Author
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Russo, Vincent |
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Submitted to: International Society for Horticultural Science Meeting
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 8/12/1996 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Peanut producers may find economic benefit by diversifying their cropping system to include vegetables. Vegetable culture is similar to that of peanut. This research was designed to determine how to best rotate peanut and vegetables. A six-year study was conducted with four rotation schedules. Each rotation had three years of peanut and three years of vegetables in different combinations. Vegetables used were bell pepper, cucumber, cabbage and navy bean. When vegetables were planted on land previously in peanut for one of two years yields were acceptable. However, when following three years of peanut, vegetable yields were reduced by half. In general, yields from subsequent vegetable plantings, whether following vegetables or peanut, were always less than those of the first vegetable planting in any rotation scheme. Based on counts or reproductive propagules this did not appear to be due to soilborne fungal pathogens in the genera Sclerotia or Sclerotinia. Before planting vegetables on land that has been in peanut for more than two years an unrelated transition crop should be included in the rotation. Technical Abstract: Crop rotations can reduce problems due to disease organisms that build in monoculture planting systems. In 1990, at Lane, Okla., a 0.5 ha of a Bernow fine-loamy, siliceous, thermic Glossic Paleudalf soil was planted entirely to peanuts, and subdivided in to 16 plots which in the following 5 years would be designated as being in 1 of 4 rotations, each of which was replicated 4 times. Bell pepper, cucumber, navy bean and cabbage were planted after 1-, 2- or 3-years of peanuts. The 1st vegetable planting in each rotation was followed by either vegetables or peanuts. In 3 of the 6 years of the experiment peanuts or vegetables were planted in each rotation. Half of each plot was treated with soil fungicides, and half of the peanut plots were treated with foliar fungicides. Beginning in the 2nd year, and for each following year, sclerotia, believed to be of the general Sclerotia and Sclerotinia, were counted in the spring. Peanut yields in the 1st year were 6.6 Mg/ha**-1, but were less than 2.5 Mg/ha**-1 thereafter. Yields of the 1st planting of vegetables which followed 1 or 2 years of peanuts were normal for this location, but after 3 years of peanuts were significantly lower. For 2nd or 3rd years of vegetables in rotations yields were reduced up to 50%. Numbers of sclerotia fluctuated over the years, but were the same in the spring of the 2nd and 6th years. The vegetables tested here should not be planted after more than 2 years of continuous peanuts at this location. |
