Abstract
Reduced tillage and living mulches are alternative management strategies that can improve soil quality by minimizing disturbance and building soil organic matter. Weed suppression by these two practices alone is often insufficient to avoid crop yield losses, but their performance in an integrated system is not well understood. This project investigated the production of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in conventional tillage and strip tillage with a living mulch of teff (Eragrostis tef Zucc.) and Korean lespedeza (Kummerowia stipulacea Maxim.). Yields of pepper and bean were generally higher under conventional tillage without living mulch. Weed biomass was not influenced by tillage, and was adequately suppressed by teff in a year when conditions for teff growth were favorable. Mowing appeared to suppress weed growth but not living mulch growth. Soil nitrate and ammonium concentration was generally higher under conventional tillage without living mulch. Delaying living mulch seeding by 15 days after crop establishment generally did not affect weed suppression or crop yield. Soil aggregate stability was not consistently affected by tillage or living mulch. Increased mowing frequency, living mulch planting delay, or distance between the crop row and the living mulch may be necessary to achieve acceptable yields with living mulches.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Pepper yield was generally higher with conventional tillage without living mulch.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Yields of pepper and bean were generally higher under conventional tillage without living mulch”
Claim · model-written summary
Bean yield was generally higher with conventional tillage without living mulch.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Yields of pepper and bean were generally higher under conventional tillage without living mulch”
Claim · model-written summary
Weed biomass was unaffected by tillage.
- Taxon
- bell peppert0
- Treatment
- tillagee0
- Interactor
- Weede0weed
- Outcome
- Weed biomasse0
- Direction
- not influencede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Weed biomass was not influenced by tillage”
t0“bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and dry bean”
Claim · model-written summary
Teff suppressed weeds when growing conditions favored teff.
- Taxon
- bell peppert0
- Treatment
- teffe0
- Outcome
- was adequately suppressede0
- Direction
- suppressede0
- Qualifier
- in a year when conditions for teff growth were favorablee0
Not reportedInteractorComparator
Verbatim
e0“was adequately suppressed by teff in a year when conditions for teff growth were favorable”
t0“bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and dry bean”
Claim · model-written summary
Mowing appeared to suppress weed growth.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Mowing appeared to suppress weed growth but not living mulch growth”
t0“bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and dry bean”
Claim · model-written summary
Mowing did not suppress living mulch growth.
- Taxon
- bell peppert0
- Treatment
- Mowinge0
- Interactor
- living mulche0other
- Outcome
- living mulch growthe0
- Direction
- note0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Mowing appeared to suppress weed growth but not living mulch growth”
t0“bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and dry bean”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil nitrate and ammonium were generally higher under conventional tillage without living mulch.
- Taxon
- bell peppert0
- Treatment
- conventional tillage without living mulche0
- Outcome
- Soil nitrate and ammonium concentratione0
- Direction
- highere0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Soil nitrate and ammonium concentration was generally higher under conventional tillage without living mulch”
t0“bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and dry bean”
Claim · model-written summary
Delaying living mulch seeding 15 days generally did not affect weed suppression.
- Taxon
- bell peppert0
- Treatment
- Delaying living mulch seeding by 15 days after crop establishmente0
- Interactor
- weede0weed
- Outcome
- weed suppressione0
- Direction
- did not affecte0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Delaying living mulch seeding by 15 days after crop establishment generally did not affect weed suppression or crop yield”
t0“bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and dry bean”
Claim · model-written summary
Delaying living mulch seeding 15 days generally did not affect crop yield.
- Taxon
- bell peppert0
- Treatment
- Delaying living mulch seeding by 15 days after crop establishmente0
- Outcome
- crop yielde0
- Direction
- did not affecte0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Delaying living mulch seeding by 15 days after crop establishment generally did not affect weed suppression or crop yield”
t0“bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and dry bean”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil aggregate stability was not consistently affected by tillage or living mulch.
- Taxon
- bell peppert0
- Treatment
- tillage or living mulche0
- Outcome
- Soil aggregate stabilitye0
- Direction
- not consistently affectede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Soil aggregate stability was not consistently affected by tillage or living mulch”
t0“bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and dry bean”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher mowing frequency, delayed mulch planting or greater separation may be needed for acceptable yield.
Verbatim
e0“Increased mowing frequency, living mulch planting delay, or distance between the crop row and the living mulch may be necessary to achieve acceptable yields with living mulches”
t0“bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and dry bean”
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Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.