The after-effect of long-term reduced tillage systems on the biodiversity of weeds in spring crops

Andrzej Woźniak,Małgorzata Haliniarz

doi:10.5586/aa.2012.052

Abstract

A strictly controlled field experiment on traditional and reduced tillage systems as well as herbicide treatment was conducted at the Agricultural Experimental Station of Uhrusk in the years 2007-2011. In the last year of the experiment, the effect of different tillage systems on the level of weed infestation and biodiversity of weeds was determined in all the plots for the crop of common spring wheat Triticum aestivum L., spring durum wheat Triticum durum Desf., and oat Avena sativa L. at two growth stages: tillering (23/24 on BBCH scale) and dough stage (83/85). A higher number and higher air-dry weight of weeds were determined at tillering than at the dough stage. Long-term reduced tillage increased the number of weeds per 1m2 at the tillering stage, contrary to herbicide treatment. At the dough stage, a higher number of weeds was observed in the herbicide treatment and reduced tillage plots compared to traditional tillage. The air-dry weight of weeds at the tillering and dough stages of cereals was significantly higher in the case of herbicide treatment than under the traditional and reduced tillage systems. Weed communities in spring wheat, durum wheat and oat included mostly annual weeds. A higher number of weed species was determined in the plot with long-term herbicide treatment than in the plots with reduced and traditional tillage systems.

Highlights

Weeds constitute a constant element accompanying arable crops
The highest number of weeds was observed in durum wheat, on average 90.6 plants per 1 m2, while this number was lower by 53.2 plants × m-2 in spring wheat and by 50.7 plants × m-2 in oat
This trait was different at the dough stage of the crops, when the lowest number of weeds was recorded in the plots under plough tillage (29.9 per 1 m2), whereas more than twice as many in the no-till and herbicide treated plots

Summary

Introduction

Weeds (segetal plants) constitute a constant element accompanying arable crops. Their presence is associated with the diaspore bank in the soil (Wesołowski and Woźniak , 2001; Sekutowski and R o l a , 2006; Feledyn - Szewczyk and D u e r , 2007), agricultural practices used (Fykse and Waernhus , 1999; Kraska and Pałys , 2006; Gruber and Claupein , 2009; Knezevic et al 2009), and habitat conditions (Jastrzębska et al 2010; Woźniak , 2011). A research conducted by Brandsaeter et al (2011) demonstrated that ploughing to a depth of 25 cm (by 50%) reduced considerably more effectively weed infestation (the number and biomass of weeds) than that to 15 cm. Late-emerging weeds were most effectively reduced by harrowing before sprouting and one or two harrowings after sprouting

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion