Organic Amendment and Tillage Effects on Vegetable Field Weed Emergence and Seedbanks1

Abstract

Evaluations of the effects of minimum tillage vs. conventional tillage and the effects of organic amendments (cover crops and compost) vs. no organic amendments were conducted in a California vegetable field. Weed densities were monitored, and soil samples were taken to measure the effects of the treatments on weed seedbanks and microbial biomass over a 24-mo period. Reduced tillage increased the density of shepherd's-purse in the upper soil layer (0 to 15 cm) of the soil seedbank compared with conventional tillage. Evidence is presented that suggests relationships between organic amendments, weed population reductions, and increases in soil microbial biomass: (1) shepherd's-purse emergence and seedbank densities were lower in the organic amendment plots, (2) microbial biomass was nearly always higher in the organic amendment plots, and (3) significant negative correlations between microbial biomass and burning nettle and shepherd's-purse emergence densities were found. These results suggest that organic matter addition may lead to reduced weed emergence.Nomenclature: Burning nettle, Urtica urens L. #3 URTUR; shepherd's-purse, Capsella bursa-pastoris L. Medik. # CAPBP.Additional index words: Alternative weed management, compost, cover crop, microbial biomass carbon, soil amendments, CAPBP, URTUR.