Weed infestation of winter wheat crops in short grain and hoed crops rotation

Abstract

Purpose. To determine the peculiarities of weed infestation of winter wheat in short grain and hoed crops rotation.Methods. The research was carried out in a long-term stationary experiment of Veselyi Podil Experimental Breeding Station in short grain and hoed crops rotation (the share of grain crops 75% and hoed crops 25%) with different soil tillage and fertilization practices.Results. Weed infestation of winter wheat crops in short grain and hoed crops rotation at the time of harvesting depended on both the fertilization system and the methods of soil tillage. In particular, in the treatment without fertilizers, the greatest abundance of weeds (plant/m2) was observed for the subsurface soil tillage (46.8), while for ploughing it was 34.2 and for combined cultivation 25.5. Weed infestation of crops significantly reduced in the background of 6.25 t/ha of manure + N45P45K45, the abundance of weeds in subsurface soil cultivation decreased compared to the unfertilized treatment by 5.5, for ploughing by 4.6, for combined cultivation by 3.8 to 41.3; 31.7 and 21.7, respectively. The weed species composition depends to a large extent on the fertilization system and the soil cultivation method. The structure of weed component was dominated by the Fumaria officinalis L. and the Descurainia sophia L. with the shares in the total number of all weeds 13.0–37.8 and 10.6–33.0%, respectively, depending on the methods of primary tillage and fertilization system in the crop rotation. In the treatment, where the postharvest residues were incorporated into the soil in the background of 6.25 t/ha manure + N45P45K45 under winter wheat, there was a decrease in the species composition of weeds.Conclusions. During harvesting, the most significant weed infestatıon (plant/m2) of winter wheat crops on non-fertilized backgrounds were noted for the subsurface soil tillage 46.8. With the use of the organo-mineral fertilizer system (6.25 t/ha manure + harvest residue + N33.8P33.8K33.8) and the combined soil cultivation, the abundance of weeds in winter wheat crops was 18.1, with ploughing 37.1, with subsurface cultivation 38.9. During the harvesting of winter wheat, 11 species of weeds were recorded in its crops. In the treatments, where the harvest residues were ploughed into the soil in the background of 6.25 t/ha manure + N33,8P33.8K33.8 and N45P45K45 under winter wheat and the combined soil cultivation, there was a decrease in the weed species composition.