Conservation Tillage Systems for Processing Tomato Production

Thomas, Robert J.; O'Sullivan, James; Hamill, Allan S.; Swanton, Clarence J.

doi:10.21273/hortsci.36.7.1264

Cited by 16 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Tillage and cover crop residues management did not show pronounced effects on fruit basic quality where higher TSS, lower pH, and firmer fruits are preferred. This result is in accordance with other studies that showed these characteristics unaffected by tillage systems in tomato production [49,50]. However, an increase in the vitamin C content was obtained in the dead mulch system left without weed control.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Evaluation of the Agronomic Performance of Organic Processing Tomato as Affected by Different Cover Crop Residues Management

et al. 2019

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No-till practices reduce soil erosion, conserve soil organic carbon, and enhance soil fertility. Yet, many factors could limit their adoption in organic farming. The present study investigated the effects of tillage and cover cropping on weed biomass, plant growth, yield, and fruit quality of an organic processing tomato (Solanum lycopersicon L. var. Elba F1) over two seasons (2015)(2016)(2017). We compared systems where processing tomato was transplanted on i) tilled soil following or not a winter cover crop (Trifolium squarrosum L.) and with/without a biodegradable plastic mulch; and ii) no-till where clover was used, after rolling and flaming, as dead mulch. Tomato in no-till suffered from high weed competition and low soil nitrogen availability leading to lower plant growth, N uptake, and yield components with respect to tilled systems. The total yield in no-till declined to 6.8 and 18.3 t ha −1 in 2016 and 2017, respectively, with at least a 65% decrease compared to tilled clover-based systems. No evidence of growth-limiting soil compaction was noticed but a slightly higher soil resistance was in the no-till topsoil. Tillage and cover crop residues did not significantly change tomato quality (pH, total soluble solids, firmness). The incorporation of clover as green manure was generally more advantageous over no-till. This was partly due to the low performance of the cover crop where improvement may limit the obstacles (i.e., N supply and weed infestation) and enable the implementation of no-till in organic vegetable systems.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Evaluation of the Agronomic Performance of Organic Processing Tomato as Affected by Different Cover Crop Residues Management

et al. 2019

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“…3). In a similar study, Thomas et al (2001) observed no differences in leaf number, leaf area index, or plant height, between conventional, disked, zone, and no-tillage treatments for tomato. The general growth patterns observed in this study were in agreement with NeSmith et al (1994), who found differences between conventional tillage and no-tillage treatments in leaf area for summer squash in the fi rst 3 to 4 weeks of growth.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 80%

Reduced Tillage Alternatives for Machine-harvested Cucumbers

Lonsbary¹,

O'Sullivan²,

Swanton³

2004

HortSci

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Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is grown using intensive tillage practices, which increase the cost of production and may lead to an increase in soil and water erosion. Research on alternative tillage practices for cucumber production has been limited primarily to exploring the benefits of no tillage. Alternative tillage practices, such as disking (one pass with a tandem disk) and zone tillage (one pass with a Trans-till) have not been investigated. Thus, the objective of this study was to compare the influence of reduced tillage practices on the growth, development, and yield of cucumbers. Seedling emergence varied between years, but was unaffected by a reduction in tillage, while cucumber leaf number, leaf area index, and vine growth were reduced by no tillage (P ≤ 0.05). Total dry matter accumulation and days to 50% open flower varied with tillage. No-tillage plots produced an average of 34 g·m-2 of dry matter compared to 47 g·m-2 for conventional tillage plots and took 1 day longer to reach 50% flower. Although growth differences were observed under all reduced tillage treatments, no reduction in total yield was observed when compared with conventional tillage yields. Alternative reduced tillage practices, such as disking or zone tillage, were found to be viable options for successful cucumber production. These alternative practices will reduce the cost of production, provide growers with greater time flexibility and ease of land preparation, and reduce the potential for water and wind erosion.

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“…In-row cover crops that are not too competitive with perennial fruit crops have often provided inconclusive results because of difficulties related to plant establishment and winter survival. Mulches such as natural materials, paper, and plastic are widely used for weed control (Thomas et al 2001;Kristiansen et al 2008).…”

Section: Weed Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%