Integrating fall‐planted cereal rye cover crop with herbicides for reducing Palmer amaranth seed production in soybean under planting green conditions

Abstract Cover crops are usually terminated prior to planting the cash crop; however, “planting green” is an alternative approach that allows growers to plant cash crop into an actively growing, green cover crop, which is then terminated after the establishment of the cash crop. The objectives of this study were (1) to determine whether planting soybean ( Glycine max L. Merr.) into a standing cereal rye ( Secale cereale L.) cover crop provides superior weed suppression compared to terminating cereal rye 2 weeks before soybean planting and (2) to evaluate an integrated effect of herbicide programs and cereal rye termination timing on Palmer amaranth ( Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) control, biomass, seed production, soybean grain yield, and benefit/cost ratio. Field experiments were conducted in southcentral Nebraska from 2020 to 2022. Preemergence (PRE) herbicide with 2 weeks after planting (WAP) termination of cereal rye provided >95% Palmer amaranth control in 2021 and varied from 88% to 98% in 2022 at 28 days after PRE. A PRE herbicide followed by (fb) late‐postemergence (LPOST) herbicide with 2 WAP termination of cereal rye controlled Palmer amaranth 85%–92% in 2021 compared with 97%–99% control 28 days after LPOST herbicide application in 2022. Palmer amaranth density was higher with 2 WBP cereal rye termination compared with 2 WAP termination regardless of the herbicide program. PRE fb LPOST herbicide programs integrated with 2 WAP termination of cereal rye reduced Palmer amaranth seed production to less than 9100 seeds plant −1 in 2021 and no seed production in 2022. In 2021, terminating cereal rye 2 WAP played an integral role in controlling and reducing the density of Palmer amaranth; however, it had noticeable impact on soybean yield compared to terminating 2 WBP. In 2022, hail and windstorm had a confounding effect on soybean stand and yield.