Cover crops have become a vital part of no-till systems for row crops in the southern United States; however, no-till systems using cover crops for vegetable production have not been widely adopted. Only 12% of the Alabama vegetable production area
Ted S. Kornecki and Francisco J. Arriaga
David M. Butler, Gary E. Bates and Sarah E. Eichler Inwood
have a negative impact on chemical, physical, and biological measures of soil quality ( Haynes and Tregurtha, 1999 ). Increasing organic matter inputs through crop residue conservation ( Lal, 1995 ), cover crops ( Snapp et al., 2005 ), and manures or
Nancy G. Creamer and Mark. A. Bennett
12 ORAL SESSION 1 (Abstr. 001-008) Vegetables: Cover Crops/Culture and Management
Samuel Y.C. Essah, Jorge A. Delgado, Merlin Dillon and Richard Sparks
There have been reports of cover crops increasing the yield of the following crops ( Clark, 2007 ; Dabney et al., 2010 ; Delgado et al., 2007 ). However, there is a need for additional research on the potential benefits that cover crops may have
John Z. Burket, Delbert D. Hemphill and Richard P. Dick
Cover crops hold potential to improve soil quality, to recover residual fertilizer N in the soil after a summer crop that otherwise might leach to the groundwater, and to be a source of N for subsequently planted vegetable crops. The objective of this 5-year study was to determine the N uptake by winter cover crops and its effect on summer vegetable productivity. Winter cover crops [red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), cereal rye (Secale cereale L. var. Wheeler), a cereal rye/Austrian winter pea (Pisum sativum L.) mix, or a winter fallow control] were in a rotation with alternate years of sweet corn (Zea mays L. cv. Jubilee) and broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. Botrytis Group cv. Gem). The subplots were N rate (zero, intermediate, and as recommended for vegetable crop). Summer relay plantings of red clover or cereal rye were also used to gain early establishment of the cover crop. Cereal rye cover crops recovered residual fertilizer N at an average of 40 kg·ha-1 following the recommended N rates, but after 5 years of cropping, there was no evidence that the N conserved by the cereal rye cover crop would permit a reduction in inorganic N inputs to maintain yields. Intermediate rates of N applied to summer crops in combination with winter cover crops containing legumes produced vegetable yields similar to those with recommended rates of N in combination with winter fallow or cereal rye cover crops. There was a consistent trend (P < 0.12) for cereal rye cover crops to cause a small decrease in broccoli yields as compared to winter fallow.
Michel R. Wiman, Elizabeth M. Kirby, David M. Granatstein and Thomas P. Sullivan
Cover crops are gaining popularity in orchards and vineyards for their ability to improve soil health and increase biodiversity ( Ingels et al., 1998 ). Apple orchards typically have a weed-free zone in the tree row to reduce competition and
Vasey N. Mwaja and John B. Masiunas
12 ORAL SESSION 1 (Abstr. 001-008) Vegetables: Cover Crops/Culture and Management
John M. Luna, Daniel Green-McGrath, Ray William, Stefan Seiter and Tom Tenas
12 ORAL SESSION 1 (Abstr. 001-008) Vegetables: Cover Crops/Culture and Management
Jose Linares, Johannes Scholberg, Kenneth Boote, Carlene A. Chase, James J. Ferguson and Robert McSorley
near tree trunks of young trees. The majority of Florida citrus growers interviewed in 2001 expressed a strong interest in the use of cover crops (CC) to prevent soil degradation and to suppress weed growth (Scholberg, unpublished). Cover crops may
Robert L. Meagher Jr., Rodney N. Nagoshi, James T. Brown, Shelby J. Fleischer, John K. Westbrook and Carlene A. Chase
. capitata ) are annually produced ( Elwakil and Mossler, 2016 ; USDA-NASS, 2014 ). A major advantage of sunn hemp over many cover crops, particularly sorghum-sudangrass (SSG) [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], is that it is a poor host for fall armyworm