Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2015, 63(1), 153-161 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201563010153

Analysis of the Heterogeneity of Weed Infestation in Cereal Stands

Jan Winkler¹, Vojtěch Lukas², Vladimír Smutný²

¹ Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic

² Department of Agrosystems and Bioclimatology, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic

The aim of this study was to evaluate the heterogeneity of the incidence of individual weed species on a selected experimental field. This field was situated in the cadastre of the village Žabčice (South Moravian Region, Czech Republic). To evaluate the intensity of weed infestation, a field experiment was established. In 2011, altogether 33 weed species were identified in a stand of spring barley. In the next year, the total number of weeds in a stand of winter wheat was 22. Basing on results of the evaluation of infestation heterogeneity it was possible to detect the following trends: The first one concerned the incidence of significantly dominant species Chenopodium album and Veronica hederifolia in stands of spring barley and winter wheat, respectively. The second one expressed the incidence of the so-called sub-dominant species. Regarding the character of the incidence of these weed species it would be suitable to kill them by means of a targeted application of herbicides. Finally, the third trend concerned the incidence of that group of weeds that occurred in the major part of the experimental plot but in low numbers only. The abundance of these species was minimal and the total number of weed plants did not exceed the limit of 100 specimens. This group of weeds involved also those species that were markedly more frequent on plots situated closer to the margin of the experimental field. The targeted application of herbicides can be performed on plots with a lower level of weed infestation; another possibility, however, seems to be a targeted intervention that helps to control the incidence of a certain weed species and/or that is performed along the margin of the field where the different weed species are more frequent.

Keywords: weeds, cereals, heterogeneity, weed infestation, mapping of weed incidence

Grants and funding:

This study was performed within the framework of the project NAZV QI111A184 "Optimization of methods of weed control within the system of precision farming" and also as an output of the Internal Grant Agency of the Faculty of Agronomy, MENDELU BRNO, No. TP 10/2013 "Studies on selected factors influencing the manifestation of the biological potential of agricultural cultures".

Prepublished online: March 14, 2015; Published: April 1, 2015  Show citation