Impact of mechanical weed control on soil N dynamics, soil moisture, and crop yield in an organic cropping sequence

Abstract

AbstractMechanical weed control is a major element of weed suppression in organic farming systems. In addition to the direct effect on weed growth, mechanical weeding, such as harrowing or hoeing, is known to induce side effects on several soil- and crop-related properties. In this study, we investigated the impact of mechanical weeding on soil mineral nitrogen (SMN), soil moisture, and crop yield in an organic crop rotation of grass-clover (Lolium multiflorumLam., Trifolium pratense L.), silage maize (Zea mays L.) and winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). The experiment was conducted in two consecutive years (2021, 2022), where each crop was grown in each year on a Plaggic Anthrosol with sandy loam in North-West Germany. Two weed control treatments (mechanical: harrowing, hoeing; chemical: herbicide application) were implemented in a randomized block design with four replications. Greater net nitrogen (N) mineralization in maize compared to winter barley were attributed to the incorporation of grass-clover residues before sowing of maize and greater mineralization potential during the maize growing season. Higher weed growth in maize after mechanical weeding resulted in a reduction of up to 47% in SMN content in the topsoil. In barley, no differences in weed suppression were observed between the treatments and only small effects on SMN were determined after mechanical weeding. The soil water content in the mechanically weeded plots was significantly higher at several events in both years and for both crops, which was attributed to increased water infiltration by disrupting the soil crust. Neither crop yield nor N uptake in harvest products was affected by the different treatments.