Crop management systems for corn (Zea mays L.) following established alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

Crop management systems utilizing no-till and legumes for soil improvement and double cropping represent promising systems for the preservation of soil, productivity and sustainability in Ontario agriculture. Field experiments were conducted in 1988 and 1989 to investigate the effect of planting date and tillage system on corn silage and grain yield for corn planted into either an established alfalfa sod or bare soil. There were no differences in grain and total biomass yields between corn planted in May under the no-till treatment and corn planted in May under the fall-plowed treatment, in both years. In 1988, delaying corn planting until after first-cut hay harvest on fall-plowed plots did not result in grain yield reduction compared with May-planted corn under the same tillage regime. Grain yield was reduced significantly in 1989 by a delay in planting. Corn silage yield was equivalent among all systems in 1989, indicating that no-till systems can be used effectively for producing alfalfa hay and silage corn. In 1988, rainfall in June was 7% of the average value, and as a result planting difficulties resulted in low silage yields, particularly in the no-till treatment. However, under conditions of adequate soil moisture, no-till corn following alfalfa should produce yields comparable to those with conventional tillage systems, while enhancing soil properties. Key words: No-till, alfalfa, silage corn, planting date

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The Influence of a Hairy Vetch (Vicia villosa) Cover Crop on Weed Control and Corn (Zea mays) Growth and Yield

Weed Technology ◽

10.1017/s0890037x00028682 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 777-784 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

William S. Curran ◽

Lynn D. Hoffman ◽

Edward L. Werner

Keyword(s):

Cover Crop ◽

Crop Management ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Management Systems ◽

Hairy Vetch ◽

Vicia Villosa ◽

Field Corn ◽

No Till ◽

Crop Management Systems ◽

Residual Herbicide

Influences of a hairy vetch cover crop and residual herbicides were examined in field corn in 1991 and 1992. Hairy vetch was seeded in mid-August and killed the following May with tillage, mowing, or glyphosate plus 2,4-D (no-till). These cover crop management systems were compared with a no-cover treatment. Residual herbicides including atrazine plus metolachlor applied PRE at three rates and nicosulfuron plus thifensulfuron applied POST at a single rate were compared within cover crop management systems. All cover crop management systems effectively controlled hairy vetch except mowing in 1992. The corn population was reduced in mow treatments containing uncontrolled vetch. Hairy vetch mulch suppressed some weeds in the no-till treatments in 1991, but more annual grass was noted late in the season with no-till into hairy vetch than with the no-cover treatments in 1992. Residual herbicide performance was similar across cover crop management systems, except for fall panicum control which decreased in some no-till systems. Unlike soil-applied herbicides, performance of POST herbicides was unaffected by cover crop management systems.

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Crop management systems and maize grain yield under narrow row spacing

Scientia Agricola ◽

10.1590/s0103-90162008000400004 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 65 (4) ◽

pp. 346-353 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Mércio Luiz Strieder ◽

Paulo Regis Ferreira da Silva ◽

Lisandro Rambo ◽

Luís Sangoi ◽

Adriano Alves da Silva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Management System ◽

Plant Density ◽

Crop Management ◽

Management Systems ◽

Row Spacing ◽

Maize Grain Yield ◽

Maize Grain ◽

Crop Management Systems ◽

Narrow Row

Reduction in row spacing provides a more uniform distribution among plants that can increase grain yield. The benefits of narrow row spacing can depend on the plant architecture and on the kind of crop management system. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of narrow row spacing on the grain yield of maize hybrids growing under different management systems. Six experiments were carried out in Eldorado do Sul, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, during the 2003/04 and 2004/05 growing seasons. Each experiment corresponded to a crop management system. Treatments consisted of two row spacings (0.8 and 0.4 m), two hybrids (Penta and Flash) and two plant densities, which varied with the crop management system and growing season. Besides plant density, the crop management systems differed in the quantities of fertilizers applied at sowing, side-dress and use of irrigation. A complete randomized block design was used in each experiment, in a 2 × 2 × 2 treatment factorial scheme with four replications. The increases in grain yield with narrow row spacing were small, ranging from zero to 14%. They depended on the growing season and were manifested only with yields higher than 10 t ha-1, regardless of the hybrid. The number of grains per area was the component that best explained the response of grain to narrow row spacing, regardless of plant density, hybrid and crop management system. Narrow row spacing is a worth management strategy to enhance maize grain yield when high input cropping systems are used.

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Biomass, shoot uniformity and yield of winter barley

The Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.1017/s0021859698005553 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 131 (1) ◽

pp. 13-21 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

R. E. L. NAYLOR ◽

D. T. STOKES ◽

S. MATTHEWS

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Harvest Index ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Crop Management ◽

Yield Component ◽

Winter Barley ◽

Main Stem ◽

Management Systems ◽

High Biomass ◽

Crop Management Systems

The results of field experiments in 1983/84 and 1984/85 were used to test the hypotheses (i) that cultivars and management systems which result in high biomass of winter barley will also produce high grain yield and (ii) that greater uniformity of tiller and ear size is associated with greater yield. In a set of cultivars, grain yield per plant was significantly correlated with biomass per plant despite no correlation with any individual yield component. Biomass per shoot was significantly correlated with grain yield per shoot. Treatments to increase shoot uniformity (the mass of individual tillers relative to that of the main stem) generally increased biomass per shoot and grain yield per shoot. The re-examination of data in the literature where yield and biomass were available confirmed the association of biomass and grain yield both on a per plant and per shoot basis. It is argued that harvest index is not a character which can be easily targeted for manipulation by growers, whereas crop management systems to increase biomass should be easier to specify.

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