The weed infestation of extensively managed grass stand

Kocourková D., Fuksa P., Hakl J., Hlavičková D., Mrkvička J.
JOURNAL OF PLANT DISEASES AND PROTECTION 21: 561-564, 2008

Keywords: Bromus inermis, Festuca arundinacea, Festulolium, weed share, yield of weeds
Abstract: The aim of the study was to evaluate the weed infestation of grass stands grown for energy purposes under different management types. The experiment with three grass species (Festulolium, Festuca arundinacea and Bromus inermis) was established in Prague in 2002. The studied treatments were: two cuts with fertilisation (100 kg N ha-1), two cuts without fertilisation, one cut at the end of growing season without fertilisation and a delayed harvest in spring without fertilisation. The weed infestation was evaluated in 2005 and 2006 before the first cut of twice cut treatments (beginning of July). The total amount and proportion of weeds in harvested biomass was significantly influenced by grass species. The highest amount of weed biomass was found on Bromus inermis plots when harvested twice a year with fertilisation 1289 kg ha-1. The yield of weeds ranged from 299 kg ha-1 on the one cut treatment harvested in spring to 895 kg ha-1 on two cuts with fertilisation. The influence of management type on yield of weeds was significant (P = 0.003) but the share of weeds in harvested biomass was not affected by stand management. The most common weed species were Cirsium arvense and Convolvulus arvensis.
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IEB authors: Daniela Kocourková