Efficacy of Cover Crops on Weed Suppression, Wheat Yield, and Water Conservation in Winter Wheat–Sorghum–Fallow

Crop Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 1745-1752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdel Mesbah ◽  
Abdelaziz Nilahyane ◽  
Binod Ghimire ◽  
Leslie Beck ◽  
Rajan Ghimire
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
Weed Suppression

Cereal cover crops for weed suppression in a summer fallow-wheat cropping sequence

2000 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 441-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Moyer ◽  
R. E. Blackshaw ◽  
E. G. Smith ◽  
S. M. McGinn
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Weed Control ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Soil Conservation ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Wheat Crop ◽  
Weed Growth ◽  
Summer Fallow

Cropping systems in western Canada that include summer fallow can leave the soil exposed to erosion and require frequent weed control treatments. Cover crops have been used for soil conservation and to suppress weed growth. Experiments were conducted under rain-fed conditions at Lethbridge, Alberta to determine the effect of short-term fall rye (Secale cereale L.), winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and annual rye cover crops in the fallow year on weed growth and subsequent wheat yield. Under favorable weather conditions fall rye was as effective as post-harvest plus early spring tillage or herbicides in spring weed control. Winter wheat and fall rye residues, after growth was terminated in June, reduced weed biomass in September by 50% compared to no cover crop in 1993 but had little effect on weeds in 1995. Fall-seeded cover crops reduced the density of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale Weber in Wiggers) and Canada thistle [Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.] but increased the density of downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.), wild buckwheat (Polygonum convolvulus L.), and thyme-leaved spurge (Euphorbia serpyllifolia Pers.) in the following fall or spring. Wheat yields after fall rye and no cover crop were similar but yields after spring-seeded annual rye were less than after no cover crop. Spring-seeded annual rye did not adequately compete with weeds. Cover crops, unlike the no cover crop treatment, always left sufficient plant residue to protect the soil from erosion until the following wheat crop was seeded. Key words: Allelopathies, fall rye, nitrogen, soil conservation, soil moisture, weed control, spring rye, winter wheat

scholarly journals Undersown cover crops have limited weed suppression potential when reducing tillage intensity in organically grown cereals

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Salonen ◽  
E. Ketoja
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Spring Barley ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Reduced Tillage ◽  
Perennial Weeds ◽  
Weed Infestation

Abstract Adoption of reduced tillage in organic cropping has been slow, partly due to concerns about increasing weed infestation. Undersown cover crops (CCs) are considered to be a feasible option for weed management but their potential for weed suppression is insufficiently investigated in low-till organic cropping. The possibilities to reduce primary tillage by introducing CCs to maintain weed infestation at a level that does not substantially jeopardize crop yield were studied in a field experiment in southern Finland during 2015–2017. Eight different CC mixtures were undersown in cereals and the response in weed occurrence was consecutively assessed in spring barley, winter wheat, and finally, as a subsequent effect, in spring wheat. Growth of CCs was too slow to prevent the flush of early emerging weeds in spring barley whereas in winter wheat, CCs succeeded in hindering the growth of weeds. However, CCs could not prevent the increase of perennial weeds in a reduced tillage system in which the early growth of spring wheat was retarded in cool 2017. Consequently, after 2 years of reduced tillage, weed biomass was about 2.6 times higher and spring wheat yield was 30% lower than in plowed plots, respectively. No major differences in weed control efficacy among CC treatments were evident. A grain yield benefit was recorded after repeated use of leguminous CCs. The need for long-term field studies remains of particular interest regarding post-harvest performance and influence of CCs on perennial weeds before the inversion tillage.

scholarly journals Influence of soil tillage and weed suppression on winter wheat yield

2011 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-119
Author(s):  
Branimir Mikic ◽  
Bojan Stipesevic ◽  
Emilija Raspudic ◽  
Georg Drezner ◽  
Bojana Brozovic
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Recommended Dose ◽  
Soil Tillage ◽  
Tillage Systems ◽  
Half Dose ◽  
Winter Wheat Yield ◽  
High Yields

Modern soil tillage systems based on different tools than mouldboard plough have very often stronger weed occurrence, which can be a serious problem for achieving high yields. An obvious solution for weed suppression is a herbicide, whose improper use can deteriorate environment and lead toward serious ecological problems. In order to investigate the interaction between soil tillage and herbicide, trial was set up in Valpovo in seasons 2008/09 - 2010/11. Two soil tillage systems (CT-conventional tillage, based on mouldboard ploughing, and CH-chiselling and disk harrowing, without ploughing) and five herbicide treatments (NH-control, no herbicides; H10- recommended dose of Herbaflex (2 l ha-1); H05-half dose of Herbaflex; F10- recommended dose of Fox (1.5 l ha-1); and F05-half dose of Fox) were applied to winter wheat crops. Results showed similar effects of soil tillage on the winter wheat yield, whereas different herbicide dosages showed similar weed suppression and influence on winter wheat yield.

scholarly journals Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Tolerance to Mulch

Plants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 2047
Author(s):  
Matthew R. Ryan ◽  
Sandra Wayman ◽  
Christopher J. Pelzer ◽  
Caitlin A. Peterson ◽  
Uriel D. Menalled ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Triticum Aestivum ◽  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Grain Yield ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Wheat Grain ◽  
No Till

Mulch from cover crops can effectively suppress weeds in organic corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) as part of cover crop-based rotational no-till systems, but little is known about the feasibility of using mulch to suppress weeds in organic winter small grain crops. A field experiment was conducted in central NY, USA, to quantify winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedling emergence, weed and crop biomass production, and wheat grain yield across a gradient of mulch biomass. Winter wheat seedling density showed an asymptotic relationship with mulch biomass, with no effect at low rates and a gradual decrease from moderate to high rates of mulch. Selective suppression of weed biomass but not wheat biomass was observed, and wheat grain yield was not reduced at the highest level of mulch (9000 kg ha−1). Results indicate that organic winter wheat can be no-till planted in systems that use mulch for weed suppression. Future research should explore wheat tolerance to mulch under different conditions, and the potential of no-till planting wheat directly into rolled-crimped cover crops.

scholarly journals Developing Cover Crops for Weed Control in Establishment Year for Strawberries

HortScience ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 820A-820
Author(s):  
Charlotte Herman ◽  
David Larson ◽  
Emily Hoover
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Weed Management ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Plant Material ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
First Year ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Soil Area

The goal of our program is to learn how to effectively establish first-year strawberry plantings without using herbicides. Before strawberry transplanting, four treatments were established: winter wheat, a dwarf Brassica sp., napropamide (2.24 kg·h–1) plus hand hoeing and rototilling, and no weed management. `Honeyoye' transplants were set into plots measuring 6.1 × 7.32 m on 21 May 1993 and 10 May 1994. Weekly data was taken on the percentage of soil area covered with plant material, height, and stage of development of plants, and weeds present. Weed transects and plant dry weights were done periodically during the growing seasons. The most promising cover crop treatment was the dwarf Brassica sp. for early season weed suppression because of rapid germination and short stature. Winter wheat was very competitive with the strawberry plants. The herbicide treatment had the largest inputs; however, it did produce the largest strawberry plants at the end of the season.

Effect of sweetclover cultivars and management practices on following weed infestations and wheat yield

2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (4) ◽  
pp. 973-983 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Moyer ◽  
R. E. Blackshaw ◽  
H. C. Huang
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Chenopodium Album ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Plant Residues ◽  
Available N ◽  
Tillage Practices

There is a renewed interest, especially among organic growers, in using either white sweetclover (Melilotus alba Desr.) or yellow sweetclover [M. officinalis (L.) Lam.] as cover crops. Sweetclover cultivars and tillage practices have changed since these crops were widely used as cover crops in the first half of the 20th century. Experiments were initiated in 1999, 2000, and 2002 to compare the effect of high- and low-coumarin cultivars and crop termination methods on weed suppression, available soil N, moisture conservation and following crop yield. Weed suppression was usually more effective when sweetclover residues were left on the surface than when removed as hay. Sweetclover termination at 70% bloom was often more effective in suppressing weeds than termination at the bud stage. In the summer and fall after termination, surface residues of Yukon, a high-coumarin and drought-tolerant cultivar, reduced lamb’s-quarters (Chenopodium album L.) density by > 80% compared with the no sweetclover check and essentially eliminated flixweed [Descurainia Sophia (L). Webb]. In the following spring, Yukon reduced kochia [Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad.] density by > 80% and wild oat (Avena fatua L.) biomass by > 30% compared with the no sweetclover check. There was no difference in available N for a following crop between treatments with surface residue and cultivated fallow. Available soil moisture was about 10 mm less after the highest yielding sweetclover cultivars than after cultivated fallow, but subsequent wheat yield was not reduced. Maximum wheat yields were obtained after Yukon and Arctic sweetclover were grown as cover crops. It may be possible for organic growers to manage weeds with sweetclover in a reduced tillage system that leaves most of the plant residues on the soil surface. Key words: Cover crop, weed suppression, allelopathy, nitrogen, soil moisture

Suitability of legume cover crop-winter wheat intercrops on the semi-arid Canadian Prairies

2010 ◽  
Vol 90 (4) ◽  
pp. 479-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
R E Blackshaw ◽  
L J Molnar ◽  
J R Moyer
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Wheat Crop ◽  
Slight Reduction ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Winter Wheat Yield ◽  
Semi Arid

Farmers on the Canadian prairies are interested in including legume cover crops in their cropping systems to reduce fertilizer inputs and improve farm sustainability. A field study was conducted to determine the merits of establishing alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) or Austrian winter pea (Pisum sativum L.) cover crops in fall or in spring with winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Spring-planted legumes emerged well within the winter wheat crop, but their growth was limited under these semi-arid conditions. Fall-planted red clover had low plant densities following winter in two of three experiments and fall-planted winter pea reduced winter wheat yield by 23 to 37% compared with the no cover crop control. In contrast, fall-planted alfalfa exhibited good winterhardiness, provided some weed suppression without reducing winter wheat yield, caused only a slight reduction in soil water content, and contributed an extra 18 to 20 kg ha-1 of available soil N at the time of seeding the following spring crop. Additionally, fall-planted alfalfa increased the yield of succeeding canola (Brassica napus L.) in unfertilized plots in two of three experiments. Further research is warranted to better understand the agronomic and economic benefits of alfalfa-winter wheat intercrops under a wider range of environmental conditions.Key words: Cover crops, intercropping, relay crops, soil nitrogen, soil conservation

scholarly journals Cover Crops Management in the Soybean-Wheat Offseason

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 832
Author(s):  
Lucas Link ◽  
Vanderson Vieira Batista ◽  
Paulo Fernando Adami ◽  
Luara Silva Pereira ◽  
Karine Fuschter Oligini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Pennisetum Glaucum ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
Linear Increase ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Yield Reduction ◽  
Herbicide Management

More than 2 million hectare of soil at the soybean-wheat offseason remains on fallow in Brazil. Therefore, this research studied a suitable cover crop and its herbicide management to be adopted is this period as well as its influence on wheat yield at the 2017/18 and 2018/19 growing season. Experiment was laid out as a randomized block design in a factorial scheme composed of four cover crops (Fagopyrum esculentum, Crotalaria juncea, Pennisetum glaucum and Urochloa brizantha) and two herbicide management [Anticipated Desiccation (17 days before) and Desiccation at the wheat Sowing day] with four replications. Fallow without cover crops was used as a control. The tradeoff between the additional biomass produced by millet and brachiaria between herbicide desiccation periods does not pay the wheat grain yield reduction, suggesting that its herbicide management should be anticipated. In the other hand, C. juncea showed a linear increase in biomass along the periods without wheat yield effects and its herbicide dissection at the wheat sowing day appears to be the best management. F. esculentum showed the fastest development cycle and can be recommended for shorter offseason periods. P. glaucum showed rapid growth and the highest biomass yield at both years, standing out as the best option for offseason periods from 70 to 80 days, although, anticipated herbicide management before wheat sowing resulted in higher grain yield at the second year of study. Further studies should consider other cover crop benefits as weed suppression, physical and chemical soil traits improvements and erosion reduction.

Fall-sown cover crops as mulches for weed suppression in organic small-scale diversified vegetable production

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 349-357
Author(s):  
Eric Bietila ◽  
Erin M. Silva ◽  
Anne C. Pfeiffer ◽  
Jed B. Colquhoun
Keyword(s):  
Winter Wheat ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Cover Crop ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Weed Suppression ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Cereal Rye ◽  
Organic Vegetable Production ◽  
Manual Weeding

AbstractCover crop-based reduced tillage (CCBRT) has achieved positive impacts in organic row crop systems, contributing to the conservation of soil resources and the facilitation of weed management. This technique, which uses cover crop residues as mulches to suppress weeds, has shown more variable success in organic vegetable production systems. This experiment examined CCBRT for small-scale organic vegetable production in the upper Midwestern USA, specifically evaluating weed suppression, labor inputs and crop yields. Cereal rye (Secale cerealeL.) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) were fall-sown in 2012 and 2013 in a strip-plot design, including control treatments with no cover crop and spring-applied oat straw mulch. Cover crop plots were strip-tilled in mid-April to establish a planting zone, with cover crops terminated in late May at anthesis with a hand-tractor mounted sickle-bar mower. Bell peppers (Capsicum annuumL. var. ‘Revolution’), snap beans (Phaseolus vulgarisL. var. ‘Tavera’), and potatoes (Solanum tuberosumL. var. ‘Red La Soda’) were hand-planted either as transplants or seed in each treatment immediately following cover crop termination. During each summer growing season, weeds were completely eliminated from each plot by hand approximately every 10–14 days, with time for manual weeding recorded for each treatment. Vegetable crop yields and quality were measured at harvest during 2013 and 2014. Cereal rye and winter wheat produced similar biomass at the time of termination. Greater weed biomass was collected in the wheat treatment as compared with the cereal rye, increasing the in-season labor required for manual weeding. Bean yields were decreased in the all CCBRT treatments compared with control treatments in both years of the study. Pepper yields did not differ in CCBRT treatments as compared with the control in both 2012 and 2013, although the CCBRT treatments did yield lower marketable peppers compared with the straw mulch plots. Potato tuber yields were not different in the CCBRT treatments as compared with the control in 2012, but were lower in 2013. These data indicate that, if CCBRT is to be more widely adopted in small-scale vegetable production, further optimization of the system must be achieved to ensure consistent and adequate weed suppression while maintaining crop yield and quality.

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