Cover crops offer multifaceted benefits including soil health improvement, nutrient management, erosion control, and suppression of pests, diseases and weeds. This study examined the impact of fall cover crop (FCC) for enhanced soil properties and suppression of weeds and diseases, top priorities for chickpea growers. FCC was comprised of winter rye alone (in 2021) or in combination with hairy-vetch (in 2022-2023). To assess soil property changes, 5 quadrants (50 cm x 50 cm) representing each dense (≥ 96%), poor (10-35%) and no-growth (0%) FCC areas were sampled annually in April. Soil nutrients and biomass accumulation was measured and compared. For weed suppression, five treatments were compared: till- green manure (GM), GM plus pre-emergence herbicide (GMH), and no-till after termination via crimp-mulch (CM), kill-mulch (KM) or mow-mulch (MM). In 2023, significantly higher fresh (514 t/ha) and dry (140 t/ha) biomass was added to the soil from densely and sparsely FCC areas, respectively. Weed suppression was better on GMH than GM for the first 6-8 weeks but reached an average of ≥ 67.5% when monitored 92 days after chickpea planting. Similarly, no-till planted chickpeas after CC terminations in 2021 suppressed weeds during early stages but not in 2022. In both years, it was not possible to harvest chickpeas after no-till due to overwhelming weed infestation. Although added organic matter was evident across all years, FCC alone did not significantly suppress weeds in 2022 and 2023. Slightly different results are anticipated with adjustments in termination timing and conditions favoring mulch establishment in 2024 growing season.
