Project

Strip Cultivation: Strip Edges and Weed Proliferation

The aim of this project is to explore the impact of strip edges on weed proliferation in strip cultivation. Our focus is on studying the weed seedlings at the edges of the crop strips in strip cropping systems, with the goal of understanding their role in contributing to the weed problem. Data will be collected from a strip cropping experiment located on the Droevendaal experimental farm in Wageningen, The Netherlands.

Project description

Strip cropping is a developing intercropping system that allows for individual crop management while preserving biodiversity benefits. Various questions still remain about weed pressure. Therefore, further research is needed to assess unintended weed proliferation and the benefits of increased crop diversity for weed management. Strip cropping systems are characterized by multiple edges between crop strips. Monitoring weed seedlings on strip boundaries will help identify their contribution to the weed problem.

To investigate this issue, a study will be conducted at the Droevendaal experimental farm. Weed seedling emergence and survival data will be collected and compared between strip edges and centres and in a reference monoculture field.

Objectives and methods

The research will involve two key components:

Determination of seed bank data before agronomic interference.
Collection of weed seedling data before and after the implementation of each crop-specific weed management practice between oats and cabbage strips

Required skills

Basic statistics. Beneficial but not required: Experience with fieldwork and R programming language.

Type of research

Field Experimentation:

Soil samples will be collected and placed in seedling trays in a greenhouse tunnel. Seedling trays need to be watered regularly. Then, the weed seedlings will be identified to determine the types of weed found in each soil sample. Moreover, the weed seedlings will also be identified and recorded in the field after each seedbed preparation treatment.