Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
3.6
3.6
Journals
Agriculture
Special Issues
Benefits and Challenges of Cover Crops in Agricultural Systems
share announcement

Benefits and Challenges of Cover Crops in Agricultural Systems

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Systems and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 June 2024 | Viewed by 556

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Insa Kühling

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Agronomy and Crop Science, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany
Interests: cropping systems; crop rotation; cover crops; legumes; sustainable intensification; remote sensing; crop growth modelling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cover crops—sometimes referred to as catch crops—are known to provide additional ecosystem services in arable cropping systems. However, their agronomic benefits, like their effectiveness as fertilisers and yield effects, are strongly site-dependent and can also be disadvantageous. In terms of climate effects, the choice of system boundaries under spatial and temporal conditions can affect the overall balance. Therefore, a holistic evaluation of cover crops’ effects in cropping systems must assess all potential impacts, including long-term and off-site effects. To achieve the aim of maximising cover crops’ environmental benefits, we must explicitly address their challenges and risks together with potential solutions.

This Special Issue invites authors to contribute work that discusses the agronomic aspects of cover crops, as well their environmental effects and economic impacts. We welcome experimental studies conducted on a wide range of spatial scales (e.g., laboratory/incubation, field, landscape) and reviews/meta-analyses (regional and global) on cover crops in agricultural systems. We also welcome interdisciplinary approaches that include agronomic issues as one of several dimensions.

Dr. Insa Kühling
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cover crops
  • catch crops
  • nutrient cycling
  • ecosystem services
  • crop rotation
  • cropping sequence
  • sustainable intensification
  • agricultural systems

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

15 pages, 1255 KiB  
Article
Using Cover Crops as Means of Controlling Weeds and Reducing the Applied Quantity of Glyphosate-Based Herbicide in No-Till Glyphosate Tolerant Soybean and Corn
by Jérôme Bernier Brillon, Marc Lucotte, Ariane Bernier, Myriam Fontaine and Matthieu Moingt
Agriculture 2024, 14(5), 659; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14050659 - 24 Apr 2024
Viewed by 367
Abstract
Weeds represent a serious drawback affecting the productivity of field crops worldwide. While the most common approach to control weeds in no-till practices is the use of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs), reducing their use represents a major challenge. This two-year field study aims to [...] Read more.
Weeds represent a serious drawback affecting the productivity of field crops worldwide. While the most common approach to control weeds in no-till practices is the use of glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs), reducing their use represents a major challenge. This two-year field study aims to evaluate whether the use of cover crops (CC) in transgenic soybean and corn productions can (1) help control weeds and (2) reduce the amount of GBH needed for managing weeds. Sampling was carried out in 32 experimental field plots (four crop managements with four replicates on both crops). Crop managements consisted of GBH applications at rates of 0.84, 1.67, and 3.3 L ha−1 in plots in direct seeding with CC (DSCC) and at rates of 3.3 L ha−1 in plots without CC (DS). Weed cover rates, plant parameters (fresh and dry weights and heights), grain yields, water, and cation contents in soil were considered as indicators of interspecific competition. Results obtained in both years show that it is possible to reduce GBH use by 50% in plots with CC compared to plots without CC using a rate of GBH application of 3.33 L ha−1 (DS 3.3). However, weeds had a large impact on water content in soil, which was reflected by smaller plants and lower yields in plots with only 0.84 L ha−1 of GBH applied. In the context of the study, the use of CCs seems to facilitate the development of more sustainable agriculture while reducing the quantities of GBH generally used. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Benefits and Challenges of Cover Crops in Agricultural Systems)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-1
Back to TopTop