Cover crop and mulch practices reduce agricultural pollutant loads in stormwater runoff from plastic tunnels
Macrotunnel production systems contribute over $1 billion to California's economy, but despite increased use, guidance to help macrotunnel growers limit agricultural pollutant loads in rainfall-induced runoff is sparse. Using raspberry as a model crop, we evaluated four runoff management practi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
2020-03-01
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| Series: | California Agriculture |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3733/ca.2020a0004 |
| _version_ | 1797219395278209024 |
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| author | O Daugovish B Faber E Takele J Whiteford L Wu |
| author_facet | O Daugovish B Faber E Takele J Whiteford L Wu |
| author_sort | O Daugovish |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Macrotunnel production systems contribute over $1 billion to California's economy, but despite increased use, guidance to help macrotunnel growers limit agricultural pollutant loads in rainfall-induced runoff is sparse. Using raspberry as a model crop, we evaluated four runoff management practices during two rainy seasons of the normal 3-year raspberry production cycle: barley cover crop seeded at 500 pounds per acre, weed barrier fabric, yard waste mulch spread 2 to 3 inches thick, and polyacrylamide (PAM). Treatments were applied to 300-foot-by-6-foot-wide post rows. Barley cover crop and mulch reduced combined nitrate and nitrite nitrogen in runoff by 21% to 48% at some runoff events and reduced nitrate nitrogen in soil and leachate to groundwater by 52% to 90%. All treatments reduced turbidity and phosphorus levels in runoff and had 75% to 97% less sediment accumulation compared with bare soil. Additionally, all treatments except PAM reduced weed densities by 48% to 87% compared with bare ground, which reduced the costs of weed management. Barley cover crop had the lowest estimated costs (~$60.00 per tunnel period), while PAM and mulch were highest (~$193.00 per tunnel period). |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T12:32:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7d605a062df94959b5e0d2049e70e3b3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0008-0845 2160-8091 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T12:32:58Z |
| publishDate | 2020-03-01 |
| publisher | University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources |
| record_format | Article |
| series | California Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj.art-7d605a062df94959b5e0d2049e70e3b32024-04-07T22:56:23ZengUniversity of California Agriculture and Natural ResourcesCalifornia Agriculture0008-08452160-80912020-03-01741Cover crop and mulch practices reduce agricultural pollutant loads in stormwater runoff from plastic tunnelsO DaugovishB FaberE TakeleJ WhitefordL WuMacrotunnel production systems contribute over $1 billion to California's economy, but despite increased use, guidance to help macrotunnel growers limit agricultural pollutant loads in rainfall-induced runoff is sparse. Using raspberry as a model crop, we evaluated four runoff management practices during two rainy seasons of the normal 3-year raspberry production cycle: barley cover crop seeded at 500 pounds per acre, weed barrier fabric, yard waste mulch spread 2 to 3 inches thick, and polyacrylamide (PAM). Treatments were applied to 300-foot-by-6-foot-wide post rows. Barley cover crop and mulch reduced combined nitrate and nitrite nitrogen in runoff by 21% to 48% at some runoff events and reduced nitrate nitrogen in soil and leachate to groundwater by 52% to 90%. All treatments reduced turbidity and phosphorus levels in runoff and had 75% to 97% less sediment accumulation compared with bare soil. Additionally, all treatments except PAM reduced weed densities by 48% to 87% compared with bare ground, which reduced the costs of weed management. Barley cover crop had the lowest estimated costs (~$60.00 per tunnel period), while PAM and mulch were highest (~$193.00 per tunnel period).https://doi.org/10.3733/ca.2020a0004 |
| spellingShingle | O Daugovish B Faber E Takele J Whiteford L Wu Cover crop and mulch practices reduce agricultural pollutant loads in stormwater runoff from plastic tunnels California Agriculture |
| title | Cover crop and mulch practices reduce agricultural pollutant loads in stormwater runoff from plastic tunnels |
| title_full | Cover crop and mulch practices reduce agricultural pollutant loads in stormwater runoff from plastic tunnels |
| title_fullStr | Cover crop and mulch practices reduce agricultural pollutant loads in stormwater runoff from plastic tunnels |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cover crop and mulch practices reduce agricultural pollutant loads in stormwater runoff from plastic tunnels |
| title_short | Cover crop and mulch practices reduce agricultural pollutant loads in stormwater runoff from plastic tunnels |
| title_sort | cover crop and mulch practices reduce agricultural pollutant loads in stormwater runoff from plastic tunnels |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3733/ca.2020a0004 |
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