Cover-Crop Management Influences Residue Biomass and Subsequent Weed Suppression in a Conservation Agriculture Corn and Cotton Rotation

The use of winter cover crops is an integral component of conservation systems in a corn and cotton conservation agriculture rotation. Field experiments were conducted from the autumn of 2003 through cash crop harvest in 2006 at three locations. The treatments were five cover-crop-planting timings each fall and four cover-crop termination timings each spring. Five crimson clover or cereal rye planting timings occurred: on the average first 0○C temperature date, 4 and 2 weeks prior and 4 and 2 weeks after the average 0○C temperature date. Termination dates were 1–4 weeks prior to the average optimum soil temperature date for the establishment of each cash crop. Results showed that biomass production by winter covers decreased with even a week’s delay in winter cover-crop seeding and resulted in a corresponding increase in summer annual weed biomass. More than 10 times difference in biomass produced by clover was observed when clover was planted on the earliest date and terminated on the last date compared to late planting and early termination, rye eight times. Correspondingly, weed biomass was 556 kg ha−1 in the treatment with least rye biomass, eight times higher compared to the treatment with greatest rye biomass