Abstract
Abstract Planting green (PG), the practice of planting the cash crop into a living cover crop (CC), offers opportunities to maximize CC biomass and weed suppression. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of cereal rye ( Secale cereale L.) termination timing and herbicide programs under PG management on cereal rye biomass, Palmer amaranth ( Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) suppression and seed production, corn ( Zea mays L.) yield, and economic returns. Field experiments were conducted during 2023 to 2025 under irrigated conditions in south-central Nebraska. The study used a split-plot design, a no–cover crop (NCC) and five cereal rye CC termination timings (at planting, emergence, V1, V2, and V3 corn growth stages) as the main plot factor and four herbicide programs (nontreated, preemergence-only, postemergence-only, and preemergence followed by postemergence [PP]) herbicide as subplot factors. Delaying cereal rye termination from corn planting up to V3 corn growth stage increased cereal rye biomass from 5,992 to 10,888 kg ha −1 in 2024 and from 2,941 to 7,007 kg ha −1 in 2025. Cereal rye terminated at V2 or V3 corn growth stage reduced A. palmeri density, biomass, and seed production by >99% compared with the NCC. Following high biomass conditions, cereal rye provided comparable A. palmeri suppression to herbicide-based programs, and the additional herbicide use offered limited benefit. In contrast, following low-cereal rye biomass conditions (<6,000 kg ha −1 ), herbicide inclusion remained essential to achieve effective A. palmeri control and minimizing seed production. Corn yield was not affected by delayed cereal rye termination (ranging from 13,110 to 15,660 kg ha −1 ). Economic analysis indicated that integrating cereal rye CC with reduced herbicide programs (preemergence-only or postemergence-only) maintained profitability ($2,064 to $2,364 ha −1 ) comparable to the NCC system with PP herbicide program ($2,353 to $2,401 ha −1 ).
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Delaying cereal rye termination from corn planting up to V3 increased cereal rye biomass in 2024 and 2025 in south-central Nebraska.
Verbatim
e1“Delaying cereal rye termination from corn planting up to V3 corn growth stage increased cereal rye biomass from 5,992 to 10,888 kg ha −1 in 2024 and from 2,941 to 7,007 kg ha −1 in 2025”
e0“Field experiments were conducted during 2023 to 2025 under irrigated conditions in south-central Nebraska”
Claim · model-written summary
Cereal rye terminated at V2 or V3 corn growth stage reduced A. palmeri density, biomass and seed production by more than 99% compared with the NCC.
- Taxon
- cereal ryee2
- Treatment
- Cereal rye terminated at V2 or V3 corn growth stagee2
- Interactor
- A. palmeri
Amaranthus palmerie2weed - Outcome
- A. palmeri density, biomass, and seed productione2
- Direction
- reducede2
- Value
- >99%e2
- Comparator
- NCCe2
- Setting
- south-central Nebraskae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“Cereal rye terminated at V2 or V3 corn growth stage reduced A. palmeri density, biomass, and seed production by >99% compared with the NCC”
e0“Field experiments were conducted during 2023 to 2025 under irrigated conditions in south-central Nebraska”
Claim · model-written summary
Following high cereal rye biomass, cereal rye gave A. palmeri suppression comparable to herbicide-based programs.
- Taxon
- cereal ryee3
- Treatment
- cereal ryee3
- Interactor
- A. palmeriAmaranthus palmerie3weed
- Outcome
- A. palmeri suppressione3
- Direction
- comparablee3
- Qualifier
- Following high biomass conditionse3
- Comparator
- herbicide-based programse3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“Following high biomass conditions, cereal rye provided comparable A. palmeri suppression to herbicide-based programs, and the additional herbicide use offered limited benefit”
Claim · model-written summary
Additional herbicide use offered limited benefit to cereal rye systems with high biomass.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e3“Following high biomass conditions, cereal rye provided comparable A. palmeri suppression to herbicide-based programs, and the additional herbicide use offered limited benefit”
Claim · model-written summary
Under low cereal rye biomass, herbicide inclusion remained essential for effective A. palmeri control and minimizing seed production.
- Taxon
- cereal ryee4
- Treatment
- herbicide inclusione4
- Interactor
- A. palmeriAmaranthus palmerie4weed
- Outcome
- A. palmeri control and minimizing seed productione4
- Qualifier
- low-cereal rye biomass conditions (<6,000 kg ha −1 )e4
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“In contrast, following low-cereal rye biomass conditions (<6,000 kg ha −1 ), herbicide inclusion remained essential to achieve effective A. palmeri control and minimizing seed production”
Claim · model-written summary
Corn yield was not affected by delayed cereal rye termination (13,110 to 15,660 kg ha −1).
- Taxon
- corn
Zea mays subsp. mayse5 - Treatment
- delayed cereal rye terminatione5
- Outcome
- Corn yielde5
- Direction
- not affectede5
- Value
- 13,110 to 15,660 kg ha −1e5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“Corn yield was not affected by delayed cereal rye termination (ranging from 13,110 to 15,660 kg ha −1 )”
Claim · model-written summary
Integrating cereal rye with reduced herbicide programs maintained profitability comparable to the no-cover-crop system with the PP herbicide program.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse5
- Treatment
- integrating cereal rye CC with reduced herbicide programs (preemergence-only or postemergence-only)e6
- Outcome
- profitabilitye6
- Direction
- comparablee6
- Value
- $2,064 to $2,364 ha −1e6
- Qualifier
- $2,353 to $2,401 ha −1e6
- Comparator
- NCC system with PP herbicide programe6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“integrating cereal rye CC with reduced herbicide programs (preemergence-only or postemergence-only) maintained profitability ($2,064 to $2,364 ha −1 ) comparable to the NCC system with PP herbicide program ($2,353 to $2,401 ha −1 )”
e5“Corn yield was not affected by delayed cereal rye termination (ranging from 13,110 to 15,660 kg ha −1 )”
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