Cover Crops for Herbicide Replacement in No-tillage Corn (Zea mays)

Abstract

Weed control by rye, crimson clover, subterranean clover, and hairy vetch cover crops was evaluated in no-tillage corn during 1992 and 1993 at two North Carolina locations. Weed biomass reduction was similar with rye, crimson clover, and subterranean clover treatments, ranging between 19 and 95% less biomass than a conventional tillage treatment without cover. Weed biomass reduction using hairy vetch or no cover in a notillage system was similar averaging between 0 and 49%, but less than other covers approximately 45 and 90 d after planting. Weed biomass was eliminated or nearly eliminated in all cover systems with PRE plus POST herbicide treatments. Weed species present varied greatly between years and locations, but were predominantly common lambsquarters, smooth pigweed, redroot pigweed, and broadleaf signalgrass. Corn grain yield was greatest using PRE herbicides or PRE plus POST herbicides, averaging between 16 to 100% greater than the nontreated control across all cover treatments depending on the year and location.

The biology of Canadian weeds. 130. Amaranthus retroflexus L., A. powellii S. Watson and A. hybridus L.

“…Similarly, a rye cover crop planted in autumn in Illinois and killed with glyphosate in the spring strongly reduced the establishment of A. retroflexus in cabbage (Bottenberg et al 1997). The residues of a rye cover crop may not be thick enough or may break down too quickly to control A. retroflexus all season without herbicides (Mohler and Callaway 1995;Yenish et al 1996;Zasada et al 1997). Emergence and biomass of A. retroflexus in Nebraska were reduced by spring-planted green manure crops (Brassica spp.)…”

Winter Cover Crops and Vinegar for Early-Season Weed Control in Sustainable Cotton

“…Leguminous covers such as hairy vetch increase plant-accessible soil nitrogen (Sainju et al, 2005). Cover crops also improve soil composition; conserve soil carbon, nitrogen, and moisture content; and enhance microbial activity (Hoffman and Regnier 2006;Yenish et al 1996), leading to increases in the growth and yield of cotton (Bauer and Reeves, 1999;Sainju et al, 2005) and other crops (Burgos et al, 2006;Fisk et al, 2001;Nagabhushana et al, 2001). Questions remain about the benefits of live versus killed covers in no-till crop production (Teasdale and Daughtry, 1993) and the importance of soil incorporation of residue (Mohler, 2001b;Schomberg et al, 2006).…”

Performance of herbicides in sugarcane straw

“…Although vegetal coverage reduces the competition from weeds, additional measures, such as chemical control, are still needed (YENISH et al, 1996). In turn, the maintenance of straw on the soil surface can hinder the effectiveness of the herbicides applied in pre-emergence, because in this system the transport of the herbicide to the soil surface is done primarily by rainfall or irrigation, (MACIEL & VELINI, 2005).…”