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Tillage and cropping system effects on weed species composition on a clay loam in South Africa
Dissertation (Minst(Agrar) (Agronomy))--University of Pretoria, 2016.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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2026
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| _version_ | 1867613470601510912 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Madakadze, Casper |
| author_browse | Madakadze, Casper |
| author_facet | Madakadze, Casper |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Dissertation (Minst(Agrar) (Agronomy))--University of Pretoria, 2016. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/110114 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:36:39.766Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/110114 Tillage and cropping system effects on weed species composition on a clay loam in South Africa Madakadze, Casper conrad66@yahoo.com Swanepoel, Corrie Baker, Conrad biomass burial depth mulching tillage soil depth weed density weed seedbank. Dissertation (Minst(Agrar) (Agronomy))--University of Pretoria, 2016. The challenge with mounting climate change and accelerated population growth is that it jeopardizes food security among small-scale farmers. Thus, conservation agriculture (CA) has been promoted as a sustainable technology in southern Africa due to its potential to mitigate the climate change scenarios. This is accomplished by three principles– minimizing soil disturbance, maintaining permanent soil cover, and crop rotation. However, CA may increase crop yields while encouraging weed proliferation. A randomised complete block design (RCBD) with a split-split plot treatment structure with three replicates was used to determine weed density and biomass. Main plot factor was tillage at two levels CA and CT, and sub plot factor was cropping system with three levels: maize sole, maize _ soybean rotation, and maize _ cowpea intercrop. Fertilizers were applied based on soil analysis. After termination of main trial soil samples were collected at 0–5, 5–10 and 10–15 cm depth to determine the weed seedbank in germination trays. Furthermore, an additional experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) replicated three times to determine mulch and burial depth effect on weed emergence. Four weed species seeds were placed under five different levels of 0, 2, 4, 8 and 12 t mulch/ha, and three burial depths of 0, 2.5 and 5 cm in germination trays. Assessment of weeds after six years of a CA trial at Zeekoegat station, north of Pretoria showed that reduced tillage (RT) was associated with high weed density, species diversity and low weed biomass while conventional tillage (CT) was associated with high biomass and low diversity. Generally, tillage played a role in weed seed placement through the soil profile as assessed in germination trays in the greenhouse. The number of emerged weed seeds across all depths was significantly different between soil depth and tillage systems interaction. Reduced tillage had a higher number of germinated seeds at 0.5 cm depth and the weed numbers declined with soil depth. The cropping systems _ fertilizer interaction effected T. terrestris, C. prostrata and C. monophylla weed seedbank abundance. Weed seedbank diversity, evenness and richness were high at the top soil surface (0-5 cm soil depth) and decline as soil depth increased. Seedling emergence was significantly affected by different burial depths and mulching levels. Mulch significantly affected weed emergence and soil temperature. Weed seeding emergence was high at unmulched treatment, but decreased as mulch level increased. Burial depth significantly affected weed emergence, where 5 cm burial depth had highest weed emergence and emergence declined in deeper soils. Weed management strategies such as crop residue retention and crop rotation can affect weed density and composition. Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development Minst(Agrar) (Agronomy) 2026-05-15T17:26:20Z 2026-05-15T17:26:20Z 16/07/12 2016 Dissertation http://hdl.handle.net/2263/110114 en application/pdf |
| spellingShingle | biomass burial depth mulching tillage soil depth weed density weed seedbank. Tillage and cropping system effects on weed species composition on a clay loam in South Africa |
| title | Tillage and cropping system effects on weed species composition on a clay loam in South Africa |
| title_full | Tillage and cropping system effects on weed species composition on a clay loam in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Tillage and cropping system effects on weed species composition on a clay loam in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tillage and cropping system effects on weed species composition on a clay loam in South Africa |
| title_short | Tillage and cropping system effects on weed species composition on a clay loam in South Africa |
| title_sort | tillage and cropping system effects on weed species composition on a clay loam in south africa |
| topic | biomass burial depth mulching tillage soil depth weed density weed seedbank. |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/110114 |