CoverCropsforVegetableGrowers

TristandTuckerSpecialtyCropsSystemSpecialistThrockmortonPurdueAgricultural

Center

2012IllianaVegetableGrowers’School

•  Covercropchoices

•  Considerationsforincludingcovercropsoncroprotation

•  Examplevegetablerotationusingcovercrops

CoverCropChoices

CoverCropsafterJuly15(MidwestCoverCropCouncil)

•  Grasses–  Oats–  CerealRye–  Annualryegrass– Wheat–  SorghumxSudangrass

•  Brassicas–  Oilseedradish– Mustards

•  Broadleafnon‐legume–  Buckwheat

CoverCropsafterJuly15(MidwestCoverCropCouncil)

•  Legumes– Clovers•  Sweet•  Berseem

•  Crimson

– AnnualAlfalfa– Fieldpea– HairyVetch

Spring/SummerCoverCrops•  Buckwheat

–  $30‐40/A–  Weedsuppression–  Fastgrowing–  Easytokill–  Killbeforeseedproduction

•  SorghumxSudangrass–  $25‐35/A–  Weedsuppression–  Highbiomassproduction–  Canbeusedasforage–  Winterkills–  Nscavenger

Spring/SummerCoverCrops

•  Hairyvetch–  $35‐75/A– Nproducer(90‐200#)– Weedsuppression–  Soilbuilder

•  Berseemclover–  $20‐40/A– Weedsuppression– Nproducer(75‐220#)– WinterKills–  Frostsusceptible

Fall/WinterCoverCrops

•  Oats–  $25‐35/A–  Quickgrowth–  Nscavenger– Weedsuppression– Winterkills

•  CerealRye–  $25‐35/A– Weedsuppression–  Durableresidueforno‐tillplanting–  Highbiomassproducer–  Nscavenger

Fall/WinterCoverCrops

•  Tillageradish– $25‐30/A– Weedsuppression– Winterkills– Potentialbiofumigant– Nscavenger– Plantlaterinfall–  Increaseearthwormactivity– Breakcompaction

Fall/WinterCoverCrops

•  AustrianWinterPeas–  $50‐75/A–  Nproducer90‐150lbsN– Weedsuppression–  Quickgrowth– Winterkills(dependsontemperatureandsnowcover)

•  Wheat–  $20‐30/A–  Nscavenger–  Potentialascashcrop/forage– WeedSuppression–  SoilBuilder

Suppliers

•  LocalCoop•  CiscoSeeds,IN•  AlbertLeaseedhouse,MN

•  Johnny’sSelectedSeeds,ME

•  FedcoOrganicGrowersSupply,ME

•  SeedsofChange,CA•  manyothers

ManagementofCoverCropsandRotations

Management

•  Continuerotationstandards–  Rotatebetweencropswithdifferentpest–  Rotatebetweengrowthhabit/managementstyles

•  Plasticbeds,rowcrops•  Vineswithuprightplants

•  Consideracovercropasa‘crop’whenmakingrotations

CropBotanicalFamily•  Apiaceae

–  Carrot–  Celery

•  Asteraceae–  Lettuce

•  Brassicaceae–  Broccoli–  Brusselsprouts–  Cabbage–  Radish–  Turnip–  OilseedRadish

•  Chenopodiaceae–  Beet–  Spinach

•  Cucurbitaceae–  Cucumber–  Muskmelon–  Pumpkin–  Squash–  Watermelon

•  Fabaceae–  GreenBean–  Peas–  HairyVetch–  Clovers

•  Liliaceae–  Garlic–  Onion

•  Poaceae–  Sweetcorn–  CerealRye–  Oats–  ryegrass

•  Solanaceae–  Eggplant–  Pepper–  Potato–  Tomato

•  Polygonaceae–  Buckwheat

CovercropsandN

•  Accumulateorfixupto200+lbsN•  50%+isavailable1styearafterkilling(Cherretal,2006,

Ebelharetal,1984,Kuoetal,1997,StuteandPosner,1995,VaughanandEvanylo,1999,WilsonandHargrove,1986,RanellsandWagger,1996)

•  Nmineralizationpeaks2‐4wksafterkillingunderideal(warm,moist,oxygen)conditions

•  Slowermineralizationwithgrassandlegumecropmix

Pestofcoverandvegetable

•  Root‐knotnematodes,

•  Soybeancystnematodes

•  Pinnematodes•  Rootlesionnematodes•  Stingnematodes•  Cutworms

•  Potatoleafhopper•  Peaweevil•  Clubrootdisease•  Cabbagerootmaggot

•  Aphids•  Fleabeetles•  Others

Management

•  Seeding– Drill•  Bestmethod

– Aerial•  Greatforearlierseedingintostandingcropspriortoharvest

– Broadcast•  Fast,cheap,canbecombinewithfertilizerapplication

•  Establishmentissues

BroadcastSeeding

•  WorkatMeigsfall2011,andinUSDA‐ARSSalinas,Ca(Brennan,Eric;Leap,Jim.)

•  Broadcastseedingfollowedbylightlycoveringsoilworksbest

•  Roughtillpriortoseeding,heavyrain,culti‐packer,harrowafterseeding

•  Killing–  Allow2‐4weeksbetweenkillingandplantingcashcrop–  Killaftergoalisaccomplishedandpriortocovercropbecoming

aproblem.–  Burndownwithnonselectiveherbicide(glyphosate,mixwith

2‐4Dforbroadleaves)–  Tillage

•  Moldboardplow•  Rotarytiller•  Disc

–  Somecoverscanbedifficulttocompletekillwithtillageunlessthereiscompleteburialorpulverizationofcrop•  MoldboardPlow•  Multiplyrotarytillerpasses

Management

KillingmethoddependsofCashcropplantingmethod

–  Plastic•  Completelybury(moldboardplow)residue•  Till2‐4weeksaheadofplasticlayingtoallowdecompositionofresidue

•  Residuetocauseproblemswhenlayingplastic– Directseeding,baregroundtransplanting

•  Seedcornmaggotscanbeaproblem•  Allowforsufficientdecompositionpriortoplanting.

– No‐till•  EarlyBurndown•  Mowing•  Rolling

Otherconsiderations

•  Resultsvaryfromyeartoyearandfarmtofarm

•  Killatcorrecttime

•  Additionalmanagementrequired

•  Considercropsneedsandlimitations

•  Payattentiontocropandpestinteractions•  Startsmall,trydifferentcoversseewhatworksforyou

ExampleRotationsUsingCoverCrops

StaggeredCropplantingdates

•  Winterkilledcoverforearlyplantingdates– Oats,Radish,AnnualClover,SorghumSudanGrass,AnnualAlfalfa

•  Winterhardyorquickcyclefollowingwinterkilledforlaterplantingdates– CerealRye,HairyVetch,Wheat,Annualryegrass,Clovers

– Buckwheat,Oats

Vegetable/GrainCropRotations

•  Vegetables– Oats/TillageRadish

•  Corn– Cerealrye

•  Soybeans– HairyVetch/Cerealrye– BerseemClover/Oats– Oats/Tillageradish

ShortSeasonCropRotations

•  Springcrop– Cabbage,Lettuce,Carrots,Peas

•  SummerCover– Buckwheat– Sorghum/Sudan

•  FallCoolSeason– Cabbage,Broccoli,Carrots,Peas–  Interseedannualryegrass,cerealrye,clover

IntensiveVegetableCropRotations•  Solanacea‐Tomatoes/Peppers

–  Plasticbeds–  Oats/Radish,Rye/vetch

•  SweetCorn–  Cerealrye/winterkilledlegumeafterharvest

•  Cucurbits‐Melons/Squash–  Plasticbeds–  Oats/Radish,Oats/BerseemCloverafterfinalharvest

•  Cabbage/Broccoli/Spring‐FallCrops–  Buckwheatbetweencropsinsummer–  Ryegrass,Wheat,Rye,Oatsafterharvestorseededpriortoharvest

•  GreenBeans/Peas–  SorghumxSudanandPea,Vetch,Clover

AustrianWinterPeas

CerealRye/Radish

Oats/Radish

AustrianPeas/SorghumSudanGrass11‐8‐2011

AustrianPeas/SorghumSudanGrass11‐8‐2011

AdditionalInformation

•  KnottsHandbookforVegetableGrowers•  ManagingCoverCropsProfitably

•  NortheastCoverCropHandbook•  http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/ccrop/•  http://www.mccc.msu.edu/

•  http://mcccdev.anr.msu.edu/

References•  Barney,J.N.,DiTommaso,A.,Baloch,H.A.andWatson,A.K.2006.Fungalinfectionandsoybeancompetitioninduceplastic

responsesinvelvetleaf(Abutiliontheophrasti)growthandreproductiveoutput.WeedScience54:883‐890.

•  Cherr,C.M.,J.M.S.Scholberg,andRMcSorley.2006.Greenmanureasnitrogensourceforsweetcorninawarm‐temperateenvironment.Agron.J.98:1173‐1180.

•  Ebelhar,S.A.,W.W.Frye,andR.L.Blevins.1984.Nitrogenfromlegumecovercropsforno‐tillagecorn.Agron.J.76:51‐55.

•  Kuo,S.,U.M.Sainju,andE.J.Jellum.1997.Wintercovercroppinginfluenceonnitrogeninsoil.Soil.Sci.Soc.Am.J.61:1392‐1399.

•  Ranells,N.N.andM.G.Wagger.1996.Nitrogenreleasefromgrassandlegumecovercropmonocultureandbicultures.Agron.J.88:777‐782.

•  Stute,J.K.andJ.L.Posner1995.SynchronybetweenlegumenitrogenreleaseandcorndemandintheupperMidwest.Agron.J.87:1063‐1069.

•  Vaughan,J.D.andG.K.Evanylo.1999.SoilNitrgoendynamicsinwintercovercrop‐cornsystems.Commun.Soil.Sci.Plant.Anal.30(1&2):31‐52.

•  Wilson,D.O.andW.L.Hargrove.1986.Releaseofnitrogenfromcrimsoncloverresidueundertwotillagesystems.SoilSci.Soc.Am.J.50:1251‐1254.