Mechanical disturbance of Cirsium arvense - Results from a multi-year field study
2022
Weigel, Marian | Gerowitt, Bärbel
Perennial weeds like Cirsium arvense ensure their lifeform by their subterranean storage organs. Current control essentially relies on inversion tillage and herbicides (especially glyphosate). One alternative is the so-called “Kverneland Horizontal Root Cutter”. This machine fragments adventitious roots and cuts them off from belowground shoots and deep reaching root parts via horizontally arranged sheers, subsequently leading to a depletion of reserves. We conducted an experiment between September 2019 and September 2021 on a field carrying C. arvense but no crop. Treatments differed in terms of use frequency and working depth of the “Root Cutter”. Six cuts per year (twelve in total) reduced the number of shoots by approximately 75% and the aerial expansion of thistle patches by approximately 90%. Lower cut frequencies decreased aerial expansion but failed to reduce number of shoots. HPLC root carbohydrate measurements revealed an exhaustion of reserves by root cutting. Total sugars and inulin reduction increased with cutting frequency. Based on the presented results the “Kverneland horizontal root cutter” can serve as a possible replacement for ploughing for the purpose of combating perennial weeds like C. arvense.
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