Weed control ability in sweet maize of single sown legume cover crops compared to their mixtures
2020
Authors
Dolijanović, ŽeljkoKovačević, Dušan
Oljača, Snežana
Simić, Milena
Moravcevic, Djordje
Seremesic, Srdjan
Conference object (Published version)
Metadata
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To achieve efficient weed control through cover cropping, the plant species chosen is very
important. Growing different legume cover crop (CC) species single and in mixtures with
grass may increase the number of provided ecosystem services, including reliable suppression
of weeds. We conducted an experiment using randomized complete block design with four
replications in 2014/15 - 2015/16 growing seasons, at the Experimental Field of Maize
Research Institute in Zemun Polje (Serbia). Single cover crops were considered as the main
factor (common vetch and field pea), mixtures common vetch and field pea with winter oats
and traditional variant, without coverage on biomass. Green biomass of the cover crops was
incorporated in the soil, and treatments with favorable establishment and above-average
biomass yields tended to suppress weeds by showing lower weed dry matter and weed
numbers. The weediness of sweet maize was much higher in the second year of investigation.
Th...e number of weed species, fresh and dry biomass of weeds were the least in the variants
with mixtures, while the number of plants per specieswas the lowest in the single cover crops.
So, mixtures were not as effective as legume single sown CCs, species combinations
increased resilience against adverse weather conditions, an advantage to achieving efficient
weed control over a long-term period. The statistically significant difference in the fresh
biomass of weeds obtained in the control variant (540.46 and 385.88 g) was especially
pronounced compared to the variants with single cover crops (391.63 and 486.53 g) and their
mixtures (260.00 and 250.78 g), indicating a higher proportion of perennial weed species.
Keywords:
cover crops / plant diversity / main crop / weed managementSource:
11. International Scientific Agriculture Symposium “AGROSYM 2020”, Jahorina, 8-9.10.2020. - Book of proceedings, 2020, 139-146Publisher:
- Republic of Srpska, Bosnia : University of East Sarajevo, Faculty of Agriculture