Cover Cropping in a sloping, non-irrigated vineyard: I - effects on weed composition and dynamics

 

 

A. Monteiro*, C.M. Lopes, J.P. Machado, N. Fernandes, A. Araújo, I. Moreira

* Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisbon, Portugal E-mail: anamonteiro@isa.utl.pt Tel.: 351-21-3653162. Fax: 351-21-3635031

(Manuscrito recebido em 29.02.08. Aceite para publicação em 23.06.08)

 

 

SUMMARY

The influence of two sward treatments and soil cultivation on the composition, the structure, and the evolution of the biomass of vineyard weed communities was examined. The 3-year study (2002-2004) was carried out in a sloping, non-irrigated vineyard, cv. ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’, in the Estremadura winegrowing region of Portugal. The experimental treatments were: soil tillage (control); permanent sown cover crop - Lolium perenne ‘Nui’, L. multiflorum ‘Bartíssimo’, Festuca ovina ‘Ridu’, F. rubra ssp. rubra ‘Echo’, Trifolium incarnatum. ‘Red’, T. repens ‘Huie’ and T. subterraneum ‘Claire’; and permanent resident vegetation. Total weed biomass in the spring did not reveal significant differences between treatments, but varied annually. The management practices – e.g. time and number of soil cultivations and inter-row mowing – were determinant in weed biomass evolution. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed significant treatment effects on community structure. Three years after the experiment was set up, in the soil tillage treatment weed composition was dominated by annual broad-leaved species, namely five Geraniaceae species, Medicago polymorpha and Sonchus oleraceus. The perennial broad-leaved species Oxalis pes-caprae was also a dominant species in soil tillage. In both sward treatments there was an increase in the perennial broad-leaved and grass species. Compared to soil tillage, in the resident vegetation treatment there was a significant increase in perennial species, such as Rumex crispus, Veronica anagallis-aquatica and Polypogon monspeliensis, and in the annuals Melilotus indica and Avena sterilis. The increase in these perennial species, which are considered to compete with vines, requires more frequent mowing in the summer. In the permanent sown cover crop treatment, L. perenne and T. repens displayed the ability to re-establish successfully, and their abundance decreased or suppressed most of the annual and perennial weed species.

Keywords: Vitis vinifera L.; grapevine; cover crops; soil tillage; weed community

 

RESUMO

Enrelvamento em vinha de encosta não regada: I - efeito na composição edinâmica das infestantes

No presente trabalho é analisado o efeito do enrelvamento, comparativamente à mobilização do solo, na composição, estrutura e dinâmica das infestantes vitícolas. O estudo de três anos (2002-2004) decorreu numa vinha de encosta, não regada, casta ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’, na região Vitícola da Estremadura, Portugal. Foram comparadas três modalidades: mobilização do solo (testemunha), enrelvamento semeado permanente (Lolium perenne ‘Nui’, L. multiflorum ‘Bartíssimo’, Festuca ovina ‘Ridu’, F. rubra ssp. rubra ‘Echo’, Trifolium incarnatum ‘Red’, T. repens ‘Huie’ e T. subterraneum ‘Claire’), e enrelvamento permanente natural. Não se registaram diferenças significativas na biomassa total da vegetação da entrelinha na primavera entre modalidades mas o valor absoluto variou com o ano. As práticas de gestão aplicadas em cada modalidade, designadamente época e número de mobilizações do solo e corte do enrelvamento foram determinantes na evolução da biomassa. A análise canónica de correspondências revelou efeitos significativos entre modalidades nas espécies inventariadas, com implicações nas comunidades residentes. Três anos após o início do ensaio a composição florística na modalidade mobilizada era dominada por espécies dicotiledóneas anuais, designadamente cinco espécies de Geraniaceae, Medicago polymorpha e Sonchus oleraceus. No enrelvamento natural houve um aumento de espécies perenes como Rumex crispus Veronica anagallis-aquatica e Polypogon monspeliensis e de algumas anuais tal como Melilotus indica e Avena sterilis. O aumento daquelas espécies perenes, consideradas como competitivas com a videira implica uma maior frequência dos cortes no verão. No enrelvamento semeado as espécies L. perenne e T. repens mantiveram a sua capacidade de regeneração e a sua abundância reduziu a dominância ou eliminou a maioria das infestantes anuais e perenes inventariadas no enrelvamento natural.

Palavras chave: Vitis vinifera L.; vinha, enrelvamento; mobilização do solo; infestantes

 

 

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