Work

Winter cereal cover crop termination timing to optimize trade‐off between weed suppression and impact on sugar beet yield

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Field experiments were conducted in 2021 and 2022 to evaluate cereal cover crops and herbicide programs for weed control in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris). The experiment was set up in a split‐split‐plot randomized complete block design with four replications. The main plot was two fall‐planted cereal cover crops (cereal rye and winter wheat) and no cover crop; the split‐plot factor was five cover crop termination timings (14 and 7 days before planting, day of planting, and 14 and 7 days after planting), and the split‐split‐plot factor was three herbicide programs (dimethenamid‐p + glyphosate at four leaf sugar beet; dimethenamid‐p + glyphosate at four leaf sugar beet followed by glyphosate at 10 leaf stage; and glyphosate at four leaf sugar beet followed by glyphosate at 10 leaf stage). Cereal rye produced more biomass and thus provided up to 50% better weed suppression than winter wheat. Terminating cover crops after sugar beet was planted reduced common lambsquarters and kochia density by 28%–90% at the time of the first postemergence herbicide application. One‐time application of dimethenamid‐p + glyphosate had similar weed control as glyphosate applied twice. Delaying cover crop termination until 7 or 14 days after planting reduced sugar beet stand density and reduced root yield by 8%–28%. Terminating cereal cover crops with herbicides at planting or up to 7 days prior provided optimal sugar beet yield in this study.

Source: Crop Science

DOI: 10.1002/csc2.70015

Author: Albert T. Adjesiwor

Institution: University of Idaho

Language: English

Topic: Weed Control and Herbicide Applications

Subfield: Plant Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $1,980