Weed Suppression, Biomass and Nitrogen Accumulation in Mixed-Species and Single-Species Cover Crops in a Tropical Sugarcane Fallow

Lawrence Di Bella, Megan Zahmel, Lukas van Zwieten and Terry J. Rose
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Lawrence Di Bella: Herbert Cane Productivity Services, 181 Fairford Rd, Ingham, QLD 4850, Australia
Megan Zahmel: Herbert Cane Productivity Services, 181 Fairford Rd, Ingham, QLD 4850, Australia
Lukas van Zwieten: NSW Department of Industry and Investment, 1243 Bruxner HWY, Wollongbar, NSW 2477, Australia
Terry J. Rose: Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, 1 Military Rd, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 7, 1-12

Abstract: While mixed-species cover crops are gaining worldwide popularity, their utility in the ‘plough-out’ period in tropical sugar cane systems has not been investigated. Field trials investigating weed suppression (one season only), biomass production and nitrogen accumulation of single-species and mixed-species cover crops were conducted over two seasons on a commercial sugarcane farm in the Australian tropics. Mixed-species cover crops showed strong weed suppression, and were among the top treatments for biomass production each year, but did not yield the highest biomass in either season. Sunn hemp ( Crotalaria juncea cv. Global sunn) produced the most biomass in the drier-than-average 2016–2017 season (>10 t dry matter ha −1 ), while soybean ( Glycine max cv. Leichardt) produced the most biomass (5.3 t dry matter ha −1 ) in the wetter-than-average 2018–2019 season, highlighting the influence of seasonal conditions on species’ biomass production. The inclusion of multiple species in a short-term cover crop in the tropics where extreme weather events can occur can thus be seen as a risk mitigation strategy given the risk of failure of any given species in a given season.

Keywords: tropical legumes; nitrogen fixation; sunn hemp; soybean; tillage radish (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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