Abstract

AbstractPhotocontrol of weed germination of arable annual weedsField studies were conducted to test the effect of light during soil tillage on the emergence of common weed species. Soil tillage was conducted at night or during daylight. In 20 out of a total of 23 field experiments, weed density after nighttime tillage was reduced compared to conventional daytime tillage. The average reduction of weed density attributable to photocontrol was 28.4 %. Results of field trials in the literature suggest that the emergence of Chenopodium album, Matricaria species and Stellaria media is especially reduced by nighttime tillage practices, but photocontrol had almost no effect on the emergence of Galium aparine and Polygonum convolvulus. The level of reduction of weed emergence after nighttime tillage was very variable. Important factors affecting this variation were: (1) the different light sensitivities of weed species, (2) the different light sensitivities of populations within one species, (3) the dormancy status of the seeds in a natural seed bank, and (4) the variation of light sensitivity of seeds.

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