Data from: Integrated Weed Management in Cucurbit Production Using Spring-seeded Grass Cover Crops

Study locations<br>o Watermelon- University of Maryland Wye Research and Education Center Queenstown, MD (38.9°N, 76.2°W)o Cucumber- Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Bridgeton, NJ (39.5°N,75.2°W)· Study design: split-split plot arranged on a randomized complete block design with 4 replicates<br>o Whole plots = post-transplant treatments (clethodim [ 140 g ai·ha^-1¹], paraquat [ 336 g ai·ha^-1], crimped [no herbicide])o Subplots = cover crop species (cereal rye [268 kg·ha^-1], oat [310 kg·ha^-1], cereal rye [134 kg·ha^-1] + oat [155 kg·ha^-1], no cover)<br>o Sub-subplot = residual herbicide (fomesafen [421 g ai·ha^-1] + <i>S-</i>metolachlor [1783 g ai·ha^-1])<br>Plot size = 4 rows of plastic mulch 7.6 m long, 6.9 m wide in 2021 and 4.6 m long, 6.9 m wide in 2022.<br>Study dates: 4/21 – 9/21, 4/22/ - 8/22o Bed formation = MD (4/20/21, 4/14/22), NJ (4/6/21, 4/13/22)<br>o Cover crop seeding = MD (4/27/21), 4/25/22), NJ (4/7/21, 4/20/22)o Crop seeding/transplant = MD (6/24/21, 6/16/22), NJ (6/2/21, 6/7/22)<br>o Post-transplant treatment = MD (7/14/21, 7/12/22), NJ (6/24/21, 7/6/22)o Harvest = MD (9/8/21-9/21/21, 8/7/22), NJ (7/14/21-8/3/21, 7/26/22-8/9/22)Data collection<br>o Cover crop biomass collected from two-0.25m²quadrats randomly selected within each plot<br>o Smooth pigweed (artificially seeded) density (1 permanent-0.25 m²quadrat placed in the center of each plot) collected prior to post-transplant treatment, 2 weeks after post-transplant treatment.o Other annual broadleaf weeds (natural population) density (1 permanent-0.25 m²quadrat placed in the center of each plot) collected prior to post-transplant treatment, 2 weeks after post-transplant treatment.<br>o Smooth pigweed (AMACH) and other annual weed biomass (GEN) collected 6 weeks after post-transplant treatment by cutting all the plants at ground level from the same aforementioned squares. Weed and cover crop biomass samples were benched dried in a greenhouse for 14 d at 35 °C in Maryland, and were or oven-dried at 60 °C for 7 d in New Jersey before weighing.o Broadleaf (BLD) weed control (relative to the no cover, crimped, no herbicide treatment) in the center (Ctr) of each row and adjacent to the plastic mulch (Edg) was visually evaluated 3 weeks after post-transplant treatments both years in MD and in 2021 in NJ using a 0 to 100 scale, with 0 = no plant response and 100 = complete plant death.<br>o Harvest<br>· Individual fruits were harvested from the two center rows within each plot.· Yield data for both crops consisted of count and weight of total and marketable fruits as well as the individual weight of marketable fruits.Data analysis<br>o Data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the generalized linear mixed model (GLIMMIX) procedure in SASo Fixed effects = Cover crops, post-plant treatments and inclusion of a residual herbicide as well as all interactions between these three factors.<br>o Random effects = Locations, runs, and replication nested within runso Data transformation = percentage or numerical data were converted using the arcsine square root or the square root transformation, respectively, prior to ANOVA<br>o Means separation = Tukey’s honest significance test (HSD) test (α = 0.05)<br>Data files<br>o MD_Watermelon yield data.csvo NJ_Cucumber yield data.csv<br>o NJ+MD cover crop data.csvo NJ+MD Weed control data.csv<br>o NJ+MD Weed count pre-term data.csvo Weed biomass.csv<br>o Weed contro_at harvest.csvo Weed count_12 d after term data.csv<br>o Weed count_41 DATrplt.csv<br>