Time Interval Between Cover Crop Termination and Planting Influences Corn Seedling Disease, Plant Growth, and Yield

Acharya, Jyotsna; Bakker, Matthew G.; Moorman, Thomas B.; Kaspar, T. C.; Lenssen, Andrew W.; Robertson, Alison E.

doi:10.1094/pdis-07-16-0975-re

Cited by 70 publications

(128 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…Increased risk of pest and diseases following a cover crop can also result in corn yield decrease. A rye cover crop can act as a host to root rot and seedling disease pathogens which may result in the infection of corn seedlings (Acharya et al, 2017; Bakker et al, 2016). The chance of disease and pest infection can be lessened by increasing the interval between rye termination and corn planting.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can Management Practices Enhance Corn Productivity in a Rye Cover Crop System?

2019

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Cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crops (RCC) have good potential to take up residual NO3 between grain crops and reduce loss to surface waters. However, studies in Iowa have shown a 6% corn (Zea mays L.) yield reduction in no‐till when grown following a RCC. The objective of this research was to study tillage and starter N agronomic practices that have potential to improve corn yield in a RCC system. This study was conducted at four sites from 2014–2016 with corn grown in rotation with soybean [Glycine max. (L.) Merr.]. Treatments included rye aerial broadcast into soybean before leaf drop and no RCC, tillage or no‐till, and starter N fertilizer (34 kg N ha−1) or no starter. The main fertilizer N was sidedressed. The aerial rye sowing, especially with dry fall conditions and planned RCC termination in the spring at 15–20 cm height, resulted in non‐uniform RCC stand with low biomass and N content (range 6–36 kg N ha−1). However, the profile soil NO3–N at rye termination was decreased, approximately the same amount as the RCC aboveground N content. The V6 stage corn height and V10 stage canopy sensing indexes increased with tillage and starter. Overall, corn yield was reduced with the RCC (0.2 Mg ha−1), tillage increased yield (3%), but starter N did not increase yield despite consistent increased early corn growth. If soil erosion potential is low, springtime tillage would be a practice to help improve corn early growth and yield in a RCC system. Core Ideas A cereal rye cover crop preceding corn can result in reduced grain yield. Rye cover crop did not affect corn plant population. Starter N improved early corn growth but not grain yield. Corn yield was 1.6% reduced with the rye cover crop, but tillage improved yield by 3%.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can Management Practices Enhance Corn Productivity in a Rye Cover Crop System?

2019

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“…In past studies, cover crops such as cereal rye have been implicated at increasing corn pathogen densities leading to reduced disease suppressive soil function (Acharya et al. , Bakker et al. ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crop rotational diversity increases disease suppressive capacity of soil microbiomes

et al. 2018

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Abstract. Microbiomes can aid in the protection of hosts from infection and disease, but the mechanisms underpinning these functions in complex environmental systems remain unresolved. Soils contain microbiomes that influence plant performance, including their susceptibility to disease. For example, some soil microorganisms produce antimicrobial compounds that suppress the growth of plant pathogens, which can provide benefits for sustainable agricultural management. Evidence shows that crop rotations increase soil fertility and tend to promote microbial diversity, and it has been hypothesized that crop rotations can enhance disease suppressive capacity, either through the influence of plant diversity impacting soil bacterial composition or through the increased abundance of disease suppressive microorganisms. In this study, we used a long-term field experiment to test the effects of crop diversity through time (i.e., rotations) on soil microbial diversity and disease suppressive capacity. We sampled soil from seven treatments along a crop diversity gradient (from monoculture to five crop species rotation) and a spring fallow (non-crop) treatment to examine crop diversity influence on soil microbiomes including bacteria that are capable of producing antifungal compounds. Crop diversity significantly influenced bacterial community composition, where the most diverse cropping systems with cover crops and fallow differed from bacterial communities in the 1-3 crop species diversity treatments. While soil bacterial diversity was about 4% lower in the most diverse crop rotation (corn-soybean-wheat + 2 cover crops) compared to monoculture corn, crop diversity increased disease suppressive functional group prnD gene abundance in the more diverse rotation by about 9% compared to monocultures. In addition, disease suppressive potential was significantly diminished in the (non-crop) fallow treatment compared to the most diverse crop rotation treatments. The composition of the microbial community could be more important than diversity to disease suppressive function in our study. Identifying patterns in microbial diversity and ecosystem function relationships can provide insight into microbiome management, which will require manipulating soil nutrients and resources mediated through plant diversity.

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“…Recently, Bakker et al (2016) demonstrated that the dying roots of winter cereal rye cover crops harbour high populations of corn seedling pathogens. Moreover, Acharya et al (2017) showed that corn following a winter cereal rye cover crop had greater seedling disease incidence than corn following a winter fallow, and that lower corn yields in one year of the study were partly explained by reduced stands and poor plant vigour caused by soil-borne pathogens. In their study, increased levels of members of Pythium Clade B were recovered from corn seedlings grown after winter cereal rye while no effect of winter cereal rye on Fusarium species was detected (Acharya et al, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…Winter cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) is the most commonly used cover crop species in Iowa because it survives the Midwest winter and produces a substantial amount of biomass before planting of the next cash crop in spring (Snapp et al, 2005). However, occasionally a winter cereal rye cover crop may negatively affect corn yield (Kaspar & Bakker, 2015;Acharya et al, 2017) and consequently many farmers are reluctant to incorporate cover crops into their production systems. This occasional yield loss of corn following a winter cereal rye cover crop has been attributed to several biotic and abiotic factors, including reduced inorganic nitrogen and water availability due to cover crop uptake, inhibitory allelochemicals from living or dying winter cereal rye plants, immobilization of nitrogen during decomposition of the cover crop, poor plant performance associated with dense plant residue and near-surface roots, and increased pest pressure (Mitchell & Tell, 1977;Ebelhar et al, 1984;Wagger & Mengel, 1988;Karlen & Doran, 1991;Tollenaar et al, 1993;Kessavalou & Walters, 1997;Duiker & Curran, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of fungicide seed treatments and a winter cereal rye cover crop in no till on the seedling disease complex in corn

Acharya

Bakker

Kaspar

et al. 2018

Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology

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Effects of fungicide seed treatments and a winter cereal rye cover crop in no till on the seedling disease complex in corn Abstract Corn seed is treated with various fungicide active ingredients that target several fungal and oomycete genera in the corn seedling disease complex. In this study, we investigated the effects of various combinations of fungicides as seed treatments on disease development, pathogen prevalence and seedling growth of corn planted after a winter cereal rye cover crop or a winter fallow. Under controlled environment conditions, corn seed was treated with a combination of metalaxyl, pyraclostrobin, fludioxonil, ipconazole and sedaxane to reduce infection by Pythium, Fusarium and Rhizoctonia solani (treatment ALL); metalaxyl alone to reduce Pythium (P); metalaxyl and pyraclostrobin to reduce Fusarium and Pythium (FP); pyraclostrobin, fludioxonil, ipconazole and sedaxane to reduce Fusarium and R. solani (FR); and non-treated seed control (NT). Complementary field trials compared the ALL seed treatment against NT, with and without winter cereal rye. Under cold, wet environmental conditions, winter cereal rye negatively affected corn seedling growth and increased seedling root disease and Pythium incidence. In general, seed treatments improved seed germination and seedling growth (P < 0.05) in controlled environment conditions. Seed treatments active against Pythium spp. (i.e. P, FP and ALL) reduced radicle disease index scores (P < 0.01) compared with FR and NT. Pythium spp. were recovered less frequently from corn seedlings planted after winter cereal rye when treated with P, FP and ALL compared with FR and NT. No seed treatment effect was detected on the recovery of Fusarium spp. In the field, no effect of a fungicide seed treatment was detected on corn seedling growth or root disease incidence following winter cereal rye. Mesocotyl disease incidence, however, was reduced when using a fungicide treatment in 2014. These data suggest that Pythium species play a major role in the corn seedling disease complex following a winter cereal rye cover crop. Consequently, disease management in corn systems that include a winter cereal rye cover crop should explicitly consider Pythium spp. Effects of fungicide seed treatments and a winter cereal rye cover crop in no till on the seedling disease complex in corn.(2018) Effects of fungicide seed treatments and a winter cereal rye cover crop in no till on the seedling disease complex in corn, Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, 40:4, 481-497, Abstract: Corn seed is treated with various fungicide active ingredients that target several fungal and oomycete genera in the corn seedling disease complex. In this study, we investigated the effects of various combinations of fungicides as seed treatments on disease development, pathogen prevalence and seedling growth of corn planted after a winter cereal rye cover crop or a winter fallow. Under controlled environment conditions, corn seed was treated with a combination of metalaxyl, pyraclostrobin, fludioxonil, ipc...

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Time Interval Between Cover Crop Termination and Planting Influences Corn Seedling Disease, Plant Growth, and Yield

Cited by 70 publications

References 55 publications

Can Management Practices Enhance Corn Productivity in a Rye Cover Crop System?

Can Management Practices Enhance Corn Productivity in a Rye Cover Crop System?

Crop rotational diversity increases disease suppressive capacity of soil microbiomes

Effects of fungicide seed treatments and a winter cereal rye cover crop in no till on the seedling disease complex in corn

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