Effects of alternative winter cover cropping systems on weed suppression in organically grown tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

Weed control is a major concern for organic farmers around the world and non-chemical weed control methods are now the subject of many investigations. Field studies were conducted in tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) from 2004 to 2006 at the Black Sea Agricultural Research Institute experiment field...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Phytoparasitica 2009-09, Vol.37 (4), p.385-396
Main Authors: Mennan, Husrev, Ngouajio, Mathieu, Isik, Dogan, Kaya, Emine
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
alternative crops
Avena sativa
Biomedical and Life Sciences
cover crops
crop production
cultural control
dry matter accumulation
Ecology
Effects
Life Sciences
Lolium multiflorum
oats
Organic farming
organic production
plant density
plant growth
Plant Pathology
Plant Sciences
rye
Secale cereale
Solanum lycopersicum var. lycopersicum
Studies
Tomatoes
Trifolium
Trifolium alexandrinum
Trifolium meneghinianum
Triticum aestivum
Vicia sativa
Vicia villosa
weed biology
weed control
Weeds
wheat
Winter
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Summary:Weed control is a major concern for organic farmers around the world and non-chemical weed control methods are now the subject of many investigations. Field studies were conducted in tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) from 2004 to 2006 at the Black Sea Agricultural Research Institute experiment field to determine the weed suppressive effects of winter cover crops. Treatments consisted of ryegrass ( Lolium multiflorum L.), oat ( Avena sativa L.), rye ( Secale cereale L.), wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.), gelemen clover ( Trifolium meneghinianum Clem.), Egyptian clover ( Trifolium alexandrinum L.), common vetch ( Vicia sativa L.), hairy vetch ( Vicia villosa Roth.) and a control with no cover crop. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. To determine the weed suppressive effects of the cover crops, weed density and total weed dry biomass were assessed at 14, 28, and 56 days after termination (DAT) of the cover crops from all plots using a 50 × 50 cm quadrat placed randomly in each plot. After cover crop kill and incorporation into soil, tomato seedlings variety ‘H2274’ were transplanted. Broadleaved weed species were the most prominent species in both years. Total weed biomass measured just prior to cover crop incorporation into the soil was significantly lower in S. c ereale plots than in the others. The number of weed species was lowest at 14 DAT and later increased at 28 and 56 DAT, and subsequently remained constant during harvest. This research indicates that cover crops such as L . multiflorum , S. cereale , V. sativa and V. villosa could be used in integrated weed management programs to manage some weeds in the early growth stages of organic tomato.
ISSN:0334-2123
1876-7184
DOI:10.1007/s12600-009-0048-1