Abstract
Compared to classical, only-one weed species models, demographic projections accounting for species interactions within the weed community might represent a more realistic approximation to the outcome of weed control options in Mediterranean cereal crops. A mathematical model for simulating the dynamics of a weed community composed of populations of Lolium rigidum and Avena sterilis growing in winter wheat under a Mediterranean climate has been constructed using previous reported data on demographic rates. The model was used to simulate the population long-term dynamics and the effect of eight herbicide-based control strategies. In absence of herbicide application, our model predicts that A. sterilis seed bank increases steadily up to an equilibrium density of 2567 seeds m−2 whereas L. rigidum is driven to extinction after a period of 9 years. The most effective strategy in terms of reducing weed abundance in the long-term was the application of full dose of herbicide controlling L. rigidum and half-dose of herbicide controlling A. sterilis, which resulted in an equilibrium level of 25 seeds m−2 for L. rigidum and extinction of A. sterilis. A sensitivity analysis showed that the demographic process to which the model was more sensitive was seed rain loss in both species. Furthermore, control tactics specifically focusing on these demographic parameters should be investigated.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barroso, J., Alcantara, C., & Saavedra, M. M. (2011). Competition between Avena sterilis ssp. sterilis and wheat in South Western Spain. Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research, 9, 862–872.
Blanco-Moreno, J. M., Chamorro, L., & Sans, F. X. (2006). Spatial and temporal patterns of Lolium rigidum–Avena sterilis mixed populations in a cereal field. Weed Research, 46, 207–218.
Cirujeda, A., Aibar, J., & Zaragoza, C. (2011). Remarkable changes of weed species in Spanish cereal fields from 1976 to 2007. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 31, 675–688.
Evans, T. A., & Gleeson, P. V. (2016). Direct measurement of ant predation of weed seeds in wheat cropping. Journal of Applied Ecology, 53, 1177–1185.
Fernandez-Quintanilla, C., et al. (1998). Using the low rate concept for control of grass weeds in cereals under Mediterranean conditions. In: Proceedings of the sixth EWRS Mediterranean symposium, Montpellier (pp. 353–359).
Fernandez-Quintanilla, C., Barroso, J., Recasens, J., Sans, X., Torner, C., & Sanchez del Arco, M. J. (2000). Demography of Lolium rigidum in winter barley crops: Analysis of recruitment, survival and reproduction. Weed Research, 40, 281–291.
Fernandez-Quintanilla, C., Navarrete, L., Torner, C., & Sanchez del Arco, M. J. (1997). Avena sterilis en cultivos de cereales. In X. Sans & C. Fernandez-Quintanilla (Eds.), Biologia de las Malas Hierbas de España (pp. 11–23). Valencia: Phytoma.
Gonzalez-Andujar, J. L., & Fernandez-Quintanilla, C. (1991). Modeling the population dynamics of Avena sterilis under dry-land cereal cropping systems. Journal of Applied Ecology, 28, 16–27.
Gonzalez-Andujar, J. L., & Fernandez-Quintanilla, C. (1993). Strategies for the control of Avena sterilis in winter wheat production systems in central Spain. Crop Protection, 12, 617–623.
Gonzalez-Andujar, J. L., & Fernandez-Quintanilla, C. (2004). Modelling the population dynamics of annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) under various weed management systems. Crop Protection, 23, 723–729.
Gonzalez-Andujar, J. L., Martinez-Cob, A., Lopez-Granados, F., & Garcia-Torres, L. (2001). Spatial distribution and mapping of crenate broomrape infestations in continuous broad bean cropping. Weed Science, 49, 773–779.
Gonzalez-Andujar, J. L., & Saavedra, M. (2003). Spatial distribution of annual grass weed populations in winter cereals. Crop Protection, 22, 629–633.
Gonzalez-Andujar, J. L., et al. (2010). Field evaluation of a decision support system for herbicidal control of Avena sterilis ssp. ludoviciana in winter wheat. Weed Research, 50, 83–88.
Heap, I. (2018). The international survey of herbicide resistant weeds. http://www.weedscience.com. Accessed 17 Feb 2018.
Holst, N., Rasmussen, I. A., & Bastiaans, L. (2007). Field weed population dynamics: A review of model approaches and applications. Weed Research, 47, 1–14.
Izquierdo, J., Recasens, J., Fernandez-Quintanilla, C., & Gill, G. (2003). Effects of crop and weed densities on the interactions between barley and Lolium rigidum in several Mediterranean locations. Agronomie, 23, 529–536.
Lacoste, M., & Powles, S. (2015). RIM: Anatomy of a weed management decision support system fro adaptation and wider application. Weed Science, 63, 676–689.
Monaghan, N. M. (1980). The biology and control of Lolium rigidum as a weed of wheat. Weed Research, 20, 117–121.
Oerke, E. (2006). Crop losses to pests. Journal of Agricultural Science, 144, 31–43.
Pannell, D. J. (1997). Sensitivity analysis of normative economic models: Theoretical framework and practical strategies. Agricultural Economics, 16, 139–152.
Pannell, D. J., & Gill, G. S. (1994). Mixtures of wild oats (Avena fatua) and ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) in wheat: Competition and optimal economic control. Crop Protection, 5, 371–375.
Pannell, D. J., Stewart, V., Bennett, A., Monjardino, M., Schmidt, C., & Powles, S. B. (2004). RIM: A bioeconomic model for integrated weed management of Lolium rigidum in Western Australia. Agricultural Systems, 79, 305–325.
Perry, J. N., & Gonzalez-Andujar, J. L. (1993). A metapopulation neighbourhood model for an annual plant with a seedbank. Journal of Ecology, 81, 453–463.
Recasens, J., Taberner, A., & Izquierdo, J. (1997). Lolium rigidum Gaudin en cultivos de cereales. In X. Sans & C. Fernandez-Quintanilla (Eds.), Biologia de las Malas Hierbas de España (pp. 49–64). Valencia: Phytoma España.
Torner, C., de Sanchez Arco, M. J., Satorre, E. H., & Fernandez-Quintanilla, C. (2000). A comparison of the growth patterns and the competitive ability of four annual weeds. Agronomie, 20, 147–156.
Torner, C., Gonzalez-Andujar, J. L., & Fernandez-Quintanilla, C. (1991). Wild oat (Avena sterilis L.) competition with winter barley: Plant density effects. Weed Research, 31, 301–307.
Torra, J., Gonzalez-Andujar, J. L., & Recasens, J. (2008). Modelling the population dynamics of Papaver rhoeas under various weed management systems in a Mediterranean climate. Weed Research, 48, 136–146.
Travlos, I. S. (2012). Reduced herbicide rates for an effective weed control in competitive wheat cultivars. International Journal of Plan Production, 6(1), 1–14.
Vila-Aiub, M. M., & Ghersa, C. M. (2005). Building up resistance by recurrently exposing target plants to sublethal doses of herbicide. European Journal Agronomy, 22, 195–207.
Walsh, M. J., Harrington, R. B., & Powles, S. B. (2012). Harrington seed destructor: A new nonchemical weed control tool for global grain crops. Crop Science, 52, 1343–1347.
Zhang, J., Weaver, S. E., & Hamill, A. S. (2000). Risks and reliability of using herbicides at below-labeled rates. Weed Technology, 14, 106–115.
Acknowledgements
This work has been funded by FEDER (European Regional Development Funds) and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness funds (Projects AGL2015-63130-R).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gonzalez-Andujar, J.L., Bastida, F. Modeling the Population Dynamics of a Community of Two Grass Weeds of Winter Wheat in a Mediterranean Area. Int. J. Plant Prod. 12, 219–223 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42106-018-0022-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42106-018-0022-2