Seasonal and site variability in the tolerance of wheat cultivars to interference from Lolium rigidum

• Published in: Weed research Vol. 38; no. 4; pp. 301 - 307
• Main Authors: COUSENS, R. D, MOKHTARI, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01-08-1998; Blackwell Science; Blackwell Scientific Publications
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Biological control and other methods; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Generalities, botany, ecology, damages, economic importance; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; Parasitic plants. Weeds; Pest resistance; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Varietal selection. Specialized plant breeding, plant breeding aims; Weeds; Australia; New South Wales; Oceania; Site; Weed control; Monocotyledones; Competitivity; Spatial variability; Weed; Variety trial; Tolerance; Varietal selection; Lolium rigidum; Cereal crop; Field experiment; Gramineae; Seasonal variation; Genetic improvement; Angiospermae; Interspecific competition; Spermatophyta; Yield; Infestation; Integrated pest management; Triticum aestivum; Cultivar
• ISSN: 0043-1737; 1365-3180
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-3180.1998.00097.x

The ability of crop cultivars to maintain yield in the presence of weeds was examined at a number of locations and in successive years. It was found that the magnitude of yield advantages from particular cultivars differed considerably between years and locations. Moreover, there was little correlation between competitiveness at different sites within a year or in different years within a location. Only one cultivar out of 17 in the Western Australian experiments was consistently a good competitor; two cultivars were consistently poor. The former may be of use in breeding for competitiveness, whereas the latter should clearly be avoided in weedy situations. Several cultivars were among the most tolerant at three sites but competed poorly at any one site. It is argued that this makes the provision of advice for farmers difficult. More attention needs to be given to agronomic ways of making a given cultivar more competitive.