Evaluating Strip Tillage and Rowcover Use in Organic and Conventional Muskmelon Production

Increasing interest in using cover crops and reduced tillage to build soil health has created a demand for strategies to implement rolled cover crop systems. In northern areas of the United States, cool soil temperature in rolled cover crop systems can create a challenge when growing warm season vegetable crops. The use of rowcovers could mitigate the issue and facilitate adoption of rolled cover crop systems for both conventional and organic growers. This study investigated muskmelon (Cucumis melo) in two production systems, strip tillage (ST) into rolled cereal rye (Secale cereale) or conventional tillage with black plastic mulch (plasticulture), with or without the use of spunbonded polypropylene rowcovers. The trial was conducted in two fields, one in organic management and the other in conventional management. In general, ST led to cooler, moister soils than plasticulture, but rowcovers rarely affected soil temperature. Rowcovers increased mean and maximum daily air temperature by up to 4.2 and 11.7 degrees C, respectively, and decreased average daily light intensity by 33% to 37%. Rowcovers sometimes increased fruit size, but rarely affected marketable yield. Overall, ST reduced marketable yield compared with plasticulture by 6732 to 9900 lb/acre; however, ST with rowcovers often produced similar vegetative growth compared with plasticulture without rowcovers. Given the slow vining growth habit of muskmelon and the late planting inherent in a rolled cereal rye system, achieving high muskmelon yields, especially early yields, may be difficult.