Date Available
12-11-2013
Year of Publication
2013
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Document Type
Master's Thesis
College
Agriculture, Food and Environment
Department/School/Program
Plant and Soil Sciences
First Advisor
Dr. Krista Jacobsen
Second Advisor
Dr. Timothy Phillips
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.
Recommended Citation
Hessler, Alex G., "Reduced Tillage and Living Mulches for Organic Vegetable Production" (2013). Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences. 33.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/pss_etds/33
