Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-dsjbd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T15:35:27.570Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A method for mechanically killing cover crops to optimize weed suppression

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 October 2009

N.G. Creamer ,
B. Plassman ,
M.A. Bennett ,
R.K. Wood ,
B.R. Stinner  and
J. Cardina
N.G. Creamer
Affiliation:
Graduate student in the Department of Horticultural and Crop Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210.
B. Plassman
Affiliation:
Student in the Department of Agricultural Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210.
M.A. Bennett
Affiliation:
Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210.
R.K. Wood
Affiliation:
Associate Professor, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210.
B.R. Stinner
Affiliation:
Research Scientist, Department of Horticultural and Crop Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210.
J. Cardina
Affiliation:
Associate Professor, Department of Entomology, all at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210.
Get access

Abstract

Residues of dead cover crops can suppress weeds by providing a mulch on the soil surface. The cover crop usually is killed with herbicides, but a mechanical method is desirable in systems intended to reduce chemical use. We designed and built an undercutter to kill cover crops by severing their roots while flattening the intact aboveground biomass on the surface of raised beds. We studied which cover crop species could be killed with the undercutter and compared the weed control potential of cover crop residues after flail mowing, sicklebar mowing, and undercutting.

Whether a species was killed by the undercutter depended primarily on growth stage. Species that were in mid- to late bloom or beyond, including rye, hairy vetch, bigflower vetch, crimson clover, barley, and subterranean clover, were easily killed by undercutting. There were no differences in dry weights of broadleaf weeds between the undercut and simulated sicklebar mowed treatments, both of which had less weed biomass than the clean-tilled or flail-mowed plots.

Keywords

cover cropsweed managementreduced-chemical systems
Type
Articles
Information
American Journal of Alternative Agriculture , Volume 10 , Issue 4 , December 1995 , pp. 157 - 162
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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.)

References

1.Beale, O.W., Nutt, G.B., and Peele, T.C.. 1955. The effects of mulch tillage on runoff, erosion, soil properties, and crop yields. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proceedings 19:244–247.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Blevins, R.L., Thomas, G.W., and Cornelius, P.L.. 1977. Influence of no-tillage and nitrogen fertilization on certain soil properties after 5 years of continuous corn. Agronomy J. 69:383–386.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Creamer, N.G., Bennett, M.A., and Stinner, B.R.. 1992. Cover crop mixtures for vegetable production. HortScience 27:176 (abstract).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Creamer, N.G., Bennett, M.A., Stinner, B.R., and Cardina, J.. 1993. Cover crop management for vegetable production systems. Amer. Soc. Agronomy Abstracts, p. 132.Google Scholar
5.Dabney, S.M., Buehring, M.W., and Reginelli, D.B.. 1991. Mechanical control of legume cover crops. In Hargrove, W.L. (ed). Cover Crops for Clean Water. Soil and Water Conservation Soc., Ankeny, Iowa. pp. 146–147.Google Scholar
6.Flach, K.W. 1990. Low-input agriculture and soil conservation. J. Soil and Water Conservation 45:42–44.Google Scholar
7.Hoffman, M.L., Regnier, E.E., and Cardina, J.. 1993. Weed and corn (Zea mays) responses to a hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) cover crop. Weed Technology 7:594–599.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Hoyt, G.D., and Hargrove, W.L.. 1986. Legume cover crops for improving crop and soil management in the Southern United States. HortScience 21:397–402.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9.McVay, K.A., Radcliffe, D.E., and Hargrove, W.L.. 1989. Winter legume effects on soil properties and nitrogen fertilizer requirements. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 53:1856–1862.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Phatak, S.C., Bugg, R.L., Sumner, D.R., Gay, J.D., Brunson, K.E., and Chalfant, R.B.. 1990. Cover crops in IPM of weeds, diseases and insects of vegetables. Abstract. XXIII International Horticulture Congress. Florence, Italy.Google Scholar
11.Raimbault, B.A., Vyn, T.J., and Tollenaar, M.. 1990. Corn response to rye cover crop management and spring tillage systems. Agronomy J. 82:1088–1093.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.Reeves, D.W., Wood, C.W., and Touchton, J.T.. 1993. Timing nitrogen applications for corn in a winter legume conservation tillage system. Agronomy J. 85:98–106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13.Rodale Institute. 1992. Managing Cover Crops Profitably. A publication of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, Cooperative State Research Service, U.S. Dept. of Agric., Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
14.Sarrantonio, M., and Scott, T.W.. 1988. Tillage effects on availability of nitrogen to corn following a winter green manure crop. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 52:1661–1668.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15.Stivers, L.J., and Shennan, C.. 1989. Winter cover cropping in processing tomato production. Amer. Soc. Agronomy Abstracts, p. 254.Google Scholar
16.Teasdale, J.R. 1993. Interaction of light, soil moistures, and temperature with weed suppression by hairy vetch residue. Weed Science 41:46–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17.Vaughan, D.H., Luna, J.M., Laub, C.A., and Ess, D.R.. 1992 Strip tillage in reduced chemical input corn production. Paper No. 921559. International Winter Meeting, Nashville, Tennessee. Dec. 15–18. Amer. Soc. Agric. Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan.Google Scholar
18.Wagger, M.G. 1987. Timing effects of cover crop desiccation on decomposition rates and subsequent nitrogen uptake by corn. In Power, J.F. (ed). The Role of Legumes in Conservation Tillage Systems. Soil Conservation Soc. Amer., Ankeny, Iowa. pp. 35–37.Google Scholar
19.Wilkinson, L. 1990. SYSTAT: The System for Statistics. SYSTAT, Inc., Evanston, Illinois.Google Scholar