Climate change mitigation potential of summer cowpea cover crops in Southern Australian cropping systems is limited

Simmons, Aaron; Liu, D.L.; Cowie, Annette; Badgery, Warwick

doi:10.1016/j.agee.2022.108116

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 29 publications

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“…These authors reported that the use of nematode-resistant cowpea as a cover crop resulted in the suppression of populations of Meloidogyne spp., leading to the highest tomato yields. Cowpea is also useful for carbon sequestration, as shown in the recent study by Simmons et al [78], which was conducted at 204 sites in Mediterranean climates. The authors reported an increase in soil organic carbon (1.4 t ha −1 ) in cowpea plots compared to fallow plots.…”

Section: Ecosystem Servicesmentioning

confidence: 98%

The Potential of Three Summer Legume Cover Crops to Suppress Weeds and Provide Ecosystem Services—A Review

Zannopoulos,

Gazoulis,

Kokkini

et al. 2024

Agronomy

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Recently, there has been growing interest in the use of summer cover crops that can be grown during summer fallow periods of crop rotation. This study evaluates the potential of sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.), velvetbean [Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC.] and cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.]. as three annual legumes summer cover crops. The main objective of this review was to conduct global research comparing these summer cover crops to investigate the benefits, challenges, and trade-offs among ecosystems services when implementing these summer cover crops. In European agriculture, there are three main windows in crop rotation when these summer legumes can be grown: Around mid-spring after winter fallow, early summer after harvest of a winter crop, and mid- to late summer after harvest of an early-season crop. All three legumes can suppress weeds while they are actively growing. After termination, their mulch can create unfavorable conditions for weed emergence. Sunn hemp and velvetbean cover crops can cause a reduction in weed biomass of more than 50%. In addition to their ability to suppress weeds, sunn hemp, velvetbean, and cowpea provide a variety of ecosystem services, such as improving soil health, quality, and fertility, controlling pests, and sequestering carbon. The review highlights their promising role in weed suppression and their contribution to sustainable agricultural practices. However, further research is needed to evaluate their performance in weed management and their environmental impact in field trials under different soil-climatic conditions, as cover cropping is an effective practice but highly context-specific.

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Section: Ecosystem Servicesmentioning

confidence: 98%