Effects of selective herbicide treatment, row width and spring cultivation on weed and arthropod communities in winter wheat.

Abstract

A small-scale study of wide spaced rows (WSR) and cultivation combined with a range of selective herbicide treatments was set up in winter wheat at three sites with different soil types. The aim was to enhance farmland biodiversity by increasing the abundance and availability of 'beneficial' plant species and associated invertebrates. Weed and arthropod populations were different at each site and in each year. There were few effects of the spacing/cultivation treatments on either vegetation or arthropods. Herbicide treatment had a significant effect on almost all weed groupings reported here. Highest weed cover and diversity and invertebrate populations were usually recorded on untreated plots. In most site/years a spring application of amidosulfuron was the most beneficial of those treatments receiving herbicide. Weed cover and arthropod abundance was generally higher under single product applications compared to sequences. The results suggest that, in certain circumstances, there is potential to enhance farmland biodiversity using selective herbicides.