Long-term stability of distribution of Alopecurus myosuroides huds within cereal fields

The incidence of Alopecurus myosuroides seedheads was monitored annually for 10 years in the cereal fields of a 173-ha arable and dairy farm. A. myosuroides persisted at low population densities, despite the use of herbicides and grass breaks in the rotation. The distribution of the weed was irregular, with none occurring on at least 60% of the positions surveyed in the cereal fields. Spatial distributions were compared between years, and some significant correlations were found from year to year in continuous cereals, and in cereal crops separated by a 3-year grass ley.