Long-term tillage and crop rotation effects on weed seedbank size and composition

Size and composition of the weed seedbank was assessed after 12 years of application of four tillage systems in two crop rotations. Mouldboard and chisel ploughing at 45 cm, minimum tillage at 15 cm and no tillage were compared in continuous winter wheat and a pigeon bean/winter wheat 2-year rotation. Weed control was based upon post-emergence herbicide application. Weed seedling emergence from soil samples taken at 0–15, 15–30 and 30–45 cm depths was assessed in a non-heated glasshouse for 12 months. The tillage system influenced weed seedbank size and composition to a much greater extent than crop rotation. Total weed seedling density was higher in no tillage, minimum tillage and chisel ploughing plots in the 0–15, 15–30 and 30–45 cm layers respectively. Density in the whole (0–45 cm) layer did not differ significantly among tillage systems. With no tillage, more than 60% of the total seedlings emerged from the surface layer, compared with an average 43% in the other tillage systems. Crop rotation did not influence either weed seedbank size or seedling distribution among soil layers, and only had a small influence on major species abundance. The weed seedbank was dominated (>66%) by Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq. and Amaranthus retroflexus (L.), which thrived in chisel ploughing and no tillage respectively. Results suggested that crop rotation and substitution of mouldboard ploughing by non-inversion tillage (especially by minimum tillage) would not result in increased weed problems, whereas use of no tillage might increase weed infestations because of higher seedling recruitment from the topsoil.