ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Effects of Mechanical Weed Control
in Barley–Pea Mixture on Colonization
of Barley Grain by Fungi, Part 1
Agnieszka Lejman1, Rafał Ogórek2, Piotr Sobkowicz1
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1Department of Agroecosystems and Green Areas Management, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences,
2Department of Plant Protection, Division of Plant Pathology and Mycology,
Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences,
pl. Grunwaldzki 24a, 53-363 Wrocław, Poland
Submission date: 2014-01-31
Final revision date: 2014-03-28
Acceptance date: 2014-03-28
Publication date: 2015-02-06
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2015;24(1):141-149
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ABSTRACT
The study aimed at being a mycological evaluation of spring barley grain harvested from the barley-pea
intercrop, on which different methods of weed control had been used. The field experiment was carried out during
2010-12 and it was conducted using randomized block design in four replicates. Weed control was mechanical
(spring-tine harrow treatment of variable intensity) and chemical (herbicide Chwastox Extra 300 SL – 3L
per ha). Fungal colonization tests were carried out on disinfected and non-disinfected grains. The research has
shown statistically significant differences in the total number of fungi isolated from disinfected and non-disinfected
grains in particular years of study, between the objects, and in some cases between the study years. The
fungus most frequently isolated from all variants of the experiment was Alternaria alternata. Penicillium
chrysogenum was isolated only from non-disinfected grains. Presented results show that mechanical weed control
treatments of appropriately adjusted intensity do not increase fungal colonization of barley grains in mixed
culture with peas, as compared to the herbicidal control. The best variant of mechanical weed control for the
cereal-legume mixture in terms of mycological quality of barley grain was one passage of spring-tine harrow
at full tillering stage of barley. Mechanical weed control may be an alternative to herbicides in weed control in
cereal-legume mixtures and may be particularly important for organic and integrated farming.