Competitiveness of winter wheat stands against weeds: Effects of cultivar choice, row width and drilling direction

Summary

The need for competitive crop stands can be regarded as a basic requirement for weed control, potentially reducing the need for direct control measures. One way the crop may suppress weed growth is by the restriction of light through crop shading. As part of the EU-project ²Strategies of weed control in Organic Farming² (WECOF) trials with winter wheat were carried out to evaluate the potential of wheat shading ability as a weed control measure. Factors included were cultivar, row width and drilling direction. Results of the first experimental year are presented.