<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Especially during early developmental stages, competition with weeds can reduce crop growth and have a serious effect on productivity. Here, the effects of interactions between soil water content (SWC), nutrient availability, and competition from weeds on early stage crop growth were investigated, to better understand this problem. Field experiments were conducted in 2013 and 2014 using long-term study plots on loam soil in Hungary. Plots of maize (<italic>Zea mays</italic> L.) and a weed-maize combination were exposed to five fertilization treatments. SWC was observed along the 0–80 cm depth soil profile and harvested aboveground biomass (HAB) was measured.</p><p>Significant differences were found between SWC in maize and maize-weed plots. In all treatments, measured SWC was most variable in soil depths of up to 50 cm, and at the 8–10 leaves (BBCH19) growth stage of the crop. The greatest depletion of SWC was detected within PK treatments across the entire soil profile and under both vegetation types, with depletion also considerable under NPK and NP treatments. Biomass growth was significantly influenced by weeds in treated plots between the BBCH 13 and 19 phenological stages, but water availability did not hamper growth rates in non-fertilized conditions. These findings suggest that, at early stages of crop growth, SWC model simulations need to include better characterisation of depth- and structure-dependent soil water uptake by vegetation.</p></abstract>

Especially during early developmental stages, competition with weeds can reduce crop growth and have a serious effect on productivity. Here, the effects of interactions between soil water content (SWC), nutrient availability, and competition from weeds on early stage crop growth were investigated, to better understand this problem. Field experiments were conducted in 2013 and 2014 using long-term study plots on loam soil in Hungary. Plots of maize (Zea mays L.) and a weed-maize combination were exposed to five fertilization treatments. SWC was observed along the 0–80 cm depth soil profile and harvested aboveground biomass (HAB) was measured.Significant differences were found between SWC in maize and maize-weed plots. In all treatments, measured SWC was most variable in soil depths of up to 50 cm, and at the 8–10 leaves (BBCH19) growth stage of the crop. The greatest depletion of SWC was detected within PK treatments across the entire soil profile and under both vegetation types, with depletion also considerable under NPK and NP treatments. Biomass growth was significantly influenced by weeds in treated plots between the BBCH 13 and 19 phenological stages, but water availability did not hamper growth rates in non-fertilized conditions. These findings suggest that, at early stages of crop growth, SWC model simulations need to include better characterisation of depth- and structure-dependent soil water uptake by vegetation.

Changes to soil water content and biomass yield under combined maize and maize-weed vegetation with different fertilization treatments in loam soil

Institute for Soil Sciences and Agricultural Chemistry, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Herman Otto út. 15, 1022 Budapest, Hungary.

Grassland Ecosystem Research Unit, French National Institute for Agricultural Research, 5 chemin de Beaulieu, 63039 Clermont-Ferrand, France.

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Especially during early developmental stages, competition with weeds can reduce crop growth and have a serious effect on productivity. Here, the effects of...

Changes to soil water content and biomass yield under combined maize and maize-weed vegetation with different fertilization treatments in loam soil

Published Online: May 12, 2016

Page range: 150 - 159

Received: Sep 02, 2015

Accepted: Dec 16, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/johh-2016-0015

Keywords
Soil water content, Maize weed, Phenological stage, Fertilization

© 2016 Éva Lehoczky et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Changes to soil water content and biomass yield under combined maize and maize-weed vegetation with different fertilization treatments in loam soil

Published Online: May 12, 2016

Page range: 150 - 159

Received: Sep 02, 2015

Accepted: Dec 16, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/johh-2016-0015

KeywordsSoil water content, Maize weed, Phenological stage, Fertilization

© 2016 Éva Lehoczky et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Soil water content, Maize weed, Phenological stage, Fertilization