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Full Length
Research Paper
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Effects of two legume
crops, for organic green manure, on weed
flora, under
Mediterranean conditions: Competitive ability of five winter
season weed species
Dimitrios Bilalis*, Anestis Karkanis and
Aspasia Efthimiadou
Laboratory of crop production, Department of Crop
Production, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75,
11855 Athens, Greece.
*Corresponding author.
E-mail:
bilalisdimitrios@yahoo.gr, Tel/Fax: +32105294494.
Accepted 30 September, 2009 |
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Abstract |
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Field
experiments
were conducted to determine the effects of vetch
(Vicia
sativa
c.v
Αlexander)
and red clover
(Trifolium
pratense
c.v
Nemaro)
on weed flora. The design of the experiment was randomized
complete block with 4 replicates and 3 treatments (a: vetch
crop, b: red clover crop and c: control (fallow)). Both
legume crops suppressed weed biomass. The lowest number and
dry weight of weeds was found in vetch plots. The highest
height of weeds was found in control plots. Moreover, the
highest multiplied dominance ratio (MDR) of weeds was found
in the control plot. Vetch was the most competitive legume
crop. The number of shoots per plant and dry weight were
considered suitable attributes for weed suppression,
although competitiveness is a relative rather an absolute
characteristic. In addition, red clover is considered a poor
competitor because of lack of seedling vigour and slow
establishment. Statistically significant negative
correlation between the fraction of photosynthetically
active radiation (PAR) intercepted by the canopy, weed
density and weed biomass was observed. The MDR of weeds (Lamium
aplexicaule,
Papaver
rhoeas,
Sinapis
arvensis,
Chamomilla
recutita
and
Phalaris
minor)
had a good correlation with dry weight of weeds. Analysis of
MDR demonstrated that L.
aplexicaule
and C .recutita are poor competitors because of small
leaves and low height. Final, S.
arvensis
and
P.
minor
were the most competitive weeds.
Key words:
Multiplied dominance ratio, photosynthetically active
radiation, vetch, red clover, weed flora. |
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