Reintroduction of plowing to reduce herbicide use in short rotation
This trial was conducted from 2013 to 2018 on a farmer's plot in Verfeil (60) as part of the ECOHERBMIP Arable Crops project. The project aims to test the feasibility and performance of cereal - oilseed crop systems reducing dependence on herbicides by at least 50% in a context of non-irrigated arable crops.
The plot chosen for the trial was selected due to its history of wheat-sunflower rotation and no ploughing for 15 years. On this site, the development of winter grasses (ryegrass, rat's-tail fescue) increasingly difficult to control led the farmer to reconsider the cropping system and the agronomic levers to be mobilized to manage these weeds.
Mobilized levers
- Reintroduction of ploughing;
- False seedbeds;
- Late sowing in wheat and in warmed soil for summer crops;
- Mechanical weed control (full stand and inter-row).
Main results and lessons learned
After the introduction of ploughing, the weed flora weeds strongly decreased, allowing management of pressure with the different mobilized agronomic levers (particularly mechanical weed control on summer crops with wide inter-rows). The results obtained in terms of control of target weeds (ryegrass and fescues) on winter crops are satisfactory.
Thistle is adequately controlled in the rotation by a chemical intervention on cereals.
After the introduction of ploughing, the objective of reducing herbicide IFT is achieved (-55% on average over 4 years) and weed infestation is on average better controlled than in the reference system.
The economic indicators improved over the two seasons following the introduction of ploughing (yield gain and strong decrease in chemical weed control). By using mechanical techniques to replace chemical ones, criteria related to working time and fuel consumption are slightly degraded.
➔ MORE INFO IN THE CROP SYSTEM EXPE SHEET
Annexes
Leviers évoqués dans ce système
- Practice mechanical weed control in full stand - Spring tine harrow
- Practice mechanical weed control on inter-row - Hoeing
- Perform false seedbeds during the intercrop period
- Distribute ploughing in the rotation
- Sow / transplant late
Template:Bioagresseur s évoqués ar:إعادة_إدخال_الحرث_لتقليل_استخدام_مبيدات_الأعشاب_في_الدورة_القصيرة
