Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) Suppression of Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) in Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum)¹

Abstract

Common ragweed is an annual weed problem after winter wheat harvest in southwest Michigan. Although an interseeded cover crop of red clover is known to reduce weed populations in winter wheat stubble, the most effective rates and cultivars for weed suppression under Michigan conditions have not been identified. Three red clover cultivars were planted in March at three seeding rates in established winter wheat; after wheat harvest, a section of each plot was mowed to mimic forage harvest of clover. The experiment was repeated in 2 yr. Mowing significantly reduced common ragweed biomass each year. All cultivars and seeding rates were equally effective at significantly reducing common ragweed biomass in each year, despite the variation among years, cultivars, seeding rates, and mowing treatments in production of clover biomass.

Inter- and Double-crop Yield Response to Alternative Crop Planting Dates

“…In Michigan, frost-seeding and interseeding alfalfa and red clover had no effect on wheat yields that ranged from 2535 to 4335 kg ha -1 (Hesterman et al, 1992). In Southwest Michigan, frost-seeding red clover into winter wheat left wheat yields unaffected and reduced common ragweed (1100-2100 kg ha -1 ) (Mutch et al, 2003). Thus, the study's findings of wheat yields being higher in the frost seedin system across alternative crop type correlate with the literature.…”

“…Frost-seeding is the practice of broadcasting a small-seeded legume into an established stand of winter wheat during late winter to establish a cover crop understory in the wheat crop at no expense to the wheat (Hesterman, Griffin, Williams, Harris, & Christenson, 1992; Mutch, Martin, & Kosola, 2003). Frost seeding was a common and cost-effective method of broadcasting seed as an intercrop (Singer, Casler, & Kohler, 2006).…”

“…Frost seeded crops, especially legumes, can provide not only forages for livestock but also nitrogen for the intercrop (Blaser, Singer, & Gibson, 2007). This makes intercropping attractive to growers looking for cost-effective production systems (Mutch et al, 2003). Nitrogen accumulation was 107 to 196 kg N ha -1 at three locations in East Lansing, Michigan for frost-seeded red clover (Trifolium pretense L.) into winter wheat (Hesterman et al, 1992).…”

Genotypic differences in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) response under severe water deficit

“…Red clover is adapted to establishment under the wheat canopy due to high shade tolerance as compared to other cover crops (Gist and Mott 1957), can yield up to 5 t/ha aboveground dry biomass, when harvested in either fall or spring, and reduce the most economic rate of nitrogen required for the following corn crop by 44-64 kg N/ha (Gaudin et al 2013). The use of red clover as an underseeded cover crop to winter wheat is associated with substantial yield increases of all crops included in the cropping system (Meyer-Aurich et al 2006;Raimbault and Vyn 1991) as well as environmental and soil health benefits including weed control (Mutch et al 2003;Blaser et al 2011), improved water infiltration and conservation (Hartwig and Ammon 2002), increased soil stability (Dapaah and Vyn 1998;Raimbault and Vyn 1991), decreased system nitrogen losses (MeyerAurich et al 2006) and increased soil carbon (Ladoni et al 2016).…”

“…Various studies have associated low red clover biomass with periods of low precipitation in dry years (Blaser et al 2006;Mutch et al 2003;Singer et al 2006;Queen et al 2009) and more recent studies suggest that during periods of low precipitation, red clover stand non-uniformity could increase (Loucks 2017;Westra 2015).…”