Abstract
Summary:In experiments over 4 years, separate field plots were cultivated once only at 2‐week intervals and the weed seedlings recorded weekly. Soil disturbance resulted in a flush of seedlings of which 90% appeared within 10 weeks after cultivation in early spring and within 3 weeks after cultivation in summer. Weekly emergence then returned to the level prevailing on undisturbed soil. The species composition of the seedling populations varied with the time of year at which the soil was disturbed. In each year there was a spring flush of seedlings, probably associated with rising soil temperature; subsequent flushes were coincident on cultivated and undisturbed soil and were related to the rainfall pattern. In each year there were periods when lack of soil moisture restricted emergence, and this appeared to be the over‐riding factor determining seedling numbers. When cultivations were followed by long dry periods which prevented germination, the numbers of seedlings appearing when rain ultimately fell were no different from those when the soil was disturbed just before the rainfall.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.