ISHS Acta Horticulturae 504: VI Symposium on Stand Establishment and ISHS Seed Symposium
CULTURAL WEED MANAGEMENT METHODS FOR HIGH-RESIDUE/NO-TILL PRODUCTION OF TRANSPLANTED BROCCOLI (BRASSICA OLERACEA L GP. ITALICA) |
| Author: | R. Morse |
| Keywords: | Sustainable agriculture, integrated weed management, cover crops |
| DOI: | 10.17660/ActaHortic.1999.504.13 |
| Abstract:
Research reported in this paper is part of an ongoing program to adapt high-residue/no-tillage farming systems for production of vegetable crops. Objectives of these experiments were (a) to assess the potential of two mechanical methods (flail mowing and rolling) to kill selected cover crops and distribute and retain their residues uniformly over the soil, and (b) to determine the effects of these in situ mulches on weed suppression and yield of no-till transplanted broccoli. In mid-August of 1994 and 1995, ‘Emperor’ broccoli transplants were set into flail-mowed and rolled cover crop residues, using the Subsurface Tiller-Transplanter (SST-T). Data both years showed that flail mowing and rolling were effective in killing and distributing the mature annual cover crops grown. However, rolling was esteemed to be the best method overall, because rolled residues persisted longer during the growing season and resulted in a more efficient transplanting than did flail-mowed residues. Equally high yields and low weed biomass were achieved in all treatments. These data illustrate that no-till broccoli can be successfully produced without using herbicides, when appropriate high-residue cover crops are effectively killed by flail mowing or rolling and broccoli transplants are properly established and maintained in these evenly distributed in situ cover crop mulches. | |
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