Management of winter and summer weeds in vineyards and olive groves with an ecological fertilizer with herbicidal properties

António Barreira,Carlos Cardoso,Margarida Arrobas,M Ângelo Rodrigues

doi:10.1051/ctv/20193401036

António Barreira, Carlos Cardoso + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1051/ctv/20193401036

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Abstract

Weeds reduce crop yields and require annual measures of control, although they can provide important ecological benefits. In this work, the efficacy was tested of an ecological fertilizer with herbicidal properties (Bioscrop Herbitec®) which in high concentrations (10-15%) can have a similar effect to a contact herbicide. The composition of the product is 6.0 % of water-soluble potassium oxide, 54.7 % of organic acids and 39.3 % of dispersants and diluents. The product was tested in six field trials during two years, which included two vineyards and two olive orchards and winter and spring vegetation. In each experiment three treatments were imposed, being the product applied at the concentrations of 10% and 15% and a non-treated control. In treated plots, the entire ground surface (rows and inter-rows) was sprayed. The evaluation of the effect of the treatments on vegetation was assessed by the pin point and grid methods which consisted of determining the percentage of damaged and not damaged vegetation and bare soil. The production of dry biomass of weeds was also evaluated as a measure of the persistence of the damage on vegetation. The floristic composition of the stands was also recorded to evaluate the specific susceptibility of the weeds to the different treatments. The results showed that the product severely damaged the vegetation, and the effect persisted for more than a month. The application of the product caused a severe reduction in the aboveground biomass while keeping the soil protected, showing a useful compromise between the reduction in weed competition and the maintenance of ground cover. Some species were severely damaged while others seemed to have benefited in relative terms, suggesting that the effectiveness of the product will be dependent on the weed species present.

Highlights

IntroductionRather, selecting crop rotations of species with different growing cycles, and the varying of sowing dates and planting densities, are weed management strategies which are more acceptable ecologically (Drews et al, 2009; Bajwa, 2014; Garrison et al 2014; Anderson, 2015; Dorn et al, 2015)
In perennial tree crops and vineyards is very usual to manage the weed vegetation by cover cropping with sown species (Monteiro and Lopes, 2007; Rodrigues et al, 2015a,b; Portugal et al, 2017), a system which usually uses an herbicide to control the weeds in the rows
The two tested dosages of the fertilizer significantly increased the percentage of bare soil for most of the sampling dates, at the highest concentration, when assessed by the pin point method (Figure 2)

Summary

Introduction

Rather, selecting crop rotations of species with different growing cycles, and the varying of sowing dates and planting densities, are weed management strategies which are more acceptable ecologically (Drews et al, 2009; Bajwa, 2014; Garrison et al 2014; Anderson, 2015; Dorn et al, 2015). These practices alone are not usually enough to reduce weed infestation to acceptable levels. In perennial tree crops and vineyards is very usual to manage the weed vegetation by cover cropping with sown species (Monteiro and Lopes, 2007; Rodrigues et al, 2015a,b; Portugal et al, 2017), a system which usually uses an herbicide to control the weeds in the rows

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