Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Couch grass (Elytrigia repens) is a problematic weed, native to Europe and commonly found in grassland and agricultural land, causing a decrease in yield in many agricultural crops. Two climate chamber experiments were conducted to investigate how competition from cover crops like red clover (Trifolium pretense var. Titus) and rye-grass (Lolium perenne var. Irene) changes the biomass allocation and morphology of couch grass. In the first experiment, couch grass was grown in different combinations (low, medium and high competition) with rye-grass. In the second experiment it was grown with rye-grass, red clover and with both together. The results showed a decrease of above ground biomass allocation of couch grass, and also distinctive features in morphology in nodes, branching points, leaf area and leaf density from control. In experiments with rye-grass, got significant results in number of shoots per pots and above ground biomass of couch grass, pointing towards decrease in the above ground parts of couch grass due to competition from cover crop and a trend in the case of branching points and number nodes. The results of rhizome weight found to be insignificant in both experiments. It was found that competition from cover crop especially rye-grass affected biomass allocation and morphology of couch grass in a simulated environment after harvest and thereby effective in control couch grass in the following season.