Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T09:56:32.607Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Optimum Densities of Three Leguminous Cover Crops for Suppression of Smooth Pigweed (Amaranthus hybridus)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Amanda S. Collins ,
Carlene A. Chase ,
William M. Stall  and
Chad M. Hutchinson
Amanda S. Collins
Affiliation:
University of Florida, Horticultural Sciences Department, Gainesville, FL 32611-0690
Carlene A. Chase*
Affiliation:
University of Florida, Horticultural Sciences Department, Gainesville, FL 32611-0690
William M. Stall
Affiliation:
University of Florida, Horticultural Sciences Department, Gainesville, FL 32611-0690
Chad M. Hutchinson
Affiliation:
University of Florida, Horticultural Sciences Department, Gainesville, FL 32611-0690
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Additive experiments were performed to determine optimum densities for nematode-suppressive cover crops to extend the benefit from the cover crops by also using them for weed suppression. In a preliminary experiment in 2002, a range of cover-crop densities was evaluated in mixtures with smooth pigweed at 5 plants m−2. Smooth pigweed biomass accumulation was suppressed by cowpea, sunn hemp, and velvetbean at the lowest cover-crop populations (38, 44, and 15 plants m−2, respectively). Based on these results, experiments were conducted in 2003 at two locations to examine the effects of lower cover-crop densities on a higher smooth pigweed population density of 15 plants m−2. Cowpea and velvetbean densities ranged from 10 to 50 plants m−2 and sunn hemp from 20 to 100 plants m−2. In 2003, cowpea density had no effect on smooth pigweed biomass. However, smooth pigweed biomass declined linearly by 51% as sunn hemp density increased to 100 plants m−2. Similarly, as velvetbean densities increased, smooth pigweed biomass decreased showing a linear response at one location and quadratic response at the second location. Maximum suppression of smooth pigweed biomass by velvetbean occurred at the highest cover-crop density (50 plants m−2). Excellent suppression of smooth pigweed at 5 plants m−2 or fewer will result in densities of 38, 44, and 15 plants m−2 of cowpea, sunn hemp, and velvetbean. However, with smooth pigweed at 15 plants m−2, optimum cover-crop densities were not obtained because no suppression was obtained with cowpea, and the lowest weed biomass with sunn hemp and velvetbean occurred with the highest densities used. Therefore, when high smooth pigweed densities are expected, sunn hemp and velvetbean should be used at densities greater than 100 and 50 plants m−2, respectively, and further study with higher densities will be needed to define optima.

Keywords

Smooth pigweed, Amaranthus hybridus L. AMACHcowpea, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. ‘Iron-Clay’sunn hemp, Crotalaria juncea L. ‘Tropic Sun’velvetbean, Mucuna deeringiana (Bort.) Merr. and Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. var. pruriens.Interferencecompetitionsmooth amaranthadditive experiments
Type
Weed Management
Information
Weed Science , Volume 56 , Issue 5 , October 2008 , pp. 753 - 761
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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

Literature Cited

Abdul-Baki, A. A., Klassen, W., Bryan, H. H., Codallo, M., Hima, B., Wang, Q. R., Li, Y., Lu, Y-C., and Handoo, Z. 2005. A biologically-based system for winter production of fresh-market tomatoes in south Florida. Proc. Fla. State Hortic. Soc. 118:153–159.Google Scholar
Adler, M. J. and Chase, C. A. 2007. A comparative analysis of the allelopathic potential of leguminous summer cover crops: cowpea, sunn hemp and velvetbean. HortScience. 42:289–293.Google Scholar
Balkcom, K. S. and Reeves, D. W. 2005. Sunn-hemp utilized as a legume cover crop for corn production. Agron. J. 97:26–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buckles, D., Triomphe, B., and Sain, G. 1998. Cover Crops in Hillside Agriculture: Farmer Innovation with Mucuna. Ottawa, Canada International Development Research Centre and International Center for Maize and Wheat Improvement. 230.Google Scholar
Caamal-Maldonado, J. A., Jiménez-Osornio, J. J., Torres-Barragán, A., and Anaya, A. L. 2001. The use of allelopathic legume cover and mulch species for weed control in cropping systems. Agron. J. 93:27–36.Google Scholar
Claassen, M. M. 2004. Residual effects of late-maturing soybean and sunn hemp summer cover crops and nitrogen rate on no-till wheat after grain sorghum. Pages 26–28. in. Kansas Fertilizer Research 2004. Manhattan, KS Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, Report of Progress 939.Google Scholar
Collins, A. S., Chase, C. A., Stall, W. M., and Hutchinson, C. M. 2007. Competitiveness of three leguminous cover crops with yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) and smooth pigweed (Amaranthus hybridus). Weed Sci. 55:613–618.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cousens, R. 1988. Misinterpretations of results in weed research through inappropriate use of statistics. Weed Res. 28:281–289.Google Scholar
Creamer, N. G. and Baldwin, K. R. 2000. An evaluation of summer cover crops for use in vegetable production systems in North Carolina. HortScience. 35:600–603.Google Scholar
Fernandes, M. F., Barreto, A. C., and Emidio Filho, J. 1999. Dry matter of green manure and control of weeds at different sowing legume densities. Pesqu. Agropecu. Bras. 34:1593–1600.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fujii, Y., Shibuya, T., and Yasuda, T. 1991. L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine as an allelochemical candidate from Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. var. utilis. Agric. Biol. Chem. 55:617–618.Google Scholar
Gallagher, R. S., Fernandes, E. C. M., and McCallie, E. L. 1999. Weed management through short-term improved fallows in tropical agroecosystems. Agrofor. Syst. 47:197–221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harrison, H. F., Jackson, D. M., Keinath, A. P., Marino, P. C., and Pullaro, T. 2004. Broccoli production in cowpea, soybean, and velvetbean cover crop mulches. HortTechnology. 14:484–487.Google Scholar
Harrison, H. F., Thies, J. A., and Fery, R. L. 2006. Evaluation of cowpea genotypes for use as a cover crop. HortScience. 41:1145–1148.Google Scholar
Hill, E. C., Ngouajio, M., and Nair, M. G. 2006. Differential response of weeds and vegetable crops to aqueous extracts of hairy vetch and cowpea. HortScience. 41:695–700.Google Scholar
Holm, L. G., Plucknett, D. L., Pancho, J. V., and Herberger, J. P. 1991. The World's Worst Weeds: Distribution and Biology. Reprint ed. Malabar, FL Krieger Publishing. 78–83.Google Scholar
Hutchinson, C. M. and McGiffen, M. E. Jr. 2000. Cowpea cover crop mulch for weed control in desert pepper production. HortScience. 35:196–198.Google Scholar
Jordan, N. 1993. Prospects for weed control through crop interference. Ecol. Appl. 3:84–91.Google Scholar
Knezevic, S. Z., Vanderlip, R. L., and Horak, M. J. 2001. Relative time of redroot pigweed emergence affects dry matter partitioning. Weed Sci. 49:617–621.Google Scholar
Li, Y., Hanlon, E. A., Klassen, W., Wang, Q., Olczyk, T., and Ezenwa, I. V. 2006. Cover Crop Benefits for South Florida Commercial Vegetable Producers. EDIS Fact sheet SL-242. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/SS/SS46100.pdf.Google Scholar
Linares, J. C., Scholberg, J. M. S., Chase, C. A., McSorley, R. M., Boote, K. J., and Ferguson, J. J. 2008. Cover crop management and cover crop weed index as an indicator of weed suppression in organic citrus orchards. HortScience. 43:27–34.Google Scholar
Mansoer, Z., Reeves, D. W., and Wood, C. W. 1997. Suitability of sunn hemp as an alternative late summer legume cover crop. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 61:246–253.Google Scholar
McAvoy, G. 2000. Back to Basics. Gainesville, FL University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Vegetarian Newsletter 00-05:8-10.Google Scholar
McLachlan, S. M., Murphy, S. D., Tollenaar, M., Weise, S. F., and Swanton, C. J. 1995. Light limitation of reproduction and variation in the allometric relationship between reproductive and vegetative biomass in Amaranthus retroflexus (redroot pigweed). J. Appl. Ecol. 32:157–165.Google Scholar
McSorley, R. 1998. Alternative practices for managing plant parasitic nematodes. Am. J. Altern. Agric. 13:98–104.Google Scholar
McSorley, R. 1999. Host suitability of potential cover crops for root knot nematodes. J. Nematol. 31:619–623.Google ScholarPubMed
McSorley, R. and Dickson, D. W. 1989. Nematode population density increases on cover crops of rye and vetch. Nematropica. 19:490–499.Google Scholar
[NAPPO] North American Plant Protection Organization 2003. Solanum ptycanthum L. Ottawa, Canada NAPPO, Pest Fact Sheet. 6.Google Scholar
Ngouajio, M., McGiffen, M. E. Jr., and Hutchinson, C. M. 2003. Effect of cover crop and management system on weed populations in lettuce. Crop Prot. 22:57–64.Google Scholar
Potter, T. L., Bosch, D. D., Joo, H., Schaffer, B., and Munñoz-Carpena, R. 2007. Summer cover crops reduce atrazine leaching to shallow groundwater in Southern Florida. J. Environ. Qual. 36:1301–1309.Google Scholar
Radosevich, S., Holt, J., and Ghersa, C. 1997. Weed Ecology. 2nd ed. New York J. Wiley. 589.Google Scholar
Rajcan, I., Aghaalikhani, M., Swanton, C. J., and Tollenaar, M. 2002. Development of redroot pigweed is influenced by light spectral quality and quantity. Crop Sci. 42:1930–1936.Google Scholar
Rotar, P. P. and Joy, R. J. 1983. ‘Tropic Sun’ sunn hemp Crotalaria juncea L. Honolulu Hawaii Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii, Research Extension Service. 367.Google Scholar
Sangakkara, U. R., Bandaranayake, R. R. S. D., Weerasekera, D. N. K., and Stamp, P. 2006. Interseasonal cropping—its potential for managing weeds in the Asian tropics. J. Plant Dis. Prot. 20 (suppl):921–927.Google Scholar
Severino, F. J. and Christoffoleti, P. J. 2004. Weed suppression by smother crops and selective herbicides. Sci. Agric. 61:21–26.Google Scholar
Snapp, S. S., Swinton, S. M., Labarta, R., Mutch, D., Black, J. R., Leep, R., Nyiraneza, J., and O'Neil, K. 2005. Evaluating cover crops for benefits, costs and performance within cropping systems niches. Agron. J. 97:322–332.Google Scholar
Teasdale, J. R. 1998. Cover crops, smother plants, and weed management. Pages 247–270. in Hatfield, J. L., Buhler, D. D., and Stewart, B. A. Integrated Weed and Soil Management. Chelsea, MI Ann Arbor Press.Google Scholar
Wang, Q. R., Klassen, W., Handoo, Z. A., Abdul-Baki, A., Bryan, H. H., and Li, Y. C. 2003. Influence of summer cover crops on soil nematodes in a tomato field. Soil Crop Sci. Soc. Fla Proc. 62:86–91.Google Scholar
Wang, G., McGiffen, M. E. Jr., Ehlers, J. D., and Marchi, E. C. S. 2006. Competitive ability of cowpea genotypes with different growth habit. Weed Sci. 54:775–782.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weaver, S. E. and McWilliams, E. L. 1980. The biology of Canadian weeds. 44. Amaranthus retroflexus L., A. powellii S. Wats. and A. hybridus L. Can. J. Plant Sci. 60:1215–1234.CrossRefGoogle Scholar