Title
Integrating Cover Crop Mixtures and No-Till for Sustainable Sweet Corn Production in the Northeast
Document Type
Open Access Thesis
Embargo Period
4-11-2018
Degree Program
Plant Biology
Degree Type
Master of Science (M.S.)
Year Degree Awarded
2018
Month Degree Awarded
May
Abstract
Fall-planted forage radish (Raphanus sativus L. longipinnatus) cover crops have shown successful weed suppression and recycling of fall-captured nutrients. This research evaluated the nutrient cycling and weed suppressive benefits of forage radish cover crop mixtures to develop an integrated system for no-till sweet corn (Zea mays L. var rugosa) production that improves crop yield and soil health. Treatments included forage radish (FR), oats (Avena sativa L.) and forage radish (OFR), a mixture of peas (Pisum sativum subsp arvense L.), oats and forage radish (POFR), and no cover crop control (NCC). Subplots were assigned to nitrogen fertilizer treatments to evaluate N sufficiency and timing: 0 kg N ha-1 as the control, 28 kg N ha-1 at side-dress, and 56 kg N ha-1 with application split between planting and side-dress. Results indicated that POFR and OFR provided improved N cycling and sweet corn yield compared with FR and NCC. Early season N from decomposing cover crop residue was sufficient to eliminate the need for N fertilizer at sweet corn planting, thereby reducing input costs and risks of environmental pollution.
First Advisor
Masoud Hashemi
Second Advisor
Wesley Autio
Third Advisor
Prasanta Bhowmik
Recommended Citation
Fine, Julie S., "Integrating Cover Crop Mixtures and No-Till for Sustainable Sweet Corn Production in the Northeast" (2018). Masters Theses. 637.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/masters_theses_2/637
Included in
Agricultural Economics Commons, Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Weed Science Commons