Weed suppression and yield of thirteen spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties grown in an organic system

The aim of this study was to determine the relationships between morphological features, canopy parameters, weed infestation, and grain yield of spring wheat varieties. The study was conducted in the period 2011–2013, on fields managed organically at the Experimental Station of The Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation – State Research Institute, Osiny, Poland. Thirteen spring wheat varieties were sown in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Weed density and dry matter production were estimated as well biometric features of the wheat varieties at tillering (BBCH 22–24) and dough (BBCH 85–87) stages. The analyses of variance showed that the year had a stronger effect than varieties on the level of weed infestation. Pearson’s correlation analysis indicated that weed number was influenced by the height of wheat plants and their aboveground biomass at the tillering stage and additionally by number of tillers at the dough stage. A significant correlation (r = −0.328, siginfficant at p < 0.05) was shown between the number of weeds and wheat grain yield. Different morphological features and canopy parameters influenced the competitive abilities of the spring wheat varieties tested. A cluster analysis detected one set of varieties with the largest (‘Bombona’, ‘Brawura’, ‘Hewilla’, ‘Kandela’, ‘Katoda’, ‘Łagwa’, and ‘Żura’) and another with the smallest (‘Monsun’, ‘Ostka Smolicka’, and ‘Parabola’) competitive abilities against weeds. The main outcome of the research is information for farmers as to which varieties are highly competitive against weeds and also high yielding. Among the varieties with the highest competitiveness, Triticum aestivum ‘Żura’ was the highest yielder (3.82 t ha−1 on average), whereas ‘Bombona’ yielded only at an average level (3.03 t ha−1). The suppressive ability of spring wheat varieties against weeds and yield potential should be both taken into account in the selection of varieties suitable for an organic farming system where weed control is absent

Ocena stopnia zrównoważenia gospodarstw rolnych o różnych kierunkach produkcji za pomocą modelu RISE

Model RISE (the Response-Inducing Sustainability Evaluation) jest narzędziem pozwalającym na kompleksową oceną stopnia zrównoważenia gospodarstw rolnych. Model ten uwzględnia ekologiczne, ekonomiczne oraz społeczne aspekty zrównoważenia gospodarstwa. W pracy przedstawiono wyniki oceny stopnia zrównoważenia trzech wybranych gospodarstw o różnych kierunkach produkcji (produkcja roślinna, zwierzęca i mieszana) z województwa lubelskiego. Badania wykazały, że żadnego z trzech porównywanych gospodarstw nie można uznać za zrównoważone według metodyki RISE. Wartości wskaźników w większości przypadków osiągały pozytywne wyniki, z wyjątkiem wskaźników „Różnorodność biologiczna i ochrona roślin”, „Warunki pracy” oraz „Zużycie wody”. Najbliższe osiągnięciu zrównoważenia było gospodarstwo o profilu produkcji roślinnej i wielostronnej. Najmniej korzystną ocenę zrównoważenia uzyskało gospodarstwo trzodowe. W żadnym gospodarstwie nie stwierdzono jednak poważnych problemów związanych z oceną ich stopnia zrównoważenia

The Role of Biological Diversity in Agroecosystems and Organic Farming

Ecosystems are the basis of life and all human activities. Conservation of biological diversity is very important for the proper functioning of the ecosystem and for delivering ecosystem services. Maintaining high biodiversity in agroecosystems makes agricultural production more sustainable and economically viable. Agricultural biodiversity ensures, for example, pollination of crops, biological crop protection, maintenance of proper structure and fertility of soils, protection of soils against erosion, nutrient cycling, and control of water flow and distribution. The effects of the loss of biodiversity may not be immediately apparent, but they may increase the sensitivity of the ecosystems to various abiotic and biotic stresses. The combination of biodiversity conservation with profitable food production is one of the tasks of modern sustainable agriculture that faces the necessity of reconciling the productive, environmental, and social goals. As further intensification of production and increase in the use of chemical pesticides, fertilizers, and water to increase yields are increasingly criticized, global agriculture is looking for other biological and agrotechnical methods in order to meet the requirements of global food production

Assessing the Sustainability Performance of Organic and Low-Input Conventional Farms from Eastern Poland with the RISE Indicator System

The aim of this study was to examine the sustainability performance of organic and low-input conventional farms with the sustainability assessment tool—RISE 3.0. It is an indicator-based method for holistic assessment of sustainability of agricultural production at farm level. Ten organic and 10 conventional farms from eastern Poland, Lublin province were assessed. According to the thresholds levels of the RISE method, organic farms performed positively for 7 out of 10 themes, while the values of the other 3 topics, biodiversity, working conditions, and economic viability, were at medium level. Conventional farms reached positive scores for 9 out of 10 themes. The only middle-performing theme was biodiversity. None of the two farm types had the lowest, problematic scores for examined themes. For the theme biodiversity and two indicators (greenhouse gas balance and intensity of agricultural production), significant differences between farming systems were found. Biodiversity performance, an important indicator of sustainability, estimated with the RISE system, was highly correlated with measured on-field weed flora and Orthoptera biodiversity of farms. High soil acidity and low crop productivity, improper weed regulation, and energy management were the most common problems in both types of farms. Working hours and wage and income levels were also assessed as being low. Recommendations to improve the sustainability of both organic and conventional farms are presented

The effectiveness of weed regulation methods in spring wheat cultivated in integrated, conventional and organic crop production systems

The research was conducted from 2008 to 2010, and compared the influence of different weed control methods used in spring wheat on the structure of the weed communities and the crop yield. The study was carried out at the Experimental Station of the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation - State Research Institute in Osiny as part of a long-term trial where these crop production systems had been compared since 1994. In the conventional and integrated systems, spring wheat was grown in a pure stand, whereas in the organic system, the wheat was grown with undersown clover and grasses. In the conventional system, herbicides were applied two times in a growing season, but in the integrated system - only once. The effectiveness of weed management was lower in the organic system than in other systems, but the dry matter of weeds did not exceed 60 g/m2. In the integrated system, the average dry matter of weeds in spring wheat was 4 times lower, and in the conventional system 10 times lower than in the organic system. Weed diversity was the largest in spring wheat cultivated in the organic system. In the conventional and integrated systems, compensation of some weed species was observed (Viola arvensis, Fallopia convolvulus, Equisetum arvense). The comparison of weed communities using Sorenson’s indices revealed more of a similarity between systems in terms of number of weed species than in the number of individuals. Such results imply that qualitative changes are slower than quantitative ones. The yield of grain was the biggest in the integrated system (5.5 t/ha of average). It was 35% higher than in the organic system, and 20% higher than in conventional ones

Rating of Spring Wheat Varieties (Triticum aestivum L.) According to Their Suitability for Organic Agriculture

The selection of a proper variety is one of the main factors influencing the quantity and quality of cereal grain yield in organic agriculture. The aim of the study was to determine the suitability of 13 varieties of spring wheat for cultivation in organic farming according to their competitive potential against weeds, susceptibility to fungal diseases and grain yield. Due to the large share of cereals in organic farms both in Poland and in Europe, the research results could be applied by organic farming system farmers and advisors. High-yielding varieties in the organic system were: KWS Torridon, Kandela, Arabella, Zadra and Waluta. The KWS Torridon and Kandela varieties were resistant to fungal pathogens infestation, while Brawura, Izera, Korynta and Ostka Smolicka showed the highest infestation rate. Ethos variety yields were the lowest due to its low plant density, with a high weed infestation rate. The wheat yields proved to be significantly correlated with plant density and the thousand grain weight, but no significant negative effects of weed infestation and pathogen infestation were found. A synthesis of the three-year results showed that the varieties most useful for organic farming were: Arabella, KWS Torridon, Kandela, Katoda, Waluta and Zadra

OCENA ZRÓWNOWAŻENIA PRODUKCJI ROLNICZEJ W GOSPODARSTWACH UCZESTNICZĄCYCH W PROGRAMIE ROLNOŚRODOWISKOWYM ZA POMOCĄ MODELU RISE

The results of the evaluation the sustainability of agricultural production using RISE model, in 3 selected farms, implementing the agri-environmental programme 2007-2013, were presented in the paper. The RISE model (Response-Inducing Sustainability Evaluation) is a tool (computer program) for easy and holistic assessment of agricultural production sustainability at a farm level in ecological, economic, and social aspects and enables the initiation of measures to improve the sustainability. The analysis showed that only one of 3 tested farms, implementing “Organic Farming” package, reached the positive values of all 12 indices and could be defined as sustainable according to the RISE methods. Other farms obtained the negative value of the biodiversity indicator. The best economic results achieved the farm of plant production profile, implementing “Sustainable Agriculture” package whereas the highest values of environmental indicators characterized organic farm. The evaluation indicated the possible directions of improvement the agricultural production in tested farms

Comparison of the Effect of Perennial Energy Crops and Agricultural Crops on Weed Flora Diversity

The cultivation of perennial energy crops is a new agricultural system and so there is limited information available on its effects on biodiversity. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the cultivation of energy crops on the diversity of weed flora and to compare this diversity with that found in crop production systems on arable land. The best habitats for weed flora were created by willow (Salix viminalis), poplar (Populus sp.), false acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia), and perennial grasses (25&ndash;30 species), with the exception of reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) (20 species). The lowest diversity and abundance of weed flora were observed on plantations of Virginia mallow (Sida hermaphrodita) and Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus). Weed communities in energy crops included more perennial species (by 11%), ruderal species (by 10%), and those typical for grassland (by 7%) and forests (by 4%), in comparison to arable land. The plantations of energy plants promoted an increase in the density of the invasive species Solidago gigantea (from 1.9 to 6.3 plants m&minus;2 over six years). The introduction of perennial energy crops into an agricultural landscape causes quantitative and qualitative changes in weed flora communities and, therefore, control of the spread of some non-native and invasive species is needed