Integrated Assessment of Organic Spring Rapeseed Crop Applying non-chemical Weed Control in Combination With Bio-preparations

Abstract

Increasing environmental awareness, demand for safe, organic food and concerns about decreasing soil fertility, rapeseed cultivation in an organic farming might be a relevant solution contributing to environment protection and climate change mitigation. Therefore in 2014–2016 carried out field experiments of organic spring rapeseed (Brassica napus L. spp. oleifera annua Metzg.) at the Experimental Station of Aleksandras Stulginskis University which is in the Kaunas District (54°53' N, 23°50' E), Lithuania. The aim of the research was to estimate the effects of non-chemical weed control methods (thermal, mechanical and self-regulation) and bio-preparations on the of spring rapeseed crop.Experimental results of integrated assessment of organic spring rapeseed crop, which involves soil enzyme activity, earthworm and weed mass, the most prevalent diseases and pests, and CO2 emission from the soil, showed that in the treatments of spring rapeseed grown with and without bio-preparations, irrespective of the non-chemical weed control methods applied, the rapeseed yield assessment points did not rise above the assessment limit, i.e., five points. Analysis of soil enzyme activity in crop without bio-preparations showed, that for the thermal weed control treatment the assessment point of saccharase activity was higher than the assessment limit. Without the use of biopreparations, when using self-regulation, the assessment point of urease activity was close to five points and when using bio-preparations, the assessment point of urease activity was significantly higher than five points. The highest assessment points of earthworm and weed dry mass, and CO2 emission from the soil, both with and without the use of bio-preparations were established when using self-regulation.[...]