Weeds in the Southern Trans-Urals

The analysis of weed species composition in the Southern Trans-Urals was presented. The studied segetalflora included 127 species, 91 genera and 26 families. The most multi-species families were Asteraceae (23 species), Brassicaceae (14 species), Fabaceae and Poaceae (13 species). The most multi-species genera were Artemisia, Brassica and Vicia.The single-species genera in the segetal flora of the South Trans-Urals was up to 73 %. The amount of alien plants was 58%. We classified 11 species as highly active weeds. They had a high coverage (25–40 %), medium or high occurrence (inmore than 41 % of the surveyed field crops) and were found in all crops. Most weeds was inactive (103 species or 81 %).

Low-Input Agriculture as a Chance to Preserve Endangered Species of Segetal Flora

As a result of human activity, the rate of extinction of species is now 100 to 1000 times faster than under natural conditions [1]. According to the FAO, 75% of the genetic diversity of agricultural crops worldwide has been lost since 1990. In Poland, about 100 species of field weeds are in danger of extinction. Archaeophytes growing on heavy calcareous soils, which are characteristic of the Lathyro-Melandrietum noctiflori, Caucalido-Scandicetum, Kicxietum spuriae communities, and weeds associated with the cultivation of flax, are particularly endangered. Halting the loss of rural biodiversity is a priority for the EU’s environmental protection strategy. Research aimed at assessing the infestation status of the weed agrophytocoenoses, located on rendzinas in the Lublin Province (Poland), has been conducted since 1997. The research was carried out using the Braun-Blanquet phytosociological method. Lublin Province is located in the south-eastern part of Poland. Here, there are good conditions for agricultural production. Agricultural land covers 57.9% of the total area of the voivodeship, of which 99.3% is agricultural land suitable for a good standard of farming. In such favorable environmental conditions, agriculture in the Lublin Province is characterized by an unfavorable structure of farms: 55.6% of more than 180,000 farms are those with an area under 5 ha. Such a large fragmentation of farms results in a low profitability of the agricultural sector, which results from extensive farming. Research has shown that low-input agriculture is conducive to the preservation of rare and endangered species of segetal flora [2]. Muscari comosum—a critically endangered (ER) species under strict protection—were found on several sites in the study area. Several sites of Caucalis platycarpos and Galium tricornutum, also recognized as ER species, were found in heavy rendzinas. Moreover, numerous sites of such rare species as Adonis aestivalis, Anthemis tinctoria, Thymelaea passerina, Lysimachia arvensis, Chaenorhinum minus and Euphorbia exigua were also identified. Research on the state of the population of rare species is a key challenge for scientists, because only knowledge about this will provide a basis for future relevant actions aimed at maintaining biodiversity and restoring degraded ecosystems [The poster presentation].

Diversity of Segetal Flora in Salix viminalis L. Crops Established on Former Arable and Fallow Lands in Central Poland

The flora of willow (Salix viminalis L.) plantations consists of various plant groups, including plants related to arable land, called segetal plants. Knowledge of this flora is important for maintaining biodiversity in agroecosystems. The aim of the study was to assess the segetal flora of the willow plantations in central Poland, depending on the land use before the establishment of the plantations (arable land or fallow) and the age of the plantations. Moreover, the aim was also to check for the presence of invasive, medicinal, poisonous and melliferous species. The vegetation accompanying willow was identified based on an analysis of 60 phytosociological relevés performed using the Braun-Blanquet method. For each species, the following parameters were determined: the phytosociological class; family; geographical and historical group; apophyte origin; biological stability; life-form; and status as an invasive, medicinal (herbs), poisonous or melliferous species. The results were statistically processed. Segetal species accounted for 38% of the flora accompanying willow. The plantations on former arable land were richer in segetal species than those on fallow. Mostly, short-lived and native species dominated. In line with the age of the plantations, the number of segetal species decreased. The share of apophytes increased, and anthropophytes decreased. Furthermore, many valuable plants were found among the flora accompanying willow.

Flora agrocenoz dolin rzecznych w środkowowschodniej Polsce

The paper deals with segetal flora in the Liwiec, Tyśmienica, and Wilga river valleys and with the impact of those locations on biodiversity and migra-tion of species from seminatural communities to arable fields. The studies were conducted between 2014 and 2018 on cereals, root crops, and stubble fields.To this end, the following research objectives were designated: 1. Inventory of flora in the agrocoenoses of the Liwiec, Tyśmienica, and Wilga river valleys. 2. Multidimensional comparative analysis of inventoried vascular plants, including: species occurrence, their geographical and historical origin, life-form, plant propagation, and type of ecological strategy. 3. Assessment of habitat conditions in designated permanent research plots in the transects located in the river valleys. 4. Statistical comparative analysis of habitat conditions in river valleys and permanent research plots. 5. Analysis of flora in permanent research plots in terms of plant sociolog-ical and ecological groups and their development strategies. 6. Statistical assessment of biodiversity in permanent research plots. 7. Analysis of the floristic richness of plant communities in terms of habitat conditions of the valleys of the Liwiec, Tyśmienica and Wilga rivers.

Biodiversity of Weeds in Fields of Grain in South-Eastern Poland

Analysis of weed infestation of selected fields of grain (winter wheat, spring wheat, spring triticale) was conducted between 2013 and 2016 in five commercial farms in south-eastern Poland (49°52’ N, 21°46’ E) based on a quantitative and qualitative (quadrat) method and an agro-phytosociological method. The quadrat analysis was conducted prior to weeding procedures, and the agro-phytosociological analysis by grain harvest. The biodiversity of weed communities was measured with the Shannon and Simpson indices. The degree of weed infestation of grain species was significantly differentiated by weeding procedures carried out by farmers. The highest share of weeds in grain crops included dicot weeds (80.6–86.4% of all species, depending on location), and the remaining weed groups were a much smaller issue. The greatest weed infestation was found in spring triticale, and the smallest in winter wheat. The highest Shannon biodiversity index was recorded in the field of triticale, and the lowest in the field of winter wheat. The Simpson index points to the greatest biodiversity in fields of triticale and the smallest in fields of spring wheat. The conducted research will help categorize segetal flora characteristics for a given crop, determine its quantity and species composition, and evaluate biodiversity of weeds in fields of grain.

The segetal flora of Italy: an occurrence dataset from relevés in winter cereals and allied crop types

The segetal flora of winter crops includes mostly native or archaeophyte annual species that are often strong specialists of their habitats. Threatened by the intensification of agriculture, segetal flora is particularly valuable from a perspective of biodiversity conservation and evolution. Moreover, it contributes to maintain biodiversity in agroecosystems and provides several ecosystem services. The dataset here described was set up to provide the first inventory of the segetal flora of Italian winter cereal crops and allied crop types, the latter including flax and autumn-sown legumes. It includes 24,676 georeferenced occurrence data deriving from 1,240 floristic and phytosociological relevés. The data were collected from the greater part of Italian territory, in a temporal range spanning from 1946 to 2018.

Segetal flora of some regions of Russia: characteristics of the taxonomic structure

The authors’ data on the weed species composition in 8 geographic regions of the Russian Federation were laid at the basis of this survey. The segetal flora comprised weeds of cereals, root crops, and perennial grasses. The composition and taxonomic structure of weed species were analyzed. The total number of weedy plants encompassed 686 plant species. The level of regional weed species diversity was positively related to the area planted. Altai Territory, Udmurtia, and Rostov Province had the greatest weed species diversity, with more than 300 species, while Vologda Province had the lowest diversity (193 species). Most species-rich plant families (Asteraceae Dumort., Poaceae Barnhart, Fabaceae Lindl., Brassicaceae Burnet), genera (Potentila L., Artemisia L., Veronica L., Chenopodium L., Silene L., Trifolium L.), their subsequences, contributions of singlespecies families (17–39%) and genera (57–74%) were relatively stable systematic structure indicators. Only 18% of the species were common for all the regions. In each region there were region-specific groups of species. Weed species compositions in geographically close regions – the European part of Russia and the Urals – showed the greatest similarity. As for geographically distant regions (Altai Territory and Rostov Province), their weedy species compositions were distant and contained large groups of region-specific species.

Taxonomic composition of weed vegetation in the southern and middle Urals and zonal features of its control in maize crops

As a result of expeditionary-route studies, the impoverishment of the composition of the segetal flora in maize crops was established when moving from the North-West to the South-East of the Ural region: from 37 species in the forest-meadow and mountain-forest zones to 10 in the steppe zone. Zonal features of the composition of weed communities associated with the hydrothermal gradient consist in the mutual substitution of annual monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous species with a stable contribution of perennial dicotyledons, as well as the replacement of mesophytic weeds with xerophytic species of the same families. A comparison of cross-spectrum herbicides effectiveness in the forest-steppe and forest-meadow zones showed the advantages of a post-emergent preparation with soil effect of Meister Power. In temperate soil fertility in the Southern area of the region, it is economically feasible to use post-emergent herbicides without soil effect, in Northern areas with stable moisture – soil ones.