Alternative tillage production systems for cucurbit vegetables

Publication date: 09/09/2019
Extent: 24 pages

Contributions by: S. Alan Walters, Southern Illinois University, USA

Chapter synopsis: Cultural production practices for some cucurbit crops have slightly changed over the last half-century to become more sustainable with less detrimental impacts on the soil and surrounding environment. Conservation tillage is one of these practices that is gaining acceptance since it conserves soil and water by reducing their loss relative to conventional tillage practices, and provides at least 30% crop residues on the soil surface. This chapter describes conservation tillage practices for cucurbits and cover crop use in cucurbits. The chapter goes on to consider the use of cover crop residues as mulches in conservation tillage systems and fertility management in cucurbit conservation tillage systems. The chapter then moves on to examine cucurbit disease reduction in conservation tillage and cucurbit crops for conservation tillage production systems.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2019.0045.31