Root diseases, weeds, and nematodes with poultry litter and conservation tillage in a sweet corn–snap bean double crop

Abstract The effect of continuous applications of poultry litter on root diseases, nematodes, and weeds with different tillage practices in vegetable production in Georgia was investigated. Litter treatments (noncomposted and composted broiler or breeder litter) applied 3–5 weeks before planting were compared with no litter. In sweet corn and snap bean there were differences among years, and tillage and litter treatments had a variable effect on yield, post-emergence damping-off and plant stand. Crown and brace root rot in corn induced by Rhizoctonia solani AG 2-2 increased after 3 years conservation tillage, but there were no differences among litter treatments. Population densities of R. solani AG-4 were increased by conservation tillage before planting snap bean the first year but not in later years, while litter treatments had no effect. After 3 years, populations of Pythium spp., Fusarium solani, and Fusarium spp. did not differ among treatments, but noncomposted broiler litter increased populations of saprophytic fungi in soil compared with no litter. Population densities of stylet-bearing nematodes were low and usually not different among treatments. After 3 years of sweet corn populations of Meloidogyne incognita increased with conventional tillage compared with conservation tillage, populations of Paratrichodorus christiei were reduced by litter treatments and populations of Helicotylenchus dihystera were reduced by noncomposted broiler litter compared with no litter. Weed infestation increased in both tillage systems with time, but in snap bean there was a greater infestation in conservation tillage than in conventional tillage. Litter treatments had little effect on weed infestation.