Effects of Organic Fertilization and Cover Crops on an Organic Pepper System

Delate, Kathleen; Cambardella, C. A.; McKern, Andrea

doi:10.21273/horttech.18.2.215

Cited by 41 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Some studies showed tomato growth and production unaffected by tillage and cover crop residues management [34][35][36]. Other results from reduced tillage in bell pepper, onion, and zucchini production have ranged from statistically equal or even higher [37][38][39] to 20% and more than 90% reduction of no-till yields in these and other horticultural crops [40][41][42]. In our case, this could be attributed to both low soil nitrates availability and high weed competition during tomato growth.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 47%

Evaluation of the Agronomic Performance of Organic Processing Tomato as Affected by Different Cover Crop Residues Management

et al. 2019

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No-till practices reduce soil erosion, conserve soil organic carbon, and enhance soil fertility. Yet, many factors could limit their adoption in organic farming. The present study investigated the effects of tillage and cover cropping on weed biomass, plant growth, yield, and fruit quality of an organic processing tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L. var. Elba F1) over two seasons (2015)(2016)(2017). We compared systems where processing tomato was transplanted on i) tilled soil following or not a winter cover crop (Trifolium squarrosum L.) and with/without a biodegradable plastic mulch; and ii) no-till where clover was used, after rolling and flaming, as dead mulch. Tomato in no-till suffered from high weed competition and low soil nitrogen availability leading to lower plant growth, N uptake, and yield components with respect to tilled systems. The total yield in no-till declined to 6.8 and 18.3 t ha −1 in 2016 and 2017, respectively, with at least a 65% decrease compared to tilled clover-based systems. No evidence of growth-limiting soil compaction was noticed but a slightly higher soil resistance was in the no-till topsoil. Tillage and cover crop residues did not significantly change tomato quality (pH, total soluble solids, firmness). The incorporation of clover as green manure was generally more advantageous over no-till. This was partly due to the low performance of the cover crop where improvement may limit the obstacles (i.e., N supply and weed infestation) and enable the implementation of no-till in organic vegetable systems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 47%

Evaluation of the Agronomic Performance of Organic Processing Tomato as Affected by Different Cover Crop Residues Management

et al. 2019

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“…Effects of organic fertilization on zucchini yield and quality. An organic system based on organic-compliant fertilizers could reduce (Wang et al, 2008b) or increase (Delate et al, 2008) vegetable crop yield compared with conventional production. Indeed, Montemurro et al (2006Montemurro et al ( , 2007 found that soil quality may be ameliorated by using compost to increase soil organic matter.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organic Fertilization, Green Manure, and Vetch Mulch to Improve Organic Zucchini Yield and Quality

Montemurro

Fiore²,

Campanelli³

et al. 2013

horts

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A 2-year field experiment was carried out in a Mediterranean environment to study the effects of vetch (Vicia sativa L.) residue management strategies incorporating green manure (GM) using a roller-crimper (RC) and different organic fertilizers (municipal solid waste compost, anaerobic digestate, and a commercial organic fertilizer) on organic zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) yield and quality. Zucchini yield was influenced positively by the vetch residue management strategy, although the response was significantly different between years. The vetch cover crop increased marketable zucchini yield in the first year by 46.6% compared with the fallow (FA) treatment, indicating that this fertility-building crop could reduce off-farm nitrogen (N) fertilizer input for subsequent crops. Averaging over 2 years of the experiment, marketable zucchini yield increased by 15.2% and 38% with the RC mulch and GM plow-down, respectively, compared with the FA treatment, although differences were significant in the first year only. The application of organic fertilizers in vetch management plots increased marketable zucchini yield by 21.8% in the first year compared with the unfertilized control. This result is particularly relevant, because organic fertilizers were applied at ≈50% of the normal application rate for zucchini after taking into account biological N fixation attributable to the vetch. The concentrations of soil mineral N at harvest were 19, 27, and 28 mg·kg−1 for the RC, FA, and GM treatments, respectively. These mineral N concentrations indicated that a portion of applied organic fertilizer N, and N attributable to vetch (GM and RC), remained in the soil at harvest, suggesting the potential for leaching, which should be taken into account in the overall fertilization program. These research findings suggest that effective vetch cover crop management and the application of organic fertilizers can improve yield and quality of organically managed zucchini.

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“…Work has shown that the rate of mineralization of available N from a low C:N (less than 20) cover crop typically increases over a 3-to 6-week period after incorporation and then returns to pre-incorporation levels by Week 6 to 8 in this region, the central coast of California (Gaskell, 2004). Therefore, a cover crop can be a valuable source of short-term N but longer season vegetable crops after a cover crop rotation may require supplemental applications of fertilizer N to supply late-season N (Delate et al, 2008;Schellenberg et al, 2009;Schonbeck et al, 1993;Scow et al, 1994;Smith, 1992;Temple et al, 1994).…”

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confidence: 99%

Nitrogen Contribution of Legume/Cereal Mixed Cover Crops and Organic Fertilizers to an Organic Broccoli Crop

Muramoto¹,

Smith²,

Shennan³

et al. 2011

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Legume/cereal mixed winter cover crops are commonly used by organic growers on the central coast of California, but they are unable to provide sufficient nitrogen (N) for a high N-demanding vegetable crop such as broccoli and supplemental fertilizer application may be necessary. The goals of this project were to evaluate the contribution of N from a mixed legume/cereal cover crop (CC) and feather meal and blood meal as organic fertilizers (OF) to an organic broccoli crop and to evaluate economic benefits of CC and OF to the subsequent organic broccoli crop. Trials were conducted at two sites (A and B) with different management histories. Cover crops were grown over the winter and incorporated into the soil in the spring and subsequently broccoli [Brassica oleracea L. (Italica group)] was grown in 2006 at both sites and in 2007 at B only. Cover crop and no CC treatments were grown with supplemental organic fertilizers at four fertility levels (0, 84, 168, and 252 kg N/ha of OF) with four replicates. Generally broccoli head yields at A (14.9 to 26.3 Mg·ha−1) were higher than at B (0.7 to 17.4 Mg·ha−1 in 2006 and 5.5 to 17.9 Mg·ha−1 in 2007). Yield and aboveground biomass N were significantly increased by OF at rates up to 168 kg N/ha at A and to 252 kg N/ha at B and by CC in 2006 at both sites but not in 2007 at B. Although N content of the CC was similarly low at A (2006) and at B (2007), immobilization of soil mineral N occurred only at B. This suggests that the addition of a low N content CC was offset by high N mineralization from the soil at A with a long organic management history (greater than 33 years). Supplemental fertilizer applications may be necessary to achieve optimal yields, but the amount needed can be reduced by cover cropping in fields with a long history of cover crop-based organic management (A) or when cover crop N content is sufficiently high to prevent immobilization (B, 2006). Soil NO3-N patterns suggest a pre-side dress nitrate test may also be useful for N management in organic broccoli. Use of cover crops increased net return above harvest and fertility costs when the yield reduction by N immobilization did not take place. However, the net return increase by the use of cover crops tended to diminish as the rate of OF application increased.

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Effects of Organic Fertilization and Cover Crops on an Organic Pepper System

Cited by 41 publications

References 28 publications

Evaluation of the Agronomic Performance of Organic Processing Tomato as Affected by Different Cover Crop Residues Management

Evaluation of the Agronomic Performance of Organic Processing Tomato as Affected by Different Cover Crop Residues Management

Organic Fertilization, Green Manure, and Vetch Mulch to Improve Organic Zucchini Yield and Quality

Nitrogen Contribution of Legume/Cereal Mixed Cover Crops and Organic Fertilizers to an Organic Broccoli Crop

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