Dear cover-crop interestees: There goes my thesis material. I want to clarify that I did this in California, not in the tropics, which is where I am now. However, I am very interested in sustainable agriculture in the tropics. I did my M.S. thesis on the agroecology of homegarden agroforestry systems in Nicaragua. So, any info or discussion relating to tropical agriculture is definitely welcome. Hope this way of sending the material works for all. sincerely, Ernesto Mendez Agroforestry Consultant CATIE/GTZ Agroforestry Proyect CATIE 7170 Turrialba, Costa Rica Méndez, V.E. 1994. Use of clovers as living mulches in small-scale, low-input vegetable production. B.Sc. Thesis. California Polytechnic State University. San Luis Obispo, CA. USA. 39 p. ABSTRACT Living mulches, cover crops planted with a companion or cash crop, have the potential of benefiting agricultural systems by improving soil properties and adding biodiversity to agroecosystems. The objectives of this experiment were to determine the effects of two potential living mulch species, White Dutch clover(Trifolium repens L. cv. Dutch) and Strawberry clover(Trifolium fragiferum L. cv. Salina), and living mulch seeding time on soil properties and broccoli (Brassica oleracea group italica cv. Marathon) dry weight and yield in a low-input agricultural system. Four broccoli dry weight measurements were taken starting 3 months after transplant and at 15 day intervals in an attempt to record effects of living mulches at different stages of broccoli development. Broccoli yield was significantly lower (p£0.01) in living mulch plots than in bare plots. Soil organic matter was significantly higher (p£0.05) in pre-established mulch plots than in simultaneously seeded plots. Soil resistance was significantly greater (p£0.01) in bare plots. Plots where mulch was seeded prior to broccoli transplant resulted in lower yields than all other plots. In this experiment living mulches were beneficial to the soil system but detrimental to broccoli yield. This issue presents the challenge of adapting living mulch techniques so they do not result in crop yield loss. LITERATURE CITED Akobundu, I.O. and B.N. Okigbo. 1984. Preliminary evaluation of ground covers for use as live mulch in maize production. Field Crops Res. 8:177-186. Altieri, M.A. and M. Liebman. 1986. Insect, weed and plant disease management in multiple cropping systems. p. 183-219. In C. A. Francis (ed.) Multiple cropping systems. Macmillan Publishing Co. New York, NY. Altieri, M. A. and L. L. Schmidt. 1985. Cover crop manipulation in northern California orchards and vineyards: effects on arthropod communities. Biol. Agric. and Hort. 3:1-24. Anonymous. 1981. The concept of living mulch. Am. Vegetable Grower 29:38,40,42,44,46,61. Andow, D.A., A.G. Nicholson, H.C. Wien and H.R. Wilson. 1986. Insect populations on cabbage grown with living mulches. Environmental Entomology 15:293-299. Baker, D.C. and D.W. Norman. 1990. The farming systems research and extension approach to small farm development. p. 91-104. In M. A. Altieri and S.B. Hecht. Agroecology and small farm development. CRC press. Boca Raton, Fla. Bugg, R.L., F.L. Wackers, K.E. Brunson, J.D. Dutcher and S.C. Phatak. 1991. Cool-season cover crops relay intercropped with cantaloupe: influence on a generalist predator, Geocoris punctipes (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae). J. Econ. Entom. 84:408-416. Coleman, E. 1989. The new organic grower. Chelsea Green. Chelsea, VT. Elkins, D., D. Frederking, R. Marashi and B. McVay. 1983. Living mulch for no-till corn and soybeans. J. of Soil and Water Cons. 8:431-433. Enache, A. J. and R. D. Ilnicki. 1990. Weed control by subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) used as a living mulch. Weed Tech. 4:534-538. Fawzy, M. 1992. Establishment techniques for living mulches in transplanted vegetable production. M.S. thesis. Cal Poly Univ., San Luis Obispo, CA. Fischer, A. and L. Burrill. 1993. Managing interference in a sweet corn-white clover living mulch system. Am. J. of Alt. Ag. 8:51-56. Francis, C. A., 1986. Introduction: distribution and importance of multiple cropping. p. 1-19. In C. A. Francis (ed.) Multiple cropping systems. Macmillan Publishing Co. New York, NY. Fukuoka, M., 1985. The natural way of farming: the theory and practice of green philosophy. Japan Publications. New York, NY. Grubinger, V. P. and P.L. Minotti. 1990. Managing white clover living mulch for sweet corn production with partial rototilling. Am. J. of Alt. Ag. 5:4-12. Hartl, W. 1989. Influence of undersown clovers on weeds and on the yield of winter wheat in organic farming. Agric. Ecosystems and Environ. 27:389-396. Khan, M. J., E. J. Monke and G. R. Foster. 1988. Mulch cover and canopy effect on soil loss. Trans. of the ASAE 31:706-711. Lanini, W. T., J. M. Shribbs and C. E. Elmore. 1988. Orchard floor mulching trials in the U.S.A. Components 1:5-6. Latheef, M. A., J. H. Ortiz and A.Q. Sheikh. 1984. Influence of intercropping on Phyllotreta cruciferae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) populations on collard plants. J. Econ. Ento. 77:1180-1184. Miller, R. W. and R. L. Donahue. 1990. Soils, an introduction to soils and plant growth. Prentice Hall. Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Nabhan, G., M. Slater and L. Yarger. 1990. New crops for small farmers in marginal lands? wild chiles as a case study. p. 19-26. In M. A. Altieri and S.B. Hecht. Agroecology and small farm development. CRC press. Boca Raton, Fla. Paul, E. A. and F. E. Clark. 1989. Soil microbiology and biochemistry.Academic Press. San Diego, CA. Plucknett, D. L. and N. J. H. Smith. 1986. Historical perspectives on multiple cropping. p. 20-39. In C. A. Francis (ed.) Multiple cropping systems. Macmillan Publishing Co. New York, NY. Regnier, E. E. and R. R. Janke. 1990. Evolving strategies for managing weeds. p. 174-203. In C. A. Edwards, R. Lal, P. Madden, R. H. Miller and G. House (eds.) Sustainable Agricultural Systems. Soil and Water Conservation Society, Ankemy, IA. Sarrantonio, M. 1992. Opportunities and challenges for the inclusion of soil-improving crops in vegetable production systems. HortScience 27:757-758. Savory, A. 1988. Holistic resource management. Island Press. Washington, DC. Scott, T. W., J. Mt. Pleasant, R. F. Burt and D. J. Otis. 1987. Contributions of ground cover, dry matter and nitrogen from intercrops and cover crops in a corn polyculture system. Agron. J. 79:792-798. Stewart, R. H., K. W. Lynch and E. M. White. 1980. The effect of growing clover cultivars in association with barley cultivars upon grain yield of the barley crop in the year of sowing and the subsequent year. J. Agric. Sci. 95:715-720. Stirzaker, R. J., B. G. Sutton and N. Collis-George. 1992. Soil management for irrigated vegetable production. I. the growth of processing tomatoes following soil preparation by cultivation, zero-tillage and an in situ-grown mulch. Aust. J. Agric. Res. 44:817-829. Tomar, J. S., A. F. MacKenzie, G. R. Mhuys and I. Alli. 1988. Corn growth with foliar nitrogen, soil-applied nitrogen and legume intercrops. Agron. J. 80:802-807. Vrabel, T. E., P. L. Minotti and R. D. Sweet. 1983. Regulating competition from white clover in a sweet corn living mulch system. Weed Sci. Soc. Am. Abstracts 23:4. White J. G. and T. W. Scott. 1991. Effects of perennial forage-legume living mulches on no-till winter wheat and rye. Field Crops Res. 28:135-148. At 22:54 29.03.97 -0500, you wrote: > > >---------- Forwarded message ---------- >Date: Sat, 29 Mar 1997 18:46:13 -0500 >To: "Ernesto Mendez (G.T.Z.)" >Cc: sanet-mg@ces.ncsu.edu >Subject: Re: sending info to list members > >Ernesto Mendez (G.T.Z.) wrote: >> >> march 7, 1997 >> >> Hello to everyone ! >> >> As you may have noticed there is an interest in cover crops and living >> mulches. I want to send those interested the bibliography of my thesis >> and want to know what is the best way to do it. Is it an attachment? I >> do not want to bother those not interested. >> >> Ernesto Mendez >> Agroforestry Consultant >> CATIE-GTZ Agroforestry Project >................... > >I would reall appreciate your sending me a copy of your cover >crops/living mulches bibliography. I have a collection of resources >on these topics that I make available on the Web. >If you're interested see various directories in: >http://sunsite.unc.edu/london/orgfarm > >Lawrence London >london@sunsite.unc.edu >http://sunsite.unc.edu/InterGarden >london@nuteknet.com > > > >