Spatiotemporal variation of common ragweed soil seed bank density in cornfields

Abstract

AbstractCommon ragweed (CR) (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) can reduce agricultural productivity, especially in corn (Zea mays L.) fields. The spatiotemporal variation of the soil seed bank (SSB) of CR is important for understanding the growth potential and control options of this weed. In 2018, we measured SSB density and seed germination characteristics of CR on the margins of cornfields (18 cornfields, each is >1 ha) as well as 2, 5, and 10 m inside the fields from the margin based on the year of CR invasion (2012–2017) in the Yili Valley, Xinjiang, China. From 2016–2018, we studied the effect of eradicating CR plants on reducing the SSB density of CR. Along the cornfield margins, 80.5% of the total CR seeds were viable in the 0‐to‐5‐cm soil layer (SL) after 6 yr of invasion; however, fewer were viable at 2, 5 and 10 m (respectively, 49.5, 44.1, and 42.3%) inside the cornfields. Different modes of SSB accumulation led to different distribution characteristics of the SSB. The increase in the SSB in cornfields was driven by large‐scale seed production of CR along the margins of cornfields. When there was no new CR seed input for 2 yr (in 2018), the density of the SSB at cornfield margins and 2, 5, and 10 m inside the fields decreased by 90.0, 72.9, 75.4, and 74.6%, respectively. Eradicating CR plants before their seeds mature, and doing so for several years, appears to be an effective strategy for controlling CR.