Title: Cover crop residue and organic mulches provide weed control during limited-input no-till collard production

Abstract: Limited input producers may adopt no-till production if sufficient weed suppression can be achieved. High-biomass producing cover crops used in conjunction with organic mulches may provide sufficient weed control in no-till vegetable production. Our objective was to quantify weed suppression from a forage soybean summer cover crop and three types of organic mulches applied after collard (Brassica oleracea L.) planting. Forage soybean residue did not suppress weeds, but mulches were generally effective. Broadleaf and sedge weeds decreased in population size over the three-year period, but grass weed management remained problematic until three years after conversion to no-till. Grass suppression was greater when mulches were applied after the first year. Collard yield, averaging 17,863 kg ha−1, was not affected by any cover crop or mulch treatment. [Michael J. Mulvaney, Andrew J. Price & C. Wesley Wood ( 2011). Cover crop residue and organic mulches provide weed control during limited-input no-till collard production. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture. 35(3) DOI:10.1080/10440046.2011.554315].

Keywords: conservation tillage, weed control, Brassica oleracae L., vegetable, mulch, forage soybean, double cover cropping

Original source



Article: WeedsNews2707 (permalink)
Categories: :WeedsNews:conservation agriculture, :WeedsNews:organic farming, :WeedsNews:research alert, :WeedsNews:no-tillage
Date: 20 December 2011; 7:44:19 pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time

Author Name: Zheljana Peric
Author ID: zper12