Responses of Soil Seedbank and Aboveground Weed Communities to Globe Artichoke Cropping Systems: an On-Farm Analysis

Abstract

Globe artichoke [Cynara cardunculus L. var. scolymus (L.) Fiori] is one of the most important crops across the Mediterranean basin, where weeds are an important biotic constraint limiting crop yields. However, the effects of globe artichoke cropping systems on weeds have been rarely tested. Following the demand for eco-friendly weed management practices, a multi-location trial (13 farms) was carried out, measuring weed seedbanks and aboveground communities within 4 globe artichoke cropping systems: globe artichoke monoculture (ART), the 8-10 years previously cultivation of globe artichoke (past-ART), a globe artichoke – durum wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotation (ART-WHEAT) and a control where globe artichoke was never grown. Both below-and aboveground weed communities were dominated by annual therophytes, but a low correspondence was found between both types of communities. Averaged over farms, ART highly reduced both the weed soil seedbank (1600 seeds m‒2 on average) and the aboveground weed biomass (only 3.4 g DW m‒2) compared to the control, with a decrease of 72% in the soil seedbank and 99% in the aboveground flora, respectively. Moreover, in the farms where globe artichoke was previously grown, a very low aboveground weed biomass (77% less than control) was found. In addition, ART contributed to the preservation of high levels of weed diversity (except for aboveground communities) and therefore avoided the creation of a specialized weed flora. In conclusion, we suggest the inclusion of globe artichoke into crop rotation schemes in Mediterranean agroecosystems as a sustainable tool for reducing both the soil seedbank and aboveground weeds, thus reducing the requirement of direct weed control methods and preserving the environment.