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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Auburn, Alabama » Soil Dynamics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #275774
Title: Utilization of sunn hemp for cover crops and weed control in temperate climates

Author
item KELTON, JESSICA - Auburn University
item Price, Andrew
item MOSJIDIS, J - Auburn University

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2011
Publication Date: 2/29/2012
Citation: Price, A.J., Kelton, J.A., Mosjidis, J. 2012. Utilization of sunn hemp for cover crops and weed control in temperate climates. In: Price, A.J., editor. Weed Control. Rijeka, Croatia: Intech Press. p. 101-114.

Interpretive Summary: The need to develop increasingly integrated pest management and sustainable food production systems has encouraged a greater interest to thoroughly evaluate effective utilization of cover crops in agricultural systems. Sunn hemp, a tropical legume that originated most likely from the Indo-Pakistani sub-continent, has been identified as a potential alternative to traditional legume cover crops employed in the southern portion of the United States. As a tropical legume, sunn hemp is able to produce larger quantities of biomass in a shorter time period than winter legumes from temperate zones while still providing agronomically important amounts of fixed nitrogen. The increased biomass residue from sunn hemp would improve and extend weed control compared to use of other legume covers. Research continues worldwide to evaluate this species in order to determine its potential for widespread use in sustainable agricultural production as well as to identify any limitations with the use of sunn hemp.

Technical Abstract: The need to develop increasingly integrated pest management and sustainable food production systems has encouraged a greater interest to thoroughly evaluate effective utilization of cover crops in agricultural systems. Sunn hemp, a tropical legume that originated most likely from the Indo-Pakistani sub-continent, has been identified as a potential alternative to traditional legume cover crops employed in the southern portion of the United States. As a tropical legume, sunn hemp is able to produce larger quantities of biomass in a shorter time period than winter legumes from temperate zones while still providing agronomically important amounts of fixed nitrogen. The increased biomass residue from sunn hemp would improve and extend weed control compared to use of other legume covers. Research continues worldwide to evaluate this species in order to determine its potential for widespread use in sustainable agricultural production as well as to identify any limitations with the use of sunn hemp.