Enhancing Crop Productivity via Weed Suppression in Organic No-Till Cropping Systems in Santa Catarina, Brazil
Authors:
Andres Kieling, Henrique Bittencourt, Jucinei Comin, Marcos Lana, Miguel Altieri, Paulo Lovato
Tags:
agroecology, allelopathy, cover crops, diversified farming systems, mulch, organic conservation tillage (OCT) system, soil fertility, weed suppression
Journal:
Journal of Sustainable Agriculture
Year Published:
2011
Policy Summary
The findings from this study looking at organic conservation tillage systems (OCT) show that cover crops can enhance weed suppression, and hence crop productivity through physical interference and allelopathy and also impacts soil quality, fertility, and soil moisture. This points to the need for policies that support transitions to diversified farming systems, OCT, and agroecological practices.
