Weed flora composition of different barley‐based cropping systems under conventional and conservation tillage practices

Abstract

Tillage is among the most important soil management practices, which exert strong impacts on weed flora composition in different cropping systems. The large-scale adoption of tillage and cropping systems warrants thorough investigation regarding their impacts on weed flora composition. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess weed flora composition of various barley-based cropping systems (BBCSs) under different tillage practices (TPs). Barley was sown in fallow-barley (F-B), maize-barley (M-B), cotton-barley (C-B), mungbean-barley (Mu-B) and sorghum-barley (S-B) cropping systems with zero tillage (ZT), conventional tillage (CT), minimum tillage (MT), strip tillage (ST) and CT with bed sowing (CTBS). Significant differences (p < 0.05) were recorded among study years and interactions among BBCSs and TPs. The C-B system with ST during 1st year recorded the highest density (35 m− 2) of broadleaved weeds, whereas the highest density (37.76 m− 2) of broadleaved weeds was noted for the same cropping system with MT. All TPs, except BS resulted in increased density of broadleaved weeds in 2nd year compared with 1st year of the study, whereas BS reduced broadleaved weeds’ density during 2nd year. Nonetheless, M-B cropping system with ST and S-B cropping system with CTBS recorded the lowest density of broadleaved weeds during 1st and 2nd year, respectively. Similarly, C-B cropping system with ZT (39.33 m− 2) and MT (24.00 m− 2) recorded the lowest density of grassy weeds during 1st and 2nd year respectively. Nonetheless, S-B system with CTBS and S-B and Mu-B systems with ST recorded no grassy weeds during 1st and 2nd year, respectively. The S-B and M-B cropping systems suppressed various broadleaved and grassy weed species due to their allelopathic potential. In conclusion, different BBCSs had varying weed flora composition under different TPs. Adapting ST and CTBS can lower weed infestation. Similarly, inclusion of sorghum in rotation could be a viable option for effective weed management of barley-based cropping systems. Moreover, long-term experiments are needed to infer the weed seed bank in different TPs and BBCSs.