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Yellow sweetclover, green manure, and its residues effectively suppress weeds during fallow

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Robert E. Blackshaw ,
James R. Moyer ,
Ray C. Doram  and
A. Lyle Boswell
James R. Moyer
Affiliation:
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research Centre, PO Box 3000, Lethbridge, AB, Canada T1J 4B1
Ray C. Doram
Affiliation:
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research Centre, PO Box 3000, Lethbridge, AB, Canada T1J 4B1
A. Lyle Boswell
Affiliation:
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research Centre, PO Box 3000, Lethbridge, AB, Canada T1J 4B1
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Abstract

Improved fallow systems are needed to reduce the negative effects of increased soil erosion and reduced soil quality. Field experiments were conducted to determine weed suppression attained with yellow sweetclover grown as a green manure fallow replacement crop. Yellow sweetclover was undersown in field pea, flax, or Indian mustard and then killed in June of the following fallow year. Living yellow sweetclover competed strongly with weeds during the first fall and spring of fallow. Weed biomass accounted for <1 to 12% of the total plant biomass when yellow sweetclover was terminated in June. Yellow sweetclover residues remaining after termination of growth continued to provide excellent weed suppression. Weed densities in April before planting the succeeding wheat crop were 75 to 97% lower in yellow sweetclover than in untreated fallow treatments. Yellow sweetclover controlled the perennial weeds dandelion and perennial sowthistle, as well as the annuals kochia, flixweed, Russian thistle, and downy brome. Weed suppression was similar whether yellow sweetclover was harvested as hay or its residues were incorporated or left on the soil surface, suggesting that a portion of the weed suppression effect may be due to allelopathic compounds being released from decomposing yellow sweetclover. Results will be used to develop more sustainable agronomic practices in regions where fallow is still widely employed.

Keywords

Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale Weber in Wiggers TAROFdowny brome, Bromus tectorum L. BROTEfield pea, Pisum sativum L. ‘Trapper’field pennycress, Thlaspi arvense L. THLARflax, Linum usitatissimum L. ‘McGregor’flixweed, Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb. ex Prantl DESSOindian mustard = oriental mustard, Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. and Coss. ‘Lethbridge 221’ BRSJUkochia, Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad. KCHSCperennial sowthistle, Sonchus arvensis L. SONARRussian thistle, Salsola iberica Sennen and Pau SASKRspring wheat, Triticum aestivum L. ‘Katepwa’yellow sweetclover, Melilotus officinalis (L.) Lam ‘Norgold’ MEUOFAllelopathycompetitionconservation fallowcover cropunderseedingweed managementBROTEBRSJUDESSOKCHSCMEUOFSASKRSONARTAROF
Type
Research Article
Information
Weed Science , Volume 49 , Issue 3 , June 2001 , pp. 406 - 413
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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