Effect of summer cover crops on cabbage yield, weed suppression, and N mineralization in a low input cropping system
Summer cover crops (SCCs) provide valuable agroecosystem services to growers using spring and autumn vegetable crop rotations. Choosing the right SCCs to maximize agroecosystem services and fit growers' interests is challenging due to the wide array of SCC functions and one benefit may come at...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2022.1021639/full |
| _version_ | 1817985286113591296 |
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| author | Moriah T. Bilenky Ajay Nair Marshall D. McDaniel |
| author_facet | Moriah T. Bilenky Ajay Nair Marshall D. McDaniel |
| author_sort | Moriah T. Bilenky |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Summer cover crops (SCCs) provide valuable agroecosystem services to growers using spring and autumn vegetable crop rotations. Choosing the right SCCs to maximize agroecosystem services and fit growers' interests is challenging due to the wide array of SCC functions and one benefit may come at the cost of another (i.e., a tradeoff). In particular, fast-growing grasses may produce greater SCC biomass but may immobilize plant-available N needed by the autumn vegetable crop. We conducted a field study in Ames, Iowa US to compare agroecosystem services – weed suppression, autumn cabbage yield, soil nutrients, and net nitrogen (N) mineralization of eight SCC species over 2 years. Cover crop species were grown for an average of 55 days and included: brown top millet (Panicum ramosum L., BTM), buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench, “Mancan”, BW), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L). Walp., “Iron and Clay”, CP), flax (Linum usitassimum L. “Golden”, GF), mung bean (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek, MB), sunnhemp (Crotalaria juncea L., SH), sorghum sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench x Sorghum sudanense Piper Staph. “Sorgrow BMR Dwarf”, SS), and Teff grass (Eragrostis tef (Zuccagni) “Selam”, TEF), and a no-SCC control (NCC) treatment. The range of mean cover crop biomass was 0.8 (cowpea) to 7.5 (teff grass) Mg ha−1. There was a strong, negative correlation between SCC biomass and weed biomass (R2 = 0.83). Low biomass producing legumes resulted in greater weed biomass, but 34–58% greater cabbage yield in one of two experimental years. Ion exchange membranes (IEMs) were not able to capture differences in total net N mineralization among SCC treatments however, soil inorganic N was greater under legume SCCs at SCC termination. We show there are tradeoffs when choosing SCCs between weed suppression and net N mineralization and that the environmental conditions, i.e., climate, regulate whether these tradeoffs favor greater vegetable crop yields. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T23:56:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8fbdd5c4b9dc4786830a72ead7f24b83 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2571-581X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T23:56:49Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
| spelling | doaj.art-8fbdd5c4b9dc4786830a72ead7f24b832022-12-22T02:23:53ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems2571-581X2022-10-01610.3389/fsufs.2022.10216391021639Effect of summer cover crops on cabbage yield, weed suppression, and N mineralization in a low input cropping systemMoriah T. Bilenky0Ajay Nair1Marshall D. McDaniel2Sustainable Vegetable Production Lab, Department of Horticulture, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United StatesSustainable Vegetable Production Lab, Department of Horticulture, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United StatesSoil Plant Interactions Lab, Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United StatesSummer cover crops (SCCs) provide valuable agroecosystem services to growers using spring and autumn vegetable crop rotations. Choosing the right SCCs to maximize agroecosystem services and fit growers' interests is challenging due to the wide array of SCC functions and one benefit may come at the cost of another (i.e., a tradeoff). In particular, fast-growing grasses may produce greater SCC biomass but may immobilize plant-available N needed by the autumn vegetable crop. We conducted a field study in Ames, Iowa US to compare agroecosystem services – weed suppression, autumn cabbage yield, soil nutrients, and net nitrogen (N) mineralization of eight SCC species over 2 years. Cover crop species were grown for an average of 55 days and included: brown top millet (Panicum ramosum L., BTM), buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench, “Mancan”, BW), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L). Walp., “Iron and Clay”, CP), flax (Linum usitassimum L. “Golden”, GF), mung bean (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek, MB), sunnhemp (Crotalaria juncea L., SH), sorghum sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench x Sorghum sudanense Piper Staph. “Sorgrow BMR Dwarf”, SS), and Teff grass (Eragrostis tef (Zuccagni) “Selam”, TEF), and a no-SCC control (NCC) treatment. The range of mean cover crop biomass was 0.8 (cowpea) to 7.5 (teff grass) Mg ha−1. There was a strong, negative correlation between SCC biomass and weed biomass (R2 = 0.83). Low biomass producing legumes resulted in greater weed biomass, but 34–58% greater cabbage yield in one of two experimental years. Ion exchange membranes (IEMs) were not able to capture differences in total net N mineralization among SCC treatments however, soil inorganic N was greater under legume SCCs at SCC termination. We show there are tradeoffs when choosing SCCs between weed suppression and net N mineralization and that the environmental conditions, i.e., climate, regulate whether these tradeoffs favor greater vegetable crop yields.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2022.1021639/fullagricultureion exchange membranesgreen manuremulti-functionalitynutrient-supplying powerorganic |
| spellingShingle | Moriah T. Bilenky Ajay Nair Marshall D. McDaniel Effect of summer cover crops on cabbage yield, weed suppression, and N mineralization in a low input cropping system Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems agriculture ion exchange membranes green manure multi-functionality nutrient-supplying power organic |
| title | Effect of summer cover crops on cabbage yield, weed suppression, and N mineralization in a low input cropping system |
| title_full | Effect of summer cover crops on cabbage yield, weed suppression, and N mineralization in a low input cropping system |
| title_fullStr | Effect of summer cover crops on cabbage yield, weed suppression, and N mineralization in a low input cropping system |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of summer cover crops on cabbage yield, weed suppression, and N mineralization in a low input cropping system |
| title_short | Effect of summer cover crops on cabbage yield, weed suppression, and N mineralization in a low input cropping system |
| title_sort | effect of summer cover crops on cabbage yield weed suppression and n mineralization in a low input cropping system |
| topic | agriculture ion exchange membranes green manure multi-functionality nutrient-supplying power organic |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2022.1021639/full |
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