November 2024 - 42

VEG CONNECTIONS
Lessons from the Northern Great Plains
Soil tarping effects on weed pressure and onion production
BY HANNAH VOYE, RHODA BURROWS
AND KRISTINE LANG
O
nions are particularly
susceptible to competition with
weeds during production. This is
due to their slow growth and minimal
leaf canopy that reduces their ability
to shade out weeds. It is important
for growers to have effective weed
management strategies to produce
optimum onion yields.
Soil tarping is a practice used by
small-scale vegetable growers to
reduce weed competition with a cash
crop without the use of herbicides
and extensive tillage. Two types of
soil tarping are used: solarization
and occultation.
Solarization
This process uses clear
greenhouse plastic laid over a
growing area to harness energy
from the sun and warm the soil. The
plastic is commonly secured with
sandbags or by burying the edges
of the plastic with soil to better
trap heat and moisture. During
hot summer months, or in a warm
climate, temperatures beneath the
plastic can become high enough to
kill weed seeds and seedlings.
If used early in the growing season,
or in cooler climates, temperatures
beneath the plastic warm soil
enough to germinate a high amount
of weed seedlings before the growing
season begins. The weed seed bank
is exhausted so less weeds compete
with the crop during the growing
season. In this method, light tillage
may be needed to clear out the
germinated weed seedlings before a
crop is planted.
Occultation
This type of soil tarping utilizes
an opaque tarp laid over the soil
and secured with sandbags to block
light from reaching weed seeds
42 | NOVEMBER 2024
'Candy' onions growing in SDSU Specialty Crop Field. Photo courtesy of
Hannah Voye, Rhoda Burrow and Kristine Lang.
and seedlings, therefore preventing
weed growth beneath the tarp. Upon
tarp removal, a weed-free planting
bed is available.
During the 2023 growing season,
researchers at South Dakota State
University in Brookings measured the
effects of early season soil tarping on
weed pressure and onion yield. Three
tarp methods were tested: doublesided
black/white silage tarps with
black side up, double-sided black/
white silage tarps with white side up
and clear greenhouse plastic.
In addition to tarp material, the
time the tarps covered the soil was
studied. All tarps were placed over
the soil for six, four and two weeks
before they were removed. Six-week
tarps were applied April 18, four

November 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2024

Editor's Letter
Tomato farming success
Mesotunnels impact
Great Lakes EXPO: Unlocking farm potential
Great Lakes EXPO Schedule
Hydroponics
Seed Variety Showcase
Organic Grower
40 Under Forty Fresh Views
Veg Connections
Farm Market & Agritourism
Ag Labor Review
Classifieds
Advertiser Index
November 2024 - 1
November 2024 - 2
November 2024 - 3
November 2024 - Editor's Letter
November 2024 - 5
November 2024 - Tomato farming success
November 2024 - 7
November 2024 - 8
November 2024 - Mesotunnels impact
November 2024 - 10
November 2024 - Great Lakes EXPO: Unlocking farm potential
November 2024 - Great Lakes EXPO Schedule
November 2024 - 13
November 2024 - Hydroponics
November 2024 - 15
November 2024 - 16
November 2024 - 17
November 2024 - 18
November 2024 - Seed Variety Showcase
November 2024 - 20
November 2024 - 21
November 2024 - 22
November 2024 - 23
November 2024 - 24
November 2024 - 25
November 2024 - 26
November 2024 - 27
November 2024 - 28
November 2024 - 29
November 2024 - 30
November 2024 - 31
November 2024 - 32
November 2024 - 33
November 2024 - 34
November 2024 - Organic Grower
November 2024 - 36
November 2024 - 37
November 2024 - 38
November 2024 - 39
November 2024 - 40 Under Forty Fresh Views
November 2024 - 41
November 2024 - Veg Connections
November 2024 - 43
November 2024 - Farm Market & Agritourism
November 2024 - 45
November 2024 - Ag Labor Review
November 2024 - 47
November 2024 - Classifieds
November 2024 - 49
November 2024 - Advertiser Index
November 2024 - 51
November 2024 - 52
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