U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Crops Pathology and Genetics Research: Davis, CA
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    Careers


        


                    Outreach Events
                        UC Davis Picnic Day
                                    Kinders go to College
                                    STEM Girls
                                    Future Scientist Program
                                    Agriculture Future of America
                                    Wallace-Carver Fellowship
                                    Young Scholars Program
                                    Annual Awards Banquet
                    About Us
                        About Us
                                    Our Mission
                                    Principal InvestigatorsSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Pacific West Area Davis, California Crops Pathology and Genetics Research Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications
- Etiology and Biology of Tree Crop Diseases
- Rice Genetics
- Sustainable Floriculture
- Sustainable Viticulture

Title:   Author  item
                                            Baumgartner, Kendraitem
                                            Steenwerth, Kerriitem
                                            VEILLEUX, LISSA - USDA, ARS, CPGRU
  Submitted to: Weed Science
                                    Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2008
                                    Publication  Date: 8/1/2008
                                    Citation: Baumgartner, K., Steenwerth, K.L., Veilleux, L.M. 2008. COVER CROP SYSTEMS AFFECT WEED COMMUNITIES IN A CALIFORNIA VINEYARD. Weed Science. 56:596-605.Interpretive Summary: In order to determine if cover crops favor certain weeds in California vineyards, we surveyed weed communities after planting four cover crop treatments: no-till annuals (rose clover, soft brome, zorro fescue; ANoT), no-till perennials (blue wildrye, California brome, meadow barley, red fescue, yarrow; PNoT), tilled annual (triticale; AT), and a no cover crop tilled control (NoCT).  The study was carried out for three years in the section of soil between the vines (interrows) of a wine grape vineyard.  Roundup (Glyphosate) was used to kill weeds directly beneath the vines, in the intrarows.  Treatments significantly impacted weed growth, and the diversity of weed species in the interrows.  Statistical analyses showed that tillage, and not the presence of a cover crop, impacted weed growth in the interrows.  In the interrows, tillage favored two weeds (scarlet pimpernel and spiny sowthistle), and discouraged another species (California burclover).  Our findings of no significant effects of the cover crop systems on weed biomass, community structure, or diversity in the intrarows demonstrate that the impacts the cover crop management systems had on the interrows did not carry over to adjacent intrarows.  In addition, the fact that the cover crops did not affect vine yield, growth, or nutrition relative to the no cover crop control suggests that cover crops are likely to minimize soil erosion from winter rains, which is the primary purpose of vineyard cover cropping in northern California, without adversely affecting vine health or weed control.
                                Technical Abstract: Vineyard weed communities were examined under four dormant season cover crop systems representative of those used in the north-coastal grape-growing region of California: no-till annuals (rose clover, soft brome, zorro fescue; ANoT), no-till perennials (blue wildrye, California brome, meadow barley, red fescue, yarrow; PNoT), tilled annual (triticale; AT), and a no cover crop tilled control (NoCT).  Treatments were arranged in a RCBD with four replicate blocks, and carried out for three years in the interrows of a wine grape vineyard.  Glyphosate was used to control weeds directly beneath the vines, in the intrarows.  Treatments significantly impacted weed biomass, community structure, and species diversity in the interrows.  Orthogonal contrasts showed that tillage, and not the presence of a cover crop, impacted interrow weed biomass.  Distance-based redundancy analyses (db-RDA) revealed significant effects of the cover crop systems and of tillage on weed community structure in the interrows.  For scarlet pimpernel and spiny sowthistle, the combination of ANOVA and orthogonal contrasts confirmed their association with the tilled treatments, as revealed by db-RDA.  This same approach identified the association between California burclover and the no-till treatments.  Our findings of no significant effects of the cover crop systems on weed biomass, community structure, or diversity in the intrarows demonstrate that the impacts the cover crop management systems had on the interrows did not carry over to adjacent intrarows.  In addition, the fact that the cover crops did not affect vine yield, growth, or nutrition relative to the no cover crop control suggests that cover crops are likely to minimize soil erosion from winter rains, which is the primary purpose of vineyard cover cropping in northern California, without adversely affecting vine health or weed control.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov