Summer cover crops for weed management in vegetable production
2007 Impact statement- Bjorkman, Thomas Nils Erik
abstract
Successful vegetable farms devote a great deal of attention to weed and soil management. Strategies to address both management goals involve integrating many complementary methods. Summer cover crops can complement existing strategies with far reaching benefits.
submitted by
- Bjorkman, Thomas Nils Erik | Associate Professor
issue being addressed
Summer cover crops play valuable part in production systems, both in reducing weed pressure and improving soil health and tilth. They have not been adopted to the extent that their merit suggests, so we are overcoming some of the barriers to adoption. The main barriers are related to growers` uncertainty about how to implement the practice and what effects to expect. Adoption of summer cover crops primarily benefits vegetable growers, but there are also benefits in improved ecosystem services for the surrounding communities.
response
Research is filling in information gaps about how to integrate specific summer cover crops into existing production systems, and the techniques that realize the greatest benefit with the least cost and detrimental effect. Targeted education is filling in where the information existed but not in a form that can be implemented by growers. We have identified three summer cover crops on which to focus attention. Buckwheat, mustard and sudangrass have complementary properties, are readily available and cost less than $20 per acre. We are investigating the magnitude and timing of their contributions to specific management goals, and identifying when they can correct weaknesses in existing practice or provide benefits that cannot be obtained effectively with existing products or processes.
impact assessment
Adoption of summer cover crops is increasing, with benefit primarily to growers who have more productive crops with fewer resources spent on weeds and soilborne disease. Adding this management element has eased the transition to organic production for some growers. This practice also provides some ecosystem services in the form of reduced water runoff and reduced siltation from farm fields.
academic priority area
- Land-Grant Mission | CALS academic priority
has geographic focus
- Canada | country
- New Jersey | state
- West Virginia | state
- Illinois | state
- Michigan | state
- Ohio | state
- Massachusetts | state
- New Hampshire | state
- Connecticut | state
- Pennsylvania | state
- Maine | state
- Wisconsin | state
- New York State | state
- Maryland | state
- Vermont | state
funding source description
- USDA- Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
- USDA- Risk Avoidance and Mitigation Program
- New York Farm Viability Institute
- Multistate
- Smith-Lever 3(b) & (c)
- Hatch
collaborators
- University of Illinois
- Cornell Soil Health Team
- Cornell Vegetable Program
key personnel
- John Masiunas
- Molly Shaw
- Joseph W. Shail, Jr.
- Robin Bellinder
- George Abawi
- Russell Hahn
- Robert Hadad
- Carol MacNeil
department, unit, division
- Horticultural Sciences at Geneva (HORT SCI) | Geneva department
mission focus
- extension/outreach | project type
- research | project type
From CALS annual faculty reporting. Imported on August 5, 2008