Vertical distribution of weed seed banks in extensive and intensive methods of grapevine cultivation

Abstract

© 2014 National Centre for Agrarian Sciences. All rights reserved. This study deals with the influence of herbicide application (glyphosate and glufosinate-ammonium), soil cultivation methods on the size and quantity of weed seed banks. The application of herbicides in a row (intra-row spacing) of the intensive vineyards studied as well as the cultivation between rows (inter-row spacing) affect the soil weed seed bank in the vineyard. The research was carried out in 2011 and 2012 in three different vineyard sites (Erdut, Subotica-Horgos and Fruska Gora vineyards) in intensive vineyards grown for commercial purposes, as well as in extensive vineyards. Samples were taken in ten replications from the inter-row and intra-row zones to the depth of 0-30cm of intensive and extensive vineyards. The samples were rinsed through copper sieves of specific diameters and dried at room temperature, after which the weed seeds were extracted and identified. The comparison of the two weed seed banks in the two methods of grapevine cultivation studied revealed the range of weed seed number in extensive and intensive vine growing within a one year period from 37.006 seeds/m2 in the inter-row spacing of an intensive vineyard to 69.069 seeds/m2 in a row of extensive vineyards at various localities. Despite the great diversity of the weeds, totaling 38 species, whose seeds were identified in the samples studied, only several species were predominant in number in comparison to other species: Amaranthus retroflexus L., Portulaca oleracea L., Chenopodium album L., Stellaria media (L.) Vill. Lamium purpureum L. The germination of the seeds identified showed a significantly higher potential for the predominant weed species in comparison to others.