Establishing the crop
The ability of the crop to get off to a good start ahead of the weed flora is critical. Good soil management practises are important to provide the best possible seedbed in which to plant a crop. The impact of a poor compacted soil can soon be seen on crop establishment and subsequent weed invasion.
In some systems sowing can be aided by the use of primed seed, or by transplanting an already established plant into a freshly prepared weed free seedbed.
Transplanting is a popular technique in organic horticultural systems. Bare rooted transplants can be raised on holdings or modular plants raised or bought in then planted out in the field. Advantages include the benefit of accurate spacing i.e. not having to rely on germination that can sometimes lead to uneven establishment with subsequent yield and quality penalties. It also accentuates the difference in size between crop and weed, which can be vital for mechanical weeding at later stages.
Further information:
- Vegetable Establishment Techniques Orgainc Farming Technical Summary No 37 from the Scottish Agricultural College.
- Overwinter transplant production for extended season organic cropping was evaluated for a range of crop species and varieties, growing media, cell size and feeding regimes over the three seasons under experimental and commercial conditions which might help to establish more competitive crops. Details are available from the webpage on overwinter transplant production for extended season organic cropping.
- Weed control and transplanting techniques in row crops is a research project looking at how to establish beet crops to get a head start over weeds by pre-germination. More from www.darcof.dk.
- A current research project at HRI is attempting to understand the relative establishment times of crops and weeds within the changing seedbed.
- Successful Forage Crop Establishment from Penn State University
- Eight steps to successful perennial pasture establishment, a document from Australia.
Top of pageGarden Organic is the working name of the Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA).
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