Journal
PLANTS-BASEL
Volume 10, Issue 10, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/plants10102047
Keywords
cover crop; weed management; organic; no-till
Categories
Funding
- USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative [2020-51300-32183]
- Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station (Hatch funds)
- Cornell Cooperative Extension (Smith Lever funds) [1023863]
- New York State Environmental Protection Fund for the New York Soil Health Initiative [C00178GS-3000000]
- OECD Co-operative Research Programme: Biological Resource Management for Sustainable Agricultural Systems in 2019
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The research indicates that mulch from cover crops can effectively suppress weeds in organic winter wheat planting. Winter wheat seedling emergence shows an asymptotic relationship with mulch biomass, with higher biomass suppressing weeds without affecting wheat growth, and grain yield remains unaffected.
Mulch from cover crops can effectively suppress weeds in organic corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) as part of cover crop-based rotational no-till systems, but little is known about the feasibility of using mulch to suppress weeds in organic winter small grain crops. A field experiment was conducted in central NY, USA, to quantify winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedling emergence, weed and crop biomass production, and wheat grain yield across a gradient of mulch biomass. Winter wheat seedling density showed an asymptotic relationship with mulch biomass, with no effect at low rates and a gradual decrease from moderate to high rates of mulch. Selective suppression of weed biomass but not wheat biomass was observed, and wheat grain yield was not reduced at the highest level of mulch (9000 kg ha(-1)). Results indicate that organic winter wheat can be no-till planted in systems that use mulch for weed suppression. Future research should explore wheat tolerance to mulch under different conditions, and the potential of no-till planting wheat directly into rolled-crimped cover crops.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available