Efecto de la secuencia de cultivos invernales sobre la dinámica de malezas invernales

Weeds represent one of the main constraints to efficient agricultural production, affecting crop yields through their abundance, composition and interference. The growing problem of resistance to chemical control tools by weeds highlights the need to study tools that implement Integrated Weed Management. Within these strategies, crop sequence planning is key, since it allows diversifying associated technologies affecting the biological processes of weeds. The aim of this final work was to study the effect of different winter crop sequences on winter weeds. In 2023 wheat, barley, canola and oats were established over each of the previous year's winter crops, resulting in a split-plot design within the previous year's DBCA. In this way, all possible winter combinations were evaluated, except wheat after wheat, barley after barley and wheat after barley (or vice versa), for sanitary reasons. Weed species, the number of plants per species, their stage of development and the percentage of cover occupied by weeds and crop were recorded monthly. The results showed significant differences in weed infestation among the different crop sequences, with an interaction between the 2022 preceding crop and the 2023 crop. At the end of the cycle, the cereal crops reduced the weed infestation, regardless of the predecessor on which they were sown, while the rapeseed crop did not achieve this effect in any of the sequences evaluated. This is explained by the characteristics of each crop and the different technologies available, such as chemical control, highlighting the importance of crop sequence within Integrated Weed Management.