Cover Crop-Based, Organic Rotational No-Till Corn and Soybean Production Systems in the Mid-Atlantic United States

Cover crop–based organic rotational no-till soybean production has attracted attention from farmers, researchers, and other agricultural professionals because of the ability of this new system to enhance soil conservation, reduce labor requirements, and decrease diesel fuel use compared to traditional organic production. This system is based on the use of cereal rye cover crops that are mechanically terminated with a roller-crimper to create in situ mulch that suppresses weeds and promotes soybean growth. In this paper, we report experiments that were conducted over the past decade in the eastern region of the United States on cover crop–based organic rotational no-till soybean production, and we outline current management strategies and future research needs. Our research has focused on maximizing cereal rye spring ground cover and biomass because of the crucial role this cover crop plays in weed suppression. Soil fertility and cereal rye sowing and termination timing affect biomass production, and these factors can be manipulated to achieve levels greater than 8,000 kg ha−1, a threshold identified for consistent suppression of annual weeds. Manipulating cereal rye seeding rate and seeding method also influences ground cover and weed suppression. In general, weed suppression is species-specific, with early emerging summer annual weeds (e.g., common ragweed), high weed seed bank densities (e.g. > 10,000 seeds m−2), and perennial weeds (e.g., yellow nutsedge) posing the greatest challenges. Due to the challenges with maximizing cereal rye weed suppression potential, we have also found high-residue cultivation to significantly improve weed control. In addition to cover crop and weed management, we have made progress with planting equipment and planting density for establishing soybean into a thick cover crop residue. Our current and future research will focus on integrated multitactic weed management, cultivar selection, insect pest suppression, and nitrogen management as part of a systems approach to advancing this new production system.

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403 Butternut Squash (Cucurbita moschata) Yield and Soil Erosion in Three Tillage Systems

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.35.3.462c ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 462C-462

Author(s):

Michelle L. Infante-Casella ◽

Steven A. Garrison

Keyword(s):

Soil Erosion ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Production Systems ◽

Agricultural Research ◽

Winter Rye ◽

Cucurbita Moschata ◽

Tillage Systems ◽

No Till ◽

Marketable Fruit

Many squash varieties are large-seeded and may be well-suited for planting under no-till production systems. A study was done at the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Bridgeton, N.J., to evaluate the yield and loss of soil when butternut squash (BS) (Cucurbita moschata `Waltham') was grown using no-till (NT), strip-till (ST), and bare ground (BG) tillage systems. The soil was a Sassafrass gravely sand loam and the field had a 3% slope. A cover crop mixture of hairy vetch and winter rye planted on 23 Sept. 1998 using a Brillion seeder at a rate of 136.2 kg/ha and 610.2 kg/ha, respectively, was used to create the NT and ST plots. NT and ST plots containing the cover crop mixture were killed with Glyphosate and chopped using a Buffalo stalk chopper on 27 May. BG plots were tilled clean before planting and ST plots were rototilled to a 30.48 cm band to establish a seedbed. BS seeds were hand-planted on 7 July with a spacing of 38.1 cm between plants and 182.9 cm between rows. Irrigation was applied overhead at a rate of 6.28 cm/ha weekly. Erosion was measured using inverted pans over the soil area to be measured. Harvest took place on 21Oct. and yields included only marketable fruit with the following results: NT = 8.65 t/ha; ST = 8.99 t/ha; BG = 4.06 t/ha. Yields in the NT and ST plots were significantly higher than yields in the BG plots. Soil erosion measurements were taken on 21 Oct. Soil loss results from the plots were 0.08 cm (NT), 0.84 cm (ST), and 3.33 cm (BG). Soil loss, mainly due to water erosion, was significantly higher in the BG plots. BS yields can be significantly higher when using alternative tillage systems like NT and ST. When using NT and ST systems for the production of BS, soil erosion is reduced

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Carbon Balance of No-Till Soybean with Winter Wheat Cover Crop in the Southeastern United States

Agronomy Journal ◽

10.2134/agronj2012.0072 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 104 (5) ◽

pp. 1321-1335 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Maheteme T. Gebremedhin ◽

Henry W. Loescher ◽

Teferi D. Tsegaye

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Winter Wheat ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Carbon Balance ◽

Southeastern United States ◽

No Till

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Decreasing Rates of Nonselective Herbicides in Double-Crop No-Till Soybeans (Glycine max)

Weed Technology ◽

10.1017/s0890037x00033510 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 198-201 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Carroll M. Moseley ◽

Edward S. Hagood

Keyword(s):

Glycine Max ◽

Weed Control ◽

Production Systems ◽

Weed Species ◽

Control Efficacy ◽

Common Ragweed ◽

Soybean Production ◽

No Till ◽

Large Crabgrass

Experiments were conducted in 1988 and 1989 at four sites in Virginia to test weed control efficacy in double-crop, no-till soybean production systems with reduced rates of nonselective herbicides. Chlorimuron plus linuron at 0.04 plus 0.46 kg ha-1gave more than 94% control of five weed species, but only 81 to 86% control of three weed species. Tank mix additions of reduced rates of either glyphosate, HOE-0661 or paraquat to the chlorimuron plus linuron treatment increased large crabgrass and common ragweed control.

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Different Ground Vegetation Cover Management Systems to Manage Cynodon dactylon in an Irrigated Vineyard

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10060908 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 908

Author(s):

Francisco Valencia-Gredilla ◽

Aritz Royo-Esnal ◽

Alejandro Juárez-Escario ◽

Jordi Recasens

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Cynodon Dactylon ◽

Production Systems ◽

Ground Cover ◽

Ground Vegetation ◽

Herbicide Application ◽

Hordeum Vulgare L ◽

No Till ◽

Spontaneous Vegetation

Ground cover management in vineyards in Spain is focused on minimizing soil erosion and compaction. Such practices have influenced the weed community structure in the inter-rows, contributing to the spread of the high noxious weed Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. This fact highlights the need for further investigation of the interaction between ground cover practices and weed control techniques. In this study, the effect of four different ground cover managements (M) in the inter-rows on C. dactylon population dynamics (changes in coverage and frequency) was assessed over three seasons (2015–2017): (M1) a no-till spontaneous vegetation ground cover managed by shredding; (M2) a no-till spontaneous vegetation ground cover managed by shredding plus herbicide application, (M3) tilled soil and spontaneous vegetation growing; and (M4) tilled soil and a barley cover crop seeded (Hordeum vulgare L.). Cynodon dactylon and the other weeds responded differently to the various weed control methods. After three seasons, the barley cover crop was the most efficient management system to control C. dactylon and other weeds. Final soil cover in barley cover crop and tilled soil with spontaneous vegetation were 0.5% and 1.1%, respectively, compared to 3.7% and 7.7% obtained by spontaneous vegetation shredded with and without herbicide application, respectively. In addition, total weed frequency varied from 9.7% for barley cover crop to 45.8% for spontaneous vegetation only shredded. Weed community composition changed due to the pressure exerted by each management and the adaptive strategy of the different species. This study highlights the importance of knowledge of how vegetation management influences weed flora to improve the sustainability of wine grape production systems.

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Cultural Strategies for Managing Weeds and Soil Moisture in Cover Crop Based No-Till Soybean Production

Weed Science ◽

10.1614/ws-d-13-00142.1 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 62 (3) ◽

pp. 501-511 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

M. Scott Wells ◽

S. Chris Reberg-Horton ◽

Steven B. Mirsky

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Weed Control ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Water Evaporation ◽

Row Spacing ◽

Soybean Yield ◽

Soybean Production ◽

Cereal Rye ◽

No Till ◽

Free Treatment

A four site-year study was conducted in North Carolina to evaluate the effects of soybean planting timing and row spacing on soil moisture, weed density, soybean lodging, and yield in a cover crop-based no-till organic soybean production system. Soybean planting timing included roll-kill/planting and roll-kill/delayed planting where soybean planting occurred either on the same day or approximately 2 wk later, respectively. Soybean row spacing included 19, 38, and 76 cm, and all treatments included a weedy check and weed-free treatment. Rye biomass production averaged above 10,000 kg ha−1dry matter, which resulted in good weed control across all sites. Despite having good weed control throughout all treatments, weed coverage was highest in the 76-cm row-space treatment when compared to both the 19-cm and 38-cm row spacing in two of the four site-years. Soybean lodging is a potential consequence of no-till planting of soybeans in high residue mulches, and of the three row spacings, the 19-cm spacing exhibited the greatest incidence of lodging. Row spacing also influenced soybean yield; the 19- and 38-cm row spacing out yielded the 76-cm spacing by 10%. Soil volumetric water content (VWC) was higher in the cereal rye mulch treatments compared to the no rye checks. Furthermore, delaying soybean planting lowered soil water evaporation. However, the increased soil VWC in the rolled-rye treatment did not translate into increased soybean yield. The rolled-rye treatment exhibited significant (P < 0.01) increases in soil VWC when compared to the no-rye treatment at three of the four site-years. These results highlight planting date flexibility and potential risk to lodging that producers face when no-till planting organic soybeans.

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Influence of Deep Tillage, a Rye Cover Crop, and Various Soybean Production Systems on Palmer Amaranth Emergence in Soybean

Weed Technology ◽

10.1614/wt-d-12-00125.1 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 27 (2) ◽

pp. 263-270 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Justin D. DeVore ◽

Jason K. Norsworthy ◽

Kristofor R. Brye

Keyword(s):

Cover Crop ◽

Production Systems ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Palmer Amaranth ◽

Plant Residue ◽

Deep Tillage ◽

Soybean Production ◽

Alternative Means ◽

High Level ◽

The Impact

Glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth has become a major threat to soybean production in the southern United States. Arkansas soybean producers rely heavily on glyphosate-resistant soybean; hence, an alternative solution for controlling resistant Palmer amaranth is needed. A field experiment was conducted at Marianna, AR, during 2009 and 2010 in which soybean production systems were tested in combination with deep tillage and no tillage to determine the impact on Palmer amaranth emergence. To establish a baseline population, 250,000 glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth seeds were placed in a 1-m2area in the middle of each plot and incorporated in the soil, and emergence was evaluated five times during the season. Production systems of full-season soybean with a rye cover crop or soybean double-cropped with wheat, which had high amounts of plant residue on the soil surface reduced Palmer amaranth emergence more than systems without deep tillage and a cover crop or wheat. When used in combination with deep tillage, these systems reduced Palmer amaranth emergence by 98 and 97%, respectively, in 2009 and by 73 and 82%, respectively, in 2010. Deep tillage alone caused an 81% reduction in emergence averaged over both years. Soybean double-cropped with wheat used in combination with deep tillage provided a 95% reduction in Palmer amaranth emergence over the 2-yr period. This research shows that deep tillage in combination with soybean production systems that have high amounts of residue on the soil surface are alternative means for providing a high level of control of glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth and could lessen the dependence on chemical weed control.

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Modeling the relationship between estimated fungicide use and disease-associated yield losses of soybean in the United States II: Seed-applied fungicides vs seedling diseases

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0244424 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (12) ◽

pp. e0244424

Author(s):

Ananda Y. Bandara ◽

Dilooshi K. Weerasooriya ◽

Shawn P. Conley ◽

Tom W. Allen ◽

Paul D. Esker

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Production Systems ◽

Regional Scale ◽

The United States ◽

Annual Data ◽

Yield Losses ◽

Soybean Production ◽

The Relationship ◽

The U.S ◽

Seedling Diseases

Use of seed-applied fungicides has become commonplace in the United States soybean production systems. Although fungicides have the potential to protect seed/seedlings from critical early stage diseases such as damping-off and root/stem rots, results from previous studies are not consistent in terms of seed-applied fungicide’s ability to mitigate yield losses. In the current study, the relationship between estimated soybean production losses due to seedling diseases and estimated seed-applied fungicide use was investigated using annual data from 28 soybean growing states in the U.S. over the period of 2006 to 2014. National, regional (northern and southern U.S.), state, and temporal scale trends were explored using mixed effects version of the regression analysis. Mixed modeling allowed computing generalized R2 values for conditional (R2GLMM(c); contains fixed and random effects) and marginal (R2GLMM(m); contains only fixed effects) models. Similar analyses were conducted to investigate how soybean production was related to fungicide use. National and regional scale modeling revealed that R2GLMM(c) values were significantly larger compared to R2GLMM(m) values, meaning fungicide use had limited utility in explaining the national/regional scale variation of yield loss and production. The state scale analysis revealed the usefulness of seed-applied fungicides to mitigate seedling diseases-associated soybean yield losses in Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, and Ohio. Further, fungicide use positively influenced the soybean production and yield in Illinois and South Dakota. Taken together, use of seed-applied fungicide did not appear to be beneficial to many of the states. Our findings corroborate the observations made by a number of scientists through field scale seed-applied fungicide trials across the U.S and reiterate the importance of need base-use of seed-applied fungicides rather than being a routine practice in soybean production systems.

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