ISHS Acta Horticulturae 262: V International Symposium on Rubus & Ribes
LIVING MULCH GROUND COVERS FOR WEED CONTROL BETWEEN RASPBERRY ROWS |
| Author: | S. Freyman |
| Abstract:
Four living mulches - perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), sheep fescue (Festuca ovina L.), white clover (Trifolium repens L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), were tested as an alternative to rotovation for weed control between raspberry rows. The trials were conducted at two sites, Agassiz and Abbotsford, in south coastal British Columbia. Three of the mulches were perennial, and the fourth, barley, was seeded each year immediately after harvest (early August). Check plots were rototilled 6–8 times a year - whenever required due to weed growth. A ryegrass ground cover significantly reduced berry yields by the second year of the trial. Barley was killed completely during the winter and formed a mat of dead material that was effective in suppressing weeds. White clover did not depress yields and was the most promising ground cover. | |
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