Organic but Also Low-Input Conventional Farming Systems Support High Biodiversity of Weed Species in Winter Cereals

Abstract

In recent years, the European Union has been paying particular attention to the problem of biodiversity loss. The possibilities of its assessment and conservation are included in the latest European Union (EU) policies and reflected in the European Biodiversity Strategy. The biodiversity of weeds in winter cereals in organic and conventional low-input farms in Eastern Poland was investigated during a 3-year period. Significantly more species and larger abundance were found in organic than in conventional farming systems. The biodiversity of these communities was described by Shannon’s diversity and Simpson’s dominance indices, which showed diversity to be well maintained in both farming systems; however, significantly higher Shannon’s index and significantly lower Simpson’s index values were observed in organic farms. Both farming systems were the mainstay of endangered and rare species, as well as some invasive weed species. Weed communities of organic farms were dominated mostly by Setaria pumila and Elymus repens, while conventional farms were dominated by Juncus bufonius and Setaria pumila. The study showed the importance of organic farming systems for biodiversity conservation. It was also shown that low-input (traditional) conventional farms are also beneficial for biodiversity conservation.

Farming Intensity Affects Soil Seedbank Composition and Spontaneous Vegetation of Arable Weeds

“…Farming practice has been identified as the main factor explaining arable plant species diversity and abundance as several studies have stated [22,31,32]. As an important factor for explaining segetal species richness, the management system was accessed concerning its impact on species diversity and species abundances.…”

Weed Ecology and New Approaches for Management

“…It is considered that the greater the diversity in the species composition of a weed community, the less harmful it is to the crop [24,25]. Berbeć et al [4] showed higher species diversity and weed abundance in the ecological system than in the conventional low-input system, but in both farming systems the Shannon-Wiener diversity index had high values, while the Simpson dominance index had low values, indicating their high importance for biodiversity.…”

“…The large percentage of cereals in the structure of crops in Poland facilitates the growth of segetal plants in arable fields, but the abundance and botanical composition of the associated flora depend primarily on the crop species and habitat conditions [4,5]. Assessment of the diversity of the segetal flora carried out by Sawicka et al [9] showed a higher abundance of weeds in spring wheat and triticale than in winter wheat.…”

“…The Special Issue "Weed Ecology and New Approaches for Management" contains 14 original research articles and 1 review article covering topics related to the biology and damage of weeds, especially related to the health and yielding of crops and the biodiversity of segetal weeds, as well as integrated methods of weed control and herbicide resistance. It includes articles related to the effects of tillage and management intensity on species diversity and weed abundance in winter cereals [4,5] and legumes e.g., soybean [6], pea [7] and lupine [7,8]. Several articles have shown that crop species and habitat conditions significantly affect the abundance and botanical composition of the associated flora (segetal weeds) [4,5,9].…”

“…It includes articles related to the effects of tillage and management intensity on species diversity and weed abundance in winter cereals [4,5] and legumes e.g., soybean [6], pea [7] and lupine [7,8]. Several articles have shown that crop species and habitat conditions significantly affect the abundance and botanical composition of the associated flora (segetal weeds) [4,5,9]. Moreover, it was found that the effectiveness of the use of plant protection products in wheat cultivation depended on the cultivar [10].…”