Nutrient Management Research Database
General Information
Research Title
Research Specifications
Authors
Summary/Abstract from Original Source
A single fall planting of a leguminous cover crop of vetch/pea mixture increased fruit yields of processing tomatoes by 5 to 13%. Nitrogen benefit from the leguminous cover crop appeared limited.Effects on soluble solids fruit quality were inconsistent between years. Rainfall run-off during the early spring was reduced up to 70% compared to the conventional, weed-free bed approach. Some growers have since adopted the planting of a leguminous mix of cover crops ahead of cropping to tomatoes. The yield increases occurred only when grown succeeding tomatoes in the crop rotation. In our Meridian-located test, when tomatoes followed rice in the rotation, we observed no yield benefit from the cover crop program.
Research Highlights
Design and Methods
- Fall plantings of a common vetch-pea mix were established in 1998, 1999, 2000, drilled into dry beds in the fallow period between 2 consecutive rotations of tomatoes.
- Strips were planted along the trial sites to evaluate rainfall run-off. Greenhouse-grown tomato plants were transplanted between March and April.
- The experiment was a randomized complete block design with 6 replications , with each plot 3 beds wide by 100 ft. long.
- 2 factors were evaluated:
- fallow vs. cover cropping with a vetch-pea mix,
- and spring-applied sidedress N rates of 0, 50, 100, or 150 lbs N/acre.
- N status of the tomato plants was monitored throughout the season.
- In 1998, the cover crop was desiccated with herbicide and incorporated with conventional equipment in mid March.
- In 1999 and 2000 a bed mulcher was designed to incorporate the cover crop.
Results
- Tomato yields declined when grown solely on the N fixed by the vetch-pea cover crops and without benefits of supplemental applied N.
- An estimated 100 lbs of N was fixed by the cover crop in 1998 with over 200 lbs of N fixed in 1999 and 2000.
- Yield increases of 5-13% were recorded in the cover crop treatment when compared to the fallow-bed treatment.
- Soluble solids also increased from 4.7 to 4.9% Average seasonal runoff for the final two years was reduced by 50% with the use of cover-crops when compared to the fallow-bed treatment.
Other Considerations
sprinklers were used to establish transplants, furrow irrigation was used thereafter. Cost of the cover cropping practices was estimated at $75 per acre. A 2-ton tomato gain would pay for the added expense.
Additional Information
Tags (links to other subject matter in database)
Related Research in Sutter, Yolo Counties
- Local Diffusion Networks Act as Pathways to Sustainable Agriculture in the Sacramento River Valley (Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Glenn, Sacramento, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo)
- Processing Tomato Production in California (Colusa, Fresno, Kings, Merced, San Joaquin, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Yolo)
- Development of a Nitrogen Fertilizer Recommendation Model to Improve N-Use Efficiency and Alleviate Nitrate Pollution to Groundwater From Almond Orchards (Colusa, Yolo)
- Detecting and Correcting Soil Calcium Limitations (Fresno, Monterey, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Yolo)
- Quantifying the Effects of Green Waste Compost Application, Water Content and Nitrogen Fertilization on Nitrous Oxide Emissions in 10 Agricultural Soils (Fresno, Monterey, Solano, Stanislaus, Yolo)
- Soil sampling protocol reliably estimates preplant NO3- in SDI tomatoes (Fresno, San Joaquin, Yolo)
- Calcium Fertigation Ineffective at Increasing Fruit Yield and Quality of Muskmelon and Honeydew Melons in California (Fresno, Yolo)
- Modeling shows that alternative soil management can decrease greenhouse gases (Fresno, Yolo)
- Potassium Fertilization and Diagnostic Criteria for Pistachio Trees (Glenn, Madera, Yolo)
- Effects of Potassium Fertilization on Soil Potassium Distribution and Balance in Pistachio Orchards (Madera, Yolo)
- The effect of nitrogen source and crop rotation on the growth and yield of processing tomatoes (Yolo)
- Higher flexibility in input N:P ratios results in more balanced phosphorus budgets in two long-term experimental agroecosystems (Yolo)
- Nitrogen and carbon mineralization dynamics of manures and composts (Yolo)
- Who's your Farmer California? Cover cropping with Martin Burger (Yolo)
- Mustard cover crops are ineffective in suppressing soilborne disease or improving processing tomato yield (Yolo)
- Humic substances generally ineffective in improving vegetable crop nutrient uptake or productivity (Yolo)
- Precision Fertigation in Orchards: Development of a Spatially Variable Microsprinkler System (Yolo)
- Tightly-Coupled Plant-Soil Nitrogen Cycling: Comparison of Organic Farms across an Agricultural Landscape (Yolo)
- Assessing drivers of N2O production in California tomato cropping systems (Yolo)
- An estimation of annual nitrous oxide emissions and soil quality following the amendment of high temperature walnut shell biochar and compost to a small scale vegetable crop rotation (Yolo)
- Microbial responses and nitrous oxide emissions during wetting and drying of organically and conventionally managed soil under tomatoes (Yolo)
- Changes in soil chemical properties resulting from organic and low-input farming practices (Yolo)
- Processing Tomato Yield and Fruit Quality Improve with Potassium Fertigation (Yolo)
- Nitrogen Requirements of Drip-irrigated Processing Tomatoes (Yolo)
- Site Specific Farming Information Systems in Tomato-Based Rotation in the Sacramento Valley (Yolo)
- Cover cropping affects soil N(2)O and CO(2) emissions differently depending on type of irrigation (Yolo)
- Reduced nitrous oxide emissions and increased yields in California tomato cropping systems under drip irrigation and fertigation (Yolo)
- Transitioning from standard to minimum tillage: Trade-offs between soil organic matter stabilization, nitrous oxide emissions, and N availability in irrigated cropping systems (Yolo)
- Tillage and seasonal emissions of CO2, N20 and NO across a seed bed and at the field scale in a Mediterranean climate (Yolo)
- Nitrogen supply effects on partitioning of dry matter and nitrogen to grain of irrigated wheat (Yolo, Fresno)