Impact of Rye Cover Crop and Herbicides on Weeds, Yield, and Net Return in Narrow-Row Transgenic and Conventional Soybean (Glycine max)1

Abstract

A field study was conducted during 1999, 2000, and 2001 at Stoneville, MS, on a Dundee silty clay loam to determine the impact of a rye cover crop with one or two postemergence (POST) herbicide applications on weed control, yield, and net return in narrow-row glyphosate-resistant, glufosinate-resistant, and conventional soybean systems. Cover crop systems included no–cover crop conventional tillage (CT), no–cover crop no-tillage (NT), and rye NT, all with early POST (EPOST), EPOST followed by late POST (LPOST), and no-herbicide weed management. Weed control and net return among glyphosate-resistant, glufosinate-resistant, and conventional soybean systems were similar. One POST ($111/ha) application of herbicides was more profitable than two POST ($79/ha) applications regardless of soybean cultivar and cover crop system. Rye residue reduced total weed density by 9 and 27% and biomass by 19 and 38% compared with no–cover crop CT and NT, respectively. In the rye cover crop, input costs were higher because of the additional cost of seed, planting, and rye desiccation. The additional cost resulted in a lower net return with the rye cover crop ($29/ha) compared with the no–cover crop CT ($84/ha) or NT ($87/ha) system, even though soybean yield in the rye cover crop system was comparable to that from the no–cover crop CT and NT systems. These results showed that because of additional cost, rye cover crop–based soybean production was less profitable compared with existing no–cover crop–based production systems.Nomenclature: Acifluorfen; bentazon; chlorimuron; clethodim; glufosinate; glyphosate; barnyardgrass, Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. #3 ECHCG; browntop millet, Brachiaria ramosa (L.) Stapf # PANRA; hemp sesbania, Sesbania exaltata (Raf.) Rydb. ex A. W. Hill # SEBEX; pitted morningglory, Ipomoea lacunosa L. # IPOLA; prickly sida, Sida spinosa L. # SIDSP; sicklepod, Senna obtusifolia (L.) Irwin and Barneby # CASOB; smooth pigweed, Amaranthus hybridus L. # AMACH; rye, Secale cereale L. ‘Elbon’; soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr. ‘DP 3588’, ‘DP 5806 RR’, ‘A 5547 LL’.Additional Index words: Conventional tillage, herbicide, integrated weed management, mulch, net return, no-tillage, transgenic soybean, weed biomass, weed density.Abbreviations: CT, conventional tillage; EPOST, early postemergence; LPOST, late postemergence; NT, no-tillage; POST, postemergence; WAP, weeks after planting.