Despite its challenges, non-chemical, reduced tillage vegetable production is of continued interest among researchers and growers as a way to improve soil health. Primarily success in this production method has been use of high biomass cover crops such as cereal rye terminated with a roller crimper. However alternative cover crops should be explored to diversify reduced tillage systems and to improve nitrogen synchrony. Sunn hemp (Crotelaria juncea) is a high biomass producing legume with potential to achieve weed suppression while reducing nitrogen immobilization in non-chemical, no-till vegetable production. A two-year study was conducted at the Meigs Horticulture Facility (Meigs) in Lafayette IN to assess the potential of sunn hemp as a cover crop suitable for rolling in a non-chemical, no-till vegetable production system. At Meigs roll success of three sunn hemp rolling dates was evaluated. Followed by Swiss chard production. Sunn hemp was rolled with and I and J roller crimper 60, 70, and 80 days after seeding. Prior to rolling sunn hemp height, above ground biomass (sunn hemp and weed), and roll success was measured 4 weeks after rolling by collecting terminated (senesced) and non- terminated (non- senesced) sunn hemp from 0.25m2 quadrats. Roll success was most related to sunnhemp height and biomass at time of rolling (R2 = 0.76 P < 0.01 ,0.68 P =0.15). In year one rolling was only successful 80 days after seeding, however in in year two rolling was successful at all seeding dates. More research is needed to understand mechanisms contributing to sunn hemp rolling success.
