Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2013, 61(5), 1399-1404 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun201361051399

Occurrence of couch grass [Elytrigia repens (L.) Desv. ex Nevski] under different grassland management

Marie Štýbnarová1, Pavlína Mičová1, Hana Karabcová2, Marie Svozilová2
1 Agrovyzkum Rapotin Ltd., Výzkumníků 267, 788 13 Vikýřovice, Czech Republic
2 Research Institute for Cattle Breeding, Ltd.,Výzkumníků 267, 788 13 Vikýřovice, Czech Republic

The objective of this research was to investigate occurrence of common couch grass (Elytrigia repens (L.) Desv. ex Nevski) under different grassland management by means of a small-plot trial. The trial was managed during 2003-2011 with four levels of utilisation: intensive (4 cuts per year, 1st cut on 15 May), medium intensive (3 cuts per year, 1st cut on 30 May), low intensive (2 cuts per year, 1st cut on 15 June), and extensive (2 cuts per year, 1st cut on 30 June). Four rates of fertilisation were applied for each utilisation treatment: nil-fertilisation, P30K60, N90P30K60, and N180P30K60 (pure nutrients). The intensively utilised treatments without N fertilisation showed the lowest mean percentage cover of couch (3.0 %, and 2.8 %, respectively). Further, we found a significant increase in couch grass cover (up to about 30 %) as a response to nitrogen fertilisation and it was most significant in grasslands utilised with two cuts per year. It can be concluded that grassland utilisation in three cuts per year and the dose 90 kg.ha-1 of nitrogen led to the maintenance of the occurrence of couch at the reasonable level up to 10-15 %.

Keywords: permanent grasslands, couch grass, N fertilisation, cutting frequency
Grants and funding:

The work was supported by the institutional support for the long-term conceptual development of the research organisation, Ministry of Agriculture Decision No. RO0313 from 28 February 2013, by the project NAZV No. QH81280 and by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic Project No. LA08041.

Received: January 28, 2013; Published: September 28, 2013  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Štýbnarová, M., Mičová, P., Karabcová, H., & Svozilová, M. (2013). Occurrence of couch grass [Elytrigia repens (L.) Desv. ex Nevski] under different grassland management. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 61(5), 1399-1404. doi: 10.11118/actaun201361051399
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. BANDEEN, J. D. and BUCHHOLTZ, K. P., 1967: Competitive effects of quackgrass upon corn as modified by fertilisation. Weeds, 15, 3: 220-224. ISSN 00967 19X. DOI: 10.2307/4041208 Go to original source...
    2. BERGKVIST, G., ADLER, A., HANSSON, M. and WEIH, M., 2010: Red fescue undersown in winter wheat suppresses Elytrigia repens. Weed Research, 50, 5: 447-455. ISSN 0043-1737. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3180.2010.00789.x Go to original source...
    3. BOND, W., DAVIES, G. and TURNER, R. J., 2007: The biology and non-chemical control of common couch. [on line] 2007-11-26 [cit. 2012-10-13] Available at: http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicweeds.
    4. BRANDSAETER, L. O., FOGELFORS, H., FYKSE, H., GRAGLIA, E., JENSEN, R. K., MELANDER, B., SALONEN, J. and VANHALA, P., 2010: Seasonal restrictions of bud growth on roots of Cirsium arvense and Sonchus arvensis and rhizomes of Elymus repens. Weed Research, 50, 2: 102-109. ISSN 0043-1737. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3180.2009.00756.x Go to original source...
    5. CARRERE, P., PONTES, L. D., ANDUEZA, D., LOUAULT, F., ROSSEEL, D., TAINI, E., PONS, B., TOILLON, S. and SOUSSANA, J. F., 2010: Changes in the nutritive value of pasture grasses during their cycle of development. Fourrages, 201, 1: 27-35. ISSN 0429-2766.
    6. DAVIS, K. and BALLINGAL, M., 2009: Weed management in grassland. Edinburgh: The Scottish Agricultural College, 16 p. ISBN 1-85482-887-8.
    7. ĐILEIKA, A. S., 2001: Grassland renovation. [on line] 2001-02-03 [cit. 2013-01-21] Available at: http://www.baap.lt/education/grass_ren/grass_ren.pdf.
    8. DOSTÁLEK, J. and FRANTÍK, T., 2008: Dry grassland plant diversity conservation using low-intensity sheep and goat grazing management: case study in Prague (Czech Republic). Biodiversity and conservation, 17, 6: 1439-1454. ISSN 0960-3115. DOI: 10.1007/s10531-008-9352-1 Go to original source...
    9. ESMAEILI, M. M., BONIS, A., BOUZILLE, J. B., MONY, C. and BENOT, M. L., 2009: Consequence of ramet defoliation on plant clonal propagation and biomass allocation: Example of five rhizomatous grassland species. Flora, 204, 1: 25-33. ISSN 0367-2530. DOI: 10.1016/j.flora.2007.11.008 Go to original source...
    10. GAISLER, J., PAVLŮ, V. and HEJCMAN, M., 2008: Effect of different defoliation practices on weeds in an upland meadow. Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection, 115, Special Issue 21: 541-545. ISSN 1861-4051.
    11. HASAN, H., 1994: Effect of glyphosate herbicide on aflatoxin production on wheat-straw and couch-grass. Plant Production, 40, 2: 189-192. ISSN 0370-663X.
    12. JORGENSEN, M. and PESTALOZZI, M., 2002: Long-term botanical changes in cut and grazed grasslands in the continental subarctic region of Norway. REU Technical Series No. 64: FAO/CIHEAM Lowland Grasslands of Europe: Utilisation and Developement, Rome: FAO, 87-91. ISSN 1020-3737.
    13. MC INTYRE, G. I. and CESSNA, A. J., 1998: Studies on the growth and development of the rhizome and lateral rhizome buds in Elytrigia repens: some effects of parent shoot excision. Canadian Journal of Botany, 76, 5: 769-776. ISSN 0008-4026. Go to original source...
    14. OERLEMANS, J. F and OPITZ VON BOBERFELD, W., 2005: Long-term effect of levels of N-, P-, K-supply on the Shannon-Index for two pastures located in Central Germany. In: O'MARA et al. (Eds) Proceedings of the XX International Grassland Congress: offered papers, Wageningen: Wageningen Academic Publishers, p. 617. ISBN 9076998817.
    15. PAVLŮ, V., 1994: Content of mineral substances in pasture herbage in relation to requirements of cattle. Plant Production, 40, 3: 209-217. ISSN 0370-663X.
    16. SHEAFFER, C. C., EHLKE, N. J., WYSE, D. L., VELLEKSON, D. J., SWANSON, D. R., HALGERSON, J. L. and MATHISON, R. D., 2004: Forage yield and nutritive value of selected quackgrass. [on line] 2004-03-18 [cit. 2013-01-21] Available at: http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/pub/fg/research/2004/quackgrass/.
    17. TORRESEN, K. S., FYKSE, H. and RAFOSS, T., 2010: Autumn growth of Elytrigia repens, Cirsium arvense and Sonchus arvensis at high latitudes in an outdoor pot experiment, Weed Research, 50, 4: 353-363. ISSN 0043-1737. Go to original source...
    18. TURNER, D. J., 1969: Effects of shoot removal on rhizome carbohydrate reserves of couch grass. Weed Research, 9: 27-36. ISSN 0043-1737. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3180.1969.tb01445.x Go to original source...
    19. VAŘEKOVÁ, P., SVOZILOVÁ, M., MIČOVÁ, P. and RŽONCA, J., 2008: Effect of N fertilisation on the development of couch-grass (Elytrigia repens) in a grass sward. In: HOPKINS A. et al. (Eds) Proceedings of the 22nd General Meeting of the EGF, Uppsala: SLU Repro, pp. 347-349. ISBN 978-91-85911-47-9.
    20. WILSON, C., UNDI, M., TENUTA, M., WITTENBERG, K. M., FLATEN, D., KRAUSE, D. O., ENTZ, M. H., HOLLEY, R. and OMINSKI, K. H., 2010: Pasture productivity, cattle productivity and metabolic status following fertilisation of a grassland with liquid hog manure: A three-year study. Can. J. Anim. Sci., 90, 2: 233-243. ISSN 0008-3984. DOI: 10.4141/CJAS09037 Go to original source...
    21. WESTRA, P. H. and WYSE, D. L., 1981: Growth and development of quackgrass biotypes. Weed Science, 29, 1: 44-52. ISSN 0043-1745. Go to original source...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY NC ND 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content