Decomposition of cover crop mulch and weed control under a no-till system for organic maize

Abstract

The decomposition dynamics of cover crop mulch influence the nutrient supply of successor crops and weed suppression. This is even more relevant in organic production systems, due to their limited use of chemical fertilizers and herbicides. As such, the aim of this study was to quantify biomass production, model the decomposition and N, P and K release of the mulch of different cover crops, and assess the weed suppression of cover crops in the form of mulch and in consortium with organic maize. A randomized block design was used, with a 7x2 factorial scheme (7 cover crop management strategies and 2 cropping systems - maize in monoculture and intercropped with jack bean) and 4 replicates. The management practices that produced the most biomass were white lupine intercropped with black oat and the white lupine, black oat and sunflower monocultures. The use of cover crops did not differ from manual weeding in terms of weed biomass, but did affect the relative importance (RI) of nutgrass. Additionally, maize intercropped with jack bean reduced weed biomass in subsequent crop growth stages.