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A Review of the Management of Selected Perennial Weeds

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A Review of the Management of Selected Perennial Weeds A review of the management of selected perennial weeds Defra project OF0367 August 2008 Contents Page no. Introduction………………………………………………………………………….. 1 The biology and control of bracken ( Pteridium aquilinum )………………………. 4 The biology and control of common couch ( Elytrigia repens )…………………….. 16 The biology and control of creeping buttercup ((Ranunculus repens L.)………… 33 The biology and control of creeping thistle ( Cirsium arvense )……………………. 39 The biology and control of docks ( Rumex obtusifolius, Rumex crispus )………….. 62 The biology and control of field horsetail ( Equisetum arvense )…………………… 88 The biology and control of rushes ( Juncus spp) …………………………………... 92 Bibliography …………………………………………………………………………. 100 Appendix: A brief overview of related research projects in Europe …………….. 133 2 Introduction Perennial weeds have developed a variety of strategies that enable them to persist, multiply and spread. The different species rely to a greater or lesser extent on both seed and vegetative means to enable them to succeed in both relatively stable and disturbed habitats. Some perennial weeds are a problem in both situations while other cannot cope with disturbance or cannot compete with an established stand of vegetation. Bracken is a problem in grassland but not in cultivated fields. Rushes are also unlikely to be of concern on land that is regularly ploughed. Creeping thistle, common couch, field horsetail and the docks though are serious weeds in both situations. However, even within the docks, the broad-leaved dock will survive longer in permanent grass while the curled dock can be at more of an advantage in disturbed soils. The vegetative organs of perennial weeds may be located at a considerable depth or may be within the plough layer. This is an important consideration in the application mechanical weed management. The regenerative ability of the weed is also a factor. Couch will only regenerate from pre-formed buds at nodes on rhizome fragments not from the internodes. Docks will regenerate from adventitious buds that develop on root pieces. Creeping thistle will also produce adventitious buds on underground organs. Field horsetail regenerates from the rhizomes and also from tubers. Plant morphology will determine how competitive the weeds are with the crop. Docks and thistles produce tall leafy, therefore photosythetically active, flower stems. Bracken forms a dense leaf canopy. Common couch and the rushes appear less competitive but in some situations can form dense patches that exclude other plants. Field horsetail lacks true leaves and does not form a canopy so is less able to compete with a dense crop. Seedlings of all the weeds are more sensitive to competition and cannot succeed in established vegetation. However, seedling docks that emerge in cereals and other arable crops may not mature and set seed but can form a taproot that will survive post-harvest cultivations. The docks can regrow and emerge in a following crop with an advantage over the crop seedlings. Perennial weeds are thought to increase in organic systems over time. Whether this is the expansion of an existing infestation or the onset of a new weed problem as a result of the changes in weed management that follow the conversion to organic growing methods is not clear. The principal methods of non-chemical control for perennial weeds are cultivation, cutting or grazing and competition. The aim is to prevent seeding and to starve out the perennial organs. Seed production is more important in some species than others but its significance should not be discounted. It is generally thought that reduced cultivations favour perennial weeds. Historically, fallow season tillage has been used to control severe infestations of perennial weeds. Like repeated mowing, it starves the underground organs and prevents seed production. No single method of control and still less a single weeding operation will give adequate control, a sustained approach is needed. Biological control has obvious appeal and has received much attention but it 1 unlikely to provide reliable control. Natural control such as seed predation that goes on in the background is important in supporting other control measures. Håkansson (1995) groups perennial weeds into: Stationary perennials tufted grasses (Agrostis capillaris ) broad-leaved with short subterranean stems (Artemisia vulgaris ) Broad-leaved with taproot (Rumex obtusifolius ) (Rumex crispus ) Creeping perennials above-ground prostrate shoots or stolons subterranean creeping shoots, rhizomes sensitive to cultivation (Juncus spp.) (Pteridium aquilinum ) tolerant to cultivation shallow (Elytrigia repens ) deep (Equisetum arvense ) plagiotropic, thickened roots shallow (Sonchus arvensis ) deep (Cirsium arvense ) The biology, persistence and management of docks ( Rumex obtusifolius, Rumex crispus ), rushes ( Juncus spp.), bracken ( Pteridium aquilinum ), common couch ( Elytrigia repens ) and creeping thistle ( Cirsium arvense ) are reviewed in the following sections. Control of perennial weeds Tap-rooted (Docks etc) Fallowing – Shallow cultivations at regular intervals for a month or so (Bastard) or for the whole summer. But this takes land out of production and is bad for the soil structure. Undercutting the roots by deep rotovation is better than burying the whole plant by ploughing under. Shallow creeping (Couch etc) Cultivations should not be too deep otherwise the vegetative organs are dispersed further and protected from desiccation. Spring tines will bring the weed to the surface to desiccate, or the weed should be chopped up into small pieces. Cultivations need to be repeated when regrowth appears. Stock such as sheep can be put on the land soon after cultivations to feed on the exposed weed. Deep creeping (Creeping thistle) 2 A full fallow is required. Undercutter bars can be useful. Ploughing has a limited effect. Cultivations will force the plants to regrow and reduce their reserves. It is only effective if the regrowth is dealt with by further cultivations or mowing. There is considerable interest in the enhancement and restoration of floral diversity in grasslands but many of the potentially important management factors used for the control of perennial weeds also influence species diversity. The use of cutting, grazing, fertility balance and pesticide application to reduce weed infestations will also minimise the likelihood of desirable species becoming established. Conversely, the reduced fertility, periodic local soil disturbance and reduced sward density needed to encourage greater species diversity is also likely to encourage invasion by weeds. Chemical weed control Controlling perennial weeds usually requires an integrated management approach, combining both cultural and chemical methods to achieve effective long-term results in all farming systems. In general terms the majority of the perennial weeds are not problematic in arable crops due to the rotations and availability of herbicides. Many of these weeds can be a problem in some long term horticultural crops, but these are often controlled by spot treatments. Problems with perennial weeds in grassland tend to be a result of poor stocking management and so the use of chemical control may be a temporary requirement for short-term weed control that then must be integrated with cultural control as a long term approach. The introduction of set-aside schemes in 1988 resulted in an increase in perennial weed species such as docks and creeping thistles and trial results from a number of sites in England and Wales highlighted, along with a competitive ground cover, the need for spray treatments in addition to cutting as a form of weed control (Aquilina and Clarke, 1994). Selective herbicides are generally the preferred choice for perennial weeds, particularly when control is required in grassland. Product choice and usage in grassland will also be determined by whether it is a new sown ley or established ley with or without clover (Connabeer, 2005). Herbicide application methods include knapsack sprayers and the more recent weed wick applicators that apply spot treatments. These have the benefits of being targeted to specific species and reducing the environmental impact of spraying by applying more targeted chemical. However, wick applicators can be problematic on uneven ground such as upland grassland areas and when the canopy has varied height differences or there is insufficient height difference between the target weed and remaining vegetation. Tractor mounted sprayers are used on some occasions but are least favoured, as they generally provide a blanket spray and not as selective, however patch spraying techniques are beginning to be used in certain situations. Multiple herbicide applications may be required for total weed control depending on the species and the infestation levels. 3 The most appropriate herbicide application timing for perennial weeds like couch and thistles is when the plants are actively growing in the spring and summer, so maximum translocation of the herbicides can occur (Kudsk, 2002). There have been a number of issues with herbicides being detected in water, including 2,4-D, MCPA, mecoprop and asulam. Product choice, dose and application timing must all be optimised to prevent any environmental pollution. 4 The biology and control of Bracken ( Pteridium aquilinum (L .) Kuhn Occurrence Bracken is considered to be the most widespread vascular plant in the world (Hudson, 1987). In the UK it is found on damp soils, meadows and pastures up to
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