WP 2: Crop-weed-soil interactions in organic conservation agriculture (CA) systems

Crop-weed interactions in organic conservation agriculture (CA) systems are expected to be influenced by the effect of reduced tillage on survival and vertical distribution of weed propagules in soil, the direct weed suppression capacity of green manures and their indirect effect on weeds and on the following cash crop through soil physical, chemical and biological alterations.

The objectives of work package 2 are

• To enhance weed suppression in improved organic CA systems.
• To unravel physically, chemically and biologically driven crop-weed interactions likely to improve weed suppression in organic CA systems.
• To assess the potential of weed communities in organic CA systems to support agro-ecosystem services.

Contact

• Work package coordinator: Prof. Dr. Paolo Bàrberi, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna Public Research Institution (SSSA), Italy
• Co-coordinator: Prof. Dr. F. Xavier Sans, Agroecosystems Research Group, University of Barcelona (UB), Spain 

Tasks

• Task 2.1: Assessing weed suppression in improved organic CA systems. 
• Task 2.2: Physically, chemically and biologically driven crop-weed interactions in organic CA systems.
• Task 2.3: Functional composition of weed communities in organic CA systems and methods.