Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-ndmmz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-31T08:20:28.265Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Using Reduced Tillage and Cover Crop Residue to Manage Weeds in Organic Vegetable Production

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 July 2017

Guihua Chen ,
Lauren Kolb ,
Alan Leslie  and
Cerruti R. R. Hooks
Guihua Chen*
Affiliation:
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742.
Lauren Kolb
Affiliation:
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742.
Alan Leslie
Affiliation:
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742.
Cerruti R. R. Hooks
Affiliation:
Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742.
*
*Corresponding author’s E-mail: gchen06@gmail.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Adoption of conservation tillage practices has been slow in organic vegetable production, partially due to producers’ concerns regarding weed management. Integrating cover crops into a conservation tillage program may provide organic producers a viable weed management option enabling growers to practice conservation tillage. A four-year study was conducted to evaluate the influence of different tillage methods (two conventional and two conservation practices) jointly with a mixed winter cover crop for weed suppression, time required for hand weeding, and crop yield in organically managed eggplant (2012 and 2014) and sweet corn (2013 and 2015) production systems. Tillage treatments were conventional tillage without surface mulch (CT-BG) and with black polyethylene (plastic) mulch (CT-BP), strip-tillage (ST), and no-tillage (NT) with cover crop residue. At 2 and 7 WAT/P (weeks after transplanting/planting), intra-row weed density was higher in CT-BG and ST, and inter-row weed density was higher in CT-BG and CT-BP treatments. Time required for hand-weeding was greatest in CT-BG and least in CT-BP and NT treatments. Eggplant yield was lowest in NT treatment in 2012 but similar among treatments in 2014. Sweet corn yield was similar among treatments in 2013 but highest in ST in 2015. Though both CT-BP and NT treatments showed greater potential for weed suppression, production input was highest in CT-BP but least in NT. Implications of these findings suggest that there is a potential to use strip tillage integrating with stale seedbed tactic for weed management in organic vegetables, which reduces herbicide use, hand-labor, and overall weed management cost while maintaining high yield potential.

Keywords

Broadleaf plantain, Plantago major L. PLAMA; carpetweed, Mollugo verticillata L. MOLVE; goosegrass, Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn. ELEIN; large crabgrass, Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop. DIGSA; smooth crabgrass, Digitaria ischaemum (Schreb.) Schreb. ex Muhl. DIGIS.Conservation tillageconventional tillagecover croporganic vegetable productionweed density.
Type
Weed Management-Other Crops/Areas
Information
Weed Technology , Volume 31 , Issue 4 , August 2017 , pp. 557 - 573
Copyright
© Weed Science Society of America, 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

a

Current address of second author: The City of Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks, Boulder, CO 80303

Associate Editor for this paper: Darren Robinson, University of Guelph.

References

Literature Cited

Altieri, MA, Lana, MA, Bittencourt, HV, Kieling, AS, Comin, JJ, Lovato, PE (2011) Enhancing crop productivity via weed suppression in organic no-till cropping systems in Santa Catarina, Brazil. J Sust Agric 35:855–869 Google Scholar
Bajwa, AA (2014) Sustainable weed management in conservation agriculture. Crop Prot 65:105–113 Google Scholar
Barberi, P (2002) Weed management in organic agriculture: are we addressing the right issues? Weed Res 42:177–193 Google Scholar
Barberi, P, Mazzoncini, M (2001) Changes in weed community composition as influenced by cover crop and management system in continuous corn. Weed Sci 49:491–499 Google Scholar
Barnes, JP, Putnam, AR (1987) Role of benzoxazinones in allelopathy by rye (Secale cereale L). J Chem Ecol 13:889–906 Google Scholar
Bottenberg, H, Masiunas, J, Eastman, C (1999) Strip tillage reduces yield loss of snapbean planted in rye mulch. HortTechnology 9:235–240 Google Scholar
Bottenberg, H, Masiunas, J, Eastman, C, Eastburn, DM (1997) The impact of rye cover crops on weeds, insects, and diseases in snap bean cropping systems. J Sustain Agric 9:131–155 Google Scholar
Boyd, NS, Brennan, EB, Fennimore, SA (2006) Stale seedbed techniques for organic vegetable production. Weed Technol 20:1052–1057 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brennan, EB, Boyd, NS, Smith, RF, Foster, P (2009) Seeding rate and planting arrangement effects on growth and weed suppression of a legume-oat cover crop for organic vegetable systems. Agron J 101:979–988 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burgos, NR, Taubert, RE, Kuk, YI (2006) Grass-legume cover crops for weed management. Pages 95–125 in Singh HP, Batish DR, Kohli RK, eds. Handbook of sustainable weed management. New York, NY: Food Products PressGoogle Scholar
Caldwell, B, Mohler, CL (2001) Stale seedbed practices for vegetable production. HortScience 36:703–705 Google Scholar
Chandler, JM, Cooke, FT (1992) Economics of cotton losses caused by weeds. Pages 85–115 in McWhorter CG & Aberbathy JR eds, Weeds of Cotton: Characterization and Control. Memphis, TN: The Cotten Foundation Google Scholar
Chen, GH, Weil, RR (2010) Penetration of cover crop roots through compacted soils. Plant Soil 331:31–43 Google Scholar
Clements, DR, Benoit, DL, Murphy, SD, Swanton, CJ (1996) Tillage effects on weed seed return and seedbank composition. Weed Sci 44:314–322 Google Scholar
Coale, FJ, Costa, JM, Bollero, GA (2001) Small grain winter cover crops for conservation of residual soil nitrogen in the mid-Atlantic coastal plain. Am J Altern Agric 16:66–72 Google Scholar
Colquhoun, JB, Bellinder, RR, Kirkwyland, JJ (1999) Efficacy of mechanical cultivation with and without herbicides in broccoli (Brassica oleracea), snap bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), and sweet corn (Zea mays). Weed Technol 13:244–252 Google Scholar
Creamer, NG, Bennett, MA, Stinner, BR, Cardina, J, Regnier, EE (1996) Mechanisms of weed suppression in cover crop-based production systems. HortScience 31:410–413 Google Scholar
Dabney, SM, Delgado, JA, Reeves, DW (2001) Using winter cover crops to improve soil and water quality. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 32:1221–1250 Google Scholar
Delate, K, Friedrich, H, Lawson, V (2003) Organic pepper production systems using compost and cover crops. Biol Agric Hortic 21:131–150 Google Scholar
Dick, WA (1997) Tillage system impacts on environmental quality and soil biological parameters. Soil Till Res 41:165–167 Google Scholar
Duiker, SW, Curran, WS (2005) Rye cover crop management for corn production in the northern Mid-Atlantic region. Agron J 97:1413–1418 Google Scholar
Evans, GJ, Bellinder, RR, Hahn, RR (2011) Integration of vinegar for in-row weed control in transplanted bell pepper and broccoli. Weed Technol 25:459–465 Google Scholar
Hatfield, JL, Allmaras, RR, Rehm, GW, Lowery, B (1998) Ridge tillage for corn and soybean production: environmental quality impacts. Soil Till Res 48:145–154 Google Scholar
Hobbs, PR, Sayre, K, Gupta, R (2008) The role of conservation agriculture in sustainable agriculture. Phil Trans R Soc B Biol Sci 363:543–555 Google Scholar
Hood, RC (2001) The effect of soil temperature and moisture on organic matter decomposition and plant growth. Isotops Environ Health Stud 37:25–41 Google Scholar
Hooks, CRR, Hinds, J, Zobel, E, Patton, T (2013) The effects of clover companion planting on eggplant crop growth, yield and insect feeding injury. Int J Pest Manage 59:287–293 Google Scholar
Isik, D, Kaya, E, Ngouajio, M, Mennan, H (2009) Weed suppression in organic pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) with winter cover crops. Crop Prot 28:356–363 Google Scholar
Johnson, HJ, Colquhoun, JB, Bussan, AJ, Rittmeyer, RA (2010) Feasibility of organic weed management in sweet corn and snap bean for processing. Weed Technol 24:544–550 Google Scholar
Johnson, MS, Fennimore, SA (2005) Weed and crop response to colored plastic mulches in strawberry production. HortScience 40:1371–1375 Google Scholar
Johnson, WC, Mullinix, BG (2000) Evaluation of tillage implements for stale seedbed tillage in peanut (Arachis hypogaea). Weed Technol 14:519–523 Google Scholar
Kumar, V, Brainard, DC, Bellinder, RR T (2008) Suppression of Powell amaranth (Amaranthus powellii), shepherd’s-purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris), and corn chamomile (Anthemis arvensis) by buckwheat residues: Role of nitrogen and fungal pathogens. Weed Sci 56:271–280.Google Scholar
Lawley, YE, Weil, RR, Teasdale, JR (2011) Forage radish cover crop suppresses winter annual weeds in fall and before corn planting. Agron J 103:137–144 Google Scholar
Leavitt, MJ, Sheaffer, CC, Wyse, DL, Allan, DL (2011) Rolled winter rye and hairy vetch cover crops lower weed density but reduce vegetable yields in no-tillage organic production. HortScience 46:387–395 Google Scholar
Liebman, M, Janke, RR (1990) Sustainable weed management practices. Pages 111–143 in Francis CA, Flora CB & King LD eds, Sustainable Agriculture in Temperate Zones. New York: John Wiley and Sons Google Scholar
Melander, B, Holst, N, Rasmussen, IA, Hansen, PK (2012) Direct control of perennial weeds between crops – implications for organic farming. Crop Prot 40:36–42 Google Scholar
Melander, B, Rasmussen, IA, Barberi, P (2005) Integrating physical and cultural methods of weed control - examples from European research. Weed Sci 53:369–381 Google Scholar
Messiaen, CM (1989) Le potager tropical. 2nd edn. Paris: Press Université de France. 588 pGoogle Scholar
Miles, C, Wallace, R, Wszelaki, A, Martin, J, Cowan, J, Walters, T (2012) Deterioration of potentially biodegradable alternatives to black plastic mulch in three tomato production regions. HortScience 47:1270–1277 Google Scholar
Mochizuki, MJ, Rangarajan, A, Bellinder, RR, Bjorkman, T, van Es, HM (2007) Overcoming compaction limitations on cabbage growth and yield in the transition to reduced tillage. HortScience 42:1690–1694 Google Scholar
Ngouajio, M, McGiffen, ME, Hutchinson, CM (2003) Effect of cover crop and management system on weed populations in lettuce. Crop Prot 22:57–64 Google Scholar
Ngouajio, M, Mennan, H (2005) Weed populations and pickling cucumber (Cucumis sativus) yield under summer and winter cover crop systems. Crop Prot 24:521–526 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ogutu, M (2007) Effect of different seeding rates of rye cover crop on weed control and yield of pumpkins. HortScience 42:933 Google Scholar
Parr, M, Grossman, JM, Reberg-Horton, SC, Brinton, C, Crozier, C (2011) Nitrogen delivery from legume cover crops in no-till organic corn production. Agron J 103:1578–1590 Google Scholar
Peigné, J, Ball, BC, Roger-Estrade, J, David, C (2007) Is conservation tillage suitable for organic farming? A review. Soil Use Manage 23:129–144 Google Scholar
Poffenbarger, HJ, Mirsky, SB, Weil, RR, Kramer, M, Spargo, JT, Cavigelli, MA (2015) Legume proportion, poultry litter, and tillage effects on cover crop decomposition. Agron J 107:2083–2096 Google Scholar
Price, AJ, Balkcom, KS, Culpepper, SA, Kelton, JA, Nichols, RL, Schomberg, H (2011) Glyphosate-resistant palmer amaranth: a threat to conservation tillage. J Soil Water Conserv 66:265–275 Google Scholar
Price, AJ, Norsworthy, JK (2013) Cover crops for weed management in southern reduced-tillage vegetable cropping systems. Weed Technol 27:212–217 Google Scholar
Ramakrishna, A, Tam, HM, Wani, SP, Long, TD (2006) Effect of mulch on soil temperature, moisture, weed infestation and yield of groundnut in Northern Vietnam. Field Crops Res 95:115–125 Google Scholar
Rapp, HS, Bellinder, RR, Wien, HC, Vermeylen, FM (2004) Reduced tillage, rye residues, and herbicides influence weed suppression and yield of pumpkins. Weed Technol 18:953–961 Google Scholar
Reberg-Horton, SC, Grossman, JM, Kornecki, TS, Meijer, AD, Price, AJ, Place, GT, Webster, TM (2012) Utilizing cover crop mulches to reduce tillage in organic systems in the southeastern USA. Renew Agr Food Syst 27:41–48 Google Scholar
Reddy, KN, Zablotowicz, RM, Locke, MA, Koger, CH (2003) Cover crop, tillage, and herbicide effects on weeds, soil properties, microbial populations, and soybean yield. Weed Sci 51:987–994 Google Scholar
Rice, EL, ed (1974) Allelopathy. New York, NY: Academic Press. 353 pGoogle Scholar
Rice, PJ, Hapeman, CJ, McConnell, LL, Sadeghi, AM, Teasdale, JR, Coffman, CB, McCarty, GW, Abdul-Baki, AA, Starr, JL (2007) Evaluation of vegetable production management practices to reduce the ecological risk of pesticides. Environ Toxicol Chem 26:2455–2464 Google Scholar
Ryan, MR, Curran, WS, Grantham, AM, Hunsberger, LK, Mirsky, SB, Mortensen, DA, Nord, EA, Wilson, DO (2011) Effects of seeding rate and poultry litter on weed suppression from a rolled cereal rye cover crop. Weed Sci 59:438–444 Google Scholar
Schipanski, ME, Barbercheck, M, Douglas, MR, Finney, DM, Haider, K, Kaye, JP, Kemanian, AR, Mortensen, DA, Ryan, MR, Tooker, J, White, C (2014) A framework for evaluating ecosystem services provided by cover crops in agroecosystems. Agr Syst 125:12–22 Google Scholar
Sharma, PK, Sharma, HG, Singh, PN (2004) Effect of irrigation methods/levels and coloured plastic mulches on weeds incidence in capsicum (Capsicum annuum var. Grossum L.) crop. Agric Sci Dig 24:42–44 Google Scholar
Shrestha, A, Browne, GT, Lampinen, BD, Schneider, SM, Simon, L, Trout, TJ (2008) Perennial crop nurseries treated with methyl bromide and alternative fumigants: effects on weed seed viability, weed densities, and time required for hand weeding. Weed Technol 22:267–274 Google Scholar
Stirzaker, RJ, Bunn, DG (1996) Phytotoxicity of ryegrass and clover cover crops, and a lucerne alley crop for no-till vegetable production. Biol Agric Hortic 13:83–101 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stoklosa, A, Matraszek, R, Isman, MB, Upadhyaya, MK (2012) Phytotoxic activity of clover oil, its constituents, and its modification by light intensity in broccoli and common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album). Weed Sci 60:607–611 Google Scholar
Sweeney, AE, Renner, KA, Laboski, C, Davis, A (2008) Effect of fertilizer nitrogen on weed emergence and growth. Weed Sci 56:714–721 Google Scholar
Tabaglio, V, Marocco, A, Schulz, M (2013) Allelopathic cover crop of rye for integrated weed control in sustainable agroecosystems. Ital J Agron 8:35–40 Google Scholar
Teasdale, JR (1993) Interaction of light, soil moisture, and temperature with weed suppression by hairy vetch residue. Weed Sci 41:46–51 Google Scholar
Teasdale, JR, Abdul-Baki, AA, Park, YB (2008) Sweet corn production and efficiency of nitrogen use in high cover crop residue. Agron Sustain Dev 28:559–565 Google Scholar
Torbert, HA, Reeves, DW, Mulvaney, RL (1996) Winter legume cover crop benefits to corn: rotation vs fixed-nitrogen effects. Agron J 88:527–535 Google Scholar
Uri, ND (2000) Perceptions on the use of no-till farming in production agriculture in the United States: an analysis of survey results. Agric Ecosyst Environ 77:263–266 Google Scholar
Wagner-Riddle, C, Gillespie, TJ, Hunt, LA, Swanton, CJ (1997) Modeling a rye cover crop and subsequent soybean yield. Agron J 89:208–218 Google Scholar
Walz, E (1999) Final Results of the Third Biennial National Organic Farmers’ Survey. Santa Cruz, CA: Organic Farming Research Foundation Google Scholar
Williams, MM (2006) Planting date influences critical period of weed control in sweet corn. Weed Sci 54:928–933 Google Scholar
Yenish, JP, Worsham, AD, York, AC (1996) Cover crops for herbicide replacement in no-tillage corn (Zea mays). Weed Technol 10:815–821 Google Scholar