BROCCOLI PRODUCTION IN FORAGE SOYBEAN AND FOXTAIL MILLET COVER CROP MULCHES

'Emperor' broccoli (Brassica oleraceae L. Botrytis Group) was grown in Fall 1995 at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC), Md., and at the Kentland Agricultural Research Farm (KARF), Virginia Polyt echnic Institute and State Univ., Blacksburg. The objectives were to d etermine the effects of cover crop mulches in no-tillage production sy stems on marketable broccoli yield and weed suppression, The mulch tre atments included cover crops of forage soybean (Glycine max L.), foxta il millet (Setaria italica L.P. Beauv), and a combination of soybean a nd millet. Broccoli marketable yield from all three mulch treatments w as equal to that from a conventional clean cultivation system, except for the millet treatment at BARC, which produced a lower yield. All tr eatments maintained weeds below levels that reduced yield, Cover crop biomass ranged from 4.6 to 9.6 t.ha(-1) and N content from 10 g.kg(-1) for millet to 28 g.kg(-1) for soybean.