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Winter Cover Crop Growth and Weed Suppression on the Central Coast of California

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Eric B. Brennan  and
Richard F. Smith
Eric B. Brennan*
Affiliation:
Organic Research Program, USDA-ARS, 1636 East Alisal Street, Salinas, CA 93905
Richard F. Smith
Affiliation:
University of California Cooperative Extension, 1432 Abbott Street, Salinas, CA 93901
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Winter cover crops are increasingly common on organic and conventional vegetable farms on the central coast of California between periods of intensive vegetable production. A 2-yr study was conducted in Salinas, California, to quantify (1) cover crop and weed biomass production during cover cropping, (2) early-season canopy development of cover crops, (3) weed seed production by burning nettle during cover cropping, and (4) weed emergence following cover crop incorporation. The cover crops included oats, a mustard mix, and a legume/oats mix that were planted in October and soil-incorporated in February. Weed and cover crop densities, early-season cover crop canopy development, above-ground weed and cover crop biomass production, seed production by the burning nettle, and postincorporation weed emergence was evaluated. Mustard produced more early-season biomass than oats and the legume/oats mix. There were no differences in above ground biomass production by the cover crops at the end of their growth period. Suppression of weed biomass and seed production of burning nettle was greatest in mustard, and least in oats and the legume/oats mix. The weed suppressive ability of each cover crop was affected by early-season canopy development and was highly correlated with cover crop plant density. Weed emergence following cover crop incorporation was in order of legume/oats mix > oats > mustard in yr 1, but was not different in yr 2. This study provides initial information on cover crop effects on weed management in irrigated and tilled vegetable production systems in the central coast of California. The results suggest that the legume/oats mix could exacerbate weed problems in subsequent vegetable crops.

Keywords

Burning nettle, Urtica urens L. # URTURbell beans, Vicia faba L.common vetch, Vicia sativa L.lana vetch, Vicia villosa ssp. dasycarpa Rothmustards, Brassica juncea (L.) Czern., Brassica hirta Moenchoats, Avena sativa L.peas, Pisum sativum L.biomass productioncanopy developmentweed seed productionweed-suppressive abilityDAI, days after incorporationDAP, days after planting
Type
Research Article
Information
Weed Technology , Volume 19 , Issue 4 , December 2005 , pp. 1017 - 1024
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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