Non-chemical weed control in sugar beet crop under an intensive and conservation soil tillage pattern: II. Crop productivity

A. Adamavičienė¹, K. Romaneckas¹, E. Šarauskis² and V. Pilipavičius¹

¹Lithuanian University of Agriculture, Dept. of Soil Management, Studentu 11, LT-53067Akademija, Kaunas r., Lithuania; Tel.: +370 37 75 22 33, Fax: +370 37 75 22 93;e-mail: kestas.romaneckas@lzuu.lt, romanr@one.lt, vytautas.pilipavicius@lzuu.lt
²Lithuanian University of Agriculture, Dept. of Agricultural Machinery, Studentu 11, LT-53067Akademija, Kaunas r., Lithuania; Tel.: +370 37 75 23 57; e-mail: egidijus.sarauskis@lzuu.lt

Abstract:

The experiment was conducted with a silty loam (Hipogleyic Luvisol (Calcaric)) at the Experimental Station of the Lithuanian University of Agriculture during 2004-2005. The soil was of neutral pH, medium rich in humus, phosphorus and with a low content of potassium. The aim of the experiment was to establish the influence of soil tillage intensity, living and straw mulch on sugar beet yield and quality: root ramification, sucrose, sodium, potassium and alpha amino nitrogen contents. The soil of the trial was tilled (factor A) intensively (loosening, ploughing) (IT) and minimally (conservation tillage – loosening) (CT). Non-chemical weed control (factor B) was applied: hand weeding, twice (control variant) (HW); spring barley (SBM), annual ryegrass (ARM), white mustard (WMM), spring oilseed rape (SRM) living mulches and winter wheat straw mulch (WSM).According to the results of the experiment, at lower temperature and average precipitationvegetation conditions (2004), a significantly higher yield of sugar beet roots was found in intensively tilled soils. In conditions of higher temperatures and uneven rainfall distribution (2005) we observed converse results. Different soil tillage had no significant influence on the quality of the roots; however, sugar beet roots were more ramified in the intensively tilled soil. The allopathic and choking properties of annual ryegrass decreased sugar beet crop yield, sucrose content and increased the amount of sodium in the roots. The highest sugar beet crop productivity was observed in the following conditions: hand weeded, covered by straw or in the plots with oil seed rape living mulch.

Key words:

intensive and conservation soil tillage, mulch, non-chemical weed control, quality, sugar beet crop, yield

Non-chemical weed control in sugar beet crop under intensive and conservation soil tillage: I. Crop weediness

K. Romaneckas, R. Romaneckienė and V. Pilipavičius

Lithuanian University of Agriculture, Dept. of Soil Management, Studentu 11, LT-53067Akademija, Kaunas r., Lithuania; tel.: +370 37 75 22 33, fax: +370 37 75 22 93;e-mail: kestas.romaneckas@lzuu.lt, romanr@one.lt, vytautas.pilipavicius@lzuu.lt

Abstract:

The effect of non-chemical weed control under different soil tillage on sugar beet crop weediness was investigated at the Experimental Station of the Lithuanian University of Agriculture in a silty loam Luvisol during the period of 2004–2005. The aim of the experiment was to establish the influence of soil tillage intensity, living and straw mulch on the number and dry mass of weeds in the sugar beet crop. Treatments of the trial were the following: I. Soil tillage (factor A): 1. intensive (straw loosening, moldboard ploughing; control variant) (IT); 2. conservation (straw loosening) (CT); II. Non-chemical weed control (factor B): 1. hand weeding, twice (control variant) (HW); 2. spring barley living mulch (SBM); 3. annual ryegrass living mulch (ARM); 4. white mustard living mulch (WMM); 5. spring oilseed rape living mulch (SRM); 6. winter wheat straw mulch (WSM).According to the results of investigations, in conditions of intensive soil tillage the highestchoking of weeds was observed by annual ryegrass (ARM) and white mustard (WMM) living mulches. In sugar beet row spaces, which were mulched with winter wheat straw mulch (WSM) there was a large number of weeds but their mass was not high. Conversely, in conservation soil tillage conditions the lowest weed infestation and dry mass of weeds were observed in straw mulch (WSM) up to 4 cm. White mustard living mulch (WMM) also influenced weed dry mass decrease though its number was high.

Key words: