Cover crops for no-till pumpkins

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Spring-sown oat
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Spring-sown oat
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Weed Control

• Winter rye Good weed control through mid to
  late season.
• Sp. Oat Good weed control early to mid season.
• Annual Medics Good weed control.
• How good weed control is depends on a number of
  factors

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Poor coverage of soil by fall-sown rye cover crop.
Excellent soil coverage of spring-sown oat cover
crop
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Average yield, clean, and orange fruit at
Columbus, Fremont, South Charleston, and Wooster.
Plots 25 by 25, rows 10 on center.
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Fusarium Fruit Rot
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Fusarium fruit rot of pumpkin

• Most infections of fruit occur in region that is
  in direct contact with soil.
• Fungus may penetrate directly under moist
  conditions or through wounds.
• Large numbers of conidia produced on field-culled
  or unharvested fruit!!
• Many species reported to be seed-borne
• Weedy fields may enhance FFR!

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Control of Fruit Rot

• Why cant farmers avoid fruit rot?
• Fungicide use
• No good fungicide control. WHY?
• Need for long cucurbit rotations

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Interesting Facts

• For every ton of fruit left in field, 200 lbs of
  potential inoculum for next season
• At least 10 species of Fusarium can cause fruit
  rot!
• Fusarium solani f. sp. cucurbitae seems to be
  dominate species in OH.

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For more information on this research or on the
use of cover crops in pumpkin production please
contact Andy Wyenandt, Dept. of Plant Pathology,
the Ohio State University by phone at (614)
292-9355 or by email _at_ wyenandt.1_at_osu.edu
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Acknowledgments

• Research funded in part by the Ohio Vegetable and
  Small Fruit Research Development Program,
  OSU-GSCRGP and NCR SARE.
• Special thanks to on-farm cooperators, OSU Farm
  Managers, and Team Riedel.