Bedding System Cuts Vegetable Risks
Bedding System Cuts Vegetable Risks
Low-cost cover crop methodscan reduce soil-nitrate leaching by 37 to 70 percent withouthurting yields in intensive vegetable production systems,a SARE-funded study in California's Salinas Valley shows.Growers of iceberg lettuce and broccoli there are usingplant residues to build soil fertility, while helping reducewater contamination from nitrates. The three-year study finetuned an efficient system of incorporating winter rye or phaceliacover crops using reduced tillage on semi-permanentbeds. Building beds in fall and over watering easilyincorporated cover crops help ensure timely seeding of vegetableseven if spring conditions have been wet. The system eliminatesdisking flat ground in spring and rebedding. A Californiawildflower bred for cover cropping, phacelia is a succulent plantthat decomposes readily. Merced rye is another common cover cropwith rapid growth and a vigorous root system. Growers mow thecovers and wait four weeks before planting vegetables. Thisreduces microbial competition for soil N without missing theplanting window and with little or no risk of disease or pests,results show. Hundreds of food system representatives attendedfield days and workshops describing project results. Many growersrequested cover crop seed and offered to participate in futureon-farm research. (Western Region project AW92-6.)
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