Principles and Practices of Sustainable Vegetable Production Systems

Nair, Ajay; Jokela, Dana; Tillman, Jennifer

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-06904-3_3

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 89 publications

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“…These farms average 4.2 ha in vegetables, and growers strive to market freshly harvested field-grown produce from May through November. Vegetable growers and researchers are aware of the negative impacts of tillage, and multiple studies have attempted to adapt commodity crop conservation tillage methods for use in vegetable systems (Hoyt et al, 1994;Nair et al, 2014). Previous studies have focused on systems producing a single vegetable crop for wholesale or processing markets, and most of the very limited adoption of conservation tillage has been in these systems, particularly processing tomatoes (Abdul-Baki and Teasdale, 2007;Mitchell et al, 2009Mitchell et al, , 2012.…”

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confidence: 99%

Effects of Three Conservation Tillage Strategies on Yields and Soil Health in a Mixed Vegetable Production System

Pieper

Brown

Amador

2015

horts

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Most vegetable farms in southern New England market directly to consumers and are characterized by high crop diversity and intensive cultivation. Growers rely on tillage to prepare fields for planting and control weeds, but are concerned about the negative effects of tillage on soil health. This study evaluated three tillage reduction strategies in a market garden system producing tomatoes, melons, cucumbers, cabbage, carrots, and lettuce. Treatments of strip tillage into a killed cereal rye (Secale cereale) cover crop mulch, perennial white clover (Trifolium repens), and ryegrass (Lolium perenne) living mulch between planting rows, and annual crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum) living mulch interseeded between vegetable rows were established in 2010 and compared over 3 years to a control system using tillage to maintain bare ground between rows. Treatments were evaluated for effects on vegetable yield and soil biological, chemical, and physical properties. The strip tillage treatment was the most effective at promoting soil health, resulting in significant increases in soil aggregate stability, potentially mineralizable nitrogen, active soil carbon, and microbial activity relative to the control, and significant decrease in loss of soil organic matter. However, it was not effective for production of vegetables, with the strip-tillage plots having the lowest yields throughout the study. The perennial living mulch treatment produced yields of carrots, melons, and cucumbers similar to the control yields, but reduced yields of tomatoes, cabbage, and lettuce. Microbial respiration was significantly higher than in the control, and nitrate levels, and loss of soil organic matter were significantly lower. The annual living mulch treatment produced yields similar to the control for all crops, and soil health was similar to the control for all variables except soil nitrate, which was significantly higher than the control. Perennial living mulch shows the most promise for improving soil health while maintaining yields in some vegetable crops, but challenges remain in preventing competition between vegetables and living mulches.

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confidence: 99%

Effects of Three Conservation Tillage Strategies on Yields and Soil Health in a Mixed Vegetable Production System

Pieper

Brown

Amador

2015

horts

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“…Horticultural vegetable production systems typically center on high‐value crops produced on small land areas with intensive soil cultivation, which can be detrimental to soil health by reducing soil aggregation, increasing compaction, and reducing soil organic matter (SOM) (Magdoff & Van Es, 2009; Nair et al., 2014; Uri, 1999). The economic and environmental advantages of soil conservation measures, in combination with various cover crops, has been well documented with field and vegetable crops (Uri, 1999).…”

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confidence: 99%

Conservation systems influence on soil properties in pumpkin production

Davis

Presley

Rivard

et al. 2022

Soil Science Soc of Amer J

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Vegetable crop production typically involves smaller land areas than agronomic production but relies heavily on intensive cultivation of soil to prepare the seedbed for planting and to manage weeds. Over time, extensive tillage can have negative effects on soil structure and microbial properties because soil is more prone to erosion when aggregation is reduced, and aggregates provide necessary habitat for a healthy microbial community. This 3‐yr study compared two types of systems: One was an intensively tilled control where no cover crops were planted, and the other type of system included cover crops and only one tillage event per year. For this study, no‐till is defined as the pumpkin cash crop no‐till planted into terminated cover crop residue. Treatments were a control (no‐cover crop, and tilled ≥ twice annually); plus seven conservation treatments including either fall‐planted or spring‐planted cover crops. Infiltration, bulk density, wet aggregate stability, microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were determined. The main soil physical property that was affected by cover crops was an improvement in soil aggregation for the conservation systems, while lesser effects were observed for water infiltration and bulk density. While these changes did not occur immediately, soil aggregation showed differences between conservation treatments compared with the conventional control. Therefore, we conclude that the use of less tillage and a cover crop in a conservation system is generally beneficial as compared with a conventional system. This study illustrates the potential for improving some soil health parameters in as little as 2 yr.

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“…These mulches can also potentially enhance soil health by incorporating organic matter and limiting erosion (Bhaskar et al 2021;Brown 2017;Bruce et al 2022). Living mulches have been used in cucurbit production under rowcovers (Bruce et al 2022;Nair et al 2014). In mesotunnels during an Iowa organic 'Athena' muskmelon trial, however, both seeding red clover (Trifolium pratense) alone and a mixture of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) plus red clover were ineffective because these mulches were outcompeted by weeds (Nelson 2019).…”

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Evaluating Pollination and Weed Control Strategies under Mesotunnel Systems for Organic Muskmelon Production in Iowa

Mphande,

Badilla-Arias,

Cheng

et al. 2024

hortte

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Bacterial wilt of cucurbits, caused by Erwinia tracheiphila, is spread by spotted (Diabrotica undeimpunctata howardi) and striped (Acalymma vittatum) cucumber beetles and results in major losses for US cucurbit (Cucurbitaceae spp.) growers. Organic growers of muskmelon (Cucumis melo) lack reliable control measures against bacterial wilt. During previous field trials in Iowa, USA, a system called mesotunnels, which are 3.5-ft-tall barriers covered with a nylon mesh insect netting, resulted in a higher marketable yield of organic ‘Athena’ muskmelon than low tunnels or noncovered plots. However, satisfactory pollination and weed control are challenging in mesotunnels because the netting covers the crop for most or all of the growing season, and economic feasibility of these systems has not been determined. Consequently, two field trials conducted in Iowa from 2020 to 2022 evaluated strategies to ensure pollination under mesotunnels in commercial-scale plots, assess effectiveness of teff (Eragrostis tef) as a living mulch for weed control in mesotunnel systems, and compare the profitability of the treatment options for organic ‘Athena’ muskmelon. The treatments used during the pollination trial were as follows: full season, in which mesotunnels remained sealed all season and bumble bees (Bombus impatiens) were added at the start of bloom for pollination; open ends, wherein both ends of the tunnels were opened at the start of bloom then reclosed 2 weeks later; and on-off-on, in which nets were removed at the start of bloom and then reinstalled 2 weeks later. The full-season treatment had significantly higher marketable yield than the other treatments in two of three trial years. Plants with the full season and open ends treatments had a bacterial wilt incidence <2.5% across all three years and similar numbers of cucumber beetles, whereas plants with the on-off-on treatment had an average bacterial wilt incidence of 11.0% and significantly more cucumber beetles. The open ends treatment had fewer bee visits to ‘Athena’ muskmelon flowers than the other treatments. In the 2-year (2021–22) weed management trial, treatments applied to the furrow between plastic-mulched rows were as follows: landscape fabric; teff seeded at 4 lb/acre and mowed 3 weeks after seeding; teff seeded at 4 lb/acre and not mowed; a control with bare ground where weeds were mowed 3 weeks after transplanting; and a bare ground control with no mowing. The landscape fabric and mowed teff treatments had statistically similar marketable yield, and mowing appeared to minimize yield losses compared with nonmowed treatments. The landscape fabric had no weeds, followed by mowed teff, mowed bare ground, and nonmowed teff. Nonmowed bare ground had the highest weed biomass. The partial budget and cost-efficiency ratio analysis indicated that the full-season treatment was the most cost-efficient pollination option for mesotunnel systems. An economic analysis of the weed management strategies showed that using teff as a living mulch in the furrows between organic ‘Athena’ muskmelon rows, coupled with timely mowing to suppress its growth, can generate revenue comparable to that of landscape fabric. Our findings suggest that organic ‘Athena’ muskmelon growers in Iowa may gain the greatest yield and soil quality benefits when mesotunnels are kept closed for the entire season, bumble bees are used for pollination, and teff (mowed 3 weeks after seeding) is used to control weeds in the furrows. Further trials integrating these pollination and weed management strategies would help validate a comprehensive approach to organic ‘Athena’ muskmelon production under mesotunnels.

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Principles and Practices of Sustainable Vegetable Production Systems

Cited by 6 publications

References 89 publications

Effects of Three Conservation Tillage Strategies on Yields and Soil Health in a Mixed Vegetable Production System

Effects of Three Conservation Tillage Strategies on Yields and Soil Health in a Mixed Vegetable Production System

Conservation systems influence on soil properties in pumpkin production

Evaluating Pollination and Weed Control Strategies under Mesotunnel Systems for Organic Muskmelon Production in Iowa

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