Abstract
Three seedbed preparation methods were compared from 1977 to 1989 to evaluate their effects on crop production. Treatments were conventional cultivation (CC, at least 3 workings pre-sowing), reduced cultivation (RC, 1 cultivation plus knockdown herbicide pre-sowing), and direct drilling (DD, no pre- sowing cultivation, knockdown herbicide only). Wheat (Triticum aestivum) was sown for the first 8 years of the experiment and lupins in 1985 and 1988. In 9 of the 11 years wheat grain yield was significantly better with DD, averaging 15% more than CC and 10% more than RC. Weed populations were generally greater where cultivation occurred; particularly fumitory (Fumaria spp.) and eyespot lodging (Tapesia yallundae) had greater impact on wheat in the CC and RC treatments.
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