Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T12:32:42.727Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Strip Intercropping of Rye–Vetch Mixtures: Effects on Weed Growth and Competition in Strip-tilled Sweet Corn

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 January 2019

Carolyn J. Lowry Open the ORCID record for Carolyn J. Lowry [Opens in a new window]  and
Daniel C. Brainard
Carolyn J. Lowry*
Affiliation:
Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
Daniel C. Brainard
Affiliation:
Associate Professor, Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
*
*Author for correspondence: Carolyn Lowry, 116 James Hall, 56 College Road, Durham, NH 03824. (Email: [email protected])
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Strip-intercropping of functionally diverse cover crop mixtures including cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) is one mechanism by which nitrogen (N) banding can be applied to an organic, strip-tilled system to increase crop competitiveness over weeds. We hypothesized that by targeting hairy vetch, a low C:N legume, to the tilled strip directly in row with future crop establishment, and cereal rye, a high C:N grass, to the untilled strip directly between future crop rows, that N would be preferentially available to the crop. We conducted a field study between 2011 to 2013 in southwest Michigan to examine the effects of rye–vetch mixture spatial arrangement (strip intercropping vs. full-width mixture) on (1) soil inorganic N; (2) weed biomass; and (3) sweet corn (Zea mays L.) biomass, yield, and competitiveness against weeds. We found that as the proportion of vetch biomass in the crop row (in-row, IR) increased, we also saw increasing levels of IR soil inorganic N and greater early sweet corn N uptake and growth relative to weeds. However, sweet corn yield and final biomass were more responsive to vetch biomass across the whole plot (WP) and did not respond to rye and vetch segregation into strips. Increasing vetch WP biomass increased sweet corn final biomass across both years, but only increased corn competitiveness against weeds in 1 out of 2 years and decreased sweet corn competitiveness in the other year. Strip-intercropping of cereal rye and hairy vetch has potential to increase soil N availability to the crop, thereby increasing early crop competitiveness, which may lower weed management costs.

Keywords

Sharon Clay, South Dakota State UniversityCover cropnitrogen placementorganic cropping systemreduced tillageweed competitionzonal management
Type
Research Article
Information
Weed Science , Volume 67 , Issue 1 , January 2019 , pp. 114 - 125
Copyright
© Weed Science Society of America, 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anderson, RL (2008) Residue management tactics for corn following spring wheat. Weed Technol 22:177–181 Google Scholar
Archer, DW, Jaradat, AA, Johnson, JM-F, Weyers, SL, Gesch, RW, Forcella, F Kludze, HK (2007) Crop productivity and economics during the transition to alternative cropping systems. Agron J 99:1538–1547 Google Scholar
Barberi, P (2002) Weed management in organic agriculture: are we addressing the right issues? Weed Res 42:177–193 Google Scholar
Barnes, JP Putnam, AR (1986) Evidence for allelopathy by residues and aqueous extracts of rye (Secale cereale). Weed Sci 34:384–390 Google Scholar
Blackshaw, RE, Molnar, LJ Janzen, H (2004) Nitrogen fertilizer timing and application method affect weed growth and competition with spring wheat. Weed Sci 52:614–622 Google Scholar
Blackshaw, RE, Semach, G Janzen, HH (2002) Fertilizer application method affects nitrogen uptake in weeds and wheat. Weed Sci 50:634–641 Google Scholar
Bond, W Grundy, AC (2001) Non-chemical weed management in organic farming systems. Weed Res 41:383–405 Google Scholar
Brainard, DC, DiTommaso, A Mohler, CL (2006) Intraspecific variation in germination response to ammonium nitrate of Powell amaranth (Amaranthus powellii) seeds originating from organic vs. conventional vegetable farms. Weed Sci 54:435–442 Google Scholar
Brainard, DC, Haramoto, E, Williams, MM Mirsky, S (2013) Towards a no-till no-spray future? Introduction to a symposium on nonchemical weed management for reduced-tillage cropping systems. Weed Technol 27:190–192 Google Scholar
Carr, PM, Anderson, RL, Lawley, YE, Miller, PR Zwinger, SF (2012) Organic zero-till in the northern US Great Plains Region: opportunities and obstacles. Renew Agric Food Syst 27:12–20 Google Scholar
Chauhan, BS, Gill, G Preston, C (2006) Influence of tillage systems on vertical distribution, seedling recruitment and persistence of rigid ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) seed bank. Weed Sci 54:669–676 Google Scholar
Creamer, NG, Bennett, MA, Stinner, BR, Cardina, J Regnier, EE (1996) Mechanisms of weed suppression in cover crop-based production systems. HortScience 31:410–413 Google Scholar
Creamer, NG Dabney, SM (2002) Killing cover crops mechanically: review of recent literature and assessment of new research results. Am J Altern Agric 17:32–40 Google Scholar
Crum, JR Collins, HP (1995) KBS Soils. W. K. Kellogg Biological Station Long-Term Ecological Research Project, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI. http://lter.kbs.msu.edu/research/site-description-and-maps/soil-description. Accessed: 28 September 2016Google Scholar
Di Tomaso, JM (1995) Approaches for improving crop competitiveness through the manipulation of fertilization strategies. Weed Sci 43:491–497 Google Scholar
Dunbar, MW, O’Neal, ME Gassmann, AJ (2016) Increased risk of insect injury to corn following rye cover crop. J Econ Entomol 109:1691–1697 Google Scholar
Ellert, BH Bettany, JR (1995) Calculation of organic matter and nutrients stored in soils under contrasting management regimes. Can J Soil Sci 75:529–538 Google Scholar
Gallandt, ER, Brainard, DC Brown, B (2018) Developments in physical weed control. Pages 261–283 in Zimdahl RL, ed. Integrated Weed Management for Sustainable Agriculture. Cambridge, UK: Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing Google Scholar
Gelderman, RH Beegle, D (1998) Nitrate-nitrogen. Pages 17–20 in Brown JR, ed. Recommended Chemical Soil Test Procedures for the North Central Region. North Carolina Regional Research Publication No. 221. Columbia, MO: Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station SB 1001 Google Scholar
Harbur, MM Owen, MDK (2004) Light and growth rate effects on crop and weed responses to nitrogen. Weed Sci 52:578–583 Google Scholar
Harbur, MM Owen, MDK (2006) Influence of relative time of emergence on nitrogen responses of corn and velvetleaf. Weed Sci 54:917–922 Google Scholar
Hill, EC, Ngouajio, M Nair, MG (2006) Differential response of weeds and vegetable crops to aqueous extracts of hairy vetch and cowpea. HortScience 41:695–700 Google Scholar
Hill, EC, Renner, KA Sprague, CL (2016) Cover crop impact on nitrogen availability and dry bean in an organic system. Agron J 108:329–341 Google Scholar
Hillger, DE, Weller, SC, Maynard, E Gibson, KD (2006) Weed management systems in Indiana tomato production. Weed Sci 54:516–520 Google Scholar
Kirkland, KJ Beckie, HJ (1998) Contribution of nitrogen fertilizer placement to weed management in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum). Weed Sci 12:QJ;507–514 Google Scholar
Kuo, S Sainju, UM (1998) Nitrogen mineralization and availability of mixed leguminous and non-leguminous cover crop residues in soil. Biol Fertil Soils 26:346–353 Google Scholar
Kurstjens, DAG, Perdok, UD Goense, D (2000) Selective uprooting by weed harrowing on sandy soils. Weed Res 40:431–447 Google Scholar
Lal, R (1991) Tillage and agricultural sustainability. Soil Tillage Res 20:133–146 Google Scholar
Lounsbury, NP, Warren, ND, Wolfe, SD Smith, RG (2018) Investigating tarps to facilitate organic no-till cabbage production with high-residue cover crops. Renew Agric Food Syst, 10.1017/S1742170518000509Google Scholar
Lowry, CJ (2015) Adapting Reduced Tillage Systems for Organic Production: Utilizing Strip-Tillage and Alternative Cover Crop Spatial Arrangements to Address Farmers’ Perceived Barriers to Adoption. Ph.D dissertation. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University. Pp 1–240 Google Scholar
Lowry, CJ Brainard, DC (2016) Strip-intercropping of rye–vetch mixtures affects biomass, carbon/ nitrogen ratio, and spatial distribution of cover crop residue. Agron J 108:2433–2443 Google Scholar
Lowry, CJ Brainard, DC (2017a) Organic farmer perceptions of reduced tillage: a Michigan farmer survey. Renew Agric Food Syst, 10.1017/S1742170517000357Google Scholar
Lowry, CJ Brainard, DC (2017b) Rye–vetch spatial arrangement and tillage: impacts on soil nitrogen and sweet corn roots. Agron J 109:1013–1023 Google Scholar
Luna, JM Staben, ML (2002) Strip tillage for sweet corn production: yield and economic return. HortScience 37:1040–1044 Google Scholar
Maddux, LD, Raczkowski, CW, Kissel, DE Barnes, PL (1991) Broadcast and subsurface-banded urea nitrogen in urea ammonium nitrate applied to corn. Soil Sci Soc Am J 55:264–267 Google Scholar
McBride, WD Greene, C (2009) The profitability of organic soybean production. Renew Agric Food Syst 24:276–284 Google Scholar
Menalled, FD, Smith, RG, Dauer, JT Fox, TB (2007) Impact of agricultural management on carabid communities and weed seed predation. Agric Ecosyst Environ 118:49–54 Google Scholar
Mhlanga, B, Chauhan, BS Thierfelder, C (2016) Weed management in maize using crop competition: a review. Crop Prot 88:28–36 Google Scholar
Mirsky, SB, Ryan, MR, Teasdale, JR, Curran, WS, Reberg-Horton, CS, Spargo, JT, Wells, MS, Keene, CL Moyer, JW (2013) Overcoming weed management challenges in cover crop-based organic rotational no-till soybean production in the Eastern United States. Weed Technol 27:193–203 Google Scholar
Mohler, CL (2001) Mechanical Management of Weeds. Pages 139–209 in Liebman M, Mohler CL, Staver CP, eds. Ecological Management of Agricultural Weeds. New York: Cambridge University Press Google Scholar
Mohler, CL Teasdale, JR (1993) Response of weed emergence to rate of Vicia villosa and Secale cereale L. residue. Weed Res 33:487–499 Google Scholar
Mwaja, VN, Masiunas, JB Weston, LA (1995) Effects of fertility on biomass, phytotoxicity, and allelochemical content of cereal rye. J Chem Ecol 21:81–96 Google Scholar
Pullaro, TC, Marino, PC, Jackson, DM, Harrison, HF Keinath, AP (2006) Effects of killed cover crop mulch on weeds, weed seeds, and herbivores. Agric Ecosyst Environ 115:97–104 Google Scholar
Quinn, NF, Brainard, DC Szendrei, Z (2016) The effect of conservation tillage and cover crop residue on beneficial arthropods and weed seed predation in acorn squash. Environ Entomol 45:1543–1551 Google Scholar
Raimbult, BA, Vyn, TJ Tollenaar, M (1991) Corn response to rye cover crop, tillage methods, and planter options. Agron J 83:287 Google Scholar
Rostampour, S (2011) A Conservation Tillage System for Organic Vegetables. MS thesis. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University. Pp 1–87 Google Scholar
Seibert, AC Pearce, RB (1993) Growth analysis of weed and crop species with reference to seed weight. Weed Sci 41:52–56 Google Scholar
Shipley, B Meziane, D (2002) The balance-growth hypothesis and the allometry of leaf and root biomass allocation. Funct Ecol 16:326–331 Google Scholar
Sweeney, AE, Renner, KA, Laboski, C Davis, A (2008) Effect of fertilizer nitrogen on weed emergence and growth. Weed Sci 56:714–721 Google Scholar
Teasdale, JR Mohler, CL (1993) Light transmittance, soil temperature, and soil moisture under residue of hairy vetch and rye. Agron J 85:673–680 Google Scholar
Teasdale, JR Mohler, CL (2000) The quantitative relationship between weed emergence and the physical properties of mulches. Weed Sci 48:385–392 Google Scholar
Timper, P, Davis, RF Tillman, PG (2006) Reproduction of Meloidogyne incognita on winter cover crops used in cotton production. J Nematol 38:83–89 Google Scholar
Wickham, H (2009) ggplot2: Elegant Graphics for Data Analysis. New York: Springer. Pp 1–182 Google Scholar
Wortman, SE, Davis, AS, Schutte, BJ Lindquist, JL (2011) Integrating management of soil nitrogen and weeds. Weed Sci 59:162–170 Google Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Lowry and Brainard supplementary material

Figures S1-S2

Download Lowry and Brainard supplementary material(File)
File 524.4 KB