Modelling the soil seed bank as an aid to crop management in Integrated Arable Farming Systems

摘要

A model of the dynamics of the weed seed bank in an integrated arable farming system (IAFS) is described. The model is used to predict the effects of crop rotations and herbicides on the soil seed bank of Avena fatua (spring wild oat) using data obtained from the literature and from studies of the soil seed bank within the Focus on Farming Project (FOFP) at Stoughton, Leicestershire. Interestingly, the dynamics of the seed bank in the FOFP IAFS effectively contained the broad-leaved weed infestationand neither A. fatua nor Galium aparine (cleavers) were capable of becoming problem weeds. Conversely, the two-year grass ley in the rotation probably helped to ensure that Poa annua (annual meadow grass) was present at economically significant levels. The use of the model as an aid to crop management in an IAFS by evaluating weed control sustainability as a strategy which would contain a weed infestation at or below a specified density will be described.