Poster: Late and Moved Abstracts

Abs # 1371: Managing Vegetable Crops for Quality and Yield on High Phosphorus Soils

Presenter:	Geleta, Samuel , sxgeleta@salisbury.edu
Authors	Geleta, Samuel  (A)   Womack, Harry E. (A)   Brinsfield, Russ  (B)   Mulford, Ron  (B)
Affiliations:	(A): Salisbury University (B): University of Maryland

Producing high quality yields of vegetable crops while maintaining environmental quality has become an increasingly challenging task that farmers will continue to face in the foreseeable future. A three site-year study was conducted to examine whether reduced P fertilization and use of preceding rye cover crop can be used to reduce the amount of P in the environment without affecting the yield and quality of sweet corn (Zea mays L.) and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) grown on high P soils of the Eastern Shore of MD. Five phosphorus fertilizer treatments ranging from 0 to 60 kg P ha^-1 at 15 kg increments were applied to corn and watermelon grown with and without a preceding rye cover crop. The yield of sweet corn and watermelon were not affected by P fertilization. When corn was grown after a rye cover crop, reduction of P rate had no significant effect on sweet corn sugar concentrations or ear size. The use of preceding cover crops increased watermelon yields and fruit size. Post harvest residual plant available P level in the soil was consistently lower on plots that were preceded by a rye cover crop than it was on plots that had no cover crops. The use of a preceding rye cover crop along with no P fertilization reduces the risk of P enrichment of field drainages while not reducing the yield and quality of sweet corn and watermelons grown on soils with “excessive” soil test P.