Soil cultivation, nitrogen fertilization and weeds

Lehoczky, É. and Kismányoky, A. (2010) Soil cultivation, nitrogen fertilization and weeds. Agrokémia és Talajtan, 59 (1). pp. 145-150. ISSN 0002-1873

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Abstract

The cultivation methods used in the experiments resulted in marked differences in the weediness of maize and wheat. The least weediness was found in the conventional tillage treatment. The crucial question in the conservation and no tillage for sustainable agriculture is the weed problem, especially if the technology of weed controls is unaltered as compare to the traditional one. The lower yield in this cultivation system can be attributed to the competition of weeds. To clarify the question, investigations were carried out in the years 2005–2008 in a long-term field experiment set up on brown forest soil at the University of Pannonia, Georgikon Faculty Keszthely. The lowest yields were obtained in the wheat–maize no-tillage system in comparison to the others. This was valid at high and low levels alike (good and unfavorable years). On the average of years the yield decrease was 10–15% as compared to the traditional cultivation. In the spring survey of the weed cover (%) in the wheat trials it was found that the weed coverage increased parallel with the N fertilizer amounts, and then declined in the treatment above 200 kg N. The relation of weeds v.s. N fertilizer is similar to the second power equation of the yield curve. In case of the maize trials, there were no significant differences between the N treatments (25–30%) regarding weed coverage. The gained results call attention to the fact that with the propagation of the reduced soil cultivation systems it is necessary to modify and harmonize the practice of weed control and fertilization. Instead of the schematic weed control and fertilization process, the application of scientifically well-established methods should be urged. In sustainable agriculture the data collection of weeds, the survey of dominant species, special herbicide combinations and the means of precision agriculture have to be taken into consideration.

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