Northeast Region IPM Grants
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| States: | Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland |
| Investigators: | Eric R. Gallandt, Chris Reberg-Horton, William S. Curran, David A. Mortensen, Mary E. Barbercheck |
| Institutions: | University of Maine, Penn State University,
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| Project Type: | Research and Extension |
| Award*: | $174,989 |
| Term: | 36 months beginning 07/01/03 |
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Setting: |
cropping systems (weed management) |
*Award shown is total amount to be used over the course of the project term.
To manage weeds with reduced reliance on, or without herbicides, cropping systems require intervals during which rapid and significant reductions in the germinable portion of the weed seed bank occur or, if already small, seed banks should be managed to maintain a low equilibrium population density. Integrating tillage system and cover cropping practices, this project aims to develop management strategies that will lower the equilibrium density of the weed seed bank (see Figure, below). This systems approach promises an effective means for managing weed seed banks while maintaining or improving soil health. Field experiments and case studies of innovative growers in Maine and Pennsylvania will address the following three objectives:
1) Evaluate the impact of increasing cover cropping system intensity on weed seed bank dynamics.
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2) Determine the effect of varying germinable seed bank densities on the efficacy of weed control and yield loss in a subsequent test crop.
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3) Assemble innovative cover cropping systems concepts or techniques into case studies and conduct on-farm research that demonstrates key pest and soil management benefits. |
Several lines of evidence indicate that cover cropping and green manuring strategies play and important role in managing weed seed banks, while maintaining or improving soil health, and in the case of leguminous green manures, providing an on-farm source of nitrogen for subsequent crops. Following incorporation, green manure crops release their chemical constituents into the soil, often killing seedlings of small-seeded species, an effect evident by subsequent reductions in weed establishment. Rye, Brassica spp., and numerous leguminous green manure crops, e.g., red clover, crimson clover, subterranean clover, and hairy vetch, have been shown to reduce weed establishment following their incorporation into the soil. Likewise, as a surface mulch, cover crop residues may also aid in the management weeds while reducing soil and water loss.
1) Evaluate the impact of increasing cover cropping system intensity on weed seed bank dynamics.
2) Determine the effect of varying germinable seed bank densities on the efficacy of weed control and yield loss in a subsequent test crop.
3) Assemble innovative cover cropping systems concepts or techniques into case studies and conduct on-farm research that demonstrates key pest and soil management benefits.
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