Is Pasture Cropping a Valid Weed Management Tool?

The aim of the present work was to study the feasibility of pasture cropping under the Mediterranean conditions prevailing in central Spain and its potential as a weed management tool. Three cropping systems were assessed: conventionally grown winter barley and winter barley in pasture cropping with two perennial summer species, Cynodon dactylon and Eragrostis curvula. The results showed that the growth of these two species in a pasture cropping system was limited by the severe drought conditions and high temperatures present during the summer in some of the study years. Although there were no differences in the establishment of winter barley in any of the treatments assessed, pasture cropping reduced winter barley yields up to 50%–60% in years with low rainfall in spring. Regarding weed control, pasture cropping showed a significant suppression of the total weed density and number of weed species. As a conclusion, pasture cropping can be considered as a valid weed management tool. However, the economic feasibility of this system under the climatic conditions of central Spain (characterized by a high risk of severe summer droughts) is still not clear. The availability of supplemental irrigation may reduce competition between pastures and winter crops and ensure a profitable production of summer pastures.

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Assessing weeds at risk of evolving glyphosate resistance in Australian sub-tropical glyphosate-resistant cotton systems

Crop and Pasture Science ◽

10.1071/cp11201 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 62 (11) ◽

pp. 1002 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Jeff Werth ◽

David Thornby ◽

Steve Walker

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Weed Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Cropping System ◽

Glyphosate Resistance ◽

Management Approach ◽

Weed Species ◽

Summer Fallow ◽

Very High

Glyphosate resistance will have a major impact on current cropping practices in glyphosate-resistant cotton systems. A framework for a risk assessment for weed species and management practices used in cropping systems with glyphosate-resistant cotton will aid decision making for resistance management. We developed this framework and then assessed the biological characteristics of 65 species and management practices from 50 cotton growers. This enabled us to predict the species most likely to evolve resistance, and the situations in which resistance is most likely to occur. Species with the highest resistance risk were Brachiaria eruciformis, Conyza bonariensis, Urochloa panicoides, Chloris virgata, Sonchus oleraceus and Echinochloa colona. The summer fallow and non-irrigated glyphosate-resistant cotton were the highest risk phases in the cropping system. When weed species and management practices were combined, C. bonariensis in summer fallow and other winter crops were at very high risk. S. oleraceus had very high risk in summer and winter fallow, as did C. virgata and E. colona in summer fallow. This study enables growers to identify potential resistance risks in the species present and management practices used on their farm, which will to facilitate a more targeted weed management approach to prevent development of glyphosate resistance.

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Agricultural Innovation and Sustainable Development: A Case Study of Rice–Wheat Cropping Systems in South Asia

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13041965 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 1965

Author(s):

Aman Ullah ◽

Ahmad Nawaz ◽

Muhammad Farooq ◽

Kadambot H. M. Siddique

Keyword(s):

South Asia ◽

Precision Agriculture ◽

Weed Management ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Cropping System ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Transplanted Rice ◽

Direct Seeded ◽

Rice Residues

The rice–wheat cropping system is the main food bowl in Asia, feeding billions across the globe. However, the productivity and long-term sustainability of this system are threatened by stagnant crop yields and greenhouse gas emissions from flooded rice production. The negative environmental consequences of excessive nitrogen fertilizer use are further exacerbating the situation, along with the high labor and water requirements of transplanted rice. Residue burning in rice has also severe environmental concerns. Under these circumstances, many farmers in South Asia have shifted from transplanted rice to direct-seeded rice and reported water and labor savings and reduced methane emissions. There is a need for opting the precision agriculture techniques for the sustainable management of nutrients. Allelopathic crops could be useful in the rotation for weed management, the major yield-reducing factor in direct-seeded rice. Legume incorporation might be a viable option for improving soil health. As governments in South Asia have imposed a strict ban on the burning of rice residues, the use of rice-specific harvesters might be a pragmatic option to manage rice residues with yield and premium advantage. However, the soil/climatic conditions and farmer socio-economic conditions must be considered while promoting these technologies in rice-wheat system in South Asia.

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A survey of management and economic impact of weeds in dryland cotton cropping systems of subtropical Australia

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1071/ea03189 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 45 (1) ◽

pp. 79 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

S. R. Walker ◽

I. N. Taylor ◽

G. Milne ◽

V. A. Osten ◽

Z. Hoque ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Economic Impact ◽

Weed Management ◽

Management Practices ◽

Field Survey ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Cropping System ◽

Late Summer ◽

Economic Cost ◽

Effective Control ◽

Weed Species

In dryland cotton cropping systems, the main weeds and effectiveness of management practices were identified, and the economic impact of weeds was estimated using information collected in a postal and a field survey of Southern Queensland and northern New South Wales. Forty-eight completed questionnaires were returned, and 32 paddocks were monitored in early and late summer for weed species and density. The main problem weeds were bladder ketmia (Hibiscus trionum), common sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus), barnyard grasses (Echinochloa spp.), liverseed grass (Urochloa panicoides) and black bindweed (Fallopia convolvulus), but the relative importance of these differed with crops, fallows and crop rotations. The weed flora was diverse with 54 genera identified in the field survey. Control of weed growth in rotational crops and fallows depended largely on herbicides, particularly glyphosate in fallow and atrazine in sorghum, although effective control was not consistently achieved. Weed control in dryland cotton involved numerous combinations of selective herbicides, several non-selective herbicides, inter-row cultivation and some manual chipping. Despite this, residual weeds were found at 38–59% of initial densities in about 3-quarters of the survey paddocks. The on-farm financial costs of weeds ranged from $148 to 224/ha.year depending on the rotation, resulting in an estimated annual economic cost of $19.6 million. The approach of managing weed populations across the whole cropping system needs wider adoption to reduce the weed pressure in dryland cotton and the economic impact of weeds in the long term. Strategies that optimise herbicide performance and minimise return of weed seed to the soil are needed. Data from the surveys provide direction for research to improve weed management in this cropping system. The economic framework provides a valuable measure of evaluating likely future returns from technologies or weed management improvements.

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Weeds Hosting the Soybean Cyst Nematode (Heterodera glycines Ichinohe): Management Implications in Agroecological Systems

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11010146 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 146

Author(s):

Leonardo F. Rocha ◽

Karla L. Gage ◽

Mirian F. Pimentel ◽

Jason P. Bond ◽

Ahmad M. Fakhoury

Keyword(s):

Weed Management ◽

Soybean Cyst Nematode ◽

Heterodera Glycines ◽

Integrated Management ◽

Cropping System ◽

Cyst Nematode ◽

Weed Species ◽

Initial Inoculum ◽

Herbicide Resistant ◽

Sites Of Action

The soybean cyst nematode (SCN; Heterodera glycines Ichinohe) is a major soybean-yield-limiting soil-borne pathogen, especially in the Midwestern US. Weed management is recommended for SCN integrated management, since some weed species have been reported to be hosts for SCN. The increase in the occurrence of resistance to herbicides complicates weed management and may further direct ecological–evolutionary (eco–evo) feedbacks in plant–pathogen complexes, including interactions between host plants and SCN. In this review, we summarize weed species reported to be hosts of SCN in the US and outline potential weed–SCN management interactions. Plants from 23 families have been reported to host SCN, with Fabaceae including most host species. Out of 116 weeds hosts, 14 species have known herbicide-resistant biotypes to 8 herbicide sites of action. Factors influencing the ability of weeds to host SCN are environmental and edaphic conditions, SCN initial inoculum, weed population levels, and variations in susceptibility of weed biotypes to SCN within a population. The association of SCN on weeds with relatively little fitness cost incurred by the latter may decrease the competitive ability of the crop and increase weed reproduction when SCN is present, feeding back into the probability of selecting for herbicide-resistant weed biotypes. Therefore, proper management of weed hosts of SCN should be a focus of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies to prevent further eco–evo feedbacks in the cropping system.

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Weeds and Their Effect on the Performance of Maize and Finger Millet in Mid-Hills of Nepal

International Journal of Applied Sciences and Biotechnology ◽

10.3126/ijasbt.v2i3.10790 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 275-278 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tika Bahadur Karki ◽

Shrawan K. Sah ◽

Resam B. Thapa ◽

Andrew J. McDonald ◽

Adam S. Davis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Weed Management ◽

Crop Production ◽

Finger Millet ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Cropping System ◽

Weed Species ◽

Ageratum Conyzoides ◽

Alternative Crop ◽

Weed Infestation

Relay cropping of maize with fingermillet (maize/fingermillet) is the predominant cropping system for sustaining food security situation in the hilly regions of Nepal. In this region weed pressure severely reduces crop yields. Basic information on weed species composition, biomass production and their effect on crop yields and economics are lacking for this region. This information will be necessary to develop effective weed management strategies for the future. In light of this an empirical study was carried out in two representatives mid hill districts of Parbat and Baglung during summer season of 2010/2011 in Nepal. A total of 10 major weed species with densities of 172 in Parbat and 311 per 0.25m2 area in Baglung were observed. The highest percentage of both relative and absolute densities were recorded for Ageratum conyzoides in Parbat and Polygonum chinensis in Baglung. Weed infestation under farmers practice of crop management reduced the grain yield of maize by 1.985 Mt ha-1 (117%) in Baglung and 1.760 Mt ha-1 (108%) in Parbat. Similarly, in finger millet it was 0.489 Mt ha-1 (63%) in Baglung and 0.403 Mt ha-1 in Parbat. Similarly, the combined yield of both the crops was also significantly reduced by 79.3% and 61.7% in Baglung and Parbat respectively. Hence, weeds are directly affecting the crop performance in the region. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an alternative crop production system in the hills. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijasbt.v2i3.10790Int J Appl Sci Biotechnol, Vol. 2(3): 275-278

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Monitoring Cropping Systems: From Data Collection to Cloud Database Storage Using Open Source Software

Proceedings ◽

10.3390/proceedings2019030079 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 79

Author(s):

Ioanna Panagea ◽

Dangol Anuja ◽

Marc Olijslagers ◽

Jan Diels ◽

Guido Wyseure

Keyword(s):

Open Source ◽

Open Source Software ◽

Web Application ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Cropping System ◽

Query Languages ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Raw Data ◽

Wide Range ◽

Study Sites

Agricultural cropping systems and experiments include complex interactions of processes and various management practices and/or treatments under a wide range of environmental and climatic conditions. The use of standardized formats to monitor and document these systems and experiments can help researchers and stakeholders to efficiently exchange data, promote interdisciplinary collaborations, and simplify modelling and analysis procedures. In the scope of the SoilCare Horizon 2020 project monitoring and assessment work package, an integrated scheme to collect, validate, store, and access cropping system information and experimental data from 16 study sites, was created. The aim of the scheme is to make the data readily available in a way that the information is useful, easy to access and download, and safe, relying only on open source software. The database design considers data and metadata required to properly and easily monitor, process, and analyse cropping systems and/or agricultural experiments. The scheme allows for the storage of data and metadata regarding the experimental set-up, associated people and institutions, information about field management operations and experimental procedures which are clearly separated for making analysis procedures faster, links between system components, and information about the environmental and climatic conditions. Raw data are entered by the users into a structured spreadsheet. The quality is checked before storing the data into the database. Providing raw data allows processing and analysing as each other user needs. A desktop import application has been created to upload the information from spreadsheet to database, which includes automated error checks of relationship tables, data types, data constraints, etc. The final component of the scheme is the database web application interface, which enables users to access and query the database across the study sites without the knowledge of query languages and to download the required data. For this system design, PostgreSQL is used for storing the data, pgAdmin 4 for database management administration, MongoDB for user management and authentication, Python for the development of the import application, Angular and Node.js/Express for the web application and spreadsheets compatible with LibreOffice Calc. The system is currently tested with data provided by the SoilCare study sites. Preliminary testing indicated that extended quality control of the spreadsheets was required from the system’s administrator to meet the standards and restrictions of the import application. Initial comments from the users indicate that the database scheme, even if it initially seems complicated, includes all the variables and details required for a complete monitoring and modelling of an agricultural cropping system.

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Advances in Agronomic Management of Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea(L.) Czernj. Cosson): An Overview

International Journal of Agronomy ◽

10.1155/2012/408284 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 69

Author(s):

Kapila Shekhawat ◽

S. S. Rathore ◽

O. P. Premi ◽

B. K. Kandpal ◽

J. S. Chauhan

Keyword(s):

Nutrient Management ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Indian Mustard ◽

Cropping System ◽

Integrated Approach ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Agronomic Management ◽

Management Techniques ◽

Seedbed Preparation ◽

Crop Geometry

India is the fourth largest oilseed economy in the world. Among the seven edible oilseeds cultivated in India, rapeseed-mustard contributes 28.6% in the total oilseeds production and ranks second after groundnut sharing 27.8% in the India’s oilseed economy. The mustard growing areas in India are experiencing the vast diversity in the agro climatic conditions and different species of rapeseed-mustard are grown in some or other part of the country. Under marginal resource situation, cultivation of rapeseed-mustard becomes less remunerative to the farmers. This results in a big gap between requirement and production of mustard in India. Therefore site-specific nutrient management through soil-test recommendation based should be adopted to improve upon the existing yield levels obtained at farmers field. Effective management of natural resources, integrated approach to plant-water, nutrient and pest management and extension of rapeseed-mustard cultivation to newer areas under different cropping systems will play a key role in further increasing and stabilizing the productivity and production of rapeseed-mustard. The paper reviews the advances in proper land and seedbed preparation, optimum seed and sowing, planting technique, crop geometry, plant canopy, appropriate cropping system, integrated nutrient management and so forth to meet the ever growing demand of oil in the country and to realize the goal of production of 24 million tonnes of oilseed by 2020 AD through these advanced management techniques.

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The effect of weed management systems and location on arable weed species communities in glyphosate-resistant cropping systems

Applied Vegetation Science ◽

10.1111/avsc.12039 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 676-687 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

David J. Gibson ◽

Karla L. Gage ◽

Joseph L. Matthews ◽

Bryan G. Young ◽

Micheal D.K. Owen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Weed Management ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Management Systems ◽

Weed Species ◽

Arable Weed

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The impact of different weed management strategies on weed flora of wheat-based cropping systems

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0247137 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. e0247137

Author(s):

Muhammad Shahzad ◽

Khawar Jabran ◽

Mubshar Hussain ◽

Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza ◽

Leonard Wijaya ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Weed Management ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Cropping System ◽

Herbicide Application ◽

Water Extracts ◽

The World ◽

Weed Flora ◽

Weed Infestation ◽

The Impact

The world population will rise in future, which would demand more wheat production to fulfil dietary needs of wheat-dependent population of the world. Food security in wheat-dependent regions will greatly rely on wheat productivity. Weed infestation is a major constraint reducing wheat productivity globally. Nonetheless, cropping systems and weed management strategies strongly influence weed infestation in modern agriculture. Herbicides are the key weed management tool in conventional agriculture. However, frequent use of herbicides have resulted in the evolution of herbicide-resistance weeds, which made weed management a challenging task. Sustainable and eco-friendly weed management strategies shift weed-crop competition in the favour of crop plants. Limited studies have evaluated the interactive effect of cropping systems and weed management strategies on weed flora of wheat-based cropping systems (WBCSs). This two-year study evaluated the impact of different weed management strategies (WMSs) on weed flora of WBCSs, i.e., fallow-wheat (FW), rice-wheat (RW), cotton-wheat (CW), mungbean-wheat (MW) and sorghum-wheat (SW). The WMSs included in the study were, false seedbed, allelopathic water extracts and herbicide application, while weed-free and weedy-check were maintained as control treatments. Data relating to diversity and density of individual and total broadleaved and narrow-leaved weeds were recorded. The WBCSs, WMSs and their interaction significantly altered diversity and density of individual, total, broadleaved and narrow-leaved weeds. Weed-free and weedy-check treatments recorded the lowest and the highest values of diversity and density of individual, total, broadleaved and narrow-leaved weeds. Herbicide application effectively reduced density and diversity of weeds. Allelopathic water extracts and false seedbed proved less effective than herbicides. On the other hand, SW cropping system not only reduced weed density but also limited the weed flora. It is concluded that false seedbed and SW cropping system can be efficiently used to manage weeds in WBCSs. However, long-term studies are needed to infer the impact of SW cropping system and false seedbed on soil properties, soil microbes and productivity of wheat crop.

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