creators_name: Davies, D H Ken
creators_name: Hoad, Steve
creators_name: Boyd,  Laura
editors_name: Powell, Jane
editors_name: et al., 
type: conference_item
datestamp: 2006-04-28
lastmod: 2009-08-20 14:32:06
metadata_visibility: show
title: WECOF: A new project developing enhanced weed control through improved crop and plant architecture
ispublished: pub
subjects: 3cereals
subjects: 9weed
subjects: 4plant
full_text_status: public
keywords: Colloquium of Organic Researchers, COR, weed management, weed suppression, crop architecture, plant structure, light interception, winter wheat, cultivar,competitiveness
abstract: A primary objective of the EU-funded WECOF project is to optimise the natural competitiveness of winter wheat in reducing weed growth, and thus reduce the need for direct weed control interventions. Crops are characterised by ranking the relative importance of key plant and crop factors in shading weed growth. A series of core trials have been established in Germany, Scotland, Poland and Spain comparing plant structure by the use of different varieties and crop architectural factors by the use of different sowing row widths and direction. Variety trials have also been established in Scotland with constant row width and sowing direction to give more detailed varietal comparisons. Results from the first set of trials in Scotland are described. There are clear varietal differences in weed suppression; row-width has a bigger effect than sowing direction. Results will be used to develop models to assist breeders in producing improved crop ideotypes for organic production, and in production of a decision support system to assist farmers and advisers in variety selection and management for improved weed suppression. WECOF also includes work on allelopathy and photocontrol, and on the related economic factors.
date: 2002
date_type: published
publication: Proceedings of the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference
publisher: Organic Centre Wales, Institute of Rural Studies, University of Wales Aberystwyth
pagerange: 299-302
refereed: never
referencetext: Davies D H K; Welsh J P (2001) Weed control in organic cereals and pulses. Organic Cereals & Pulses, eds D Younie, B R Taylor, J P Welsh, J M Wilkinson, pp77-114. Chalcombe Publications, Lincoln. 

Cosser N D; Gooding M T; Davies W P; Thompson A J; Froud-Williams R J (1997) Cultivar and Rht gene influence on the competitive ability, yield, bread-making qualities of organically grown winter wheat. Aspects of Applied Biology 50, Optimising cereal inputs - Its scientific basis, 39-52. 

Cosser N D; Gooding M T; Froud-Williams R J (1996) The impact of wheat cultivar, sowing date and grazing on the weed seedbank of an organic farming system. Aspects of Applied Biology 47, Rotations and cropping systems, 429-432. 

Eisele J A; Kopke U (1997) Choice of variety in organic farming: New criteria for winter wheat ideotypes. Pflanzenbauwissen-schaften, 1(1), 5,19-24. 

Richards M C; Davies D H K (1991) Potential for reducing herbicide inputs/rates with more competitive cereal varieties. Proceedings of Brighton Crop Protection Conference – Weeds, 1991, 1237-1240. 

Younie D; Taylor B R (1995) Maximising crop competition to minimise weeds. Unpublished, SAC Aberdeen.  

citation: Davies, D H Ken; Hoad, Steve and Boyd, Laura (2002) WECOF: A new project developing enhanced weed control through improved crop and plant architecture. UK Organic Research 2002 Conference, Aberystwyth, 26-28 March 2002. In: Powell, Jane and et al., (Eds.) Proceedings of the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference, Organic Centre Wales, Institute of Rural Studies, University of Wales Aberystwyth, pp. 299-302.
document_url: http://orgprints.org/8256/1/Davies_WECOF_weed_control.pdf