Effect of Seeding Date on the Performance of Grasses and Broadleaf Species Evaluated for Cover Crop Management in the Breede River Valley Wine Grape Region of South Africa
Abstract
The trial was conducted over a period of two years on a medium-textured soil near Robertson (33°50’S, 19°54’E),situated in the Breede River Valley of the Western Cape. The effect of seeding date on the dry matter production
(DMP) and weed control efficacy of eight grasses and sixteen N-fixing broadleaf species, as well as varieties of three
of these species, were determined. The decomposition rate of the surface mulches during summer (from the end of
August to the end of January) was measured to determine the persistence of the fibre of the different species.
Seeding date had a significant effect on most of the species. Triticale v. Usgen 18 (triticale), Avena sativa L. v.
Overberg (‘Overberg’ oats), Avena strigosa L. v. Saia (‘Saia’ oats) and Secale cereale L. v. Henog (rye) effectively
suppressed the winter-growing weeds of the region and produced more than the five tons of dry matter per hectare
deemed necessary for effective cover crop management with a grass species. These species produced the highest
amount of dry matter if sown in early April (mid-autumn). Vicia faba L. v. Fiord (faba bean) and Medicago truncatula
v. Paraggio (‘Paraggio’ medic) controlled the winter-growing weeds acceptably, while producing more than
the six tons of dry matter per hectare suggested to be necessary for the prevention of erosion in most vineyard soils.
Vicia dasycarpa Ten. (grazing vetch) suppressed the winter-growing weeds acceptably. Although these legumes did
not produce more than the eight tons of dry matter per hectare deemed necessary for effective control of summer
growing weeds under intensive full-surface irrigation, they should still be considered for cover crop management
on soils with a low organic matter content in the region, because of their ability to supply nitrogen to the grapevines.
A highly significant correlation was found between the decomposition rate of the surface mulch and the initial
amount of dry matter present on the soil surface.
Downloads
A copyright form will be e-mailed to the corresponding author when the manuscript has been accepted for publication.
In principle, the Author agrees to the following when he/she signes the copyright agreement:
I hereby assign to the SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY FOR ENOLOGY AND VITICULTURE (SASEV) the copyright of the text, tables, figures, supplementary material, illustrations and other information (the Material) submitted with the manuscript to be published in SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF ENOLOGY AND VITICULTURE (SAJEV) (the "Article"). The copyright becomes effective from the date the Article has been accepted for publication in SAJEV.
This is an open access journal, and the authors and journal should be properly acknowledged, when works are cited.
Author's may use the publishers version for teaching purposes, in books, theses, dissertations, conferences and conference papers.
A copy of the authors' publishers version may also be hosted on the following websites:
- Non-commercial personal webpage or blog.
- Institutional webpage.
- Authors Institutional Repository.
The following notice should accompany such a posting on the website: This is an electronic version of an article published in SAJEV, Volume XXX, number XXX, pages XXX - XXX, DOI. Authors should also supply a hyperlink to the original paper or indicate where the original paper (www.journals.ac.za/index.php/sajev/) may be found.
Authors publishers version, affiliated with the Stellenbosch University will be automatically deposited in the University's Institutional Repository SUNScholar.
Articles as a whole, may not be re-published with another journal.
The following license applies:
Attribution CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
