Using Cover Crops as Means of Controlling Weeds and Reducing the Applied Quantity of Glyphosate-Based Herbicide in No-Till Glyphosate Tolerant Soybean and Corn

Jérôme Bernier Brillon (), Marc Lucotte, Ariane Bernier, Myriam Fontaine and Matthieu Moingt
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Jérôme Bernier Brillon: GEOTOP & Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Quebec at Montreal, 201 Avenue du Président-Kennedy, Montréal, QC H2X 3Y7, Canada
Marc Lucotte: GEOTOP & Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Quebec at Montreal, 201 Avenue du Président-Kennedy, Montréal, QC H2X 3Y7, Canada
Ariane Bernier: GEOTOP & Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Quebec at Montreal, 201 Avenue du Président-Kennedy, Montréal, QC H2X 3Y7, Canada
Myriam Fontaine: GEOTOP & Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Quebec at Montreal, 201 Avenue du Président-Kennedy, Montréal, QC H2X 3Y7, Canada
Matthieu Moingt: GEOTOP & Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Quebec at Montreal, 201 Avenue du Président-Kennedy, Montréal, QC H2X 3Y7, Canada

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 5, 1-15

Abstract: Weeds represent a serious drawback affecting the productivity of field crops worldwide. While the most common approach to control weeds in no-till practices is the use of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs), reducing their use represents a major challenge. This two-year field study aims to evaluate whether the use of cover crops (CC) in transgenic soybean and corn productions can (1) help control weeds and (2) reduce the amount of GBH needed for managing weeds. Sampling was carried out in 32 experimental field plots (four crop managements with four replicates on both crops). Crop managements consisted of GBH applications at rates of 0.84, 1.67, and 3.3 L ha −1 in plots in direct seeding with CC (DSCC) and at rates of 3.3 L ha −1 in plots without CC (DS). Weed cover rates, plant parameters (fresh and dry weights and heights), grain yields, water, and cation contents in soil were considered as indicators of interspecific competition. Results obtained in both years show that it is possible to reduce GBH use by 50% in plots with CC compared to plots without CC using a rate of GBH application of 3.33 L ha −1 (DS 3.3). However, weeds had a large impact on water content in soil, which was reflected by smaller plants and lower yields in plots with only 0.84 L ha −1 of GBH applied. In the context of the study, the use of CCs seems to facilitate the development of more sustainable agriculture while reducing the quantities of GBH generally used.

Keywords: cover crops; grain yield; biomass production; plant height; interspecific competition; glyphosate-based herbicide (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: 2024
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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