Cover Crops in the Off-Season in the Weed Management at Notillage Area

Abstract

Cover crops can provide suppression of weeds and together with chemical control make the proper management of weeds in agricultural areas. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of cover crop cultivation during the off-season on weed development in a no-tillage area. The experimental design was in randomized blocks scheme with six treatments and four replications. The treatments were: fallow (control), millet (Pennisetum glaucum) + crotalaria (Crotalaria spectabilis + C. juncea + C. ochroleuca), millet + pigeon pea (Cajanus cajans), millet + Urochloa ruziziensis, millet + Urochloa ruziziensis + pigeon pea and millet + buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum. The evaluations were done at 30, 75 and 225 days after sowing of the cover crops (DAS). The main growth weed species in the area were Cenchrus echinathus, Euphorbia heterophylla and Digitaria insularis. Fallow treatment showed greater number of weed species with density of 184 plants m-2, 9.0 species and with 527.8 g m-2 of dry matter mass at 225 DAS. In all treatments verified reduction in the density and mass of weeds dry matter compared to the fallow, with average of 30 plants m-2, 5.8 species and 7.9 g m-2 at 225 DAS, respectively. The use of cover crops is an important strategy for weed control in agricultural areas.

Cover Crops for Sustainable Cropping Systems: A Review

“…In fact, the biomass produced by CC cultivation represent an input of organic matter that has an ameliorative effect on microbial activity in the soil, which is the main driver of soil greenhouse gas fluxes [25]. Moreover, recent research has evaluated the potential beneficial effects of cover crops on nitrate leaching [26,27], weed control [28], cash crop yield [29], and pollinator insects [30,31]. practice able to support a series of agro-ecological services, even if proper cover crop management is needed to significantly increase soil C stocks and climate change mitigation, especially in semi-arid Mediterranean environments, through the reduction of GHGs emissions [23,24].…”

“…In fact, the biomass produced by CC cultivation represent an input of organic matter that has an ameliorative effect on microbial activity in the soil, which is the main driver of soil greenhouse gas fluxes [25]. Moreover, recent research has evaluated the potential beneficial effects of cover crops on nitrate leaching [26,27], weed control [28], cash crop yield [29], and pollinator insects [30,31]. The adoption of CCs in innovative agricultural systems opens alternative solutions toward sustainable approaches to cultivation (Figure 1).…”

Do Aqueous Extracts from Buckwheat Compromise Seed Germination and Initial Development of <i>Bidens pilosa</i> and <i>Euphorbia heterophylla</i>?

“…Fagopyrum esculentum Moench (buckwheat) is an annual dicotyledon species belonging to the Polygonaceae family that have high phenotypic plasticity, good development in poorly fertility soils and short life cycle, making possible its utilization either alone or in consortium with other cover crops in agricultural systems at Southern Brazil [1]. Additionally, rapid crop establishment and good closing of vegetative canopy are the main plant characteristics that might promote weed management in such a way as to reduce crop development and plant population density [2].…”