Maize (Zea mays L.), one of the main crops of northern Italy, is often continuously cultivated in the same field for several years, leaving the soil bare during the interculture. In these conditions, to prevent N leaching, catch crops are sometimes cultivated between two maize seasons. This study was aimed at determining the weed flora evolution in soil cultivated with maize in monoculture and managed in different ways during the autumn and winter. The research was conducted over the 1996-1998 period in north-western Italy in a loam soil. Starting from autumn 1996, during the intercropping period, the soil was managed according to the following treatments: 1) bare soil and spring ploughing (SP); 2) autumn ploughing (AP); 3) planting of vetch (Vicia villosa), in autumn as a catch crop after minimum tillage (VE); 4) planting of barley (Hordeum vulgare), in autumn as a catch crop after minimum tillage (BA). The plots of the SP, VE and BA treatments were ploughed in springtime, incorporating the catch crop vegetation. All the plots, included those of the AP treatment, were harrowed before maize planting. The same cultural operations were performed in all plots. The experiment was carried out according to a complete randomised design, with plots of 240 m2. The weed cover was assessed before the herbicide treatment (rimsulfuron+dicamba at 15+200 g a.i. ha 1), carried out in each plot at the 5-leaf stage of the crop. ANOVA and Student-Newman-Keuls tests (P=0.05) were performed on arcsine transformed data. In the first year of the experiment (1996) the total weed cover degree found in maize was, on average, 81%, mainly given by Echinochloa crus-galli (25%), Panicum dichotomiflorum (15%), Chenopodium album (18%) and Digitaria sanguinalis (5%). In 1997, the total weed cover degree was very low in comparison to that of the previous year, because of the drought that occurred in the spring. After two years of maize cultivation (1998), the total weed cover was reduced by about 50% where the soil was kept bare during winter and ploughed in springtime (SP). Similar results were obtained with the catch crops, that induced also a modification in the weed composition, favouring the development of S. viridis and slightly affecting C. album infestation, in particular in VE plots.
Weed cover in maize monoculture as influenced by soil management during autumn and winter
FERRERO, Aldo;VIDOTTO, Francesco
1999-01-01
Abstract
Maize (Zea mays L.), one of the main crops of northern Italy, is often continuously cultivated in the same field for several years, leaving the soil bare during the interculture. In these conditions, to prevent N leaching, catch crops are sometimes cultivated between two maize seasons. This study was aimed at determining the weed flora evolution in soil cultivated with maize in monoculture and managed in different ways during the autumn and winter. The research was conducted over the 1996-1998 period in north-western Italy in a loam soil. Starting from autumn 1996, during the intercropping period, the soil was managed according to the following treatments: 1) bare soil and spring ploughing (SP); 2) autumn ploughing (AP); 3) planting of vetch (Vicia villosa), in autumn as a catch crop after minimum tillage (VE); 4) planting of barley (Hordeum vulgare), in autumn as a catch crop after minimum tillage (BA). The plots of the SP, VE and BA treatments were ploughed in springtime, incorporating the catch crop vegetation. All the plots, included those of the AP treatment, were harrowed before maize planting. The same cultural operations were performed in all plots. The experiment was carried out according to a complete randomised design, with plots of 240 m2. The weed cover was assessed before the herbicide treatment (rimsulfuron+dicamba at 15+200 g a.i. ha 1), carried out in each plot at the 5-leaf stage of the crop. ANOVA and Student-Newman-Keuls tests (P=0.05) were performed on arcsine transformed data. In the first year of the experiment (1996) the total weed cover degree found in maize was, on average, 81%, mainly given by Echinochloa crus-galli (25%), Panicum dichotomiflorum (15%), Chenopodium album (18%) and Digitaria sanguinalis (5%). In 1997, the total weed cover degree was very low in comparison to that of the previous year, because of the drought that occurred in the spring. After two years of maize cultivation (1998), the total weed cover was reduced by about 50% where the soil was kept bare during winter and ploughed in springtime (SP). Similar results were obtained with the catch crops, that induced also a modification in the weed composition, favouring the development of S. viridis and slightly affecting C. album infestation, in particular in VE plots.
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