24/05/2012

1

Weeds, Insects, Disease + Nematodes: Can Cover Crops

Help?

Laura L. Van Eerd, Jessica J.D. Turnbull, Cheryl L. Trueman

University of Guelph Ridgetown Campusph. 519-674-1500 x63644

lvaneerd@ridgetownc.uoguelph.ca

Biofumigation – what is it?

Using toxic compounds in plants to suppress soil-borne pests Compounds act similar to fumigants

Brassicas E.g. Oriental mustard ‘Cutlass’ has l i l t (GSL) i l di th t t iglucosinolates (GSL), including the most toxic

isothiocyanate (ITC)

Successful fumigation is influenced by:

Soil conditions important temperature, soil moisture, debris

Applicator dependability/accuracy

Adapted from an A. Verhallen slide

MustardPlant cells

Glucosinolate (GSL)

Myrosinase enzyme

Biofumigation with Brassicas

enzyme

Chopping of plant to disturb cell structure

Isothiocyanate

(ITC)

Glucosinolate

+

Myrosinase enzyme

Biofumigation Project 2009-11

Cooperators:Tomato cooperators - variousApple cooperators: Keith Wright, Harold Schooley and Chris

HedgesIndustry Support:DowAgro Science, Max Underhill’s Farm SupplyResearch Support:Research Support:Anne Verhallen, Janice LeBoeuf, Leslie Huffman, and Kathryn

Carter, OMAFRAJoseph Tomecek, Tomecek ConsultingDr. John Cline, University of Guelph Summer student help – Hubert, Katie, Kyle, Megan, Sara, Tyler,

JessicaA&L Laboratories, London, ON

Management practices for Oriental Mustard ‘Cutlass’

Good growth to maximize biomass and biofumigant toxins

Chop just before flowering to max active ingredient

Do not let go to seed

24/05/2012

2

Management practices for Oriental Mustard ‘Cutlass’

• Mowing/chopping to damage plant cells and release ITC

• Well incorporated immediately to avoid vapour loss

• Moist soil to seal in biofumigant

• Active ingredient (ITC) could persist for 8 to 12 days

• Wait to plant next crop

Management for ‘Cutlass’ Oriental Mustard

Tomato Fall seeding – good growth

Spring seeding – very little growthSpring seeding very little growth

Site results - tomato yield

2010 sites Langstaff

(Hub) Whitebread Elevator

Grand Pointe

Tupperville

Treatment (ton/ac) Control 34.8 27.6 28.8 36.1 32.1Fall seeded Oriental mustard 38.2 28.5 26.4 . . Spring seeded Oriental mustard 40.1 27.7 . 36.2 33.0 Spring fumigation 36.9 . z 27.8 . .

P-value 0.606 0.925 0.690 0.965 0.495 z

Ash

(Hub) Point KentBridge Claymore Horton Leamington

Treatment (ton/ac) Control 32.0 abz 41.2 39.0 31.0 32.7 47.2 Fall seeded Oriental mustard 30.9 ab 42.4 33.9 33.1 34.4 49.3 Spring seeded Oriental mustard 30.0 ab .y 35.4 30.0 34.2 48.0 Spring fumigation 28.4 a 41.2 . . . . Fall fumigation 34.3 b . . . . .

P-value 0.009 0.755 0.397 0.799 0.492 0.5623 z Different letters represent statistical differences between treatments y . Treatment was not implemented at site

2011 sites

z . treatment was not implemented at the site

Apple Replant Disease Opportunity for 2 seedings spring and late summer

D il ? S d

Management for ‘Cutlass’ Oriental Mustard

Dry summer soils? Seed anyways

Suppressing nematodes

Canadian Forage Pearl Millet 101

Root lesion nematode suppression

Nematodes do not reproduce well in roots

Warm season grass

Seed available in Ontario $$$

Adapted from a M.Celetti slide

Management for Pearl Millet ‘Canadian Forage Pearl Millet 101’

Apple systems Be prepared to mow 2 -3 times

Mow no closer than 6 inches

Grass fibrous root system soil structure Grass fibrous root system - soil structure

• Do not allow to go to seed

24/05/2012

3

Systems-based Approach to Research

Part of the rotation peas–cc, sweet corn–cc, wheat–cc, tomato–

cc, corn–cc, squash–cc

Many different disciples Agronomy ■ Insects

Soil science ■ Disease

Economics ■ Weeds

Post-harvest evaluation ■ Nematodes

Social Science

Rotation

Peas – cover crops

Sweet corn – cover crops

Wheat – cover crops

T t Tomatoes – cover crops3

-

16

3

-

17

Cover crops – Fall 2009, 2010

1) No cover crop

2) Oats 72 lb/ac

3) Fall rye 60

4) Oil d di h 144) Oilseed radish 14

5) Rye + oilseed radish 8 + 30

24/05/2012

4

Weed control –fall and spring Fall Weed Biomass – Ridgetown

b

b

*For each date, bars labeled with the different letters are significantly different.

a

aa

a

a

b

a

bb

ab

aa

b

a aa

b

a

Spring Weeds

Biomass Density

Cover crop

Bothwell Ridgetown Bothwell Ridgetown

------------g m-2---------- -------plants m-2------g p

No cover 23.3 b 2.3 a 10.4 b 87.3 ab

Oat 0.8 a 7.4 a 1.9 ab 70.0 ab

OSR -- 2.0 a -- 80.9 ab

OSR+rye 0.3 a 2.3 a 0.4 a 155.8 b

Rye 0.6 a 1.0 a 0.5 a 64.8 a

P value 0.001 0.088 0.006 0.044

*Within columns, means followed by the same letter were not significantly different .

Summer Weeds

Biomass Density Richness EvennessCover crop

Bothwell Ridgetown Bothwell Ridgetown Bothwell Ridgetown Bothwell Ridgetown

28 DAT 56 DAT

----------g m-2------- ------plants m-2------ ----# species m-2----- Simpson’s index

long-spined sandbur [Cenchrus longispinus]common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

No cover

62.6 ab 59.5 ab 66.1 ab 12.2 a 33.6 a 1.6 a 2.3 a 0.9 a 0.5 b

Oat 63.9 ab 242.5 b 77.4 b 12.1 a 37.8 a 1.3 a 3.6 b 0.8 a 0.3 a

OSR -- -- 55.0 ab -- 21.1 a -- 3.2 ab -- 0.4 ab

OSR+rye 37.1 a 194.6 b 44.1 a 20.6 a 28.3 a 1.3 a 3.4 b 0.9 a 0.4 ab

Rye 61.1 ab 222.9 b 77.6 b 33.2 a 46.1 a 1.6 a 4.0 b 0.8 a 0.3 a

P value 0.041 0.027 0.293 0.066 0.316 0.002 0.777 0.012

*Within columns, means followed by the same letter were not significantly different. For summer weed biomass at Bothwell, means were compared between both sample dates.

Soil Pests

No difference between cover crops and no-cover in the following soil pests

– wireworms, millipedes, cutworm and maggots – nematodes –pin, stunt, and soybean cyst

Root lesion nematodes numbers were not different than No Cover trt

No cover crop 2380 abOats 2190 ab

Oilseed radish 3680 bOilseed radish + fall rye 3320 ab

Fall rye 1515 a

Insect Pests in Sweet Corn

Pest Year Cover Crop Wireworm All No difference between all cover crops trtsEuropean corn borer

2007 20082009

Oats highest pressure Oats and rye highest pressureRye higher than no cover control

Corn 2007 All covers higher than no cover controlCorn earworm

2007 20082009

All covers higher than no cover control Not observedNo difference between all cover crops trts

Seedcornmaggot

07+082009

-No difference between all cover crops trts

Millipedes 07+082009

-No difference between all cover crops trts

Grubs 07+082009

-Not observed

24/05/2012

5

Disease Pests in Sweet Corn

Pest Year Cover Crop Rust (Puccinia

sorghi) 2007 20082009

No cover control highest pressure Oats higher pressure than OSRadishNo difference between cover crops

Smut (Ustilago

maydis) 2007 08+09

OSRadish/rye highest pressure Not observed

Northern leaf blight (Helminthosporiumturcicum)

2007 08+09

No cover control highest pressure Not observed

Growing Season 2011

Photos of plots

Snaps: Insects + Disease2011 Cheryl Trueman

In season, no difference between cover crops in leaf beetle feeding

At harvest, no difference between cover crops % No damage (69.8%)

% Chewing insect damage (2.0%)

% Stinging insect damage (28%)

% Anthracnose (0.2%)

Sweet Corn: Insects + Diseases

Cover crop type

Incidence Feeding

At harvest, feeding damage was lower or the same as no-cover treatment (western bean cutworm, European corn borer, corn earworm, army worm)

type Feeding Damage (%)

No cover 28.5 bRye 26.0 ab

Vetch 25.5 abOilseed radish 21.5 ab

Oats 20.0 abPeas 14.0 a

Spring 2010, 2011

Roundup® - residue incorporated

Tomato N fertilizer1) no nitrogen fertilizer applied

2) 125 lb N/ac

Plant processing tomatoes 2010 May 262011 May 31

1) Early variety TSH 18

2) Late variety CC 337

Harvest 2010 Aug 25 and Sept 13-152011 Aug 29-30 and Sept 13-14

Insect + Disease2010 & 11 Cheryl Trueman

No difference between cover crops Foliar damage Colorado potato beetle (2010 Jun21, July7)

Tomato hornworm (2010 J l26 2011 A 11) Tomato hornworm (2010 Jul26 – 2011 Aug11)

Bacterial speck/spot (2010 Jun21, Aug8 – 2011 Jul4, Jul20)

Bacterial canker (2010 Jul22, Aug8)

Early blight (2010 Aug 8 – 2011 Jul4, Jul20)

Septoria leaf spot (2011 Jul4, Jul20)

24/05/2012

6

Insects + Disease2010 & 11 Cheryl Trueman

No difference between cover crops Fruit damage Blossom end rot (2010 Jul22)

Fruit Quality % Bacterial spot or speck

% Stink bug damage

% Anthracnose

Tomato Fruit Quality

No difference between cover crops Agtron colour TSH18 (18) CC337 (19)

2011 TSH18 (18) CC337 (20)

2010 & 11 Steven Loewen

Soluble solids TSH18 (4.3) CC337 (4.4)

2011 TSH18 (4.3) CC337 (4.1)

pH TSH18 (4.2) CC337 (4.3)

Soil Characteristics

pH 6.6Soil texture Sandy loam 62:22:16

% OM 3.8CEC (MEQ/100g) 11.5( g)

P (ppm) 34K (ppm) 188

Ca (ppm) 1719Mg (ppm) 150

30

40

50

60

ble

yie

ld (

t/ac

)

2011

2010

Processing Tomato Yield

AAB

ABB

ABab a

ab abb

0

10

20

Oilseed radish Oilseed radish +fall rye

Oat No cover crop Fall rye

Mar

keta

b

Midwest Cover Crop Councilhttp://www.mccc.msu.edu/

Cover Crop Workshop

Feb.28 – Mar.1 2013

London, ON

Laura L. Van Eerd Anne VerhallenUniv.of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus OMAFRA, Ridgetownph. 519-674-1500 x63644 ph. 519 674 - 1614

lvaneerd@ridgetownc.uoguelph.ca anne.verhallen@ontario.ca

24/05/2012

7

Cover Crop Funding Partners

Grower Organizations

Ontario Tomato Research Institute

Seed Corn Growers of Ontario

Ontario Processing Vegetable Growers

Fresh Vegetable Growers of Ontario

OMAFRA Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food +Rural Affairs– UoG –Environmental Sustainability – COA –OMAFRA Great Lakes Program– New Directions

OSCIA – Nutrient Management BMP Demonstration Grant

AAFC – Agricultural Adaptation Council CORD IV program

Acknowledgements

Grower Cooperators

Technicians: Mike Zink Jessica Turnbull

Graduate Students: Kelsey O’ReillyLindsey Cartier

Lance Ouellette

Summer students

L.L. Van Eerd. 2012. Ridgetown Campus University of Guelph

Thank You

Laura L. Van Eerd519-674-1500 x63466lvaneerd@ridgetownc.uoguelph.ca