Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Auburn, Alabama » Soil Dynamics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #412674
Research Project: Agronomic and Engineering Solutions for Conventional and Organic Conservation Agricultural Systems in the Southeastern U.S.

Location: Soil Dynamics Research

Title: Synergistic effect of cover crops residue and herbicides for effective weed management in southern U.S. cotton within conservation system

Author
item Price, Andrew
item KUMARI, ANNU - Auburn University

Submitted to: Weed Science Society of America Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/21/2023
Publication Date: 1/22/2024
Citation: Price, A.J., Kumari, A. 2024. Synergistic effect of cover crops residue and herbicides for effective weed management in southern U.S. cotton within conservation system [ABSTRACT]. Weed Science Society of America, San Antonio, TX Jan 22-25.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A field study conducted in Alabama at three locations from autumn 2021 through the crop harvest in 2022 aimed to evaluate the combined effect of cover crop residue and herbicides for weed control and improve lint yield of cotton. The experiment was conducted in split plot design with main plots were six cover crop treatments: cereal rye, crimson clover, oats, radish, mixture, and winter fallow. The subplots were four herbicide treatments: 1) PRE herbicide included pendimethalin + fomesafen, 2) POST) herbicide included dicamba + S-metolachlor + glyphosate, 3) PRE followed by POST, and 4) a non-treated (NT) check. Our results demonstrated that cereal rye outperformed all other cover crop treatments, showing higher relative weed biomass reduction. Cover crops, excluding radish, exhibited higher relative weed biomass reduction than winter fallow with corresponding herbicide treatments of either PRE+POST, POST, and PRE. Considering PRE+POST herbicide treatment, we found that cereal rye, crimson clover, mixture, and oats had provided adequate weed control, resulting in a greater than 95% relative weed biomass reduction than radish and winter fallow treatment across all three locations. Moreover, all herbicide treatments had higher relative yield increase than NT check. The overall effect of cover crop, including cereal rye, oats, and cover crop mixture showed a greater relative yield increase than radish, clover, and winter fallow at one location. However, no significant effect of cover crops on yield was observed at other locations. In conclusion, integrating herbicides along with the incorporation of high residue cover crops such as cereal rye, is an effective weed management strategy to control troublesome weeds and sustain cotton lint yield.