玉米田间机械-化学协同除草的杂草防除效果

施用除草剂和机械除草是目前杂草控制的两种主要手段，受农田环境、机具作业能力等限制，单一机械或化学防治均存在一定的局限性。该研究以玉米田为研究对象，设置机械除草协同减量化学除草策略，选取2种机械除草方式（行间与株间）和3种化学减量比例（减量25%、50%、75%）及2种化学施药方式（全幅和苗行）组合进行除草试验。从除草效果和玉米生长方面综合研究了机械-化学协同除草方式的杂草防除效果。试验结果表明：机械除草方式能够疏松土壤，使除草区域的土壤紧实度降低64.4%以上。除草处理后2周，行间机械除草的株防效为83.4%，优于株间机械除草的株防效46.7%；玉米吐丝期，机械-化学协同处理的除草效果优于单一机械除草，行间机械除草协同除草剂减施处理的除草效果优于同水平施药量下的株间机械除草协同除草剂减施处理；无论是在吐丝期还是成熟期，机械-化学协同除草处理的玉米叶面积和干物质量大于单一机械除草或化学除草，机械-化学协同除草模式可促进植株营养元素累积和作物生长；行间机械-化学协同除草处理的平均产量分别高出单一机械和化学除草模式29.0%和20.4%，株间机械-化学协同除草处理的平均产量分别高出单一机械和化学除草模式55.9%和5.1%；从玉米产量及其构成来看，机械除草协同除草剂减施25%处理的增产效果最优，该处理下的千粒质量和产量均高于其他协同处理。该研究明确了机械-化学协同除草策略对农田杂草防除和作物生长的影响，机械协同除草剂减施处理能在不降低除草效果的前提下减少除草剂施用和增加玉米产量。该研究为杂草绿色防控提供了新思路，研究结果可为玉米田除草剂减施提供参考。     

两种生态控草措施对丘陵茶园杂草群落及物种多样性的影响

实现丘陵茶园杂草生态控制, 可有效减少茶园土壤水分和养分的消耗, 减少或避免使用化学除草剂.本研究根据生态位先估和生态位竞争原理, 设计覆盖稻草和间种豆科绿肥白三叶草(Trifolium repens)两种杂草生态控制技术, 同时设置清耕对照(CK), 采用小样方多点取样连续两年调查茶园杂草种群数量、生物量、平均株高等指标, 发现茶园共有杂草16科31属31种; 3个处理春季(4月)发生的杂草特征表现为生长速度较慢、生物量小、株高在30 cm以下; 夏季(7月)和秋季(9月)对照的优势恶性杂草多度(Pi)高达0.788和0.759, 稻草覆盖处理分别为0.256和0.420, 间种白三叶草处理恶性杂草种类较少发生(Pi值均低于0.050); 稻草覆盖处理茶园春、夏和秋季杂草物种丰富度(S)、种群多样性(H)、均匀度(J)等指数均高于对照, 优势集中性指数(C)低于对照; 间种白三叶草处理春、夏和秋季杂草总数量和生物量均显著低于对照, 夏、秋季杂草平均株高显著低于对照.结果表明两种生态控草处理措施能改变茶园杂草群落结构, 有效控制杂草的生长.     

Effects of alternative tillage systems on soil quality and yield of spring cereals on silty clay loam and sandy loam soils in the cool, wet climate of central Norway

Tillage trials were established on a poorly drained silty loam overlying silty clay loam and on a freely drained sandy loam overlying medium sand, in 1988 and 1989, respectively. Autumn and spring ploughing and two ploughless systems were compared for 12–13 years, with three replications at each site. The ploughless treatments comprised deep versus shallow spring harrowing until 1999, and thereafter autumn plus spring harrowing versus spring harrowing only. In 6 years, treatments with and without fungal spraying of the cereal crops were included. In other years, fungicides were not used. Perennial weeds were controlled by herbicides as necessary, on nine occasions up until 2001. Average spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and spring oat (Avena sativa L.) yields were similar with spring ploughing as with autumn ploughing at both sites. In treatments without ploughing, average yields on the silty loam over clay were 93% of those obtained with ploughing, and on the sandy loam over sand they were 81%. Smaller and non-significant yield differences were found between spring harrowing versus deep spring harrowing, and between autumn plus spring harrowing versus spring harrowing only. Fungal spraying increased yields markedly at both sites (25%), but there was no significant interaction between this treatment and tillage system. Oat was compared with barley in 2 years, with oat performing better under ploughless tillage. At both sites increases in penetrometer resistance occurred in the topsoil of unploughed treatments. These were considered particularly limiting on the sandy loam. On the silty loam there was an increase in surface horizon porosity in the absence of ploughing, which was associated with an increase in topsoil organic matter content. On this soil there was also a tendency toward lower penetrometer resistance at >30 cm depth on autumn plus spring harrowed soil than on ploughed soil, indicating that the plough pan may have diminished. This was supported by observations of greater earthworm activity on unploughed soil. Soil chemical analyses revealed that mineral N and plant-available P and K accumulated in the upper horizon under ploughless tillage. The percentage yields obtained in individual years with autumn as opposed to spring ploughing, were positively correlated with air temperature during 0–4 weeks after planting on the silty loam, and with precipitation during 0–12 weeks after planting on the sandy loam. In the case of yields obtained with spring harrowing only, relative to spring ploughing, positive correlations were found with 0–4 week temperature on both soil types, suggesting that low early season temperatures may limit yields under ploughless tillage.     

智能高效株间锄草机器人研究进展与分析

非化学方式除草是摒弃除草剂、生产有机农产品的前提,传统的中耕锄草机主要解决行间锄草,由于株间苗草集聚,机械锄草难度较大,目前主要依靠人工,劳动成本高且效率低。智能株间锄草机器人是一种能够实时识别作物行和苗草信息,并能控制株间锄草刀高速作业的自动锄草装备,具有智能、高效、环保等特点,可大大减少劳动力,提高锄草效率,降低锄草成本。该文主要对近年来国外研究较为成熟的株间锄草机器人进行介绍,概述了中国该方面的研究进展,对苗草信息获取、对行、锄草装置、驱动方式、时速等几个技术点进行分析和比对,提出了如何提高信息获取速度,增强系统实时性,以及如何改进机器视觉标定方法,提高苗草定位准确性是苗草信息获取技术存在的关键问题,强调了锄草装置在系统中的重要性;针对不同形态作物、不同土质土壤研制针对性强、锄草效果好的锄草装置是锄草机器人的基础,同时由于系统集成性及动力系统与速度匹配仍无法满足田间高负载、高速的锄草作业要求,因此加强该方面研究力度,研制使用性强、效率高的株间锄草机器人仍是中国的研究重点和方向。最后,提出多传感器融合、模块化、小型化的株间锄草机器人将是未来发展趋势,是实现中国农业有机、精准、高效生产的重要依据。     

株间除草装置横向偏移量识别与作物行跟踪控制

株间机械除草技术与装置能有效摆脱田间除草的繁重体力劳动并消除化学除草方法所带来的危害,株间机械除草装置的牵引拖拉机在跟踪作物行时总会产生航向偏差,导致除草装置出现横向偏移,甚至无法进入除草的株间区域,同时还会增加伤苗率。为增大株间机械除草的作用区域和降低伤苗率,该文提出了通过作物行信息识别出株间机械除草装置与作物行横向偏移量的方法,并设计了株间机械除草作物行跟踪机构和控制器,实现了株间机械除草跟随作物行。采用正弦波和三角波2种标准信号作为横向偏移补偿量信号,对作物行跟踪控制器的性能进行了测试,试验结果表明：作物行跟踪控制器能较好地控制除草装置跟随横向偏移补偿信号,前进速度为0.5 m/s时正弦波信号跟踪最大误差10 mm,平均误差0.8 mm,三角波信号跟踪最大误差11 mm,平均误差1.2 mm。除草试验表明,作物行跟踪控制系统能较好地控制株间除草装置跟踪作物行,在0.5 m/s前进速度下跟踪最大误差为20.8 mm,平均误差2.5 mm;作物行跟踪控制明显减少了除草爪齿未进入株间区域的比例,在300 mm株距下,可保证93.3%的株间区域有除草爪齿进行除草作业,在200 mm株距下为85.9%;作物行跟踪控制降低了除草爪齿对作物的损伤,伤苗率从20%以上降到了12%以内,提高了株间机械除草的作业效果。     

Effect of reduced tillage on weeds and soil organisms in winter wheat and summer maize cropping on Humic Andosols in Central Japan

Although reduced tillage (RT) may preserve soil biota and improve the productivity and sustainability of arable lands in temperate regions, the extension of RT is limited by difficulties in controlling weeds. We studied the effect of RT without herbicide application on weed communities and soil biota in a 1-year 2-crop rotation system with winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) on Andosols in Japan. RT of the surface 3 cm and conventional moldboard plowing (CT) were conducted before seeding twice per year. For the first 3 years, from autumn 1997 to spring 2000, one field was managed with RT and another with CT. For the second 3 years, from autumn 2000 to spring 2003, RT and CT were conducted in two replicated plots in each field. Weed communities and soil biota were studied in the last 2 years. Dominant weed species in winter wheat cropping were Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) in 2002 and common vetch (Vicia angustifolia L.) in 2003, and their biomass was high where RT or CT was continuously conducted. Switching of tillage methods, from RT to CT or vice versa, reduced the biomass of winter weeds. In summer maize cropping, several annual and perennial weed species tended to increase under RT in the second 3 years. However, redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.), the most dominant weed in 2002 and 2003, responded to tillage inconsistently and its biomass was not always increased by RT. Species diversity of winter weeds was decreased by CT conducted in the first 3 years, and that of summer weeds was decreased by CT conducted in the second 3 years. The seedbank in the 0–10-cm soil layer under recent RT was large (7200–16 300 seeds m⁻²) compared with that under CT (2900–7300 seeds m⁻²). The microbial substrate-induced respiration (SIR) and the population densities of nematodes and mites were higher under RT in the second 3 years and were not affected by previous tillage practices. Both were highly correlated with soil total nitrogen. The positive effect of RT on these soil organisms was primarily attributable to the accumulation of organic matter in soil, but not to plant cover as a result of incomplete weed control by RT. Occasional adoption of RT in current CT systems may be effective at enriching soil organisms with little risk of weed infestation.     

Recent yield results and trends over time with conservation tillage on morainic loam soil in southeast Norway

Abstract

Results for 1998–2004 are reported from four long-term (25–28 years) tillage trials, comparing conventional autumn ploughing with reduced tillage, normally spring harrowing only. Plant residues were retained during the period studied. The weather was somewhat wetter than the 1961–1990 normal. Results with reduced tillage were mostly similar to those seen in earlier trial periods. In Trial 1, mean grain yield was 95% with spring harrowing only versus autumn ploughing, 96% when harrowing in autumn was performed as well and 97% when the soil was ploughed every third year. In Trial 2 positive crop rotation effects were found both with and without ploughing, and reduced tillage gave 5% lower grain yield also in this trial. In Trial 3, tillage system did not affect yields of cereals grown in rotation with potatoes, but reduced tillage gave 12% lower potato yield than ploughing. Little difference in response to N fertilizer was found. In Trial 4, reduced tillage on large-scale (0.7 ha) plots gave 11% lower grain yields than annual ploughing, partly due to shallow sowing depth. No long-term trend in yield responses to tillage was discernible in any trial, and between-year variability was similar with both ploughing and reduced tillage. Percentage yields with reduced tillage relative to annual ploughing correlated positively with rainfall in May and with mean air temperature in August. It is concluded that the reduced tillage systems studied are sustainable in terms of productivity, relative to labour, machinery and energy inputs. Likely benefits of such systems include higher levels of organic matter and aggregate stability in surface soil horizons, but a disadvantage is the need for frequent herbicide use to control perennial weeds.     

Effects of repeated clover undersowing,green manure ley and weed harrowing on weeds and yields in organic cereals

Abstract

Cover crops can be used to reduce leaching and erosion, introduce variability into crop rotation and fix nitrogen (N) for use by the main crops, less is however known about effects on weeds. The effects on weed seed bank, weed growth and grain yield of 4 years of annual undersown clover and ryegrass alone and in combination, and one of the 4 years with clover or clover + grass as green manure, were studied in oat and spring wheat at two experimental sites in south-eastern Norway. These treatments were compared with no undersown crop (control) and with weed harrowing. In contrast to many results in the literature, the undersown clover in this study did not suppress annual weeds, but fertilized the weeds as well as the cereals. Undersown clover resulted in a statistically significant increase of grain yield at the two sites to 116% and 121% of control. During the 4-year period relative seed bank and density of emerged weed (dominated by Spergula arvensis) increased significantly about 4.5 and 10 times respectively in the undersown clover plots at Apelsvoll. At Kise both ryegrass alone and ryegrass mixed with clover significantly suppressed the weed biomass to 70% and 74% of control respectively. It is concluded that fertilization effects of undersown clover may have dominated and overriden the competitive effects. One whole-season clover green manure did not increase the mean yield, but resulted in a significant drop in seed bank size the following year, because of limited weed establishment in an established ley. Only a slight increase in average weed biomass was observed at one of the two experimental sites. The weed seed bank and the weed biomass were essentially kept at steady state during the experimental period in harrowed plots, but harrowing decreased grain yield significantly at both sites.     

Residue cover,soil structure,weed infestation and spring cereal yields as affected by tillage and straw management on three soils in Norway

Four field trials (spring wheat and oats) were conducted (one on clay soil, one on loam soil and two on silt soil) for three years in important cereal growing districts, to investigate the influence of tillage regimes (ploughing versus reduced tillage in either autumn or spring) and straw management (removed and retained) on plant residue amounts, weed populations, soil structural parameters and cereal yields. The effect of tillage on soil structure varied, mainly due to the short trial period. In general, the amount of small soil aggregates increased with tillage intensity. Reduced soil tillage, and in some cases spring ploughing, gave significantly higher aggregate stability than autumn ploughing, thus providing protection against erosion. However, decreasing tillage intensity increased the amounts of weeds, particularly of Poa annua on silt soil. Straw treatment only slightly affected yields, while effects of tillage varied between both year and location. Reduced tillage, compared to ploughing, gave only small yield differences on loam soil, while it was superior on clay soil and inferior on silt soil. Our results suggest that shallow spring ploughing is a good alternative to autumn ploughing, since it gave comparable yields, better protection against erosion and was nearly as effective against weeds.     

基于爪齿余摆运动的株间机械除草装置研制与试验

为了实现作物株间区域精确机械除草,设计了一种利用除草爪齿余摆运动原理的株间机械除草装置,研究了装置的除草和避苗工作原理,建立了相应数学模型并分析了除草爪齿余摆运动的参数对除草效果的影响,获得了合理的工作参数。在试验平台上进行了基于爪齿余摆运动的株间机械除草装置避苗试验研究,试验结果表明,基于爪齿余摆运动的株间机械除草装置除草爪齿避苗和除草切换控制快速可靠,室内试验的伤苗率小于8%;能够满足株距20cm及以上栽种的作物株间除草要求,可以保证每个株间区域均有除草爪齿进入实施除草;除草装置的前进速度不影响进入株间区域的除草爪齿数量,但前进速度的增加会导致伤苗率增大;进入株间区域的除草爪齿数量与作物栽种株距均匀性无关,仅与作物栽种的株距有关。该文为爪齿余摆株间除草装置精准控制提供依据。     

Organic matter status and the size, activity and metabolic diversity of the soil microbial community in the row and inter-row of sugarcane under burning and trash retention

The concentrations of organic C, labile organic fractions and the size and activity of the microbial community were measured to a depth of 30 cm below the plant row and at distances of 30 and 60 cm into the inter-row area under sugarcane under pre-harvest burning or green cane harvesting with retention of a crop residue (trash) mulch. Total root mass was similar under burning and trashing but under trashing there was a redistribution of roots towards the surface 0-10 cm in the inter-row space as roots proliferated beneath the trash mulch. Soil organic C content decreased in response to both increasing distance from the plant row (to a depth of 20 cm) and burning rather than trashing (to a depth of 10 cm). Declines in K₂SO₄-extractable C, light fraction C, microbial biomass C, basal respiration and aggregate stability in response to distance and burning were much more marked than those for organic C and occurred to a depth of 30 cm. Bulk density was greater under burnt than trashed sugarcane and was greater in the inter-row than row, particularly under burning. Heterotrophic functional diversity (measured by analysis of catabolic response profiles to 36 substrates) was also investigated. Principal component analysis of response profiles demonstrated that soils below the row and those under trashing at 30 cm out from this row were separated from the other soils on PC1 and the sample from the inter-row centre (60 cm out) under burning was separated from the others on PC2. Catabolic evenness was least for the latter soil. It was concluded that soil in the inter-row of burnt sugarcane receives few inputs of organic matter and that conversion to green cane harvesting with retention of a trash mulch greatly improves the organic matter, microbial and physical status of the inter-row soil.     

中耕期玉米田间避苗除草装置设计与试验

针对现有旱田避苗除草装置多依赖于智能导航平台,机械式避苗除草装置无法确定秧苗位置的问题,该文基于除草执行部件间歇式旋转运动的思想,设计了一种针对中耕期玉米田间使用的避苗除草装置,该装置由软轴、行程开关、步进电机、除草梳齿和测控系统等组成。当该装置需要执行避苗除草动作时,除草梳齿会旋转120°以躲避秧苗。在吉林大学的土槽实验室,进行了三因素四水平的正交试验,试验结果显示,在秧苗株距为26 cm,梳齿入土深度为20 mm,前进速度为5 km/h时,该装置的平均伤苗率为5.9%,平均除草率为94.7%,方差分析结果显示,玉米的种植株距对于伤苗率的影响最显著(P0.05),梳齿的入土深度对于伤苗率和除草率均有显著影响(P0.05),但是作业速度对于伤苗率和除草率无显著影响(P0.05)。该装置可以满足玉米田间"避苗除草"作业的要求,研究结果可为农田机械除草的优化和设计提供参考。     

Weed management systems based on animal-drawn cultivators for maize production in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania

Experiments on weed management techniques for maize production were carried out at the Uyole Agricultural Centre and on farmer's fields in Mbozi district, Tanzania, using the inter-row cultivator (Cossul), over-the-row cultivator (MOP) and hand-weeding. There were no significant differences in field capacities between the two cultivators, although the MOP cultivator tended to have slightly higher capacities. Field capacities tended to be higher when the maize was 45 cm high. The use of cultivators alone reduced labour inputs for weeding by 80%, and the use of cultivators combined with hand-weeding reduced labour by 40%, compared with hand-weeding alone. Hand-weeding alone, or in combination with cultivator weeding gave the best control of weeds, and similar high maize yields (5 t ha⁻¹ compared with 2 t ha⁻¹ with no weeding). The use of cultivators alone gave significantly poorer weed control and a yield of 3.3 t ha⁻¹. The use of cultivators plus within-row hand-weeding gave marginal rates of return greater than 1.0, indicating a reasonable return on the investment in labour. The results emphasize the importance of weeding for higher maize yields in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. Higher yields can be obtained by manual weeding alone but at the cost of high labour inputs, representing high levels of family drudgery or high labour hiring costs. Those farmers who have access to ox-drawn systems are advised to arrange additional within-row manual weeding to ensure higher yields. Ox-drawn cultivators alone for weeding are only suitable for situations where labour is scarce.     

Effect of tillage intensity on weed infestation in organic farming

Conservation tillage is not yet widely accepted by organic farmers because inversion tillage is considered to be necessary for weed control. Three long-term experiments were established with combinations of reduced and conventional plough tillage and stubble tillage to determine weed infestation levels in organic farming, i.e. herbicide application being excluded. Experiment 1 (with very low stocking density of perennial weeds) showed that in presence of primary tillage by mouldboard ploughing the number of annual weeds was nearly unaffected by the mode of stubble tillage. In experiment 2, however, with Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) being artificially established, thistle density was significantly affected by stubble tillage and by a perennial grass–clover forage crop. Experiment 3 combined two levels of stubble tillage (skimmer plough, no stubble tillage = control) with four implements of primary tillage in the order of decreasing operation depth (deep mouldboard plough, double-layer plough, shallow mouldboard plough or chisel plough). Primary tillage by chisel plough resulted in significantly highest annual weed density compared to all other treatments. The natural C. arvense infestation in experiment 3 showed highest shoot density in the “skimmer plough/chisel plough” treatment compared to the lowest infestation in the “skimmer plough/double-layer plough” treatment. The poor capacity of the chisel plough for weed control was also reflected by the soil seed bank (5500 m⁻² C. arvense seeds for chisel plough, <300 seeds for all other primary tillage). A reduced operation depth of the mouldboard plough (“shallow mouldboard plough”) seemed to have an insufficient effect in controlling C. arvense infestation as well. Stubble tillage by the skimmer plough in addition to nearly any primary tillage operation largely reduced both annual weeds and thistle shoots. Most effective in controlling C. arvense was also a biennial grass–clover mixture as part of the crop rotation.Double-layer ploughing is a compromise between soil inversion and soil loosening/cutting and can be regarded as a step towards conservation tillage. In terms of controlling annual weeds and C. arvense, the double-layer plough was not inferior to a deep mouldboard plough and seems to be suitable for weed control in organic farming. Tilling the stubble shallowly after harvest can support weed control in organic farming remarkably, particularly in reducing C. arvense. If no noxious, perennial weeds occur and primary tillage is done by soil inversion, an omission of stubble tillage can be taken into consideration.     

Effects of tractor traffic on spatial variability of soil strength and water content in grass covered and cultivated sloping vineyard

Frequent machinery traffic on sloping vineyard influences spatial distribution of soil physical properties. Our objective was to assess the effects of crawler tractor traffic across the slope (20%) on spatial distribution of soil strength and water content of silt loam soil under controlled grass cover and conventionally cultivated vineyard. The experiment was situated on hillside vineyard (NW, Italy) arranged with rows crosswise the slope. The grass covered treatment included periodical mowing and chopping of herbs and the cultivated treatment—autumn ploughing (18 cm) and spring and summer rotary-hoeing in the vineyard inter-rows (2.7 m). A crawler tractor (2.82 Mg) was used at the same locations across the slope for all tillage and chemical operations. The measurements of soil bulk density, penetration resistance and volumetric water content were done in autumn (after vintage) within the sloping inter-row. The results were analyzed using classic statistics and geostatistics with and without trend. The highest variability was obtained for penetration resistance (CV 56.6%) and the lowest for bulk density (9.6%). In most cases, the semivariograms of the soil parameters were well described by spherical models. The semivariance parameters of all properties measured were influenced by trend. Three-dimensional (3D) maps well identified areas with the highest soil strength in lower crawler ruts being positioned in the upper side of vine row and successively lower strength in upper ruts situated on other side of the same row and inter-rut area. Higher strength in lower than upper ruts was induced by tractor's tilt and resulting higher ground contact pressure. Soil water content in both treatments was the lowest below the upper rut and increased in inter-rut and lower rut areas. The differences in the soil properties between the places within the inter-row were more pronounced in grass covered than in cultivated soil.     

Grain yields and soil properties on loam soil after three decades with conservation tillage in southeast Norway

Four tillage trials have been performed on moderately well-drained loam soil in southeast Norway for 30–37 years (mean 34), comparing reduced tillage (8–10 cm in spring) with autumn ploughing (25 cm). In some years, additional stubble harrowing in autumn (10–12 cm) was compared with harrowing only in spring. Weeds were controlled with herbicides. Straw residues were retained after around 1990 and no fungicides were used. Grain yields are reported for the last nine years, and compared with earlier years. Results are presented for a number of soil properties measured in recent years. Autumn harrowing gave no consistent yield benefit over harrowing only in spring. There was little difference between ploughed and unploughed treatments in mean grain yields over the whole trial period, and the variability between years was similar in both tillage systems. Relative grain yields, calculated as yields obtained without ploughing in percentage of those obtained with ploughing, appeared to be normally distributed around 100%. Responses were often positive in dry years, and negative in wet years. Reduced tillage gave higher P and K concentrations near the soil surface and slightly lower concentrations in deeper layers. There was little change in their levels, relative to earlier findings. Changes in bulk density and total porosity were mostly attributable to changes in the stratification of organic matter. Reduced tillage increased porosity at 4–8 cm depth and decreased it slightly at 24–28 cm, but there was no change in the intermediate layer. The moisture-holding capacity of the soil was altered little by reduced tillage, and soil aeration properties were satisfactory at all three depths measured. There was no change in the total amount of organic matter stored within the topsoil, despite marked changes in its distribution. Reduced tillage gave significant increases in aggregate stability and an indication of greater earthworm activity.     

Precise tillage systems for enhanced non-chemical weed management

Soil and residue manipulation can assist weed management by killing weeds mechanically, interfering in weed lifecycles, facilitating operations and enhancing crop establishment and growth. Current tillage systems often compromise these functions, resulting in heavy reliance on herbicides, particularly in no-till systems. Herbicides are an exhaustible resource, so new approaches to merge soil conservation and non-chemical weed management are needed. This paper broadly reviews various preventive and curative non-chemical weed management tactics. It also demonstrates how innovations can be derived from functional requirements of weed management operations, and from biological processes and weaknesses in weed's lifecycles. Mechanical weeding and enhancement of weed seed mortality are highlighted as examples. Major limitations with mechanical weeding include limited weed control in crop rows at early vulnerable crop stages, weather-dependent effectiveness, and difficulties in handling crop residues. Precise steering and depth control, improved seedbed friability and lighter tractors or controlled traffic could bring considerable improvements. To expose weed seeds to predators, position them for fatal germination, viability loss or low emergence may require completely different soil displacement patterns than those of current implements and systems. Controlled traffic and precise strip tillage offer good opportunities for implementing these weed management strategies in minimum-tillage systems.     

轮作、耕作及行距对麦田土壤温度动态的影响

研究了加拿大南部冬小麦田在轮作、耕作和行距共同作用下的土壤温度动态。田间裂区试验主区为3个轮作(冬小麦连作、冬小麦/油菜轮作和冬小麦/夏休闲),副区包括两种耕作技术(免耕和常规耕作),小裂区包括两种种植行距(等行距和大小行)。结果表明,免耕处理下秸秆覆盖有效地降低了冬季土壤的冻结深度。在1993～1994年度,连作小麦免耕土壤的-5℃等温线要比常规耕作浅22cm。免耕秸秆覆盖的温度效应在冬小麦连作和冬小麦/油菜两种轮作上比在冬小麦/夏休闲上更为明显。在冬小麦连作和冬小麦/油菜轮作下,免耕土壤2.5cm的春季温度连续4个月显著低于常规耕作土壤。1994年4月8日,免耕和常规耕作农田2.5cm处的温差在冬小麦连作处理上达到4.1℃。对于冬小麦/夏休闲处理,由于秸秆覆盖量较少,耕作措施对土壤温度的影响不太明显。在1994年春季,大小行种植的土壤温度显著高于等行距种植的土壤温度。因此,免耕主要通过秸秆覆盖来改变土壤的温度状况。通过轮作、耕作和行距等措施,可以在一定程度上实现土壤温度的人为调节     

Type and time of autumn tillage with and without herbicides at reduced rates in southern Sweden: 1. Yields and weed quantity

Environmental as well as economic incentives support the use of integrated weed management (IWM) systems for crop production. In order to reduce the input of agrochemicals for weed control, it may be possible to combine reduced doses of herbicides with appropriate tillage strategies and still maintain acceptable weed population levels. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficiency of different tillage strategies, with and without herbicides at 50% of normal rates, on weed populations and crop yields. The influences of type and time of stubble cultivation, harrowing and mouldboard ploughing were followed in eight long-term field trials in southern Sweden from 1988 until the spring of 1994. The crop rotations were dominated by spring-sown oats (Avena sativa L.) and barley (Hordeum distichon L.). Although significant site-by-year-by-treatment interactions were found, certain trends in influences of tillage on weeds and yields were identified. Weed density and weight often decreased in the order: stubble cultivation without ploughing > solely ploughing > stubble cultivation succeeded by ploughing. Grain yields of oats and barley varied 6–50% among tillage systems and the highest yields were often obtained in plots where ploughing succeeded stubble cultivation. Effects of tillage on weeds or yields were usually not influenced by herbicide application. Although only subnormal herbicide rates were used, weed density and weight were mostly reduced by 70–90%, while yields increased by 10–20%. In the spring of 1994, 1 year after the last herbicide application, densities of annual broad-leaved weeds were 40–65% lower in plots previously treated by herbicides than in non-treated plots, and differences among tillage systems were still significant. This study shows the advantage of combining herbicides at reduced rates with stubble cultivation and ploughing.     

Effects of farmyard manure and tillage systems on soil physical properties and corn yield in central Iran

Tillage management and manure application are among the important factors affecting soil physical properties and crop yield. A 2-year field experiment was conducted on a silty clay loam soil (fine-loamy, mixed, thermic Typic Haplargids). Effects of two tillage systems (moldboard plowing as conventional tillage (T₁) and disk harrowing as reduced tillage (T₂)) at three farmyard manure rates (zero (M₁), 30 (M₂), 60 (M₃) Mg ha⁻¹) were studied on the soil physical properties and corn (Zea mays L.) yield. The experiment was carried out in split block design with three replications. Organic matter (OM) content, bulk density (BD), saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_S), aggregate mean weight diameter (MWD) and dry biomass yield (DBY) were measured after harvesting in the second year. Manure application increased OM on both the row and inter-row tracks significantly. Manure application rate of 60 Mg ha⁻¹ increased MWD (0.33, 0.40 and 0.75 mm for M₁, M₂ and M₃, respectively) at the 0–5 cm soil layer, but the effect was not significant below 5 cm depth. Adding manure significantly decreased soil BD on the row tracks (1.39, 1.22 and 1.17 Mg m⁻³ for M₁, M₂ and M₃ treatments, respectively), but did not have any significant effect on the inter-row tracks. Hydraulic conductivity was improved by manure applications both on the row and inter-row positions. Manure treatments M₂ and M₃ increased DBY compared to the M₁ treatment. Although moldboard plowing increased the depth of root penetration significantly (43 cm for T₁ and 30 cm for T₂), the effect of tillage systems on yield and soil physical properties was not significant.