Effect of Different Winter Cover Crops on the Dynamics of Weed Populations and Corn Growth (Zea mays L.) (Single 704)

بوم شناسی کشاورزی

Article 17, Volume 11, Issue 2 - Serial Number 40, June 2019, Pages 635-654   

Document Type: Scientific - Research

DOI: 10.22067/jag.v11i2.78205

Authors

Razieh Khojamli; Asieh Siahmarguee^* ; Ebrahim Zeinali; Afshin Soltani

Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Crop Production, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Iran

Abstract

Introduction:
Cover crops have  wide range influence on agroecosystem  as well as multiple benefits for farmers. A major benefit of cover crops is the suppression of weeds during fall and winter, which can help to reduce soil tillage and herbicide use. A cover crop is a plant that is used primarily to slow erosion, improve soil health, enhance water availability, make weeds smother, help control pests and diseases, increase biodiversity and bring a host of other benefits to your farm. Many types of plants can be used as cover crops. Fabaceae, Poaceae and brassicaceae familys are the most extensively used. Considering the importance of corn, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of six types of winter cover crops including rye, barley, hairy vetch, berseem clover, Indian mustard and rocket on the dynamics of weed populations and seedling growth and yield of corn.
 
Materials and Methods:
 To investigate  the efficiency of various cover crops in weed controlling, seedling growth and yield of maize (Zea mays L.) (single-cross 704), a factorial experiment based on Split Block  design was conducted with three replicates in 2016-2017 at research field of Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Experimental treatments included: 1) cover crop type in 7 levels of rye (Secale cereal L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa L.), berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.), Indian mustard (Brassica junce L.), rocket (Eruca sativa L.) and no cover crop (control), 2) weed elimination in two levels of hand weeding and no-weeding. Different  cover crops planted in three times the recommended amount in middle winter of 2016. One week before planting corn, all cover crops were sprayed with paraquat herbicide (3 liters per hectare), then corn seeds were planted  directly inside the residuals of the cover crops manually.
 Results and  Discussion:
Comparison of weed density and dry weight in various treatments of cover crop with control treatment shows the potential of cover crop (disregarding the type) in weed control and increment of diversity. The results showed that the growth of maize seedlings planted in hairy vetch and berseem clover (both from Fabaceae family) and rye residue areas (form Poaceae family) had an increasing trend and in Indian mustard and rocket (both from Brassicaceae family) and barley (from Poaceae family) had a decreasing trend. The lowest maize grain yield was obtained in no cover crop treatment, whereas the lowest grain yield among cover crop treatments was achieved in maize planted in barley residue. Indian mustard and rocket residues had the lowest maize yield after barley. It seems that residues  of these three crops have  allelopathic impact on maize, which was confirmed by observing growth reduction in maize seedlings planted in these residues. On the other hand, the highest maize grain yield was associated with rye, hairy vetch and berseem clover treatments. Hairy vetch and berseem clover had lower biomass than rye. It seems: 1) the ability of these plants  in biological nitrogen fixation, 2) improve soil fertility and 3) accelerate the rate of decomposition of these plant  residuals had a significant role to  improve the growth and quick development of maize that planted in  residuals of these plants. Brust et al. (2014) were tested the  growth and weed suppression ability of four new cover crop species including tartary buckwheat, forage radish, red oat and grain amaranth. The results show that tartary buckwheat and forage radish are well suited as new cover crops in Germany due to their fast growth and good weed suppression ability. 
 Conclusion:
According to the results, barley, Indian mustard and rocket are able to produce high biomass and have very good effects on weed control. However these plants also have allelopathic effects on corn seedling. Therefore, they are not recommend for cultivation in corn. Rye, hairy vetch and berseem clover had less biomass, but had a good ability to control weeds. It also improved seedling growth and corn yield. Therefore, these three plants can be described as suitable cover crops in corn.

Keywords

Allelopathy; Brassicaceae; Ecological weed management; Fabaceae; Plant residues; Poaceae

References

2. Abdin, O.A., Zhou, X.M., Cloutier, D., Coulman, D., Faris, CM. A., and Smith, D.L., 2000. Cover crop and inter row tillage for weed control in short season maize (Zea mayz). European Journal of Agronomy. 12: 93-102.

3. Abutalebian, M.A., and Mazaheri, D. 2011. Effects of hilling time and cover crop on weed control and potato yield. Iranian Journal of Field Crop Science. 42 (2): 255-264. (In Persian with English summary).

4. Ahmadi, K., Gholizadeh, H.A., Ebadzadeh, H.R., Hoseainpour, R., Hatami, F., Fazli, B., Kazemiyan, A., and Rafiee, M. 2015. Agricultural Statistics in 2013-2014. Ministry of Agriculture- Jahad. 169p. (In Persian)

5. Ahmadvand, G., and Hajinia, S. 2015. The effect of cover crops and different tillage systems on soil physical properties and potato yield. Electronic Journal of crop production. 8(4): 163-182 (In Persian with English summary).

6. Ahmadvand, G., and hajinia, S. 2016.The Effect of Cover Crops and Integrated Control on Weed Management and Tuber Yield of Potato (Solanum tuberosum) in Different Tillage Systems. Iranian Weed Science Journal. 12(1): 63-78 (In Persian with English summary).

7. Amani Beni, F., Karegar, A., and S. M. Taghavi. 2016. Effect of Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA0 and green manures of some inhibitory plants on activity of the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita and infected tomato growth parameters. Plant Dieses. 52(3): 339-356. (In Persian with English summary).

8. Andrea, D., Basche, V., and Thomas, C. 2016. Simulating long-term impacts of cover crops and climate change on crop production and environmental outcomes in the Midwestern United States. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment. 218: 95-106.

9. Batlla, D., Kruk, B.C., Benech- Arnold, R.I. 2000. Very early detection of canopy pre sence by seeds thoovgh pereption of suttle modifications in red: far red signals, Functional Ecology. 14: 195- 202.

10. Bones, A.M., and Rossiter, J.T., 2006. The enzymic and chemically induced decomposition of glucosinolates. Phytochemistry. 67:1053-1067.

11. Brust, J., Claupein, W., and Gerhards, R. 2014. Growth and weed suppression ability of common and new cover crops in Germany. Crop protection. 63: 1-8.

12. Cabrera, M.L., Kissel, D.E., and Vigil, M.F. 2005. Nitrogen mineralization from organic residues. Reserch opportunities. Journal of Environmental Quality. 34: 75-79.

13. Chikoye D., Udensi U.E., and Ogunyemi S. 2005. Integrated management of cogongrass (Imperata cylindrical (L)) in corn using tillage, glyphosate, cultivar and cover cropping. Agronomy Journal. 97: 1164-1171.

14. Dabighi, KH., Esfandiar, F., and Aine band, A. 2015. Comparison of different green manure biomass the effects of different green manure on soil fertilization and weed density reduction. Journal of plant productions. 39(2):1-15. (In Persian with English summary).

15. Dhima, K.V., Vasilakoglou, I.B., Eleftherohorinos, I.G., and Lithourgidis, A.S., 2006. Allelopathic potential of winter cereals and their cover crop mulch effect on grass weed suppression and corn development. Crop Science. 46:345-352.

16. El-Masry, R.R., Nadia, K. Messiha, Kowthar, G., El-Rokiek, S. A., Ahmed and Sanaa A. Mohamed. 2015. The Allelopathic Effect of Eruca sativa Mill. Seed Powder on Growth and Yield of Phaseolus vulgaris and Associated Weeds. Current Science International. 4(4): 485-490.

17. Fakhari, R., Tobeh, A., Gholipouri, A.Gh., Alebrahim, M.T., and Khanzadeh, H. 2013. Investigating the effects of cover crops and split application of nitrogen fertilizer on weed density and biomass and forage corn yield. Journal of Agroecology. 2(3):91-102. (In Persian with English summary).

18. Ghafari, M., Ahmadvand, G., Ardekani, M. R., Keshavarz, N., and Nadali, A. 2012. Ecological management of weeds by covered plants: effect on winter weeds and the establishment of summer weeds in potato culture. Iranian Journal of Field Crops Research. 10(1):247-255. (In Persian with English summary).

19. Jafarzade, N., and Bazobandi, M. 2013. Cover crops effect on weed control of plum orchards. The 5th Iranian weed journal. Karaj. University of Tehran. 4pp (In Persian).

20. Kruidhof, H.M., Bastiaans, L., Kropff, M.J. 2008. Ecological weed management by cover cropping: effects on weedgrowth in autumn and weed establishment in spring, Weed Research, 48: 492–502.

21. Kumar, K., and Goh, K.M. 2002. Management practices of antecedent leguminous and nonleguminous crop residues in relation to winter wheat yields, nitrogen uptake, soil nitrogen mineralization and simple nitrogen balance. Europian Journal of Agronomy. 16: 295–308.

22. Lamei Harvani, J., and Esmaeli Aftabdari, M. 2014. Effect of green manure grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) and common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) on some characteristics of soil and yields of potato and wheat in crop rotation. Soil Science Researches (Soil and Water Sciences) 28(4): 607-616. (In Persian with English summary).

23. Li, Y., Allen, V.G., and Chen, J. 2013. Allelopathic influence of wheat or rye cover crop on growth and yield of no-till cotton. Agronomy Journal, 105(6):1581-1589.

24. Lutman P. J. W. 2002. Estimation of seed production by Stellaria media, Sinapis arvensis and Tripleurospermum inodorum in arable crops. Weed Research. 42: 359–369.

25. Masjedi, A.R., and Fathi-Moghadam, M., 2009. A laboratory study of vegetation effects on preventing soil erosion in water catchments. Journal of Watershed Engineering and Managemen. 1(3): 1-21. (In Persian with English summary).

26. Minbashi moeini, M., Zand, E., and Mighani, F. 2011. Non- chemical weed Mannagement (princi, concepts and Technology). Jahad-e daneshgahi of Mashhad press.331p. (In Persian).

27. Mirzaei, M., and Mahmoud Abadi, M. 2014. Effect of different kinds and management of plant remains on some physical properties and water penetration in soil. Iranian Journal of Soil Research. 28(4):659-671. (In Persian with English summary).

28. Moradian, M., Gharibzade, A., and Falahi, M.R. 2012. The role of cover crops in reducing soil erosion from the geomorphological point of view. The first national convention the desert. Tehran. Khordad month. 7pp (In Persian).

29. Nair, A., and Ngouajio, M. 2012. Soil microbial biomass, functional microbial diversity, and nematode community structure as affected by cover crops and compost in an organic vegetable production system. Applied Soil Ecology. 58: 45–55.

30. Namdari, T., Ahmadvand, G. and Jahedi, A., 2010. Allelopathic effect of barley, ray and canola cover crops on weed suppression of potato. The 3rd Iranian Weed Science Congress. February. Babolsar. 251-254. (In Persian).

31. Peyrard, C., and Mary, B., 2016. N2O emissions of low input cropping systems as affected by legume and cover crops use.  Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment 224:145-156 •

32. Porheidar Ghafarbi, S., Eslami, S.V., Hassannejad, S., Alizade H., and Zamani, G. 2012. Allelopathic Effects of Rye (Secale cereal L.) on Corn (Zea maize L.) and some of its important weeds. The Journal of Agricultural Knowledge and Sustanable Production. 22(1): 149-163. (In Persian with English summary).

33. Samadi, F., and Mohammaddost-chamanabad, H.R. 2013. Effect of cover crops and row space on weed control and potato yield. Journal of plant protection. 27 (4): 434- 441 (In Persian with English summary).

34. Samedani, B., and Montazeri, M. 2009. Use of Cover Crops in Sustainable Agriculture. National Plant Protection Research Institute Press. 186pp. (In Persian).

35. Skinner, E.M., Diaz-Perez, J.C., Phatak, S.C., Schomberg, H.H., and Vencill, W. 2012. Allelopathic effects of sunnhemp (crotalaria juncea L.) on germination of vegetables and weeds. Hortscience, 47(1):138-142.

36. Tabatabaei far, S.A., and Karimzade, A.R., 2013. Investingating the effects of cover crops density barly on weed control hawk. The fifteen Iranian weed journal. Tehran. (in Persian).

37. Teasdale, J.R., and Abdul-Baki, A.A. 1998. Comparison of mixtures vs. monocultures of cover crops for fresh-market tomato production with and without herbicide. Horticulture Science. 33: 1163–1166.

38. USDA NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service), East National Technology Support Center, Greensboro, NC, in cooperation with North Dakota NRCS. 2011. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcseprd331820.pdf.

39. Weston, L.A., and Duke, S.O. 2003. Weed and crop allelopathy. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences. 22(3&4): 367-389.