The Effect of Different Soil Tillage Systems and Crop Residues on the Composition of Weed Communities

Abstract

The composition of weed communities in agricultural crops is dependent on soil properties and the applied agronomic practices. The current study determined the effect of different tillage systems and crop residue on the soil weed community composition. The research programme encompassed 2013–2015 in a long-term field experiment located in the Experimental Station of Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania. The soil type in the experimental field was qualified as Endocalcaric Stagnosol (Aric, Drainic, Ruptic, Amphisiltic). Weeds were categorised into communities according to soil pH, nitrogen and moisture indicators. The results of investigations were grouped using cluster analysis. Agricultural crops were dominated by different weed species depending on the soil pH and moisture. Weed species were relatively more frequent indicating nitrogen-rich and very nitrogen-rich soils. In the reduced tillage and no-tillage systems, an increase in the abundance of weed species indicating moderate acidity and low acidity, moderately wet and wet, nitrogen-rich and very nitrogen-rich soils was observed. The application of plant residues decreased the weed species abundance. In the reduced tillage and no-tillage systems, the quantitative distribution of weed was often uneven. By evaluating the association of weed communities with groups of different tillage systems with or without plant residues, their control can be optimised.

Weed Responses to Crop Residues Management in a Summer Maize Cropland in the North China Plain

“…Species richness in the present study showed an apparent decrease with crop residues retention during the observation period (Figure 3a), i.e., crop residues retention significantly decreased species richness of the weed community, consistent with other studies [2,37]. These findings suggest that long term crop residues retention may reduce the weed species richness in the summer maize field.…”

Influence of by-products under different methods of soil cultivation on the yield of winter rape in the Western Forest-Steppe

“…In particular, some authors note that there is no statistical difference in the intensity of weed infestation depending on the treatment, but point to significant changes in the species composition of weeds (Winkler et al, 2023). While others have pointed out that minimising tillage increases weed infestation, leading to a greater reliance on herbicides compared to conventional tillage (Steponavičienė et al, 2021). The latter statement was true in the current research.…”

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“…In particular, some authors note that there is no statistical difference in the intensity of weed infestation depending on the treatment, but point to significant changes in the species composition of weeds (Winkler et al, 2023). While others have pointed out that minimising tillage increases weed infestation, leading to a greater reliance on herbicides compared to conventional tillage (Steponavičienė et al, 2021). The latter statement was true in the current research.…”