Browsing by Author "Saini, Rupinder (TTU)"
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Item Contribution of Cover Crops and Reduced Tillage Systems for Weed Management in Organic Vegetable Production(2019) Saini, Rupinder (TTU); Singh, Sukhbir (TTU)In recent years, organic vegetable production systems have become an increasingly important segment of agriculture; and weed control is a principal concern for organic vegetable growers. In the absence of herbicides, tillage and cultivation are the most commonly used tools by vegetable growers for managing weeds in organic systems; however, intensive tillage may have adverse effects on soil and environmental health. In recent times, to reduce intensive soil tillage and achieve successful weed management, integration of cover crops with conservation tillage (reduced or no-tillage) is emerging as an innovative alternative production practice in organic farming. Research over the globe has shown that cover crops can be used to control weeds in vegetable fields, and also play an important role in improving productivity of subsequent crops by improving soil physical, chemical, and biological properties. In agronomic crops, the benefits of cover crops in conjugation with reduced tillage on weed management are well documented but, such information is scarcely available for vegetables grown in organic production systems. This review focuses on different types of cover crop species and conservation tillage systems for weed management in organic vegetable production.Item Effect of seed meals on weed control and soil physical properties in direct-seeded pumpkin(2020) Saini, Rupinder (TTU); Singh, Atinderpal (TTU); Deb, Sanjit K. (TTU)Mustard (Brassica sp.) seed meal (MSM) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seed meal (SSM) are the byproducts of the seed oil extraction process. They release biologically active allelochemicals that can provide a resource for supplemental nutrients and weed suppression in vegetable cropping systems. Our field experiment aimed to assess the phytotoxic impact of MSM and SSM on weeds and seedling establishment of direct-seeded pumpkin under semi-arid conditions and to study the impact of MSM and SSM on soil physical properties and soil water retention characteristics. The meals were incorporated into the soil 2 weeks before pumpkin planting at two rates (1150 and 2250 kg ha−1). MSM at both rates reduced early season grass and broadleaf weeds by 75 to 82% and 69 to 76%, respectively, as compared to the untreated control. However, SSM at both rates provided 59 to 65% and 54 to 59% controls of narrow and broadleaf weeds, respectively. Both MSM and SSM provided significantly better weed control and pumpkin yield as compared to the untreated control, but higher pumpkin yield was recorded with a lower rate of MSM. In addition, soils amended by both the seed meals had higher saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil water content, and lower bulk density than the untreated control. Overall, our findings suggest that the use of both MSM and SSM as an organic adjuvant is effective in controlling weeds and improving soil physical properties; however, additional research is required to further evaluate these findings and improve the reliability of MSM and SSM for weed suppression following application to agricultural soils.Item Use of natural products for weed management in high-value crops: An Overview(2019) Saini, Rupinder (TTU); Singh, Sukhbir (TTU)In recent years, organic vegetable production systems have become an increasingly important segment of agriculture; and weed control is a principal concern for organic vegetable growers. In the absence of herbicides, tillage and cultivation are the most commonly used tools by vegetable growers for managing weeds in organic systems; however, intensive tillage may have adverse effects on soil and environmental health. In recent times, to reduce intensive soil tillage and achieve successful weed management, integration of cover crops with conservation tillage (reduced or no-tillage) is emerging as an innovative alternative production practice in organic farming. Research over the globe has shown that cover crops can be used to control weeds in vegetable fields, and also play an important role in improving productivity of subsequent crops by improving soil physical, chemical, and biological properties. In agronomic crops, the benefits of cover crops in conjugation with reduced tillage on weed management are well documented but, such information is scarcely available for vegetables grown in organic production systems. This review focuses on different types of cover crop species and conservation tillage systems for weed management in organic vegetable production.