High Residue Cover Crops for Weed Suppression and Impact on Cash Crop Performance

This CIG award is for Virginia Tech to examine and demonstrate multiple innovative ways of using cover crops in Virginia cropping systems to concurrently reduce weed pressure, realize soil health benefits and improve cash crop performance. The specific objectives of this project are: (1) - To evaluate and demonstrate innovative weed suppression with high-residue cover crops, including suppression of herbicide-resistant horseweed and summer annual weeds through competition by fall-seeded cover crops, (2) - To evaluate and demonstrate appropriate herbicides and techniques for termination of rapeseed cover crops, (3) - To evaluate herbicide carryover to fall-seeded cover crops and develop and promote strategies for avoiding such carryover, (4) - To evaluate and demonstrate innovative opportunities for increased use of cover crops in cotton and other southeastern Virginia cropping systems, including precision planting of forage radish as a substitute for under-row subsoiling and use of crimson clover as a nitrogen source for cotton, and (5) - Conduct outreach and education in Virginia about cover crops, with special emphasis on the above topics and weed science-cover crop interface issues.