The effect of fertiliser and herbicide application on herbaceous field margin communities.

Abstract

An experiment has been initiated to investigate the effects of herbicide spray drift and fertiliser application on a simulated field margin community containing three monocotyledonous and three dicotyledonous species. Results from the first year of the experiment show that both fertiliser and herbicide application had a significant effect on the community. Fertiliser application caused a significant reduction in cover of Silene latifolia and Arrhenatherum elatius. Sublethal doses of herbicide significantly reduced the cover of sown grass species.