Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Auburn, Alabama » Soil Dynamics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #352836
Title: Influence of a cereal rye cover crop and conservation tillage on the critical period for weed control in cotton

Author
item Price, Andrew
item KORRES, NICHOLAS - University Of Arkansas
item NORSWORTHY, JASON - University Of Arkansas
item LI, STEVE - Auburn University

Submitted to: Weed Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/2018
Publication Date: 12/21/2018
Citation: Price, A.J., Korres, N., Norsworthy, J., Li, S. 2018. Influence of a cereal rye cover crop and conservation tillage on the critical period for weed control in cotton. Weed Technology. 32:683-690. https://doi.org/10.1017/wet.2018.73.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/wet.2018.73

Interpretive Summary: Cover crops are increasingly being recommended as an integrated approach to controlling glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth and other troublesome weeds. Thus a field experiment was conducted in 2010 through 2012, to evaluate the critical period of weed control (CPWC) in cotton as affected by a cereal rye cover crop and tillage. The management systems evaluated included conventional tillage following winter fallow, conservation tillage (CT) following winter fallow, and CT following a cereal rye cover crop managed for maximum biomass. The presence of rye cover crop delayed the critical timing for weed removal (CTWR) approximately 8 days compared to fallow treatment both years, while conventional tillage delayed CTWR about two weeks compared to winter fallow. Thus, CT following winter fallow should be avoided to minimize yield loss in cotton.

Technical Abstract: Cover crops are increasingly being recommended as an integrated approach to controlling glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth and other troublesome weeds. Thus a field experiment was conducted in 2010 through 2012, to evaluate the critical period of weed control (CPWC) in cotton as affected by a cereal rye cover crop and tillage. The management systems evaluated included conventional tillage following winter fallow, conservation tillage (CT) following winter fallow, and CT following a cereal rye cover crop managed for maximum biomass. Throughout most of the growing season, weed biomass following a cereal rye cover crop was less than the CT winter fallow system in both years, and less than both CT winter fallow and conventional tillage in 2012. The CPWC was shortest in 2010 following conventional tillage, however in 2012, production system influences on CPWC was less. The presence of rye cover crop delayed the critical timing for weed removal (CTWR) approximately 8 days compared to fallow treatment both years, while conventional tillage delayed CTWR about two weeks compared to winter fallow. Relative yield losses in both years did not reach the 5% threshold limit until about 2 weeks after planting (WAP) for CT following winter fallow, 3 WAP with CT following a cover crop, and 3.5 WAP following conventional tillage. Thus, CT following winter fallow should be avoided to minimize yield loss in cotton.