Relay-intercropped forage legumes help to control weeds in organic grain production

In organic grain production, weeds are one of the major limiting factors along with crop nitrogen deficiency. Relay intercropping of forage legume cover crops in an established winter cereal crop might be a viable option but is still not well documented, especially under organic conditions.Four species of forage legumes (Medicago lupulina, Medicago sativa, Trifolium pratense and Trifolium repens) were undersown in six organic wheat fields. The density and aerial dry matter of wheat, relay-intercropped legumes and weeds were monitored during wheat-legume relay intercropping and after wheat harvest until late autumn, before the ploughing of cover crops.Our results showed a large diversity of aerial growth of weeds depending on soil, climate and wheat development. The dynamics of the legume cover crops were highly different between species and cropping periods (during relay intercropping and after wheat harvest). For instance, T. repens was two times less developed than the other species during relay intercropping while obtaining the highest aerial dry matter in late autumn. During the relay intercropping period, forage legume cover crops were only efficient in controlling weed density in comparison with wheat sole crop. The control of the aerial dry matter of weeds at the end of the relay intercropping period was better explained considering both legumes and wheat biomasses instead of legumes alone. In late autumn, 24 weeks after wheat harvest, weed biomass was largely reduced by the cover crops. Weed density and biomass reductions were correlated with cover crop biomass at wheat harvest and in late autumn. The presence of a cover crop also exhibited another positive effect by decreasing the density of spring-germinating annual weeds during the relay intercropping period.     

Light competition for invasive species control: A model of cover crop–weed competition and implications for Phalaris arundinacea control in sedge meadow wetlands

Summary Since resource competition plays a critical role in many plant invasions, controlling invasive vegetation may require managing the supply of limiting resources. For example, lowering light availability with a cover crop might prevent invasions during community establishment in light-limited restored ecosystems. However, most cover crops evaluated for invasive species control either do not adequately suppress invasives or equally suppress desired species. To improve our ability to predict cover crop effectiveness, we use a theoretical model of plant competition to identify potential mechanisms by which cover crops might favor desired species over invasives. In addition, we consider the model's implications for controlling an invasive forage, Phalaris arundinacea, in restored sedge meadows. The model suggests that cover crops will improve the outcome of competition between desired and invasive species only when (1) desired species have lower minimum light requirements than invasive species and (2) invasive species dominance results from rapid establishment and resource preemption. Cover crops in the model favor desired species over faster-growing invasives because faster-growing invasives are positioned higher in the canopy. Invasive species higher in the canopy shade desired species more than desired species shade invasives. Consequently, by reducing invasive species biomass, cover crops give desired species a competitive advantage. The simple requirements for cover crop success in the model suggest that cover crops may be effective for invasive species control in light-limited restored ecosystems. The available information on P. arundinacea responses to shade suggests, however, that cover crops are unlikely to favor sedge meadow species over P. arundinacea.     

间作对旱地作物生长发育及生理生态影响的研究进展

为了选择长江流域旱地作物适宜的耕作方式,增加作物产量、改善品质以及获得更高的经济效益和促进旱地农业可持续发展。本研究归纳了国内外关于间作对旱地作物产量、品质、农艺性状、光合特性、养分吸收及生态环境影响等方面的研究情况。间作系统各作物的总产量（或收益）高于其任一单作系统;间作能显著改善作物的品质;间作能够使各作物在时空与水肥利用上具有互补性;间作群体在辐射截获和利用总效率上不低于其任一作物的单作群体;间作系统的土壤水分含量及利用率、土壤养分利用效率高于单作系统;间作的两种作物对养分吸收存在竞争与促进关系,可提高肥料利用效率,减少肥料损失率;间作系统能够集约利用光、温、水等自然资源。针对长江流域旱地作物间作存在的问题,提出了4条研究方向。     

枣麦间作巷道内间作物冬小麦灌浆期冠层光特性

为了探明枣麦间作系统中冬小麦灌浆期的冠层光合有效辐射及冬小麦产量的时空分布特征,以‘灰枣’与‘新冬20号’冬小麦间作的系统为研究对象,采用双因素裂区试验设计,研究了在4 种株行距模式下间作的冬小麦灌浆期时的冠层光特性及其产量的时空分布特征。结果显示,随着距枣树的距离增加,冬小麦灌浆期的冠层光合有效辐射及其产量不断增加,且西侧增加幅度大于东侧,整体呈现出“中间高,两侧低”、“西侧高,东侧低”的趋势;单位面积内,不同株行距的间作系统中冬小麦的有效穗数、穗粒数、千粒重及产量差异显著;相对于单作,3 m×4 m的间作系统中遮阴率及减产率最低。研究发现,株行距是影响冬小麦冠层光合有效辐射截获量的主要因素,光合有效辐射截获量直接决定了冬小麦单位面积上的有效穗数、穗粒数及千粒重,进而决定了冬小麦的产量。实际生产中,可采用3 m×4 m的模式间作生产,并适当增加东部枣树株距,即可有效改善间作系统内光照条件,提高冬小麦的产量。     

Light absorption and water loss in overwintered and spring–sown evening primrose (Oenothera spp.) crops

Evening primrose (Oenothera spp.) is a high-value oilseed crop for temperate areas which may be either overwintered or spring–sown. Light absorption, light use efficiency, water loss and biomass water ratio were compared between overwintered and spring–sown crops of cv. Merlin in two years of field trials. An overwintered crop of cv. Peter was also studied in year two. The energy content of evening primrose plant material was shown to be similar to other crops. Both overwintered and spring–sown crops can achieve full canopy closure and maintain high fractional photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) interception for long periods but canopy closure occurred much later than in other temperate seed crops. In spring–sown evening primrose, maximum PAR interception did not occur until August, by which time incident light levels were declining and consequently the proportion of incident light energy captured during the main growing season was low. Most light was intercepted by green leaves and very little shading by senescent tissue and flowers occurred. Light conversion efficiencies for the main growing period were comparable with other temperate C₃ crops, but in year two a steep decline in light conversion efficiency was observed as the crops matured and the soil water deficit exceeded 60 mm. In year one, water loss from both the overwintered and spring–sown crops were low and the soil water deficit increased relatively slowly. By contrast, in the year two crop water loss was high and the soil water deficit built up very rapidly between the end of June and crop maturity. No significant differences in biomass water ratio (water use efficiency) were recorded between overwintered and spring–sown crops but ratios were 50% higher in year one than in year two. Although no relationship was detected between biomass water ratio corrected for vapour pressure deficit (“normalised”) and soil water deficit, after canopy closure normalised daily water loss declined with increasing soil water deficit. Earlier canopy closure, particularly in the spring crop, and the avoidance of soil water deficits through irrigation, would lead to substantial improvements in the size and consistency of seed yields of evening primrose crops.     

A model for light competition between vegetable crops and weeds

A precise prediction of the yield losses inflicted by weeds is the basis of decisions in weed management. Hitherto, only rough estimates, which neglect the specific production situation, have been available for vegetable crops. In this study a simple simulation model was developed to estimate yield loss by radiation competition as a function of environmental variables. In the model, the distribution of incoming photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) in the canopy is calculated using a spatially highly resolved approach. Growth is calculated as a function of absorbed radiation and its utilisation. Newly produced dry matter is allocated to roots and shoots, the latter comprising vegetative and reproductive organs according to the developmental stage. Vegetative shoot dry matter is partitioned according to the main functions of radiation interception (leaves) and structural stability (stems and petioles). The resulting leaf area is distributed in the canopy according to the spatial expansion of individual plants. Calibration runs revealed uncertainties predicting the growth of Chenopodium album and a high sensitivity of crop yield to leaf area development of the weed. Using the area of green leaves (LAI) of C. album as input gave a close correspondence between simulated and observed crop yield loss. Since plant height of C. album is calculated as a function of leaf area, this variable has a multiple effect on radiation absorption. A first evaluation with an independent data set likewise gave an acceptable prediction. To reduce model complexity, a simplified version is proposed.     

Shade Effects on Phaseolus vulgaris L. Intercropped with Zea mays L. under Well-Watered Conditions

Field experiments were carried out under unstressed conditions of soil water during two summer crop growing seasons (1998–99 and 1999–2000 seasons) in a South African semi‐arid region (Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa). The aim of this study was to investigate shade effects on beans intercropped with maize in terms of plant mass and radiation use. The experimental treatments were two cropping systems (no shading/sole cropping and shading/intercropping) and two row orientations (north–south and east–west). At the top of bean canopies shaded by maize, incident radiation was reduced by up to 90 %. Shading reduced total dry matter of beans by 67 % at the end of the growing season, resulting in yield losses. The dry matter partitioning into leaf and stem (the ratios of leaf and stem to total biomass) was about 50 % higher in intercropping than sole cropping. In contrast, intercropped beans had 40 % lower dry matter partitioning into pod (the ratio of pod to total biomass). Fraction of radiation intercepted by sole‐cropped beans steeply increased until canopy closure (0.9) and then slowly decreased, while fraction of radiation intercepted by intercropped beans remained constant between 0.0 and 0.2 throughout the growing seasons. However, intercropped beans had 77 % higher radiation use efficiency (RUE) than sole‐cropped beans. In contrast, for maize, no effect of intercropping (shading) was found on growth, partitioning, yield, radiation interception or RUE. Consequently, lower bean yield losses can be attained in association with late shading rather than early shading. This can be controlled by growing crops with different temporal and spatial treatments. As regards row treatment, no effect of row direction was found on growth, partitioning, yield, radiation interception or RUE.     

Clover as a cover crop for weed suppression in an intercropping design: I. Characteristics of several clover species

Weeds often form a major problem in weakly competitive vegetable crops, particularly in low input systems. Undersown cover crops can be used to suppress weeds, but often put too high a competitive pressure on the main crop. Cover crop selection is one of the potential means that can be used to design or optimize these intercropping systems. The objective of the current research was to investigate the variability among a range of clover species in morphological and physiological traits that are considered relevant for interplant competition. To this purpose, field experiments with pure stands of eight clover species (2001) and a selection of three clover species (2002) were conducted, in which regular observations and periodic harvests were taken. Clear differences in the time in which full soil cover was obtained, total accumulated biomass, growth duration, height development and N-accumulation were observed. Persian clover (Trifolium resupinatum L.) and subterranean clover (T. subterraneum L.) were the two most contrasting species in this study, particularly differing in the period in which full soil cover was obtained. Persian clover's faster soil cover could not be attributed to a single trait, but resulted from a number of intrinsic characteristics, like light extinction coefficient, light use efficiency and specific leaf area that together determine the relative growth rate. The study also demonstrated the importance of differences in relative starting position, caused by, for instance, seed size, seeding rate and fraction establishment, for the analysis of early growth characteristics. Alsike clover (T. hybridum L.), berseem clover (T. alexandrinum L) and crimson clover (T. incarnatum L.) developed slower than Persian clover, but all produced a higher amount of accumulated dry matter, due to a longer growing period. Clear differences in height and height development between species were observed. These differences were not associated with dry matter accumulation, as the tallest (red clover; 80 cm) and the shortest species (subterranean clover; 12 cm) produced similar amounts of dry matter. A strong positive correlation between early soil cover development and N-accumulation was observed. The large variability among clover species indicates that species selection is a very important aspect of the development of cropping systems that include clover as a cover crop.     

PRACT (Prototyping Rotation and Association with Cover crop and no Till) – a tool for designing conservation agriculture systems

Moving to more agroecological cropping systems implies deep changes in the organization of cropping systems. We propose a method for formalizing the process of innovating cropping system prototype design using a tool called PRACT (Prototyping Rotation and Association with Cover crop and no Till) applied to a Malagasy case study. The input information for PRACT is comprised of: (i) crop and cover crop adaptation to biophysical conditions, (ii) agroecological functions of the cover crops, (iii) crop production, (iv) association possibilities between crop and cover crop, and (v) agroecological functions of the cropping system. All the information was derived from expert knowledge developed over more than 12 years of agronomic experiments in Madagascar. The final output from PRACT is a list of cropping systems, i.e., crop and cover crop associations and their sequences over three years. These cropping systems are characterized by their potential agroecological functions and crop production. The PRACT model selects a list of cropping systems taking into account the above information by using elaborate rules governing the intercropping and sequences between crops and cover crops. Examples of the outcomes of model simulations are provided for four different kinds of field. Taking into account the range of potential crops and cover crops, the number of cropping systems that was theoretically possible for the different field types ranged from 19,683 to 2.98 ×  10¹³. In a first step, PRACT reduced this number by a factor of up to 28 times to propose possible cropping systems. To do so, cropping systems are selected in terms of the biophysical requirements of plants, plant compatibility and agronomic rules. Not all of these systems are suitable for every farmer. Thus using PRACT output, a second cropping system selection step can be taken based on these cropping system characteristics, i.e., crop production and agroecological functions. By doing so the number of cropping systems selected can reach a reasonable value that can be handled by technicians and farmers. Possible uses and further development of the tool are discussed.     

Leaf area development strategies of cover plants used in banana plantations identified from a set of plant traits

Cover crops introduced into cropping systems can lead to chemical input reductions and pollution mitigation because they enhance ecological functions. The choice of the best cover crops for a specific cropping system is, however, difficult because of the large range of potential cover species. A promising method involves functional traits as simplified indicators of plant functions. In banana cropping systems, cover crops are used especially to control weeds by development of their leaf area to boost competition for light. The aim of this study was to seek trait-based leaf area development strategies among tropical cover species, based on four plant traits chosen because of their mathematical link with leaf area development: specific leaf area (SLA), aboveground leaf mass fraction (LMF_a), seed mass (SM) and aboveground relative growth rate (RGR_a). We measured trait values and leaf areas of 17 tropical cover species grown for 1 month in a growth chamber. Strong positive and negative covariations were observed between SM, LMF_a and RGR_a, revealing a “syndrome” of traits and suggesting trade-offs between traits. Four groups of species were identified based on PCA and cluster analyses and were characterized by significantly different sets of trait values. They showed four leaf area development strategies: species that allocate a large part of biomass to leaf area (G1), species that develop large biomass and leaf area at emergence (G2), species with rapid biomass growth and low biomass investment in leaves (G3) and species with a non-specialized strategy (G4). After 1 month, species of groups G1 and G2 had higher leaf area, although not significantly, than species of groups G3 and G4. Comparisons between this functional classification and the taxonomic monocot/dicot classification showed that the functional classification captured a larger part of the variability in traits involved in leaf area development than the taxonomic monocot/dicot classification. This encourages the use of such a classification to describe plant functioning, to understand plant roles in plant–plant interactions and guide the choice of the best cover species to introduce into cropping systems.     

新疆石河子棉区高密条件下冠层结构和光分布特征

对新疆石河子5个棉花主栽品种全生育期的干物质积累、生长参数、产量和盛铃期的冠层结构、光渗透能力和光分布等进行了测量分析。结果表明,作物生长速率、铃生长率以及子棉产量等均与总受光量呈正相关关系,净同化率则与单位叶面积受光量呈正相关关系,说明受光量是决定干物质生产和产量的重要因素;单位叶面积受光量即光的渗透能力与单位土地面积总受光量呈正相关关系、而与LAI呈负相关关系,说明冠层结构也是影响冠层受光量的主要因素;总受光量与LAI呈显著的正相关关系,说明LAI最大值并未达到最适宜水平。新疆地区棉花高产棉田的主要特征可以总结为叶数少、叶片大、冠层结构为椭圆形。由于叶面积指数尚未达到最适宜水平,增加种植密度可能是提高产量的一个途径。     

Root decomposition at high and low N supply throughout a crop rotation

Soil nitrogen (N) dynamics can be modified by cover crops in rotations with cereals. Although, roots are a major source of N, little is known about the dynamics of root decomposition of cash and cover crops. The objective of this study was to assess the effects that cover crop species have on i) the decomposition of spring wheat roots during the growth of cover crops, and ii) the decomposition of cover crop roots during the growing season of spring wheat. The experiment aimed also at comparing three non-winter hardy cover crops of varying shoot C/N ratios under low and high N input levels of 6 and 12 g N m⁻² y⁻¹, respectively. The experiment included spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) as the main crop and non-winter hardy cover crops (yellow mustard (Sinapis alba L.), phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth), and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) as well as bare soil fallow treatment. Minirhizotrons were used to non-destructively assess the spatial and temporal patterns of root growth and decomposition from 0.10 to 1.00 m. Simultaneously, we grew all crops in soil columns to measure destructively C and N content in the roots. We concluded that wheat root decomposition was not affected by cover crop species. In contrast, during the growing season of wheat root decomposition of yellow mustard was on average twice as high for phacelia and sunflower as a consequence of a higher production of roots with a significantly higher C/N ratio compared to the other cover crops.     

Integrating simulation data from a crop model in the development of an agri-environmental indicator for soil cover in Switzerland

Agriculture generates important impacts on the environment, which can be evaluated with agri-environmental indicators. A key element of environment protection in agriculture is the maintenance of a dense soil cover for the longest possible period. Notably, soil cover is known to diminish erosion risks and nitrate leaching. In this study, an agri-environmental indicator for soil cover is presented, which integrates data from the crop model STICS to quantify vegetation growth dynamics. Simulations were conducted with STICS for the major crops cultivated in Switzerland across several contrasting pedoclimatic situations. They were then integrated with data for crop residue cover to evaluate soil cover at the field and farm levels in the framework of a farm network survey. At the field level, for the period from the harvest of the previous crop through the harvest of the main crop, the highest soil cover was achieved by silage maize and winter barley. A high variability between fields was observed, due to the diversity of cultural practices during the period preceding the seeding of the main crops. Some crops, winter wheat in particular, showed a high number of days with insufficient soil cover (under 30%), leading to potential environmental risks. This shows the crucial need of promoting conservation agriculture principles (permanent soil cover, minimum soil disturbance, diversification of crop rotation) in arable systems to better protect the soils and the environment. The soil cover indicator presented here provided a continuous quantification of soil cover, whereas most of the currently used indicators provide qualitative or roughly quantitative results.     

Identifying plant architectural traits associated with yield under intercropping: Implications of genotype-cropping system interactions

Increased yields of some crops have resulted from indirect selection of plant architectural traits related to yield. This study examines the potential relationship between plant architecture and yield for a legume grown under intercropping, Field experiments were conducted in 1991 to examine the response of two cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) genotypes with contrasting plant habits to sole crop and intercrop with pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke), and to identify cowpea traits associated with yield under intercropping. The cultivur with a bush-type habit was higher-yielding in sole crop, whereas the cultivar with a spreading habit was higher-yielding in intercrop. For F₂ cowpea populations, pod number was most highly correlated with seed yield in intercrop. The number of branches and nodes, particularly in areas with increased access to light, and increased internode length were also important in intercrop. Selection for improved yield in sole crop may not necessarily lead to improved yield in intercrop, and different plant traits may be more appropriate for cultivars intended for use in inter-crop than for those intended for use in sole crop.     

Crop sequence,crop protection and fertility management effects on weed cover in an organic/conventional farm management trial

A survey of 128 plots, in 2008, of a trial where the effects of crop protection can be separated from those of fertility management, generated weed cover data within six crops (winter wheat, winter barley, spring barley, potatoes, cabbages and a grass/clover ley). The effects of the 2008 crop types, of the two preceding crops and of organic and conventional crop protection and fertility management, were assessed using mixed-effects models and constrained ordination. Cover data for 22 weed species and for monocotyledon, dicotyledon, annual, perennial and total weed cover were used. Cover of 15 weed species, and of the five weed groups, was significantly affected by 2008 crops, with cover highest in spring beans and cabbage. Nine and four weed species 2008 cover were significantly related to crops grown in 2007 and 2006 respectively, as were dicotyledon, annual and total weed cover, but not monocotyledon or perennial cover. Cover of 15 species, and the five groups, was significantly higher in plots with organic crop protection, but only eight species and annuals were significantly affected by fertility management. Crop:crop protection produced the most significant interactions with most cover in organically managed plots. Five species, perennials and total weed cover produced significant three-factor models. The greatest weed cover was in organic crop protected but conventionally fertilised spring barley and the least in totally conventional winter barley. Other factors such as crop density and mechanical weeding also affected 2008 weed cover. The ordination indicated that most of the 22 species were strongly associated with crops from all three years. The sequence of crops in the rotation had a profound effect on weed cover. Where three spring-sown, difficult to weed, crops were grown in sequence (spring beans, potatoes and vegetables, spring barley) weed cover increased. However, cover was limited in grass/clover and some cereal plots with different preceding crops. Models predicting weed cover may need to take into account crop sequences within crop rotations, as well as the more usual management inputs.     

Effect of spring fertilization on ecosystem services of organic wheat and clover relay intercrops

Nitrogen (N) deficiency and weed infestation are main factors limiting yield and yield stability in organic wheat. Organic fertilizers may be used to improve crop performance but off-farm input costs tend to limit profitability. Instead, forage legumes may be inserted into the crop rotation to improve the N balance and to control weed infestation. In opposition to simultaneous cropping, relay intercropping of legumes in organic winter wheat limits resource competition for the legume cover crop, without decreasing the performance of the associated wheat.The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of spring organic fertilization on the performance of intercropped legumes and wheat, and on services provided by the legume cover.Two species of forage legumes (Trifolium pratense L. and Trifolium repens L.) were undersown in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv Lona) in five organic fields during two consecutive crop seasons. Organic fertilizer was composed of feather meal and applied on wheat at legume sowing. The cover crop was maintained after the wheat harvest and destroyed just before sowing maize.Spring organic nitrogen fertilization increased wheat biomass (+35%), nitrogen (+49%), grain yield (+40%) and protein content (+7%) whatever the intercropping treatment. At wheat harvest, red clover biomass was significantly higher than white clover one (1.4 vs. 0.7 t ha⁻¹). Nitrogen fertilization decreased forage legume above-ground biomass at wheat harvest, at approximately 0.5 t ha⁻¹ whatever the specie. No significant difference in forage legume biomass production was observed at cover killing. Nitrogen accumulation in legume above-ground tissues was significantly higher for white clover than for red clover. Both red and white clover species significantly decreased weed infestation at this date. Nitrogen fertilization significantly increased weed biomass whatever the intercropping treatment and decreased nitrogen accumulation in both clover species (−12%).We demonstrated that nitrogen fertilization increased yield of wheat intercropped with forage legume while the performance of legumes was decreased. Legume growth was modified by spring fertilization whatever the species.     

Nitrogen use efficiency and fertiliser fate in a long-term experiment with winter cover crops

The use of winter cover crops enhances environmental benefits and, if properly managed, may supply economic and agronomic advantages. Nitrogen retained in the cover crop biomass left over the soil reduces soil N availability, which might enhance the N fertiliser use efficiency of the subsequent cash crop and the risk of depressive yield and pre-emptive competition. The main goal of this study was to determine the cover crop effect on crop yield, N use efficiency and fertiliser recovery in a 2-year study included in a long-term (10 years) maize/cover crop production system. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and vetch (Vicia sativa L.), as cover crops, were compared with a fallow treatment during the maize intercropping period. All treatments were cropped following the same procedure, including 130 kg N ha⁻¹ with ¹⁵N fertiliser. The N rate was reduced from the recommended N rate based on previous results, to enhance the cover crop effect. Crop yield and N uptake, soil N mineral and ¹⁵N fertiliser recovered in plants and the soil were determined at different times. The cover crops behaved differently: the barley covered the ground faster, while the vetch attained a larger coverage and N content before being killed. Maize yield and biomass were not affected by the treatments. Maize N uptake was larger after vetch than after barley, while fallow treatment provided intermediate results. This result can be ascribed to N mineralization of vetch residues, which results in an increased N use efficiency of maize. All treatments showed low soil N availability after the maize harvest; however, barley also reduced the N in the upper layers before maize planting, increasing the risk of pre-emptive competition. In addition to the year-long effect of residue decomposition, there was a cumulative effect on the soil’s capacity to supply N after 7 years of cover cropping, larger for the vetch than for the barley.     

SIMBA-N: Modeling nitrogen dynamics in banana populations in wet tropical climate. Application to fertilization management in the Caribbean

In banana plantations of the Caribbean, nitrogen (N) fertilization widely exceeds nutrient outputs after harvest. Under wet tropical climate, leaching results in considerable waste of N. Fertilization management aims at maintaining soil mineral N at the optimal level for banana nutrition throughout the year but it does not take into account variations in crop N demand or N supply through mineralization of crop residues. The dynamics of crop N demand and crop residue supply depend on the structure of banana populations, which become asynchronous with time. We designed the SIMBA-N model to simulate N dynamics in successive crop cycles of banana. The model calculates the N balance weekly, including N uptake by banana, N leaching, and N supply by organic matter mineralization. We validated the model using data from a field experiment comparing five levels of fertilization. Results showed SIMBA-N provides reliable indicators to support banana fertilization management taking into account N flows in the soil and change in N demand related to banana population structure.     

Assessing innovative sowing patterns for integrated weed management with a 3D crop:weed competition model

Weed dynamics models are needed to design innovative weed management strategies. Here, we developed a 3D individual-based model called FlorSys predicting growth and development of annual weeds and crops as a function of daily weather and cropping practices: (1) crop emergence is driven by temperature, and emerged plants are placed onto the 3D field map, depending on sowing pattern, density, and emergence rate; plants are described as cylinders with their leaf area distributed according to height; (2) weed emergence is predicted by an existing submodel, emerged weed seedlings are placed randomly; (3) plant phenology depends on temperature; (4) a previously developed submodel predicts available light in each voxel of the canopy; after emergence, plant growth is driven by temperature; when shaded, biomass accumulation results from the difference between photosynthesis and respiration; shading causes etiolation; (5) frost reduces biomass and destroys plants, (6) at plant maturity, the newly produced seeds are added to the soil seed bank. The model was used to test different sowing scenarios in an oilseed rape/winter wheat/winter barley rotation with sixteen weed annuals, showing that (1) crop yield loss was negatively correlated to weed biomass averaged over the cropping season; (2) weed biomass was decreased by scenarios allowing early and homogenous crop canopy closure (e.g. reduced interrows, increased sowing density, associated or undersown crops), increased summer fatal weed seed germination (e.g. delayed sowing) or, to a lesser degree, cleaner fields at cash crop sowing (e.g. sowing a temporary cover crop for “catching” nitrogen); (3) the scenario effect depended on weed species (e.g. climbing species were little affected by increased crop competition), and the result thus varied with the initial weed community (e.g. communities dominated by small weed species were hindered by the faster emergence of broadcast-sown crops whereas taller species profited by the more frequent gap canopies); (4) the effect on weed biomass of sowing scenarios applied to one year was still visible up to ten years later, and the beneficial effect during the test year could be followed by detrimental effects later (e.g. the changed tillage dates accompanying catch crops reduced weed emergence in the immediately following cash crop but increased seed survival and thus infestation of the subsequent crops). This simulation showed FlorSys to predict realistic potential crop yields, and the simulated impact of crop scenarios was consistent with literature reports.