Defining the habitat niche of Alopecurus myosuroides at the field scale

A - Papers appearing in refereed journals

Metcalfe, H., Milne, A. E., Webster, R., Lark, R. M., Murdoch, A. J., Kanelo, L. and Storkey, J. 2018. Defining the habitat niche of Alopecurus myosuroides at the field scale. Weed Research. 58 (3), pp. 165-176. https://doi.org/10.1111/wre.12300

AuthorsMetcalfe, H., Milne, A. E., Webster, R., Lark, R. M., Murdoch, A. J., Kanelo, L. and Storkey, J.
Abstract

The distribution of Alopecurus myosuroides (black‐grass) in fields is patchy. The locations of these patches can be influenced by the environment. This presents an opportunity for precision management through patch spraying. We surveyed five fields on various types of soil using a nested sampling design and recorded both A. myosuroides seedlings in autumn and seed heads in summer. We also measured soil properties at those sampling locations. We found that the patches of seed heads within a field were smaller than the seedling patches, suggesting that techniques for patch spraying based on maps of heads in the previous season could be inherently risky. We also found that the location of A. myosuroides patches within fields can be predicted through their relationship with environmental properties and that these relations are consistent across fields on different soil types. This improved understanding of the relations between soil properties and A. myosuroides seedlings could allow farmers to use pre‐existing or suitably supplemented soil maps already in use for the precision application of fertilisers as a starting point in the creation of herbicide application maps.

KeywordsWeed patches; Black-grass; Soil; Habitat; Precisions agriculture
Year of Publication2018
JournalWeed Research
Journal citation58 (3), pp. 165-176
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1111/wre.12300
Open accessPublished as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
FunderBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Lawes Agricultural Trust
Funder project or codeDoctoral Training Partnership (University of Reading)
Publisher's version
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online23 Mar 2018
Publication process dates
Accepted26 Jan 2018
Copyright licenseCC BY
PublisherWiley-Blackwell
Wiley
ISSN0043-1737

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