Buckwheat as cover crop succeeds in controlling weeds

Buckwheat cover cropping can reduce both the emergence and growth of weeds, thereby presenting an easy and economical alternative to herbicides, according to a new study that analyzed the roles of both nitrogen and fungal pathogens in weed inhibition. Results of the study are published in the latest issue of Weed Science.
 
Growing environmental and health concerns over the use of herbicides have resulted in an increasing demand for alternative weed management strategies, including cover crops. Buckwheat, a short-duration broadleaved annual cover crop, is useful as a summer cover crop because it grows rapidly, establishes canopy faster than most weeds, and hence provides very effective weed suppression during establishment. Entire study
 
Weed Science is the official publication of the Weed Science Society of America presenting original research and scholarship in peer-reviewed articles related to all aspects of weed science, including invasive plant species. For more information regarding the Weed Science Society of America please visit http://www.wssa.net