The influence of tillage on the weed flora in a succession of winter cereal crops on a sandy loam soil

Abstract

Summary: Weed populations on sandy loam soil were monitored from 1973 to 1976 in a 5‐year experiment comparing different tillage regimes for continuous winter cereal cropping. Tillage treatments were mouldboard ploughing, shallow or deep tine cultivation and direct drilling. The best available chemical weed control which could be universally applied to all treatments was used. There were marked differences between weed species in their response to tillage. Poa annua L., Matricaria spp., Aphanes arvensis L., Cerastium holosteoides Fr. and Sambucus nigra L. were favoured by reduced cultivation and by direct drilling. Polygonum aviculare L. and Fumaria officinalis L. were discouraged by shallow soil disturbance but Avena fatua L. was favoured by tine cultivation. The remaining twenty‐four species either showed no consistent response to tillage or were present in numbers too low for reliable conclusions to be drawn. The practical implications of the results are discussed.