Abstract
Experiments were conducted under controlled conditions to test whether the residues of cover crops or alley crops were phytotoxic to vegetable seedlings in a no-tillage cropping system. Soil and residue samples were collected from a field experiment where subterranean clover Trifolium subterrcmeum L. var. brachycalycinum and annual ryegrass Lolium rigidum Gand. were grown as cover crops, and lucerne Medicago sativa L. was grown as an alley crop. Chemically inert black and white polyethylene beads were used as control treatments and provided a measure of the physical mulch effect in the absence of phytotoxic leachates from plant residues. The seedling growth of lettuce Lactuca sativa, broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica and tomato Lycopersicon esculentum, was reduced by ryegrass and clover cover-crops. By eliminating factors such as nutrients, soil structure and soil pathogens, we inferred that phytotoxic leachates from the cover crops were responsible for the reduced plant growth. The phytotoxic period of clover ended after 8 weeks in the field and 6 weeks in the laboratory, when conditions for the decomposition of phytotoxic compounds were favourable. The phytotoxic effect of ryegrass lasted longer, and was more severe than clover. Lucerne tops, which are used as a mulch in a vegetable alley-cropping system, caused no growth reduction. Whereas the mulches did improve plant growth by the modification of soil water and temperature regimes, some or all of these benefits were eroded by phytotoxic leachates from the cover crop residues. In contrast to cover cropping, there were no problems relating to phytotoxicity with using undecomposed lucerne shoots as a mulch in an alley-cropping system.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Ryegrass and clover cover-crop residues reduced seedling growth of lettuce, broccoli and tomato relative to inert bead controls.
- Taxon
- lettuce Lactuca sativa, broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica and tomato Lycopersicon esculentum
Solanum lycopersicum
Lactuca sativa
Brassica oleracea var. italicae1 - Treatment
- ryegrass and clover cover-cropse1
- Outcome
- seedling growthe1
- Direction
- reducede1
- Comparator
- black and white polyethylene beadse5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The seedling growth of lettuce Lactuca sativa, broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica and tomato Lycopersicon esculentum, was reduced by ryegrass and clover cover-crops”
e5“Chemically inert black and white polyethylene beads were used as control treatments”
Claim · model-written summary
The phytotoxic effect of ryegrass residues lasted longer than that of clover residues.
- Taxon
- lettuce Lactuca sativa, broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica and tomato Lycopersicon esculentumSolanum lycopersicumLactuca sativaBrassica oleracea var. italicae1
- Treatment
- ryegrasse2
- Outcome
- phytotoxic effecte2
- Direction
- lasted longere2
- Comparator
- clovere2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The seedling growth of lettuce Lactuca sativa, broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica and tomato Lycopersicon esculentum, was reduced by ryegrass and clover cover-crops”
e2“The phytotoxic effect of ryegrass lasted longer, and was more severe than clover”
Claim · model-written summary
The phytotoxic effect of ryegrass residues was more severe than that of clover residues.
- Taxon
- lettuce Lactuca sativa, broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica and tomato Lycopersicon esculentumSolanum lycopersicumLactuca sativaBrassica oleracea var. italicae1
- Treatment
- ryegrasse2
- Outcome
- phytotoxic effecte2
- Direction
- more severee2
- Comparator
- clovere2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The seedling growth of lettuce Lactuca sativa, broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica and tomato Lycopersicon esculentum, was reduced by ryegrass and clover cover-crops”
e2“The phytotoxic effect of ryegrass lasted longer, and was more severe than clover”
Claim · model-written summary
The phytotoxic period of clover residues ended after 8 weeks in the field and 6 weeks in the laboratory.
- Taxon
- lettuce Lactuca sativa, broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica and tomato Lycopersicon esculentumSolanum lycopersicumLactuca sativaBrassica oleracea var. italicae1
- Outcome
- phytotoxic period of clovere3
- Value
- 8 weeks in the field and 6 weeks in the laboratorye3
- Qualifier
- when conditions for the decomposition of phytotoxic compounds were favourablee3
- Setting
- in the fielde3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The seedling growth of lettuce Lactuca sativa, broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica and tomato Lycopersicon esculentum, was reduced by ryegrass and clover cover-crops”
e3“The phytotoxic period of clover ended after 8 weeks in the field and 6 weeks in the laboratory, when conditions for the decomposition of phytotoxic compounds were favourable”
Claim · model-written summary
Lucerne tops used as a mulch caused no growth reduction in vegetable seedlings.
- Taxon
- lettuce Lactuca sativa, broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica and tomato Lycopersicon esculentumSolanum lycopersicumLactuca sativaBrassica oleracea var. italicae1
- Treatment
- Lucerne topse4
- Outcome
- growthe4
- Direction
- no growth reductione4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The seedling growth of lettuce Lactuca sativa, broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica and tomato Lycopersicon esculentum, was reduced by ryegrass and clover cover-crops”
e4“Lucerne tops, which are used as a mulch in a vegetable alley-cropping system, caused no growth reduction”
Claim · model-written summary
Undecomposed lucerne shoots used as a mulch caused no phytotoxicity problems, in contrast to cover cropping.
- Taxon
- lettuce Lactuca sativa, broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica and tomato Lycopersicon esculentumSolanum lycopersicumLactuca sativaBrassica oleracea var. italicae1
- Treatment
- undecomposed lucerne shootse6
- Outcome
- phytotoxicitye6
- Direction
- no problemse6
- Comparator
- cover croppinge6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The seedling growth of lettuce Lactuca sativa, broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica and tomato Lycopersicon esculentum, was reduced by ryegrass and clover cover-crops”
e6“In contrast to cover cropping, there were no problems relating to phytotoxicity with using undecomposed lucerne shoots as a mulch in an alley-cropping system”
Claim · model-written summary
Mulches improved plant growth by modifying soil water and temperature regimes.
- Taxon
- lettuce Lactuca sativa, broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica and tomato Lycopersicon esculentumSolanum lycopersicumLactuca sativaBrassica oleracea var. italicae1
- Treatment
- mulchese7
- Outcome
- plant growthe7
- Direction
- improvee7
- Qualifier
- by the modification of soil water and temperature regimese7
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The seedling growth of lettuce Lactuca sativa, broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica and tomato Lycopersicon esculentum, was reduced by ryegrass and clover cover-crops”
e7“Whereas the mulches did improve plant growth by the modification of soil water and temperature regimes, some or all of these benefits were eroded by phytotoxic leachates from the cover crop residues”
Claim · model-written summary
Phytotoxic leachates from the cover-crop residues eroded some or all of the soil water and temperature benefits of mulches.
- Taxon
- lettuce Lactuca sativa, broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica and tomato Lycopersicon esculentumSolanum lycopersicumLactuca sativaBrassica oleracea var. italicae1
- Outcome
- benefitse7
- Qualifier
- phytotoxic leachates from the cover crop residuese7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The seedling growth of lettuce Lactuca sativa, broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica and tomato Lycopersicon esculentum, was reduced by ryegrass and clover cover-crops”
e7“Whereas the mulches did improve plant growth by the modification of soil water and temperature regimes, some or all of these benefits were eroded by phytotoxic leachates from the cover crop residues”
Claim · model-written summary
Phytotoxic leachates from the cover crops were inferred to be responsible for the reduced plant growth.
- Taxon
- lettuce Lactuca sativa, broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica and tomato Lycopersicon esculentumSolanum lycopersicumLactuca sativaBrassica oleracea var. italicae1
- Outcome
- reduced plant growthe0
- Qualifier
- phytotoxic leachates from the cover cropse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The seedling growth of lettuce Lactuca sativa, broccoli Brassica oleracea var. italica and tomato Lycopersicon esculentum, was reduced by ryegrass and clover cover-crops”
e0“By eliminating factors such as nutrients, soil structure and soil pathogens, we inferred that phytotoxic leachates from the cover crops were responsible for the reduced plant growth”
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