The Effects of Living Mulches on Organic, Reduced-till Broccoli Growth and Management

The Effects of Living Mulches on Organic, Reduced-till Broccoli Growth and Management PDF Author: Sarah Elizabeth Broughton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 142

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Book Description
Conservation tillage programs have been successfully implemented for many agronomic cropping systems, but adoption of reduced tillage for vegetable crops has been slow. As many conventionally managed conservation tillage programs rely on synthetic herbicides for clean cultivation, alternative methods must be devised to suppress weed pressure and reduce reliance on mechanical cultivation to aid in the development of reduced tillage programs for organic cropping system. Strip tillage is a reduced tillage method that is well suited to vegetable crop production, and the utilization of cover crops and living mulches between rows provides a viable weed management option for organic systems. The adoption of reduced tillage and the inclusion of cover crops and living mulches have the potential to alter the agroecosystem in ways that impact plant development and crop yield, and augment weed, insect and disease pressure. The current study focuses on the use of strip tillage and the interplanting of spring-seeded living mulches and overwintered cover crops for early-season organic broccoli production. Data were collected on ground cover provided by cover crops and living mulches, crop physiological status (petiole sap nitrate, photosynthetic rate, plant growth and crop biomass) and pest pressure (weed relative abundance, insect density and disease incidence and severity). Living mulches provided the greatest ground coverage when cover crop establishment was poor; however, when cover crops produced a large amount of biomass, living mulch establishment was suppressed. Decreases in herbivorous pests and suppression of grassy and cool-season weed species were also observed, indicating that strip tillage and the use of spring-seeded living mulches and overwintered cover crops may provide beneficial pest management strategies. Decreases in crop growth and biomass, and decreases in petiole sap nitrate were observed, however, indicating reductions in crop vigor and yield may be expected with the implementation of strip tillage and living mulch crops. It is suggested that the utilization of strip tillage and living mulch crops may provide benefits to pest management which may outweigh declines in yield.

The Effects of Living Mulches on Organic, Reduced-till Broccoli Growth and Management

The Effects of Living Mulches on Organic, Reduced-till Broccoli Growth and Management PDF Author: Sarah Elizabeth Broughton
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 142

Get Book Here

Book Description
Conservation tillage programs have been successfully implemented for many agronomic cropping systems, but adoption of reduced tillage for vegetable crops has been slow. As many conventionally managed conservation tillage programs rely on synthetic herbicides for clean cultivation, alternative methods must be devised to suppress weed pressure and reduce reliance on mechanical cultivation to aid in the development of reduced tillage programs for organic cropping system. Strip tillage is a reduced tillage method that is well suited to vegetable crop production, and the utilization of cover crops and living mulches between rows provides a viable weed management option for organic systems. The adoption of reduced tillage and the inclusion of cover crops and living mulches have the potential to alter the agroecosystem in ways that impact plant development and crop yield, and augment weed, insect and disease pressure. The current study focuses on the use of strip tillage and the interplanting of spring-seeded living mulches and overwintered cover crops for early-season organic broccoli production. Data were collected on ground cover provided by cover crops and living mulches, crop physiological status (petiole sap nitrate, photosynthetic rate, plant growth and crop biomass) and pest pressure (weed relative abundance, insect density and disease incidence and severity). Living mulches provided the greatest ground coverage when cover crop establishment was poor; however, when cover crops produced a large amount of biomass, living mulch establishment was suppressed. Decreases in herbivorous pests and suppression of grassy and cool-season weed species were also observed, indicating that strip tillage and the use of spring-seeded living mulches and overwintered cover crops may provide beneficial pest management strategies. Decreases in crop growth and biomass, and decreases in petiole sap nitrate were observed, however, indicating reductions in crop vigor and yield may be expected with the implementation of strip tillage and living mulch crops. It is suggested that the utilization of strip tillage and living mulch crops may provide benefits to pest management which may outweigh declines in yield.

Use of Perennial Leguminous Living Mulches for the Fertilization of Broccoli in an Organic Agriculture System

Use of Perennial Leguminous Living Mulches for the Fertilization of Broccoli in an Organic Agriculture System PDF Author: Frédéric Thériault
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Alfalfa
Languages : en
Pages : 55

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Book Description


Plant Partners

Plant Partners PDF Author: Jessica Walliser
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
ISBN: 1635861349
Category : Gardening
Languages : en
Pages : 527

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Book Description
Companion planting has a long history of use by gardeners, but the explanation of why it works has been filled with folklore and conjecture. Plant Partners delivers a research-based rationale for this ever-popular growing technique, offering dozens of ways you can use scientifically tested plant partnerships to benefit your whole garden. Through an enhanced understanding of how plants interact with and influence each other, this guide suggests specific plant combinations that improve soil health and weed control, decrease pest damage, and increase biodiversity, resulting in real and measurable impacts in the garden. This publication conforms to the EPUB Accessibility specification at WCAG 2.0 Level AA.

Managing Cover Crops Profitably (3rd Ed. )

Managing Cover Crops Profitably (3rd Ed. ) PDF Author: Andy Clark
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 1437903797
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 248

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Book Description
Cover crops slow erosion, improve soil, smother weeds, enhance nutrient and moisture availability, help control many pests and bring a host of other benefits to your farm. At the same time, they can reduce costs, increase profits and even create new sources of income. You¿ll reap dividends on your cover crop investments for years, since their benefits accumulate over the long term. This book will help you find which ones are right for you. Captures farmer and other research results from the past ten years. The authors verified the info. from the 2nd ed., added new results and updated farmer profiles and research data, and added 2 chap. Includes maps and charts, detailed narratives about individual cover crop species, and chap. about aspects of cover cropping.

The Ecological Farm

The Ecological Farm PDF Author: Helen Atthowe
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
ISBN: 1645021815
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 385

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Book Description
The breakthrough resource for fruit and vegetable growers at every scale who want to go “beyond organic” and build higher soil quality and fertility using fewer inputs through a unique ecosystem-balancing approach. The Ecological Farm is the go-to guide for ecological growing, with a unique focus on reduced tillage, minimizing farm and garden inputs, and pest control. Reflecting the wisdom that farmer, consultant, and educator Helen Atthowe and her late husband, Carl Rosato, gained during decades of farming experience, this book guides readers on how to reduce or eliminate the use of outside inputs of fertilizer or pesticides—even those that are commonly used on certified organic orchards and market gardens. In clear language and with color photographs, charts, and graphs throughout, the book emphasizes the importance of managing the details of an entire growing system over the full life of the enterprise. Based on advances in scientific research in ecological food production, farmers, homesteaders, permaculturists, and gardeners alike will learn methods to: • design a farm system that maintains a growing root in the soil year-round to feed the microbial community instead of just crops • strengthen the “immune system” of a farm or garden • supply crop needs using only on-farm inputs such as cover crops and living mulch • maximize the presence of beneficial insects and microbes that support healthy crop development • minimize ecological impact in dealing with insect pest and disease problems This book also features a crop-by-crop guide to growing more than 25 of the most popular and profitable vegetables and fruits, including specific management advice for dealing with pests and diseases. The Ecological Farm makes complex, sometimes messy, ecological concepts and practices understandable to all growers, and makes healthy farming—in which nature is invited to participate—possible.

Covering the Soil Between Rows

Covering the Soil Between Rows PDF Author: Michael Joseph Costello
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 406

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Book Description


The No-Till Organic Vegetable Farm

The No-Till Organic Vegetable Farm PDF Author: Daniel Mays
Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
ISBN: 1635861896
Category : Gardening
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
No-till — a method of growing crops and providing pasture without disturbing the soil — has become an important alternative to standard farming practices. In this comprehensive guide to successful no-till vegetable farming for aspiring and beginning farmers, author Daniel Mays, owner and manager of an organic no-till farm in Maine, outlines the environmental, social, and economic benefits of this system. The methods described are designed for implementation at the human scale, relying primarily on human power, with minimal use of machinery. The book presents streamlined planning and record-keeping tools as well as marketing strategies, and outlines community engagement programs like CSA, food justice initiatives, and on-farm education.

Sustainable Market Farming

Sustainable Market Farming PDF Author: Pam Dawling
Publisher: New Society Publishers
ISBN: 1550925121
Category : Gardening
Languages : en
Pages : 459

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Book Description
Growing for 100 - the complete year-round guide for the small-scale market grower. Across North America, an agricultural renaissance is unfolding. A growing number of market gardeners are emerging to feed our appetite for organic, regional produce. But most of the available resources on food production are aimed at the backyard or hobby gardener who wants to supplement their family's diet with a few homegrown fruits and vegetables. Targeted at serious growers in every climate zone, Sustainable Market Farming is a comprehensive manual for small-scale farmers raising organic crops sustainably on a few acres. Informed by the author's extensive experience growing a wide variety of fresh, organic vegetables and fruit to feed the approximately one hundred members of Twin Oaks Community in central Virginia, this practical guide provides: Detailed profiles of a full range of crops, addressing sowing, cultivation, rotation, succession, common pests and diseases, and harvest and storage Information about new, efficient techniques, season extension, and disease resistant varieties Farm-specific business skills to help ensure a successful, profitable enterprise Whether you are a beginning market grower or an established enterprise seeking to improve your skills, Sustainable Market Farming is an invaluable resource and a timely book for the maturing local agriculture movement.

Fall and Spring Broccoli Yields and Weed Control Under No-till and Conventional Tillage with Overseeded Legume Living Mulches

Fall and Spring Broccoli Yields and Weed Control Under No-till and Conventional Tillage with Overseeded Legume Living Mulches PDF Author: Michelle Louise Infante
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Broccoli
Languages : en
Pages : 96

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Book Description


Plowman's Folly

Plowman's Folly PDF Author: Edward H. Faulkner
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
ISBN: 0806148748
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 172

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Book Description
Mr. Faulkner’s masterpiece is recognized as the most important challenge to agricultural orthodoxy that has been advanced in this century. Its new philosophy of the soil, based on proven principles and completely opposed to age-old concepts, has had a strong impact upon theories of cultivation around the world. It was on July 5, 1943, when Plowman’s Folly was first issued, that the author startled a lethargic public, long bemused by the apparently insoluble problem of soil depletion, by saying, simply, “The fact is that no one has ever advanced a scientific reason for plowing.” With the key sentence, he opened a new era.For generations, our reasoning about the management of the soil has rested upon the use of the moldboard plow. Mr. Faulkner proved rather conclusively that soil impoverishment, erosion, decreasing crop yields, and many of the adverse effects following droughts or periods of excessive rainfall could be traced directly to the practice of plowing natural fertilizers deep into the soil. Through his own test-plot and field-scale experiments, in which he prepared the soil with a disk harrow, in emulation of nature’s way on the forest floor and in the natural meadow, by incorporating green manures into its surface, he transformed ordinary, even inferior, soils into extremely productive, high-yield croplands.Time magazine called this concept “one of the most revolutionary ideas in agriculture history.” The volume is being made available again not only because farmers, ranchers, gardeners, and agriculturists demanded it, but also because it details the kind of “revolution” which will aid those searching for the fruits of the earth in the emerging nations.