Using Brassica Cover Crops as Living Mulch in a Vineyard, Changes over One Growing Season

O’Farrell, Corynne; Forge, Tom; Hart, Miranda M.

doi:10.3390/ijpb14040081

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 57 publications

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“…Cover crops can effectively supplement the nutrient loss caused by exposed farmland, and the vegetation cover formed on the surface can effectively alleviate soil erosion and improve the physical and chemical quality of that soil [20,21]. Cover crops can increase the relative abundance of the dominant bacterial phyla in soil, increase soil microbial biomass, moderate soil microbial characteristics, and increase soil microbial activity [22][23][24]. Meanwhile, cover crops can change the rate of soil carbon input and the rate of organic matter loss, reducing nitrogen loss [25].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Winter Cover Crops on Total and Microbial Carbon and Nitrogen in Black Soil

Li,

Zhu,

Zhang

et al. 2024

Agronomy

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Winter cover crops have been shown to promote the accumulation of microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, enhance nutrient cycling, reduce erosion, improve ecosystem stability, etc. In the black soil area of Northeast China, Triticum aestivum L., Medicago sativa L., Vicia villosa Roth., Triticum aestivum L. and Medicago sativa L. mixed planting, Triticum aestivum L. and Vicia villosa Roth. mixed planting, and winter fallow fields (CK) were selected to investigate the effects of winter cover crops on soil total carbon and nitrogen and microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen. The results showed that (1) after seasonal freeze-thaw, the rate of change in SOC (−2.49~6.50%), TN (−1.54~5.44%), and C/N (−1.18~1.16%) was less than that in SMBC (−80.91~−58.33%), SMBN (−65.03~332.22%), and SMBC/SMBN (−45.52~−90.03%); (2) winter cover crops not only alleviated the negative effects of seasonal freeze-thaw, which reduces SMBC and qMBC, but also increased SMBN and qMBN; (3) there was an extremely significant (p < 0.01) positive correlation between SOC and TN, a significant (p < 0.05) negative correlation between SMBC and SMBN, and there was no significant correlation between SOC and SMBC or between TN and SMBN; (4) alkali-hydrolysable nitrogen had the greatest impact on SOC and TN, while the soil’s saturation degree had the greatest impact on SMBC and SMBN; and (5) the Triticum aestivum L. monoculture was the most effective in conserving soil microbial carbon and nitrogen. In conclusion, winter cover crops can mitigate the reduction in soil microbial biomass carbon caused by seasonal freeze-thaw and also increase the soil microbial nitrogen content in the black soil region of Northeast China, of which Triticum aestivum L. monoculture showed the best performance.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Winter Cover Crops on Total and Microbial Carbon and Nitrogen in Black Soil

Li,

Zhu,

Zhang

et al. 2024

Agronomy

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The Relationship Between Cover Crop Species and Soil Fungal Communities in Irrigated Vineyards in the Okanagan Valley, Canada

Lin,

Rosa,

Sharifi

et al. 2024

Agronomy

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Many techniques adopted by annual crop growers, addressing challenges such as disease, are not viable for perennial systems. Groundcover vegetation can be employed as a natural method for increasing soil health and perennial plant performance; however, cover crop species may differ in the plant–soil feedback effects that modulate the rhizosphere. To investigate the relationship between cover crop identity and soil microbial composition and to determine potential impacts of cover crop species on pathogen occurrence in perennial systems, we characterized the fungal communities in soil sampled from nine cover crop species used for under-vine groundcover at three separate Okanagan vineyards. Soil characteristics, particularly available phosphorus levels, varied significantly among sites, with SuRDC at 39.9 ppm, Covert at 140.1 ppm, and Kalala at 276.2 ppm. Of 1876 fungal species, SuRDC showed lower richness and diversity. A random forest model classified samples by site with 98.4% accuracy (p < 0.001), but cover crop classification was minimal (2.4% accuracy). Phacelia had significantly lower variance in Shannon’s (p = 2.35×10−7) and Simpson’s diversity (p = 3.59×10−12). Crescendo ladino clover had simpler fungal networks than buckwheat, with a negative correlation between fungal species count and co-occurrence affinity across cover crops (p < 0.001). We found that within sites, soil fungal communities did not vary greatly in composition and measures of community structure, regardless of cover crop identity. Nectriaceae were abundant across all samples, suggesting that cover crops may recruit certain fungal pathogens. Soil fungal communities were distinct across sites, indicating that site-specific conditions may play a larger role in shaping soil fungal communities in BC vineyards than cover crop–microbe interactions and that cover crops do not have consistent short-term (<1 year) effects on soil fungi across sites. Altogether, this research encourages careful consideration of both groundcover species and site-specific conditions when using cover crops in perennial agriculture.

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Using Brassica Cover Crops as Living Mulch in a Vineyard, Changes over One Growing Season

Cited by 2 publications

References 57 publications

Impact of Winter Cover Crops on Total and Microbial Carbon and Nitrogen in Black Soil

Impact of Winter Cover Crops on Total and Microbial Carbon and Nitrogen in Black Soil

The Relationship Between Cover Crop Species and Soil Fungal Communities in Irrigated Vineyards in the Okanagan Valley, Canada

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