Effects of Cover Crops, Nitrogen, and Tillage on Sweet Corn

Abstract

<jats:p>Effects of tillage, inorganic N, and winter cover crops on sweet corn (<jats:italic>Zea mays</jats:italic>) were examined in 1994, 1995, and 1996. Tillage treatments were tillage or no tillage, and N treatments were the addition of inorganic N at 0 (N0) or 200 (N+) kg·ha<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> (0 or 179 lb/acre). Winter cover crops included hairy vetch (<jats:italic>Vicia villosa</jats:italic>), winter rye (<jats:italic>Secale cereale</jats:italic>), and a vetch/rye biculture. In the N0, rye treatment, the soil was N deficient in 1994 and highly N deficient in 1995 and 1996. When vetch shoot N content was ≥150 kg·ha<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> (134 lb/acre) (1994 and 1995), addition of inorganic N did not increase corn yields, and it only increased corn foliar N concentrations by 8%. Reductions in corn yields (29%) and foliar N concentrations (24%) occurred when vetch shoot N content was only 120 kg·ha<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> (107 lb/acre) (1996) and inorganic N was not supplied. In 1994, the vetch/rye biculture supplied sufficient N for maximum corn yields, but addition of inorganic N increased yields by more than 50% in 1995 and 1996. Under tilled conditions, the vetch N contribution to corn appeared to equal (1996) or exceed (1994 and 1995) 82 kg·ha<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> (73 lb/acre) of N supplied as ammonium nitrate, whereas a mean value of 30 kg·ha<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup> (27 lb/acre) was obtained for the biculture cover crop (1995 and 1996). No significant effects of tillage on sweet corn population densities were detected following vetch, but no-tillage significantly reduced corn population densities following rye (17%) or biculture (35%) cover crops compared to tillage. No-tillage did not reduce yields from emerged seedlings (per plant basis) for any cover crops. Vetch appeared to be a satisfactory N source for sweet corn when vetch N content was ≥150 kg·ha<jats:sup>-1</jats:sup>, and it could be used with no-tillage without yield reductions.</jats:p>

Growing vetches (Vicia villosa Roth) in irrigated cotton systems: inputs of fixed N, N fertiliser savings and cotton productivity

“…The considerable reduction of N fertiliser requirement of cotton observed in this study confirmed the results of previous studies undertaken in the USA where cotton following vetch required either no (Boquet et al, 2003;Breitenbeck et al, 1994;Larson et al, 2001;), or reduced rates of N fertiliser (Boquet et al, 1997;Larson et al, 2001;Varco et al, 1999). Our data may help identify the possible mechanisms that enhance crop production following vetch rotations, as have been reported in cotton Millhollon and Braud, 1999;Varco et al, 1999), maize (Cline and Silvernail, 2002;Vaughan et al, 2000), horticultural (Rangappa et al, 2002) and cerealbased cropping systems (Yau et al, 2003) in other regions of the world.…”

“…It provides new insights into the enhanced crop productivity in cotton-based systems that include legumes Millhollon and Braud, 1999;Varco et al, 1999). Similar results have been observed in maize (Zea mays) based systems (Cline and Silvernail, 2002;Vaughan et al, 2000), winter cereals (Yau et al, 2003) and horticultural crops (Rangappa et al, 2002) in various parts of the world.…”

Green Manure Approaches to Crop Production: A Synthesis

“…Green manures grown on site do not incur the often inhibitive handling and transportation costs of other organic inputs. The slow release of N from decomposing GM residues may be better synchronized with plant uptake than sources of inorganic N, possibly increasing N‐uptake efficiency and crop yield while reducing N leaching losses (Abdul‐Baki et al, 1996; Agustin et al, 1999; Aulakh et al, 2000; Cline and Silvernail, 2002). Green manure approaches may also drive long‐term increases of soil organic matter and microbial biomass (Goyal et al, 1992, 1999; Chander et al, 1997; Biederbeck et al, 1998), further improving nutrient retention and N‐uptake efficiency.…”

“…A number of investigators in such environments have shown that well‐managed temperate leguminous GMs can fully satisfy N requirements of subsequent crops such as sweet corn ( Zea mays L. cv. Rugosa; Griffin et al, 2000; Cline and Silvernail, 2002). Studying fertigated, mulched tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)…”

Effects of Non-Leguminous Cover Crops on Yield and Quality of Baby Corn (Zea mays L.) Grown under Subtropical Conditions

“…Hoorman et al [3] suggested that cover crops could be an important part of a continuous no-till system for maintaining short-term as well as increasing long-term maize yields. The effects of leguminous cover crops on improved maize yield and enhanced soil N under no-till conditions have been repeatedly stressed in the literature [24][25][26][27][28][29]. Despite non-leguminous cover crops having beneficial effects on crop production, there remains a paucity of information about their effects on no-till maize or baby corn production, especially under subtropical conditions of Punjab, India.In Punjab, planting Kharif non-leguminous cover crops has been often recommended in the second fortnight of April [30].…”