Abstract
Interference by an introduced grass, Holcus lanatus L. (Yorkshire fog grass) in a young E. globulus (Tasmanian blue gum) plantation was investigated. The objectives were to determine (1) the ‘critical period’ of competition, and (2) how the timing and duration of competition was related to the interaction between tree growth and resource availability. This was investigated during the first two years of establishment. Weed interference was severe with height and diameter growth of weedy trees being 52% and 40% of weed-free trees, respectively, at age two years. Most growth losses occurred during the first year. The critical period of weed interference was from planting to age 18 m and effective weed control was required for this period to maximise tree growth potential. The application of nitrogen to weedy trees promoted a significant growth response suggesting that competition for nitrogen was occurring. There was no significant response to level of irrigation. The use of critical period analysis is discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anon 2001. December quarter 2000. Australian Forest Products Statistics. ABARE, Canberra, 69 pp.
Adams P.R. and Dutkowski G.W. 1995. Response of radiata pine to pattern of weed control in South Australia. In: Gaskin R.E. and Zabkiewicz J.A. Comp. (eds), Second International Forest Vegetation Management Conference. Popular Summaries. Rotorua, New Zealand. 20-24 March 1995. FRI Bulletin No. 192., pp. 179-181.
Aldrich R. and Kremer R. 1997. Principles in weed management. 2nd edn. Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa, 455 pp.
Balneaves J.M. 1982. Grass control for radiata pine establishment on droughty sites. N.Z. J. For. 27: 259-276.
Bleasdale J.K.A. 1987. Plant physiology in relation to horticulture. 2nd edn. MacMillan Education, 143 pp.
Boomsma D.B.B. and Hunter I.R. 1990. Effects of water, nutrients and their interactions on tree growth, and plantation forest management practices in Australasia: A review. For. Ecol. Manage. 30: 455-476.
Burns K., Walker D. and Hansard A. 1999. Forest plantations on cleared agricultural land in Australia. A regional economic analysis. Canberra. ABARE, 227 pp.
Caldwell J.M., Sucoff E.I. and Dickson R.K. 1995. Grass interference limits resource availability and reduces growth of juvenile red pine in the field. New For. 10: 1-15.
Chong T.K. and Jones N. 1982. Fast growing hardwood plantations on logged over forest sites in Sabah. Malays. For. 45: 558-574.
Collet C., Frochot H. and Guehl J.-M. 1996. Growth dynamics and water uptake of two forest grasses differing in their growth strategy and potentially competing with forest seedlings. Can. J. Bot. 74: 155-1561.
Costantini A. 1989. Definition of a plant zone for weed management during the establishment of Araucaria cunninghamii plantations. For. Ecol. Manage. 29: 15-27.
Costantini A., Lewty M.J. and Podberscek M. 1992. Grass competition and Pinus caribaea var-.hondurensis development in south-east Queensland. Com. For. Rev. 71: 117-123.
Cousens R. 1988. Misinterpretations of results in weed research through inappropriate use of statistics. Weed Res. 28: 281-289.
Cromer R., Smethurst P., Turnbull C., Misra R., Lasala A., Herbert A. et al. 1995. Early growth of eucalypts in Tasmania in relation to nutrition. In: Eucalypt Plantations: Improving fibre yield and quality. In: Potts B.M., Borralho N.M.G., Reid J.B., Cromer R.N., Tibbits W.N. and Raymond C.A. (eds), Proc. CRC-IUFRO Conf., Hobart, 19-24 Feb. CRC for Temperate Hardwood Forestry, Hobart, pp. 331-335.
Eissenstat D.M. and Mitchell J.E. 1983. Effects of seedling grass and clover on growth and water potential of Douglas-fir seedlings. For. Sci. 29: 166-179.
Ellis R.C., Webb D.P., Graley A.M. and Rout A.F. 1985. The effect of weed competition and nitrogen nutrition on the growth of seedlings of Eucalyptus delegatensis in a highland area of Tasmania. Aust. For. Res. 15: 395-408.
Fisher R.F. and Binkley D. 2000. Ecology and management of forest soils. 3rd edn. Wiley and Sons Inc., New York, 489 pp.
Flinn D.W., Hopmans P., Moller I. and Tregonning K. 1979. Response of radiata pine to fertilisers containing N and P applied at planting. Aust. For. 42: 125-131.
Fremlin R.R.A. and Misic D. 1999. Economics of second-year weed control in Eucalyptus globulus plantations established for chipwood production in Western Australia. In: Ellis R.C. and Smethurst P.J. (eds), IFA Conference “Practicing Forestry Today”, Hobart, Monotone Art Printers Pty Ltd., pp. 165-169.
Genstat 5 Committee 1994. Genstat 5 Release 3 Reference Manual. Lawes Agricultural Trust. Clarendon Press, Oxford, UK, 796 pp.
Goldberg D.E. 1996. Simplifying the study of competition at the individual plant level: consequences of distinguishing between competitive effect and response for forest vegetation management. N.Z. J. For. Sci. 26: 19-38.
Goode J.E. and Hyrycz K.J. 1976. The effect of nitrogen on young, newly-planted, apple rootstocks in the presence and absence of grass competition. J. Hortic. Sci. 51: 321-327.
Hall M.R., Swanton C.J. and Anderson G.W. 1992. The critical period of weed control in grain corn (Zea mays). Weed Sci. 40: 441-447.
Hyde-Wyatt B.H. and Morris D.A. 1975. Tasmanian weed handbook. Department of Agriculture, Tasmania, 113 pp.
Iremiren G.O. 1986. Effects of time and frequencies of weeding on the growth of polybag oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq. Weed Res. 26: 127-132.
Irvine M.T., Wagner R.G. and Swanton C.J. 1995. The critical period of weed removal in eastern white pine bare-root nursery stock Proceedings of the Weed Science Society of America Abstracts 35., pp. 28.
Isbell R.F. 1996. The Australian soil classification. Australian soil and land survey handbook. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, 143 pp.
Knowe S.A., Nelson L.R., Gjerstad D.H., Zutter B.R., Glover G.R., Minogue P.J. et al. 1985. Four-year growth and development of planted loblolly pine on sites with competition control. South. J. Appl. For. 9: 11-14.
Kozlowski T.T. and Pallardy S.G. 1997. Physiology of woody plants. 2nd edn. Academic Press, 411 pp.
Lamp C. and Collet F. 1976. A field guide to weeds in Australia. Inkata Press, 376 pp.
Lauer D.K., Glover G.R. and Gjerstad D.H. 1993. Comparison of duration and method of herbaceous weed control on loblolly pine response through midrotation. Can. J. For. Res. 23: 2116-2125.
Lewis N.B. and Ferguson I.S. 1993. Management of radiata pine. Inkata Press, Melbourne, 404 pp.
Little K. and van den Berg G. 1999. The impact of eight different vegetation management treatments on the establishment of Eucalyptus dunnii. ICFR Newsletter November 1999 8-10.
Lowery R.F., Lambeth C.C., Endo M. and Kane M. 1993. Vegetation management in tropical forest plantations. Can. J. For. Res. 23: 2006-2014.
Ludovici K.H. and Morris L.A. 1998. Allometric response of Pinus taeda seedlings to interspecific competition for soil moisture. In: Wagner R.G. and Thompson D.G. (Comp.) (eds), Third International Conference on Forest Vegetation Management: Popular summaries. Ont. Min. Nat. Resour., Ont. For. Res. Inst., For. Res. Info. Pap. No. 141., pp. 179-181.
Maxfield M., Little K. and Kritzinger J. 1998. Weed germination and growth for use in a pine weed competition trial. ICFR Newsletter. February 8-9.
Mohammed G.H., Noland T.L. and Wagner R.G. 1998. Physiological perturbation in jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb) in the presence of competing herbaceous vegetation. For. Ecol. Manage. 103: 77-85.
Nambiar E.K.S. 1990. Interplay between nutrients, water, root growth and productivity in young plantations. For. Ecol. Manage. 30: 213-232.
Nambiar E.K.S. and Sands R. 1993. Competition for water and nutrients in forests. Can. J. For. Res. 23: 1955-1968.
Neilsen W.A. and Wilkinson G.R. 1990. Eucalypt sawlog plantations in Tasmania, prospects and problems. In: Dargavel J. and Semple N. (eds), Prospects for Australian plantations. Australian National University, Canberra, pp. 550-557.
Örlander G., Nilsson U. and Hallgren J.-E. 1996. Competition for water and nutrients between ground vegetation and planted Picea abies. N.Z. J. For. Sci. 26: 99-117.
Pinkard L. and Beadle C. 2000. Factors affecting pruning response in eucalypt plantations. In: Henderson L. et al. (eds), The Future of Eucalypts for Wood Products. Proceedings of IUFRO Conference, Launceston, Australia., pp. 328-334.
Revell D.H. 1976. The ecological importance of grass on dry sites Proc. Forest Research Institute Symposium 18. New Zealand Forest Service. Rotorua., pp. 138-139.
Richardson B. 1993. Vegetation management practices in plantation forests in Australia and New Zealand. Can. J. For. Res. 23: 1989-2005.
Richardson B., Vanner A., Ray J., Davenhill N. and Coker G. 1996. Mechanisms of Pinus radiata growth suppression by some common forest weed species. N.Z. J. For. Sci. 26: 421-437.
Sands R. and Nambiar E.K.S. 1984. Water relations of Pinus radiata in competition with weeds. Can. J. For. Res. 14: 233-237.
Savill P., Evans J., Auclair D. and Falck J. 1997. Plantation silviculture in Europe. Oxford University Press, 297 pp.
Schumann A.W. 1992. The impact of weeds and two legume crops onEucalyptus hybrid clone establishment. South African Journal of Forestry. 160: 43-48.
Smethurst P.J. and Nambiar E.K.S. 1989. Role of weeds in the management of nitrogen in a young Pinus radiata plantation. New For. 3: 203-224.
Squire R.O. 1977. Interacting effects of grass competition, fertilising and cultivation on the early growth of Pinus radiata D. Don. Aust. For. Res. 7: 247-252.
Suryaningtyas H. and Terry P.J. 1993. Critical period of weed competition in rubber seedlings Proceedings Vol. 3 of the Brighton Crop Protection Conference “Weeds 1993”, 22-25 November, Brighton, England., pp. 1177-1181.
Wagner R.G. 1993. Research directions to advance forest vegetation management in North America. Can. J. For. Res. 23: 2317-2327.
Wagner R.G., Noland T.L. and Mohammed G.H. 1996. Timing and duration of herbaceous vegetation control around four northern coniferous species. N.Z. J. For. Sci. 26: 39-52.
Wagner R.G., Mohammed G.H. and Noland T.L. 1999. Critical period of interspecific competition for northern conifers associated with herbaceous vegetation. Can. J. For. Res. 29: 890-897.
Waring H.D. 1972. Pinus radiata and the nitrogen-phosphorus interaction. In: Boardman R. (ed.), Proceedings of the Australian Forest-Tree Nutrition Conference, 6-17 September 1971, Canberra, Australia. Australian Forestry and Timber Bureau, Canberra, pp. 144-161.
Woods P.V., Nambiar E.K.S. and Smethurst P.J. 1992. Effect of annual weeds on water and nitrogen availability to Pinus radiata trees in a young plantation. For. Ecol. Manage. 48: 145-163.
Zimdahl R. 1988. The concept and application of the critical weed-free period. In: Aliteri M.A. and Liebman M. (eds), Weed Management in agroecosystems: ecological approaches. CRC Press In, Boca Raton, Fla, pp. 145-155.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Adams, P., Beadle, C., Mendham, N. et al. The impact of timing and duration of grass control on growth of a young Eucalyptus globulus Labill. plantation. New Forests 26, 147–165 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024490707175
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024490707175