Strip - Tillage - and - Early-Season - Broadleaf - Weed - Cont
Strip - Tillage - and - Early-Season - Broadleaf - Weed - Cont
Strip - Tillage - and - Early-Season - Broadleaf - Weed - Cont
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Harlene Hatterman-Valenti
North Dakota State University
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Abstract: Field experiments were conducted in 2007 and 2008 near Oakes, North Dakota (ND), USA,
to evaluate if strip tillage could be incorporated into a production system of seeded onion (Allium cepa)
to eliminate the standard use of a barley (Hordeum vulgare) companion crop with conventional, full
width tillage, yet support common early-season weed control programs. A split-factor design
was used with tillage (conventional and strip tillage) as the main plot and herbicide treatments
(bromoxynil, DCPA, oxyfluorfen, and pendimethalin) as sub-plots. Neither tillage nor herbicide
treatments affected onion stand counts. Common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) densities were
lower in strip tillage compared to conventional tillage up to three weeks after the post-emergence
applied herbicides. In general, micro-rate post-emergence herbicide treatments provided greater
early-season broadleaf weed control than pre-emergence herbicide treatments. Onion yield and grade
did not differ among herbicide treatments because the mid-season herbicide application provided
sufficient control/suppression of the early-season weed escapes that these initial weed escapes
did not impact onion yield or bulb diameter. In 2007, onion in the strip tillage treatment were
larger in diameter resulting in greater total and marketable yields compared to conventional tillage.
Marketable onion yield was 82.1 Mg ha´1 in strip tillage and 64.9 Mg ha´1 in conventional tillage.
Results indicate that strip tillage use in direct-seeded onion production was beneficial, especially
when growing conditions were conducive to higher yields and that the use of strip tillage in onion
may provide an alternative to using a companion crop as it did not interfere with either early-season
weed management system.
1. Introduction
Onion (Allium cepa) is the fifth most-valuable vegetable crop produced and the third largest
fresh vegetable industry in the United States with an annual crop value of almost one billion dollars
direct from the field [1,2]. It is an intensively managed crop characterized by slow emergence, poor
competitive morphology, and limited early-season weed management options, which means that
yields can fall within a wide range depending on the cultivation conditions and the degree of weed
control [3,4]. When seed are sown directly into the ground a well-prepared field is required as any
stress to onion can negatively affect bulbing and yield [5]. Other factors that may influence onion yield
and quality include planting date, plant spacing, soil moisture, and damage from blowing soil, insects,
or diseases.
High winds in North Dakota may remove seed from the rows or damage newly emerged
onion seedlings [6]. To reduce damage to onion from blowing soil particles, growers plant barley
(Hordeum vulgare) as a companion crop. Barley emerges quickly in comparison to onion, but this also
complicates weed management strategies since growers do not want to reduce barley germination, but
must kill the barley before it reaches a height of 18 cm and competes with the onion crop reducing
onion yield [7].
In a reduced tillage system or a low disturbance tillage system at least 30% of the soil surface
remains covered by residue compared to conventional, full-width tillage [8]. Strip tillage is a form of
conservation tillage, which disturbs only the crop rows while the rest of the soil remains undisturbed.
As a result, soil losses by wind and water erosion are reduced by 25% to 30%. Residue on the soil
surface may also reduce weed seedling emergence by allelopathic and shading effects or by intercepting
herbicide applications [9]. Strip tillage is an emerging practice in vegetable production as it offers
advantages of less erosion and maintained soil quality compared with conventional tillage [10].
Weed control is a vital component in the production of marketable onion. However, herbicide
application restrictions and limited weed control spectra with pre-emergence herbicides (PRE) make
early-season broadleaf weed control in seeded onion difficult. This is further complicated when
a barley companion crop is planted as previously described. Recent research has shown effective
early-season broadleaf weed control can be achieved by applying post-emergence (POST) herbicides at
regular intervals as micro-rates when broadleaf weeds are in the cotyledon to first-true-leaf stage [11].
These applications have been effective in standard tillage systems, but have not been tested in strip
tillage systems. The objective of this research was to determine if strip tillage could be used instead of
standard tillage practices in seeded onion when various early-season (prior to onion two-leaf growth
stage) weed control options were used.
The backpack sprayer was equipped with TeeJet 8002 flat-fan nozzles (Spraying Systems Co., Chicago,
IL, USA) spaced at 45.7 cm along a 1.5-m-wide boom, which sprayed four paired-rows at a time and
was calibrated to deliver 187 L ha´1 .
Table 1. Pre- and post-emergence herbicide application rates and timings at Oakes, ND, USA in 2007
and 2008.
Date of Application
Treatment Rate
1 2 3 4
Oakes 2007 g ai ha´1
Pre-emergence
DCPA 8405 30 April
Pendimethalin 798.6 30 April
Post-emergence
Bromoxynil 70.1 16 May 23 May 31 May 6 June
Oxyfluorfen 70.1 16 May 23 May 31 May 6 June
Oakes 2008
Pre-emergence
DCPA 8405 1 May
Pendimethalin 798.6 1 May
Post-emergence
Bromoxynil 70.1 16 May 26 May 3 June 9 June
Oxyfluorfen 70.1 16 May 26 May 3 June 9 June
2.5 cm; small, 2.5 cm to 5.7 cm; medium, 5.7 cm to 7.6 cm; and large, greater than 7.6 cm. Split and
diseased bulbs were graded as culls, regardless of diameter.
escaped the PRE herbicide treatments (Table 2) were controlled, while later emerging common
lambsquarters in the conventional tillage treatment were not controlled by oxyfluorfen.
Table 2. Common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album), redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus), and
hairy nightshade (Solanum physalifolium) densities following herbicide applications at Oakes, ND, USA,
during 2007 and 2008.
1WA2A
Pendimethalin 11 a 0a 26 a 0b 100 a 53 b
DCPA 7 ab 0a 15 a 3b 50 b 132 a
Oxyfluorfen 0b 0a 0b 35 a 0c 4b
Bromoxynil 0b 0a 0b 27 ab 3c 11 b
Grower Standard 8 ab 0a 22 a 0b 35 b 126 a
1WA3A
Pendimethalin 14 a 1a 42 a 0a 86 a 41 bc
DCPA 3a 1a 22 a 0a 73 a 116 a
Oxyfluorfen 3a 12 a 0b 0a 1b 0c
Bromoxynil 0a 7a 0b 0a 0b 3c
Grower Standard 3a 0a 35 a 0a 73 a 97 ab
1WA4A
Pendimethalin 1a 1a 3a 0a 0a 33 b
DCPA 0a 0a 1a 0a 0a 50 ab
Oxyfluorfen 3a 15 a 0a 0a 1a 0c
Bromoxynil 0a 4a 0a 0a 1a 0c
Grower Standard 0a 0a 3a 0a 0a 54 a
z 1WA1A = one week after first micro-rate herbicide application, 1WA2A = one week after second micro-rate
herbicide application, 1WA3A = one week after third micro-rate herbicide application, 1WA4A = one week after
fourth micro-rate herbicide application; y Standard grower practice of herbicide weed management, DCPA
(PRE) followed by a POST application at onion three-leaf growth stage of bromoxynil and oxyfluorfen; x Means
for each application timing and year followed by the same lower case letter are not significantly different
according to Fisher’s Protected LSD (p < 0.05).
Table 3. Common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) and hairy nightshade (Solanum physalifolium)
densities as affected by herbicide and tillage averaged over years at Oakes, ND, USA.
though the post-emergence herbicide treatments generally provided better early-season broadleaf
control compared to the pre-emergence treatments, this did not compensate for the additional costs
associated with multiple spray applications and the increased weather risk associated with the need
for four timely spray applications. The lack of onion grand and yield differences among herbicide
treatments were contrary to those reported by Loken and Hatterman-Valenti [11], but do reinforce the
importance of weed control at the onion two- and three-leaf stage (mid-season herbicide application)
and prior to the onion bulbing stage.
In 2007, tillage affected onion yield as well as bulb diameter (Table 4). More large onion bulbs
were produced under strip tillage compared to conventional tillage. This resulted in greater marketable
and total yields compared to conventional tillage. Similar trends were also observed in 2008; however,
the differences were not significant. There were more small-diameter onion with conventional tillage,
but this did not influence marketable or total yields. Evans et al. [23] reported a 17% greater sugarbeet
(Beta vulgaris L.) yield in only one year with strip tillage, which they attributed the standing straw
stubble that protected sugarbeet seedlings from blowing soil during a spring wind storm. Haramoto
and Brainard [24] reported that in row soil moisture was higher season-long in strip tillage compared
with conventional tillage, but that tillage did not influence cabbage marketable yield. However, the
cabbage were transplanted and thus less sensitive to soil moisture differences than a seeded crop. Both
factors (reduced wind erosion and increased soil moisture) may have contributed to the increased
onion yield with strip tillage, but it is more likely that the higher onion yield was a result of an increase
in soil moisture with strip tillage [5].
Table 4. Onion (Allium cepa) grade and yield as affected by tillage and year averaged over herbicide
treatments at Oakes, ND, USA.
Onion Yield z
Year
Small Medium Large Marketable Total
2007 —————————— (Mg ha´1 ) ——————————
Strip tillage 10.8 a y 32.8 a 49.3 a 82.1 a 92.9 a
Conventional 14.6 a 33.1 a 31.9 b 64.9 b 79.2 b
2008
Strip tillage 7.6 b 25.6 a 25.3 a 50.8 a 58.4 a
Conventional 10.2 a 24.6 a 22.1 a 46.7 a 56.9 a
zSmall = onion bulb diameter 2.5 cm to 5.7 cm, medium = onion bulb diameter 5.7 cm to 7.6 cm, large = onion
bulb diameter greater than 7.6 cm, marketable = onion bulb diameter ě5.7 cm and not split or diseased; y Means
within each column and year followed by the same letter are not significantly different according to Fisher’s
Protected LSD (p ď 0.05).
4. Conclusions
There were no differences between tillage or herbicide treatments for onion stand counts.
Post-emergence herbicides generally provided greater early-season common lambsquarters, redroot
pigweed, and hairy nightshade control than pre-emergence herbicide treatments, but the greater
early-season broadleaf weed control from multiple spray applications did not increase onion grade or
yield. More large onion bulbs were produced under strip tillage compared to conventional tillage in
2007. This resulted in greater marketable and total yields under strip tillage compared to conventional
tillage. Results support implementing strip tillage in seeded onion production, especially when
growing conditions are conducive to higher yields. The use of strip tillage in onion production may
provide an alternative to using a barley companion crop since onion can be readily planted within the
tilled strip and crop residue remains undisturbed on more than half the area to reduce wind erosion.
In addition, the use of strip tillage did not interfere with either PRE or POST herbicide systems used to
provide early-season broadleaf weed control.
Acknowledgments: Partial funding for this research was provided by SBARE, new and emerging crops.
Agriculture 2016, 6, 11 8 of 9
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