The effect of three soil tillage treatments on weed infestation in forage maize

Abstract

This study assessed the impact of using soil tillage in maize crops on weed infestation intensity and weed species composition. A field experiment was established as a model example of livestock production management in drier climate conditions where maize was grown in seven-step crop rotation sequence: alfalfa – the first year, alfalfa – the second year, winter wheat, forage maize, winter wheat, sugar beet, and spring barley. Three soil tillage treatments were applied: conventional tillage (CT), minimum tillage (MT), and no-tillage (NT). An arithmetic method and multivariate analyses of ecological data were used. The highest weed infestation, mainly due to late spring species, was recorded in MT. Perennial and overwintering species were frequently observed in NT. Early spring weed species were abundant in CT. Different tillage treatments cause a significant change in the weed species spectrum in maize. A study of the relationship between tillage and the level of weed infestation requires long-term monitoring which will allow us to predict the intensity of weed infestation in particular locations.