Effects of soil and crop management practices and pedo-hydrological conditions on the seedbank size of Galinsoga spp. in organic vegetable fields

Abstract

Galinsoga quadriradiata and Galinsoga parviflora are very troublesome weeds in many organic vegetable crops in Europe. A very straightforward method to keep Galinsoga infestations under control is by targeting the Galinsoga seedbank. To identify cropping systems able to reduce the seedbank size in vegetable-based cropping systems, the relationships between the seedbank size of Galinsoga species and prevailing soil/crop management practices and pedo-hydrological conditions were investigated. Hereto, the seedbank of the 0–20 cm topsoil layer was sampled in 50 organic vegetable fields and analysed according to the seedling emergence method. Field history data were collected for the past 5 years, and physical, chemical and microbial soil quality was determined. Galinsoga quadriradiata was the most frequent and abundant Galinsoga species in the weed seedbank. The genus Galinsoga was present in 90% of the soil weed seedbanks of organic vegetable fields but displayed wide variation in abundance. Smallest Galinsoga seedbanks were found in fields that were predominantly tilled with non-inversion implements or rotationally ploughed, and continuously cropped with competitive crops during the entire growing season (April 15-November 15). Contrary to G. quadriradiata, seedbank size of G. parviflora was closely related to soil organic carbon content and sand fraction. Remarkably, soils with a low level of easily plant-available phosphorus and concomitant high activity of arbuscular mycorrhizae had smaller G. quadriradiata seedbanks. To reduce Galinsoga infestations, fields should preferably be tilled without soil inversion, fertilised with organic amendments with low content of readily plant-available phosphorus and cropped with competitive crops all season long.