The Need for New Directions on Conservation Agriculture towards Weed Management: Review

Agriculture conservation practices such as minimal soil disturbance, permanent soil covering by crop residues or cover crops, and crop rotations leads to higher farm productivity. Although conservation agriculture has been adopted in India since its inception, it has now been successfully used in Indo Gangetic Plains irrigated rice-wheat cropping systems and has recently been made known in parts of central India. In conservation agricultural system, cover crops play an important role in weed control, but their adoption level is still limited Changes in tillage practices, planting schemes, and other management techniques can change the soil environment and trigger a significant change in weed flora In intense tillage operations early season weed control could be obtained by turning the soil, which disrupts the germination of weed seeds and the growth of seedlings through burial. In addition, soil-administered herbicides that do not need to be manifested can have less persistence and efficacy in the presence of plant residues that can hinder and bind the chemical before it reaches the soil surface. Selective herbicide compounds that are effective on weed species and not on a specific crop, conferring non-selective herbicide tolerance on a crop may be enormously effectual for potent weed control.

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Continuous Practice of Conservation Agriculture for 3-5 Years Reduces Soil Weed Seedbanks Size in Intensive Rice-Based Cropping Patterns

10.20944/preprints202101.0535.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mobarak Hossain ◽

Mahfuza Begum ◽

Abul Hashem ◽

Moshiur Rahman ◽

Richard Bell

Keyword(s):

Crop Residues ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Soil Disturbance ◽

Weed Species ◽

Gangetic Plain ◽

Cropping Patterns ◽

Weed Dynamics ◽

Annual Weeds ◽

Changes Over Time

When farmers first shift from conventional tillage (CT) to conservation agriculture (CA) practice the control of weeds may be more difficult due to the absence of tillage. However, in the longer term (3-5 years), CA changes to weed dynamics may alter the weed seedbank. The nature of weed seedbank changes over time in intensively cropped rice-based rotations, that are typical of the Eastern Gangetic Plain, are not well understood. Three long term CA experiments were sampled (at Rajbari after 3 years and Rajshahi after 5 years) for effects of decreased soil disturbance strip planting (SP) and bed planting (BP) at both sites and Zero tillage (ZT) at Rajbari, increased retention of standing residues of previous crops (20 vs 50 %). The weed seedbank in 0-15 cm soil was quantified by assessing emergence from trays a net-house experiment during January-December 2016. The year-round count of emerged weeds revealed the fewest number of weed species (especially broadleaf weeds) and lowest weed density in SP followed by CT, BP, and ZT with 50% crop residues. The SP, BP, and ZT produced a higher number of perennials weeds than annual weeds, which was the opposite of CT. The continuous practice of SP and increased crop residue retention for 3 or more years decreased the size of weed seedbank but increased the relative proliferation of perennial weeds compared to CT. Weed seedbank size in SP was even smaller than BP and ZT.

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Adoption of Conservation Agriculture in Rwanda: A Case Study of Gicumbi District Region

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11091732 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 1732

Author(s):

Yves Theoneste Murindangabo ◽

Marek Kopecký ◽

Petr Konvalina

Keyword(s):

Cover Crops ◽

Crop Residues ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Farming System ◽

Soil Disturbance ◽

Snowball Sampling ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Productivity Improvement ◽

Plant Associations

Conservation agriculture (CA) is described as a farming system that is founded around three principles: minimum soil disturbance (reduced or no tillage), keeping a permanent soil cover (with crop residues, cover crops or both) and plant species diversification (plant associations and sequences). Little to no information has been documented about conservation agriculture adoption in developing countries, such as Rwanda, with especially no information about its hilly and climate-varying part to which the Gicumbi district belongs. This study is targeted towards ascertaining the level of CA adoption in the Gicumbi district in relation to the socioeconomic status of the farming population, to suggest the relevant strategies for accelerating CA adoption specific to this region. The sampling technique used was a non-discriminative, snowball-sampling one, eventually gathering data from 500 households in three sectors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using household questionnaires. Adoption of CA was related to the knowledge acquired during training and hands-on work on demonstration plots. Some farm-level constraints found were little to no material, few extension services and market problems. The impacts attributed to the use of CA were soil and productivity improvement.

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Adoption of Conservation Agriculture in Uganda: A Case Study of the Lango Subregion

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su10103375 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 3375 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Sara Kaweesa ◽

Saidi Mkomwa ◽

Willibald Loiskandl

Keyword(s):

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Crop Residues ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Soil Disturbance ◽

Snowball Sampling ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Ca Uptake ◽

The Impact

Conservation agriculture (CA) is based on three principles: minimum soil disturbance, maintaining a soil cover through mulching with crop residues or planting cover crops, and practicing crop rotations. CA is practiced in many parts of the world for its benefits to soil and ability to improve yields, among others. There is little documented information on the status of CA adoption in the Lango region in mid-Northern Uganda. This study aimed at determining the extent of CA adoption in relation to the socioeconomic status of the farming population and suggesting relevant strategies for accelerating CA uptake specific to this region. A non-discriminative snowball-sampling technique was used to gather data from 417 households spread over three districts. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using household questionnaires. Farmers’ uptake of CA was related to information gained from training and the benefits that were observed in their fields. Some farm-level constraints in the region included the diminutive ratio of shared tools and equipment; the minimum presence and involvement of extension services; and seasonal rural markets that are dominated by middlemen. The impact that was attributed to the use of CA at the household level was improved yields. The strategy that was used to spread CA information to farmers also played a key role in increasing CA uptake in the region. This information is important for increasing CA adoption in this context given the socioeconomic status of the region.

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Resource Conservation Technologies (RCTs)-Needs and future prospects: A review

Agricultural Reviews ◽

10.18805/ag.v37i4.6456 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 37 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Ramesh Ramesh ◽

S.C. Negi ◽

S.S. Rana

Keyword(s):

Cover Crops ◽

Crop Production ◽

Crop Residues ◽

New Technologies ◽

Production Capacity ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Soil Disturbance ◽

Residue Management ◽

Resource Base ◽

Use Of Resources

Continuous use of conventional farming practices with conventional tillage and burning crop residues has degraded the soil resource base and intensified soil degradation with concomitant decrease in crop production capacity. Further, escalating fuel, fertilizers and other input costs; necessitates the effective use of resources in agriculture. Conservation agriculture (CA) consists of four principles: (i) minimizing mechanical soil disturbance and seeding directly into untilled soil, (ii) using cover crops and/or crop residues (mainly residue retention), (iii) diversification of crops in associations, sequences and rotations and (iv) controlled traffic that lessen soil compaction. The CA technologies involving no- or minimum-tillage with direct seeding and bed planting, residue management and crop diversification have potential for improving productivity and soil quality, mainly by soil organic matter build-up. Conservation agriculture systems appear to be appealing options to achieve sustainable and intensive crop production under different agroecological environments because they use available resources efficiently and maintain soil fertility. However, there is a need for wider scale testing of these new technologies under diverse production systems, as the CA technologies are site specific and therefore appraisal of CA is important to have significant adoption.

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Demonstration of Conservation Farming Practices in Improving Sorghum Yield at Tanqua-Abergelle Wereda, Ethiopia

Asian Soil Research Journal ◽

10.9734/asrj/2020/v3i330072 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Guesh Assefa ◽

Meresa Weleslasie

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Crop Residues ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Sowing Date ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Soil Disturbance ◽

Yield Response ◽

Farming Practices ◽

Conservation Farming

Conservation agriculture (CA) technologies involve minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover through crop residues or cover crops, and crop rotations for achieving higher productivity. Today tillage is seen destroying activity that leads to decline in organic matter and destruction of soil structure. Hence, the objective of this study was then to improve soil moisture and structure through minimizing soil disturbance which can be explained by the obtained yield response of sorghum. The research was undertaken at twenty one (21) interested farmers’ piece of land (10 m x 10 m) at Tanqua Abergelle Wereda in specific sites called Sheka Tekli and Agbe tabias’, it was successful only at thirteen (13) farmer’s land at Sheka Tekli. The conservation farming practices such as basin was prepared two weeks earlier from its sowing date. Grain yield and farmers perception on each practice of conservation agriculture were collected and subjected to simple descriptive statistics. Accordingly, the grain yields obtained from tied-ridger and basin technologies were 1.6 t/ha and 1.31 t/ha, respectively. However, conventional tillage revealed the lowest grain yield of sorghum. Farmers have shown great interest and promise to adopt tie ridger than basin due to lower yield. Therefore technology promotions and popularization on the study and similar agro ecological areas should be carried out in collaboration with stakeholders.

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Establishing white clover (Trifolium repens) as a living mulch: weed control and herbicide tolerance

Weed Technology ◽

10.1017/wet.2021.45 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-28

Author(s):

Nicholas T. Basinger ◽

Nicholas S. Hill

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

White Clover ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Herbicide Tolerance ◽

Single Application ◽

Weed Species ◽

Living Mulch ◽

Herbicide Resistant ◽

Research And Education ◽

Weed Emergence

Abstract With the increasing focus on herbicide-resistant weeds and the lack of introduction of new modes of action, many producers have turned to annual cover crops as a tool for reducing weed populations. Recent studies have suggested that perennial cover crops such as white clover could be used as living mulch. However, white clover is slow to establish and is susceptible to competition from winter weeds. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine clover tolerance and weed control in established stands of white clover to several herbicides. Studies were conducted in the fall and winter of 2018 to 2019 and 2019 to 2020 at the J. Phil Campbell Research and Education Center in Watkinsville, GA, and the Southeast Georgia Research and Education Center in Midville, GA. POST applications of imazethapyr, bentazon, or flumetsulam at low and high rates, or in combination with 2,4-D and 2,4-DB, were applied when clover reached 2 to 3 trifoliate stage. Six weeks after the initial POST application, a sequential application of bentazon and flumetsulam individually, and combinations of 2,4-D, 2,4-DB, and flumetsulam were applied over designated plots. Clover biomass was similar across all treatments except where it was reduced by sequential applications of 2,4-D + 2,4-DB + flumetsulam in the 2019 to 2020 season indicating that most treatments were safe for use on establishing living mulch clover. A single application of flumetsulam at the low rate or a single application of 2,4-D + 2,4-DB provided the greatest control of all weed species while minimizing clover injury when compared to the non-treated check. These herbicide options allow for control of problematic winter weeds during clover establishment, maximizing clover biomass and limiting canopy gaps that would allow for summer weed emergence.

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

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11071276 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 1276

Author(s):

Vaida Steponavičienė ◽

Aušra Marcinkevičienė ◽

Lina Marija Butkevičienė ◽

Lina Skinulienė ◽

Vaclovas Bogužas

Keyword(s):

Soil Ph ◽

Crop Residues ◽

Soil Tillage ◽

Reduced Tillage ◽

Plant Residues ◽

No Tillage ◽

Agricultural Crops ◽

Weed Species ◽

Tillage Systems ◽

Weed Communities

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.

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Impact of Weed Control by Hand Tools on Soil Erosion under a No-Tillage System Cultivation

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11050974 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 974

Author(s):

Rafael Blanco-Sepúlveda ◽

Amilcar Aguilar-Carrillo ◽

Francisco Lima

Keyword(s):

Soil Erosion ◽

Weed Control ◽

Soil Cover ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Conservation Agriculture ◽

Soil Disturbance ◽

No Tillage ◽

Tropical Mountains ◽

Litter Cover ◽

Vegetal Cover

In conservation agriculture, the no-tillage cultivation system and the retention of permanent vegetal cover are crucial to the control of soil erosion by water. This paper analyses the cultivation of maize under no-tillage, with particular reference to the effect produced on soil erosion when weed control is performed by a hand tool (machete), which disturbs the surface of the soil, and to the behavior of the soil cover in these circumstances. The study area is located in the humid tropical mountains of northern Nicaragua (Peñas Blancas Massif Nature Reserve). The results obtained show that 59.2% of the soil surface was affected by appreciable levels of sheet and splash erosion, although the vegetal cover of the soil was relatively high (with average weed and litter cover of 33.9% and 33.8%, respectively). The use of machetes for weed control provoked considerable soil disturbance, which explained the high rates of erosion observed. Moreover, this form of soil management disturbs the litter layer, making it less effective in preventing erosion. The litter remains loose on the soil surface, and so an increase in soil cover does not achieve a proportionate reduction in the area affected by erosion; thus, even with 80–100% weed and litter cover, 42% of the cultivated area continued to present soil erosion.

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Progress towards no-till organic weed control in western Canada

Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems ◽

10.1017/s1742170511000500 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 60-67 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Steven J. Shirtliffe ◽

Eric N. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Faba Bean ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Green Manure ◽

Crop Residues ◽

Organic Production ◽

Field Pea ◽

Western Canada ◽

No Till ◽

Green Manure Crops

AbstractOrganic farmers in western Canada rely on tillage to control weeds and incorporate crop residues that could plug mechanical weed-control implements. However, tillage significantly increases the risk of soil erosion. For farmers seeking to reduce or eliminate tillage, potential alternatives include mowing or using a roller crimper for terminating green manure crops (cover crops) or using a minimum tillage (min-till) rotary hoe for mechanically controlling weeds. Although many researchers have studied organic crop production in western Canada, few have studied no-till organic production practices. Two studies were recently conducted in Saskatchewan to determine the efficacy of the following alternatives to tillage: mowing and roller crimping for weed control, and min-till rotary hoeing weed control in field pea (Pisum sativum L.). The first study compared mowing and roller crimping with tillage when terminating faba bean (Vicia faba L.) and field pea green manure crops. Early termination of annual green manure crops with roller crimping or mowing resulted in less weed regrowth compared with tillage. When compared with faba bean, field pea produced greater crop biomass, suppressed weeds better and had less regrowth. Wheat yields following pea were not affected by the method of termination. Thus, this first study indicated that roller crimping and mowing are viable alternatives to tillage to terminate field pea green manure crops. The second study evaluated the tolerance and efficacy of a min-till rotary harrow in no-till field pea production. The min-till rotary hoe was able to operate in no-till cereal residues and multiple passes did not affect the level of residue cover. Field pea exhibited excellent tolerance to the min-till rotary hoe. Good weed control occurred with multiple rotary hoe passes, and pea seed yield was 87% of the yield obtained in the herbicide-treated check. Therefore, this second study demonstrated that min-till rotary hoeing effectively controls many small seeded annual weeds in the presence of crop residue and thus can reduce the need for tillage in organic-cropping systems.

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Non-Chemical Weed Management in Vegetables by Using Cover Crops: A Review

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10020257 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 257 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Husrev Mennan ◽

Khawar Jabran ◽

Bernard H. Zandstra ◽

Firat Pala

Keyword(s):

Weed Control ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Weed Management ◽

Water Conservation ◽

Crop Residues ◽

Production Systems ◽

Organic Production ◽

Substantial Part ◽

Vegetable Production ◽

Negative Effects

Vegetables are a substantial part of our lives and possess great commercial and nutritional value. Weeds not only decrease vegetable yield but also reduce their quality. Non-chemical weed control is important both for the organic production of vegetables and achieving ecologically sustainable weed management. Estimates have shown that the yield of vegetables may be decreased by 45%–95% in the case of weed–vegetable competition. Non-chemical weed control in vegetables is desired for several reasons. For example, there are greater chances of contamination of vegetables by herbicide residue compared to cereals or pulse crops. Non-chemical weed control in vegetables is also needed due to environmental pollution, the evolution of herbicide resistance in weeds and a strong desire for organic vegetable cultivation. Although there are several ways to control weeds without the use of herbicides, cover crops are an attractive choice because these have a number of additional benefits (such as soil and water conservation) along with the provision of satisfactory and sustainable weed control. Several cover crops are available that may provide excellent weed control in vegetable production systems. Cover crops such as rye, vetch, or Brassicaceae plants can suppress weeds in rotations, including vegetables crops such as tomato, cabbage, or pumpkin. Growers should also consider the negative effects of using cover crops for weed control, such as the negative allelopathic effects of some cover crop residues on the main vegetable crop.

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