Multiple pest suppression with cover crops in strawberry

Graduation date: 1996The experiment was conducted to compare multiple pest (weed, soil\ud arthropod and diseases) suppression by cereal cover crops in 'Selva' and\ud 'Totem' strawberry. In addition, perlite was used to compare improvement of soil\ud and root aeration which might modify strawberry black root rot complex.\ud Small-seeded summer annual weeds were suppressed in cover crop\ud treatments compared to control treatment. 'Micah' barley in growth phase\ud suppressed more than 81% of the total weeds compared to control plots with no\ud cover crop in early spring. Small seeded weeds and perennial thistles were\ud suppressed with 'Wheeler' rye residues. In early summer, cover crop residues\ud failed to suppress different types of weeds 60 days after killing of cereal with\ud herbicide. In summer, total weed biomass was variable due to the biomass of\ud pigweed. Pigweed density was not significantly different compared to control\ud treatment both within and between rows of strawberry.\ud Cover crops suppressed symphylan 62 to 87%, except 'Micah' barley\ud (25%). No pattern was found on total soil arthropods including beneficial insects\ud due to treatments. Fewer gray mold (Botrytis cinerea Fr.) infected fruits were\ud evident in all cover crop treatments compared to control treatment. Strawberry in\ud 'Wheeler' rye was least (21% only) infected in both cultivars which might suggest\ud suppression of gray mold. Perlite treatments enhanced new root growth while all\ud cereal cover crops suppressed strawberry black root rot complex slightly. No\ud evidence was found in suppression of black root rot in the greenhouse study.\ud Distinct differences in strawberry plant growth were evident between the\ud cover crop treatments and non-cover crop treatments including 'Micah' applied\ud on surface. Strawberry growth was doubled during July 10 to August 15 in both\ud cultivars. 'Micah' barley applied on surface produced better growth in both 'Selva'\ud and Totem' strawberry than the growth in other treatments. No significant\ud difference was found on leaflet length, leaf and runner number among\ud treatments. Crown numbers per plant in 'Selva' on November 27 indicated\ud significant differences in 'Micah' on surface that produced 36% more crowns per\ud plant than that of any other treatment. 'Micah' barley applied on surface\ud produced 50% more shoot biomass and about 45% greater yield compared to\ud 'Micah' barley planted in the plot. Cover crop treatments alone reduced total\ud strawberry yield (kg/ha) slightly in 'Selva' in the establishment year compared to\ud the control treatment. Total strawberry yield was variable among treatments\ud where 'Micah' barley on surface produced greatest yield. Average fruit weight per\ud berry (g/fruit) was greater in the perlite alone next to control treatment. Small fruit\ud size was produced in main cover crop treatments, whereas 'Micah' on surface\ud increased yield. Total 'Selva' yield was 61% greater in perlite treatment than the\ud yield in perlite with 'Wheeler' rye treatment and 31% greater than the control\ud treatment. Early season marketable fruits, total number of fruits and total yield\ud were lower in control and 'Wheeler' rye treatments