Undersown tall fescue as a cover crop after forage maize in 2014

摘要

Grass cover crops installed following the harvest of forage maize often develop poorly due to the late sowing date. Undersowing of grasses is an alternative, provided the undersown grass does not compete too much with the maize crop. This trial evaluatedthe competition of undersown tall fescue {Festuca arundinacea Schrcb.) in forage maize. Differences in competition were obtained by using 6 contrasting herbicide treatments that affected tall fescue differently. The yield of forage maize without undersown grass (control: 21,688 kg DM ha~(-1)) was significantly higher compared to maize with undersown grass that was not inhibited by herbicides (17,887 kg DM ha~(-1)). A significant negative relationship was found between the maize yield and the grass biomass after maize harvest. At the beginning of the winter, the biomass of Italian ryegrass sown immediately after the maize harvest was at the same level of the undersown tall fescue. Our results indicate the necessity using the right herbicide treatment to combine good maize yields with the benefits of the undersown grass.