Annual Phytomass Production of a Rye‐Corn Double‐Cropping System in Ontario

Abstract

AbstractA rye (Secale cereale L.)‐corn (Zea mays L.) double‐cropping system has the potential to maximize annual phytomass production in Ontario. Field experiments were conducted at Elora and Woodstock, ON, from 1981 to 1984 to evaluate the impact of rye harvest and corn planting date combinations during the spring as well as tillage methods on annual above‐ground phytomass production. Winter rye was planted in late September or early October after corn harvest and either chemically killed in early May or harvested as silage before corn planting. The rye/tillage treatments consisted of no‐rye/rototill, rye/rototill, and rye/no‐till. Corn phenology was monitored during the growing season and corn above‐ground dry matter was harvested in late September. Rye phytomass was 2.7 and 4.5 Mg ha−1 at the middle of May in Elora and Woodstock, respectively, and 5.4 Mg ha−1 at the end of May in Elora. Rate of leaf appearance and plant height during early development was reduced, silking date was delayed, and plant moisture at corn harvest was higher for corn following rye in comparison to single‐crop corn. The impact was largest in the no‐till treatments. The combination of rye harvest date/corn planting date and tillage treatment that resulted in the highest phytomass production in the rye‐corn double‐cropping sequence was 6 to 10% higher than that of early planted corn. The reduction in corn dry matter accumulation due to the preceding rye crop and the delay in date of corn planting negated to a large extent the contribution of rye phytomass to the total phytomass production of the rye‐corn double‐cropping sequence.