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Weeds, Insects, Disease + Nematodes: Can Cover Crops
Help?
Laura L. Van Eerd, Jessica J.D. Turnbull, Cheryl L. Trueman
University of Guelph Ridgetown Campusph. 519-674-1500 x63644
Biofumigation – what is it?
Using toxic compounds in plants to suppress soil-borne pests Compounds act similar to fumigants
Brassicas E.g. Oriental mustard ‘Cutlass’ has l i l t (GSL) i l di th t t iglucosinolates (GSL), including the most toxic
isothiocyanate (ITC)
Successful fumigation is influenced by:
Soil conditions important temperature, soil moisture, debris
Applicator dependability/accuracy
Adapted from an A. Verhallen slide
MustardPlant cells
Glucosinolate (GSL)
Myrosinase enzyme
Biofumigation with Brassicas
enzyme
Chopping of plant to disturb cell structure
Isothiocyanate
(ITC)
Glucosinolate
+
Myrosinase enzyme
Biofumigation Project 2009-11
Cooperators:Tomato cooperators - variousApple cooperators: Keith Wright, Harold Schooley and Chris
HedgesIndustry Support:DowAgro Science, Max Underhill’s Farm SupplyResearch Support:Research Support:Anne Verhallen, Janice LeBoeuf, Leslie Huffman, and Kathryn
Carter, OMAFRAJoseph Tomecek, Tomecek ConsultingDr. John Cline, University of Guelph Summer student help – Hubert, Katie, Kyle, Megan, Sara, Tyler,
JessicaA&L Laboratories, London, ON
Management practices for Oriental Mustard ‘Cutlass’
Good growth to maximize biomass and biofumigant toxins
Chop just before flowering to max active ingredient
Do not let go to seed
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Management practices for Oriental Mustard ‘Cutlass’
• Mowing/chopping to damage plant cells and release ITC
• Well incorporated immediately to avoid vapour loss
• Moist soil to seal in biofumigant
• Active ingredient (ITC) could persist for 8 to 12 days
• Wait to plant next crop
Management for ‘Cutlass’ Oriental Mustard
Tomato Fall seeding – good growth
Spring seeding – very little growthSpring seeding very little growth
Site results - tomato yield
2010 sites Langstaff
(Hub) Whitebread Elevator
Grand Pointe
Tupperville
Treatment (ton/ac) Control 34.8 27.6 28.8 36.1 32.1Fall seeded Oriental mustard 38.2 28.5 26.4 . . Spring seeded Oriental mustard 40.1 27.7 . 36.2 33.0 Spring fumigation 36.9 . z 27.8 . .
P-value 0.606 0.925 0.690 0.965 0.495 z
Ash
(Hub) Point KentBridge Claymore Horton Leamington
Treatment (ton/ac) Control 32.0 abz 41.2 39.0 31.0 32.7 47.2 Fall seeded Oriental mustard 30.9 ab 42.4 33.9 33.1 34.4 49.3 Spring seeded Oriental mustard 30.0 ab .y 35.4 30.0 34.2 48.0 Spring fumigation 28.4 a 41.2 . . . . Fall fumigation 34.3 b . . . . .
P-value 0.009 0.755 0.397 0.799 0.492 0.5623 z Different letters represent statistical differences between treatments y . Treatment was not implemented at site
2011 sites
z . treatment was not implemented at the site
Apple Replant Disease Opportunity for 2 seedings spring and late summer
D il ? S d
Management for ‘Cutlass’ Oriental Mustard
Dry summer soils? Seed anyways
Suppressing nematodes
Canadian Forage Pearl Millet 101
Root lesion nematode suppression
Nematodes do not reproduce well in roots
Warm season grass
Seed available in Ontario $$$
Adapted from a M.Celetti slide
Management for Pearl Millet ‘Canadian Forage Pearl Millet 101’
Apple systems Be prepared to mow 2 -3 times
Mow no closer than 6 inches
Grass fibrous root system soil structure Grass fibrous root system - soil structure
• Do not allow to go to seed
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Systems-based Approach to Research
Part of the rotation peas–cc, sweet corn–cc, wheat–cc, tomato–
cc, corn–cc, squash–cc
Many different disciples Agronomy ■ Insects
Soil science ■ Disease
Economics ■ Weeds
Post-harvest evaluation ■ Nematodes
Social Science
Rotation
Peas – cover crops
Sweet corn – cover crops
Wheat – cover crops
T t Tomatoes – cover crops3
-
16
3
-
17
Cover crops – Fall 2009, 2010
1) No cover crop
2) Oats 72 lb/ac
3) Fall rye 60
4) Oil d di h 144) Oilseed radish 14
5) Rye + oilseed radish 8 + 30
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Weed control –fall and spring Fall Weed Biomass – Ridgetown
b
b
*For each date, bars labeled with the different letters are significantly different.
a
aa
a
a
b
a
bb
ab
aa
b
a aa
b
a
Spring Weeds
Biomass Density
Cover crop
Bothwell Ridgetown Bothwell Ridgetown
------------g m-2---------- -------plants m-2------g p
No cover 23.3 b 2.3 a 10.4 b 87.3 ab
Oat 0.8 a 7.4 a 1.9 ab 70.0 ab
OSR -- 2.0 a -- 80.9 ab
OSR+rye 0.3 a 2.3 a 0.4 a 155.8 b
Rye 0.6 a 1.0 a 0.5 a 64.8 a
P value 0.001 0.088 0.006 0.044
*Within columns, means followed by the same letter were not significantly different .
Summer Weeds
Biomass Density Richness EvennessCover crop
Bothwell Ridgetown Bothwell Ridgetown Bothwell Ridgetown Bothwell Ridgetown
28 DAT 56 DAT
----------g m-2------- ------plants m-2------ ----# species m-2----- Simpson’s index
long-spined sandbur [Cenchrus longispinus]common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)
No cover
62.6 ab 59.5 ab 66.1 ab 12.2 a 33.6 a 1.6 a 2.3 a 0.9 a 0.5 b
Oat 63.9 ab 242.5 b 77.4 b 12.1 a 37.8 a 1.3 a 3.6 b 0.8 a 0.3 a
OSR -- -- 55.0 ab -- 21.1 a -- 3.2 ab -- 0.4 ab
OSR+rye 37.1 a 194.6 b 44.1 a 20.6 a 28.3 a 1.3 a 3.4 b 0.9 a 0.4 ab
Rye 61.1 ab 222.9 b 77.6 b 33.2 a 46.1 a 1.6 a 4.0 b 0.8 a 0.3 a
P value 0.041 0.027 0.293 0.066 0.316 0.002 0.777 0.012
*Within columns, means followed by the same letter were not significantly different. For summer weed biomass at Bothwell, means were compared between both sample dates.
Soil Pests
No difference between cover crops and no-cover in the following soil pests
– wireworms, millipedes, cutworm and maggots – nematodes –pin, stunt, and soybean cyst
Root lesion nematodes numbers were not different than No Cover trt
No cover crop 2380 abOats 2190 ab
Oilseed radish 3680 bOilseed radish + fall rye 3320 ab
Fall rye 1515 a
Insect Pests in Sweet Corn
Pest Year Cover Crop Wireworm All No difference between all cover crops trtsEuropean corn borer
2007 20082009
Oats highest pressure Oats and rye highest pressureRye higher than no cover control
Corn 2007 All covers higher than no cover controlCorn earworm
2007 20082009
All covers higher than no cover control Not observedNo difference between all cover crops trts
Seedcornmaggot
07+082009
-No difference between all cover crops trts
Millipedes 07+082009
-No difference between all cover crops trts
Grubs 07+082009
-Not observed
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Disease Pests in Sweet Corn
Pest Year Cover Crop Rust (Puccinia
sorghi) 2007 20082009
No cover control highest pressure Oats higher pressure than OSRadishNo difference between cover crops
Smut (Ustilago
maydis) 2007 08+09
OSRadish/rye highest pressure Not observed
Northern leaf blight (Helminthosporiumturcicum)
2007 08+09
No cover control highest pressure Not observed
Growing Season 2011
Photos of plots
Snaps: Insects + Disease2011 Cheryl Trueman
In season, no difference between cover crops in leaf beetle feeding
At harvest, no difference between cover crops % No damage (69.8%)
% Chewing insect damage (2.0%)
% Stinging insect damage (28%)
% Anthracnose (0.2%)
Sweet Corn: Insects + Diseases
Cover crop type
Incidence Feeding
At harvest, feeding damage was lower or the same as no-cover treatment (western bean cutworm, European corn borer, corn earworm, army worm)
type Feeding Damage (%)
No cover 28.5 bRye 26.0 ab
Vetch 25.5 abOilseed radish 21.5 ab
Oats 20.0 abPeas 14.0 a
Spring 2010, 2011
Roundup® - residue incorporated
Tomato N fertilizer1) no nitrogen fertilizer applied
2) 125 lb N/ac
Plant processing tomatoes 2010 May 262011 May 31
1) Early variety TSH 18
2) Late variety CC 337
Harvest 2010 Aug 25 and Sept 13-152011 Aug 29-30 and Sept 13-14
Insect + Disease2010 & 11 Cheryl Trueman
No difference between cover crops Foliar damage Colorado potato beetle (2010 Jun21, July7)
Tomato hornworm (2010 J l26 2011 A 11) Tomato hornworm (2010 Jul26 – 2011 Aug11)
Bacterial speck/spot (2010 Jun21, Aug8 – 2011 Jul4, Jul20)
Bacterial canker (2010 Jul22, Aug8)
Early blight (2010 Aug 8 – 2011 Jul4, Jul20)
Septoria leaf spot (2011 Jul4, Jul20)
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Insects + Disease2010 & 11 Cheryl Trueman
No difference between cover crops Fruit damage Blossom end rot (2010 Jul22)
Fruit Quality % Bacterial spot or speck
% Stink bug damage
% Anthracnose
Tomato Fruit Quality
No difference between cover crops Agtron colour TSH18 (18) CC337 (19)
2011 TSH18 (18) CC337 (20)
2010 & 11 Steven Loewen
Soluble solids TSH18 (4.3) CC337 (4.4)
2011 TSH18 (4.3) CC337 (4.1)
pH TSH18 (4.2) CC337 (4.3)
Soil Characteristics
pH 6.6Soil texture Sandy loam 62:22:16
% OM 3.8CEC (MEQ/100g) 11.5( g)
P (ppm) 34K (ppm) 188
Ca (ppm) 1719Mg (ppm) 150
30
40
50
60
ble
yie
ld (
t/ac
)
2011
2010
Processing Tomato Yield
AAB
ABB
ABab a
ab abb
0
10
20
Oilseed radish Oilseed radish +fall rye
Oat No cover crop Fall rye
Mar
keta
b
Midwest Cover Crop Councilhttp://www.mccc.msu.edu/
Cover Crop Workshop
Feb.28 – Mar.1 2013
London, ON
Laura L. Van Eerd Anne VerhallenUniv.of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus OMAFRA, Ridgetownph. 519-674-1500 x63644 ph. 519 674 - 1614
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Cover Crop Funding Partners
Grower Organizations
Ontario Tomato Research Institute
Seed Corn Growers of Ontario
Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers
Fresh Vegetable Growers of Ontario
OMAFRA Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food +Rural Affairs– UoG –Environmental Sustainability – COA –OMAFRA Great Lakes Program– New Directions
OSCIA – Nutrient Management BMP Demonstration Grant
AAFC – Agricultural Adaptation Council CORD IV program
Acknowledgements
Grower Cooperators
Technicians: Mike Zink Jessica Turnbull
Graduate Students: Kelsey O’ReillyLindsey Cartier
Lance Ouellette
Summer students
L.L. Van Eerd. 2012. Ridgetown Campus University of Guelph
Thank You
Laura L. Van Eerd519-674-1500 [email protected]