Research
Cover Crop results for 2003
2003 Results
In Ames, we found no difference
in the number or total weight of marketable melons harvested from cover cropped
vs. plastic mulched plots. This
result is consistent with previous years' positive experience with the cover
crop. In Muscatine, however, we
found that cover cropped plots had lower yields than plastic mulched plots
(P<0.0001). The cover crop in
Muscatine was very, very sparse and brittle this year, possibly due to dry
weather in the autumn of 2002 and a cool spring in 2003. It did very little to subdue weeds. The repeated foot traffic and soil
disturbance caused by our extensive weeding efforts at this site, as well as
high weed pressure, likely caused a yield decline. Although there appeared to be no
difference in yield or weed pressure due to our two weeding treatments ("weed
management" and "weed-free") at Ames or Muscatine, increased sampling next
season may be necessary to learn more about this effect.
Number and weight of marketable
melons harvested from a single plot of muskmelons at Ames and Muscatine, Iowa,
2003.
|
|
Ames
|
Muscatine
| ||
|
|
Number
|
Weight(lb)
|
Number
|
Weight
(lb)
|
Cover Crop-Weed Free
|
81.75
|
439.87
|
27.50 a
|
146.55 a
|
|
Cover
Crop-Weedy
|
145.25
|
738.88
|
25.00 a
|
125.55 a
|
|
Plastic-Weed
Free
|
132.00
|
749.13
|
66.00 b
|
358.62 b
|
|
Plastic-Weedy
|
105.00
|
566.74
|
60.75 b
|
315.82 b
|
|
LSD
(P<0.05)
|
-
|
-
|
11.94
|
63.90
|