; and 3) high seeding rates of mustard alone are insufficient to provide adequate weed suppression in strawberry furrows.

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.

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.

scholarly journals Weed Suppression in Pumpkin by Mulches Composed of Organic Municipal Waste Materials

HortScience ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 720-726 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlin E. Splawski ◽  
Emilie E. Regnier ◽  
S. Kent Harrison ◽  
Mark A. Bennett ◽  
James D. Metzger
Keyword(s):  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Weed Biomass ◽  
Squash Bug ◽  
Black Plastic

Field studies were conducted in 2011 and 2012 to compare mulch treatments of shredded newspaper, a combination of shredded newspaper plus turfgrass clippings (NP + grass), hardwood bark chips, black polyethylene plastic, and bare soil on weeds, insects, soil moisture, and soil temperature in pumpkins. Newspaper mulch or black plastic reduced total weed biomass ≥90%, and woodchip or NP + grass mulch each reduced total weed biomass 78% compared with bare soil under high rainfall conditions in 2011. In 2012, under low rainfall, all mulches reduced weed biomass 97% or more compared with bare soil. In both years, all mulches resulted in higher squash bug infestations than bare soil. The woodchip, newspaper, and NP + grass mulches retained higher soil moistures than bare soil or black plastic over the course of each growing season, and the woodchip and NP + grass mulches caused greatest fluctuations in soil temperature. Pumpkin yields were abnormally low in 2011 and did not differ among treatments. In 2012, all mulches produced greater total marketable pumpkin fruit weights compared with bare soil, but only black plastic, newspaper, and NP + grass mulches resulted in greater total numbers of marketable pumpkins. Overall results indicate that shredded newspaper or NP + grass mulches may be useful for organic and/or small-scale urban crop producers as sustainable alternatives to black plastic mulch; however, their weed suppression efficacy may require higher application rates with increasing moisture conditions, and they may require greater squash bug control measures than under bare soil conditions.

scholarly journals MANAGEMENT OF COVER CROPS FOR WEED CONTROL BETWEEN PLASTIC MULCH IN PEPPERS (CAPSICUM ANNUUM)

HortScience ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 257E-257
Author(s):  
Francis X. Mangan ◽  
Mary Jane Else ◽  
Stephen J. Herbert
Keyword(s):  
White Clover ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Lolium Multiflorum ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Winter Rye ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
Plastic Mulch ◽  
Crop Species

Field research was conducted in Deerfield, Mass. to study the effects of different cover crop species seeded between plastic mulch on weed pressure and pepper yield. A complete fertilizer was applied before plastic was laid on Sept. 13, 1991. Two cover crop treatments were seeded Sept. 13, 1991: white clover (Trifolium repens) alone and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) in combination with winter rye (Secale cereale). On May 27, 1992 the vetch and rye were mow-killed with the biomass left on the soil surface. Annual rye (Lolium multiflorum) was then seeded on the same day as the third cover crop treatment. The remaining two treatments were a weedy check and a hand-weeded check. Peppers were transplanted into the plastic on May 31. Both the annual rye and clover were mowed three times over the course of the experiment with the biomass left between the plastic mulch. The white clover and annual rye were much more competitive with weed species than the dead mulch of vetch and rye. The three cover crop treatments had pepper yields that were severely depressed compared to the hand-weeded treatment. Among the three cover crop treatments, only the annual rye yielded more peppers than the weedy check.

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.

Effects of Management Type and Timing on Weed Suppression in Soybean No-Till Planted into Rolled-Crimped Cereal Rye

Weed Science ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 624-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric A. Nord ◽  
Matthew R. Ryan ◽  
William S. Curran ◽  
David A. Mortensen ◽  
Steven B. Mirsky
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Planting Dates ◽  
Weed Biomass ◽  
Cereal Rye ◽  
No Till ◽  
Weed Emergence

Knowledge of weed emergence periodicity can inform the timing and choice of weed management tactics. We tested the effects of weed management system (conventional [CNV] and herbicide-free [HF]), timing of rye sowing (two dates), timing of soybean planting (5 planting dates, 3 in each system), and supplemental control (with and without) on weed suppression and weed community composition in soybean no-till planted into a cereal rye cover crop. Cereal rye was terminated with a roller-crimper and herbicide (CNV) or with a roller-crimper alone (HF), and supplemental weed control was achieved with a postemergence glyphosate application (CNV) or with interrow high-residue cultivation (HF). Supplemental control with glyphosate in CNV was more effective than high-residue cultivation in HF. When soybean was planted on the same date, CNV resulted in less weed biomass and a more even community composition, whereas HF resulted in greater weed biomass, dominated by common ragweed. When we controlled for cereal rye biomass and compared the effects of cereal rye sowing and termination timing within each system, earlier management reduced weed biomass in HF, but tended to increase weed biomass in CNV. Our results suggest the ability to control emerged weeds prior to soybean planting is an important factor that influences the optimal cereal rye cover crop management timing for weed suppression.

scholarly journals Cover Crop Termination Treatment Impacts Weed Suppression Potential

Weed Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin R. Haramoto ◽  
Robert Pearce
Keyword(s):  
Weed Management ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Species Selection ◽  
Weed Biomass ◽  
Weed Density ◽  
Crimson Clover ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Density And Biomass

AbstractWeed management in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacumL.) is accomplished primarily with soil-residual herbicides, cultivation, and hand removal. Management practices that reduce weed emergence, like reduced tillage and cover crop mulches, may improve weed management efficacy. Depending on cover-cropping goals, growers face trade-offs in species selection and management priorities—producing weed-suppressive mulches may lead to transplanting difficulties and soil-residual herbicide interception. Managing more complex cover crop mixtures may result in different challenges. We established on-farm trials across 4 site-years to study impacts of cover crop composition [wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) monoculture or mixture], termination treatment (early or late chemical termination or removing aboveground biomass), and soil-residual herbicides on weed density and biomass. The cover crop mixture contained cereal rye (Secale cerealeL.), crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatumL.), and hairy vetch (Vicia villosaRoth.), with canola (Brassica napusL.) at 1 site-year. The mixture typically produced more biomass than monoculture wheat, although composition had few impacts on weed density or biomass. With residual herbicides, termination treatment had few impacts on weed density, suggesting that residues did not adversely affect herbicide efficacy. Without residual herbicides, early-season weed density was often higher following the late-terminated cover crop compared with other termination treatments, though midseason weed density was typically lower. When termination treatment affected final weed biomass, it was lower following late termination, with one exception—crop establishment was reduced at 1 site-year, leading to reduced weed–crop competition and greater weed biomass. Our results suggest that growers can use mixtures and, if well-timed to a rainfall event for incorporation, still effectively use soil-residual herbicides to maintain adequate weed control in tobacco regardless of how the cover crop is managed. Later termination, resulting in more residue, may lead to less weed biomass accumulation in the absence of herbicide use.

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