Yields for both cash crops were in the range documented for these varieties grown under conventional production techniques. We did note a drop off in production of broccoli in the last two years that may be linked to an increase in weed pressure.
In the first year of production yields were highest on plots that had formerly been in soybean production, perhaps because of residual soil nitrogen. Conventional tillage also resulted in higher yields.
By the second year, yields in the primary experiment (0-3 years in bahiagrass) showed the increasing benefits of sod based rotation. Benefits were most pronounced for plots that had been in bahiagrass for 3 years. Conventional tillage again resulted in higher yields than did strip-tillage although differences were not as dramatic.
In the final year of the experiment, bahiagrass pretreatment again significantly impacted yields, with treatments in bahiagrass for 3 and 4 years being the most productive. By this year we also began to see a slight decline in productivity in the separate plots that had been in bahiagrass for over 20 years, but had now been in vegetable production for three continuous years. Thee data suggest that three years of continued production may be the point at which soil quality starts to diminish. Tillage effects were not significant in the final year of the experiment.
