Sowing time affects the abundance of pests and weeds in winter rye

Selection of an appropriate sowing time for some winter rye (Secale cereale) cultivars could reduce the need for crop protection measures. In this study the occurrence and status of pests and weeds in relation to sowing time and growth habit of winter rye was studied in southern Finland. This was done using three sowing times and four rye varieties in field trials conducted at three locations in 1999–2001. The early sown rye was severely affected by pests (Oscinella frit, Mayetiola destructor) and weeds, whereas postponing sowing for two weeks after the recommended sowing time in late August resulted in considerably less damage and the optimal establishment of crop stands. The German hybrid varieties Picasso and Esprit produced more tillers m-2 in autumn than the Finnish varieties Anna and Bor 7068. However, the number of pests and weeds did not differ among rye varieties. Late sowing of rye should be considered to minimize the need for plant protection. If rye is sown at the recommended time it may still require insecticide treatments promptly in the autumn whereas herbicide treatment need not be determined until spring, after recording the winter mortality of weeds

Effects of different sowing time to phenology and yield of winter wheat

This study aims to determine optimal sowing date for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and invoke DSSAT Nwheat model to analyze impact of modified sowing date to phenological development and grain yield. Wheat was grown for three seasons in two locations across Lithuania and sowing was carried out one time per week from 1 September to 29 September. Average three-year temperature of vegetation period gets lower every week by 0.16 °C, and available GDD by 94.5 °C when sowing time is delayed. Modeling results showed that tillering rate is affected by sowing time winter wheat grew 232 (tillers m-2) less with each week of delayed sowing. Grain filling stage was shortened by 1.25 days with each delayed sowing week. Depending on sowing time yield varied from 8.58 t ha-1 to 6 t ha-1 while simulated harvest was 8% lower. We conclude that best winter wheat sowing time for current climatic conditions in Lithuania is mid-September and DSSAT model proves as a useful tool in anticipating sowing time while facing problems caused by a climate change

Sowing time, false seedbed, row distance and mechanical weed control in organic winter wheat.

In organic farming, mechanical weed control in winter wheat is often difficult to carry out in the fall, and may damage the crop, and weed harrowing in the spring is not effective against erect, tap-rooted weeds such as Tripleurospermum inodorum, Papaver rhoeas, Brassica napus and others which have been established in the autumn. Some experiments concerning sowing strategy and intensity of mechanical weed control, which included row distance, were conducted. The results underline the importance of choosing weed control strategy, including preventive measures, according to the weed flora in the field. In the experiment with low weed pressure and without erect weeds, there was very little effect of sowing strategy and row distance. In such a case, the winter wheat might as well be sown early, in order to avoid possible yield loss by later sowing, and at normal row distance to enhance the competitiveness of the crop. In the experiments with high weed pressure and erect weeds, the weed control was better with late sowing and large row distance (high intensity control), even though this was not always reflected in the yield. However, the trade-off for lower input to the soil seed bank in organic systems should be enough to balance off the risk of smaller yield

Optimizing a green manure-based row cropping system for organic cereal production

A row cropping system with an increase of row distance to 24 cm increased the growth of undersown cover crops and allowed 1-2 passes of interow hoeing for weed control before sowing cover crops. The three-week delay sowing time was suitable for the growth of legume species. The new system significantly improved both grain yield and grain N content of the succeeding crop compared to the traditional cropping system

Sowing time effect on yield and quality of field beans in a changing meteorological situation in the Baltic region

Received: January 26th, 2021 ; Accepted: June 26th, 2021 ; Published: June 30th, 2021 ; Correspondence: [email protected] field beans (Vicia faba L.) need a lot of moisture to germinate, growers believe that they should be sown as early as possible in the spring. Field trial was carried out at the LLU RSF “Pēterlauki”, from 2018 to 2020. Following factors were researched: A) sowing time (early, medium and late), B) variety (‘Laura’, ‘Boxer’, ‘Isabell’), C) sowing rate (30, 40, 50 germinable seeds m-2 ), D) fungicide application (without and with application of fungicide at the GS 61-65). Meteorological conditions during the study had the greatest impact on the results as they were contrasting. Adverse meteorological conditions for field bean growing were observed in 2018 and in spring and early summer of 2019. The best year for bean yield formation was 2020, when temperature and precipitation was moderate. The highest average three year been yield was obtained sowing beans at the medium sowing time, however, equivalent yield was obtained sowing beans also in early sowing time. Fungicide application increased average three year yield significantly (p = 0.007) and independently of the sowing time. Influence of variety and sowing rate on average three year yield was insignificant, and it was not proved that any variety or sowing rate could be more suitable in a specific sowing time. Average three-year values of crude protein content, thousand seed weight and volume weight were affected by sowing time significantly (p < 0.001). Trial year, variety and fungicide application also affected all quality parameters significantly (p 0.05)

Effects of sowing time on pink snow mould, leaf rust and winter damage in winter rye varieties in Finland

Disease infection in relation to sowing time of winter rye (Secale cereale) was studied in southern Finland in order to compare overwintering capacity of modern rye varieties and to give recommendations for rye cultivation. This was done by using three sowing times and four rye varieties in field trials conducted at three locations in 1999–2001. The early sown rye (beginning of August) was severely affected by diseases caused by Puccinia recondita and Microdochium nivale, whereas postponing sowing for two weeks after the recommended sowing time resulted in considerably less infection. The infection levels of diseases differed among rye varieties. Finnish rye varieties Anna and Bor 7068 were more resistant to snow mould and more winter hardy than the Polish variety Amilo, or the German hybrid varieties Picasso and Esprit. However, Amilo was the most resistant to leaf rust. In the first year snow mould appeared to be the primary cause of winter damage, but in the second year the winter damage was positively correlated with leaf rust. No significant correlation between frit fly infestation and winter damage or disease incidence of snow mould or leaf rust was established. The late sowing of rye (in the beginning of September) is recommended in Finland, particularly with hybrid varieties, to minimize the need for chemical plant protection in autumn

Cultivation in rows – Sowing time for catch crops

Increased row distance requires weed control in the row, but this results in later sowing of the catch crop. Red clover has the most stable establishment at all times of sowing. Common vetch is not suited for the row cultivation system. Delayed sowing may result in a well established catch crop, especially after one weed control. However, your choice of strategy depends on the crop, level of nutrition, weather and the composition of the weed flora – annual and/or perennial, amount and agressiveness

Site and hybrid-specific agrotechnical models in sweet corn production

The effect of three agrotechnical factors (sowing time, fertilization, plant density) and two genotypes on the crop yield of sweet corn was examined on chernozem soil in the Hajdúság region in two different crop years. Compared to the 30-year average, the climate was dry and warm in 2009 and humid in 2010. The experiments were conducted at the Látókép Research Site of the University of Debrecen. In the experiments we applied two sowing times (end of April, end of May), six fertilization levels (control, N30+PK, N60+PK, N90+PK, N120+PK, N150+PK) and two crop density levels (45 thousand ha-1, 65 thousand ha-1). The hybrids we used were Jumbo and Enterprise. As regards the requirements of sweet corn production, the crop year of 2009 was dry and warm. The effect of moisture deficiency was more adverse on the crop yields with the second sowing time. On the contrary, the other examined year (2010) was significantly humid; the precipitation was 184 mm above the 30-year average and the temperature was average.In the dry and hot crop year, the best yields were obtained with the hybrid Jumbo (25677 kg-1) at 65 thousand ha-1 plant density level on the average of the fertilization levels. The crop yields of Enterprise were also the highest at high plant density level (24444 kg ha-1). With the second sowing time the highest yields were obtained at the higher plant density level (65 thousand ha-1) with both hybrids (Jumbo 18978 kg ha-1, Enterprise 18991 kg ha-1), which confirmed the good adaptation capability of these hybrids at high plant density level. In humid crop year with early sowing time the highest yielding hybrid was Enterprise (at 45 thousand ha-1 crop density level 20757 kg-1), at the same time, Jumbo was best yielding at the higher plant density level (18781 kg-1). With the second sowing time the highest crop yield was obtained with Enterprise again (20628 kg ha-1 at 65 thousand ha-1 plant density level). With this sowing time the average yields of Jumbo, was 18914 kg ha-1 respectively. We found that dry crop year and early sowing time provided the best conditions for sweet corn production; the highest yields were obtained under these circumstances, which might be the results of the outstanding water management of chernozem&nbsp; soils

Yield stability across sowing dates – how to pick a winner in variable seasons?

Take home messages • Match optimal flowering period to growing environment to maximise grain yield potential. • One variety doesn’t fit all; there are no commercially available varieties that are broadly adapted across a wide range of sowing times or growing environments. • Optimising variety phenology and sowing time combinations achieves grain yield stability across a wide sowing window. • Probability of sowing opportunities will influence variety choice and sowing time decisions