Cost-effective weed control in winter oilseed rape

Abstract

The objectives of this project were: a) to investigate the effects of broad-leaved weeds on winter oilseed rape, b) to see how crop vigour, as influence b agronomy, affected weed competition, c) to investigate the possibility of predicting yield losses from weeds. A total of seventeen experiments were carried out at four sites (Rothamsted, ADAS-Boxworth, Morley Research Centre and the Scottish Agricultural College-Aberdeen, over three seasons 1991-1994. Three weeds of contrasting phenologies were chosen for detailed investigation: chickweed, a prostrate, vigorous but early senescing weed; scentless mayweed, an upright weed with later maturity; and cleavers, a late maturing, scrambling species. A further eight weeds were studied less intensively, mainly in the 1994 'multi-species' experiments.