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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Auburn, Alabama » Soil Dynamics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #272126
Title: Integrating high residue cover crops and weed control options for resistant weeds threatening conservation agriculture and water resources

Author
item Price, Andrew
item MONKS, C - Auburn University
item PATTERSON, M - Auburn University
item KELTON, J - Auburn University

Submitted to: Alabama Water Resources Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/15/2012
Publication Date: 2/15/2012
Citation: Price, A.J., Monks, C.D., Patterson, M.G., Kelton, J.A. 2012. Integrating high residue cover crops and weed control options for resistant weeds threatening conservation agriculture and water resources. Alabama Water Resources Conference. CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Conservation tillage reduces the physical movement of soil to the minimum required for crop establishment and production. When consistently practiced as a soil and crop management system, it greatly reduces soil erosion and is recognized for the potential to improve soil quality and plant water availability. Additionally, cover crops have been noted to improve weed control through physical and allelopathic means. The practice of conservation tillage is now threatened by the emergence and rapid spread of glyphosate-resistant weeds. Currently, integration of high-residue cover crop systems, inversion of the weed seedbank profile and overlapping soil active herbicides are increasingly being recommended by state cooperative extension system (CES) as beneficial throughout the Southeastern Coastal Plain and Mid-South Delta for herbicide resistance management. Traditional and alternative weed control strategies, such as the utilization of crop and herbicide rotation and integration of high residue cereal cover crops, are necessary in order to sustain conservation agriculture practices.