Towards a Living Mulch System: Corn Establishment, Herbicide Efficacy, and N Availability in a Binary Mixture of White Clover.

Living mulch systems have been proposed as a system to reduce the need for N fertilizer and herbicides, and control soil erosion.  To date, nearly all living mulch investigations have focused on cash crop yields while nearly ignoring the need for regeneration of the mulch crop.  A series of studies were established to test various methods of establishing corn (Zea mays L.) into a white clover (Trifolium repens L.) mulch crop, determine herbicides that provide in-row weed control without affecting clover regrowth, and N contribution from clover to corn.  Results conclusively demonstrate that clover must be killed in bands to successfully establish corn and that either strip- or no-till planting methods provide adequate corn establishment into the dead clover.  Clover is an excellent means of controlling weeds between rows, but the herbicide used to control weeds within the row dramatically affect clover re-establishment after corn harvest.  One-year-old clover stands supply approximately 150 kg ha^-1 N to the corn but a two-year-old clover stand can supply all N needs for the corn crop.   These results indicate using white clover in a living mulch system for corn production may be a viable option, but other agronomic practices need to be optimized prior to implementation.