Effects of Catch Crops and Tillage System on Weed In festation and Health of Spring Wheat

Abstract

The paper presents results of research on weed infe station and health of spring wheat grown in the three-year monoculture. The field expe riment was carried out on loess soil, classified as “good wheat complex” (soil class II). The first experimental factor was the type of Catch Crop (CC): (a) Object control, no cat ch crop, (b) White mustard, (c) Tansy phacelia, and (d) Mixture (bean+spring vetch+oat). The second factor was Tillage System (TS): (a) Plow Tillage (PT), and (b) Conservation T illage (plowless tillage, CT). It was proved that catch crops (especially white mustard) could be an effective way to reduce the negative effects of growing spring wheat in monocul ture. This causes both the reduction of the number and weight of weeds in the field, as well as reduction of the proportion of fungal pathogens infecting wheat plants. The regene rating effects of catch crops in the three-year wheat monoculture were more effective un der conventional tillage conditions compared to conservation tillage. It also showed th at the conservation tillage system had significant effect on increasing the quantitative i ndicators of weed infestation of wheat and increasing the number of weed seeds in the soil . Conventional tillage with plowing resulted in smaller biodiversity of weed species th an conservation tillage system. Tillage method did not cause differentiation degree of infe ction of wheat stem base by a fungal disease complex. Catch crops, in particular white m ustard, proved to be an effective method to reduce the degree of infection of spring wheat by fungal pathogens. Keywords: Fungal diseases, Catch crops, Conservation tillage, Tillage systems, White mustard