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Promotion of weed species diversity and reduction of weed seedbanks with conservation tillage and crop rotation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Stephen D. Murphy ,
David R. Clements ,
Svenja Belaoussoff ,
Peter G. Kevan  and
Clarence J. Swanton
Stephen D. Murphy
Affiliation:
Department of Environment and Resource Studies, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
David R. Clements
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Trinity Western University, Langley, BC V2Y 1Y1, Canada
Svenja Belaoussoff
Affiliation:
Department of Rural Sociology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
Peter G. Kevan
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
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Abstract

In a 6-yr study on four farms (36 fields) in Ontario, Canada, we tested the effects of tillage (moldboard, chisel plow, no tillage) and crop rotations (continuous corn, corn-soybean, corn-soybean-winter wheat) on emerged and seedbank weed species diversity and density. Aside from the imposed experimental treatments, all other management was generally consistent among farms. Tillage had the largest effect on weed diversity and density. No tillage promoted the highest weed species diversity, chisel plow was intermediate, and moldboard plow resulted in the lowest species diversity. These results are consistent with ecological succession theory. The increase in weed species diversity resulted from 20 species being associated with no tillage systems, 15 of which were winter annuals, biennials, or perennials. Emerged weed density was affected only by tillage. Over 6 yr, seedbank declined in no-tillage systems from 41,000 to 8,000 seeds m−3. Crop yields were not affected by tillage or crop rotation. In practical terms, reduced tillage in combination with a good crop rotation may reduce weed density and expenditures on weed management.

Keywords

Glyphosatecorn, Zea mays L. ‘Pioneer 3902’soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr. ‘KG 40’winter wheat Triticum aestivum L.No tillageon-farm researchsuccessionweed density; weed life history
Type
Weed Biology and Ecology
Information
Weed Science , Volume 54 , Issue 1 , February 2006 , pp. 69 - 77
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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