The effect of different tillage systems on the composition of the seedbank

Abstract

The soil seedbank of a wheat crop grown with four tillage systems (mouldboard plough, disk, chisel and no-tillage) for 3 years was analysed. Density and composition of seedbanks varied according to tillage system and depth. The mouldboard plough crop had seedbanks with the lowest seed density and there was no difference in density or composition at 0-5 cm and 5-10 cm depth whereas no-tillage had a more dense seed bank, especially in the upper part of the soil profile. Diversity of seedbanks also increased from mouldboard plough, to disk, to chisel, to no-tillage, which had the most diverse bank. Therefore, the data strongly support the hypothesis that the systems causing less disturbance allow the build-up of a larger and more diverse soil seed bank.