Title: Improving weed management in organic spring barley: physical weed control vs. interspecific competition
Abstract: Weed ResearchVolume 50, Issue 6 p. 597-605 Improving weed management in organic spring barley: physical weed control vs. interspecific competition L N KOLB, L N KOLB Sustainable Agriculture Program, Department of Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USASearch for more papers by this authorE R GALLANDT, E R GALLANDT Sustainable Agriculture Program, Department of Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USASearch for more papers by this authorT MOLLOY, T MOLLOY Sustainable Agriculture Program, Department of Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USASearch for more papers by this author L N KOLB, L N KOLB Sustainable Agriculture Program, Department of Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USASearch for more papers by this authorE R GALLANDT, E R GALLANDT Sustainable Agriculture Program, Department of Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USASearch for more papers by this authorT MOLLOY, T MOLLOY Sustainable Agriculture Program, Department of Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, USASearch for more papers by this author First published: 25 August 2010 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3180.2010.00818.xCitations: 27 Lauren Kolb, Department of Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, 5722 Deering Hall, Orono, ME 04469, USA. Tel: (+1) 207 581 2933; Fax: (+1) 207 581 2999; E-mail: [email protected] Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract Kolb LN, Gallandt ER & Molloy T (2010). Improving weed management in organic spring barley: physical weed control vs. interspecific competition. Weed Research 50, 597–605. Summary Few options exist for effectively managing weeds in organic spring cereals. Establishing a competitive crop through increased seeding rate provides improved weed suppression, but competition with inter-row weeds is delayed, compared with an alternative, more uniform spatial pattern of sowing. We speculated that (i) enhanced interspecific competition or (ii) improved physical weed control with a strategy of wide-row sowing and inter-row hoeing would both provide better weed control than current regional organic practices. However, whether one of these strategies is superior to the other depends on an economic analysis of the relative costs of seed and equipment. We tested this hypothesis in two field experiments with spring barley (Hordeum vulgare) at three row spacings (11.4, 17.7 and 22.8 cm), and by sowing in a more uniform pattern, using condiment mustard (Sinapis alba) as a surrogate weed. Standard regional organic practice (17.7 cm rows, 200 plants m−2) had the highest weed biomass at the conclusion of both seasons. Weeds in this treatment accounted for 57% of total above-ground plant biomass in 2007 and 27% in 2008. The more uniform sowing pattern reduced weed biomass by 26% compared with the regional standard, averaged over 2 years of the experiment. Although we expected enhancing crop competition to be the most economical practice, high cost of organic seed resulted in intermediate net returns. At high weed density, the wide row strategy offered improved weed control, yields and profitability. However, with lower weed density, spring barley was sufficiently competitive that it did not benefit from cultivation. Citing Literature Volume50, Issue6December 2010Pages 597-605 RelatedInformation
Publication Year: 2010
Publication Date: 2010-08-25
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 40
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