Weed seed bank of a 'Pera' citrus orchard

Abstract

The weed seed bank is a viable soil seed reservoir present in the top soil profile, which determines the emerged weed species composition in the area, however, the qualitative and quantitative composition of the weed soil seed bank is determined mainly by the cultural practices to which the area is submitted. Therefore the influence of different soil management systems used in a citrus orchard was evaluated in relation to the weed seed bank composition. The treatments consisted of pre-emergence application of diuron (2.0 kg ha-1) and post-emergence of glyphosate (1.08 kg ha-1) on the citrus rows associated with five weed inter-row management practices: disking, mowing, reduced rate of glyphosate, green manure (Cajanus cajan and Dolichus lablab). Soil samples were collected from the row and inter-row at depths of 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm, during the dry and wet seasons of the year. The samples were placed in trays under greenhouse conditions in order to count weed emergence four times. The inter-row mechanical treatments of disking and mowing caused higher weed population, while the legume green manure reduced the weed seed population significantly in the 0-10 cm layer.