Abstract
Contrasting cover-cropping systems were compared to determine whether fundamental differences in cover-cropping strategies affect weed seed predators and resulting seed predation. We conducted typical “feeding” trials in which 25 seeds of each of six weed species, including velvetleaf, wild mustard, yellow foxtail, common lambsquarters, redroot pigweed, and hairy galinsoga, were placed in the field. Exclosures showed that the majority of seed predation could be attributed to invertebrates: 43% out of a total of 56% seed predation for 11 d in 2002 and 40% out of a total of 58% seed predation for 4 d in 2003. The predominant invertebrate seed predator across all entry points of four cropping systems was a ground-dwelling carabid beetle, Harpalus rufipes, which was more abundant in vegetated treatments, particularly red clover, compared with treatments recently tilled and planted to a fall cover crop. In the absence of vertebrates, H. rufipes activity–density was positively correlated with mean seed predation in 2002 (Spearman ρ = 0.489; P < 0.001) but not in 2003 (Spearman ρ = 0.090; P = 0.504), possibly because of a delay between pitfall trapping and predation assay. The activity–density of invertebrate seed predators measured in these systems and the high level of predation imposed on weed seeds at the soil surface indicate that cover-cropping strategies should consider late-season weed management, which maintains seeds on the soil surface and provides desirable habitat for invertebrate predators.
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Claims 5
Claim · model-written summary
Invertebrates accounted for most weed seed predation, 43% out of a total of 56% in 2002.
Verbatim
e0“25 seeds of each of six weed species, including velvetleaf, wild mustard, yellow foxtail, common lambsquarters, redroot pigweed, and hairy galinsoga, were placed in the field”
e1“Exclosures showed that the majority of seed predation could be attributed to invertebrates: 43% out of a total of 56% seed predation for 11 d in 2002 and 40% out of a total of 58% seed predation for 4 d in 2003”
Claim · model-written summary
Harpalus rufipes activity-density was positively correlated with mean seed predation in 2002 in the absence of vertebrates.
- Taxon
- six weed speciese0
- Interactor
- Harpalus rufipes
.png?width=60)
Harpalus rufipese2biocontrol_agent - Outcome
- mean seed predatione3
- Direction
- positively correlatede3
- Value
- 0.489e3
- Qualifier
- In the absence of vertebratese3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.png?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“25 seeds of each of six weed species, including velvetleaf, wild mustard, yellow foxtail, common lambsquarters, redroot pigweed, and hairy galinsoga, were placed in the field”
e2“The predominant invertebrate seed predator across all entry points of four cropping systems was a ground-dwelling carabid beetle, Harpalus rufipes, which was more abundant in vegetated treatments, particularly red clover, compared with treatments recently tilled and planted to a fall cover crop”
e3“In the absence of vertebrates, H. rufipes activity–density was positively correlated with mean seed predation in 2002 (Spearman ρ = 0.489; P < 0.001) but not in 2003 (Spearman ρ = 0.090; P = 0.504)”
Claim · model-written summary
Harpalus rufipes activity-density was not correlated with mean seed predation in 2003.
- Taxon
- six weed speciese0
- Interactor
- Harpalus rufipesHarpalus rufipese2biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- mean seed predatione3
- Direction
- no_changeinferrede3
- Value
- 0.090e3
- Qualifier
- In the absence of vertebratese3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“25 seeds of each of six weed species, including velvetleaf, wild mustard, yellow foxtail, common lambsquarters, redroot pigweed, and hairy galinsoga, were placed in the field”
e2“The predominant invertebrate seed predator across all entry points of four cropping systems was a ground-dwelling carabid beetle, Harpalus rufipes, which was more abundant in vegetated treatments, particularly red clover, compared with treatments recently tilled and planted to a fall cover crop”
e3“In the absence of vertebrates, H. rufipes activity–density was positively correlated with mean seed predation in 2002 (Spearman ρ = 0.489; P < 0.001) but not in 2003 (Spearman ρ = 0.090; P = 0.504)”
Claim · model-written summary
Harpalus rufipes was more abundant in vegetated treatments, particularly red clover, than in recently tilled treatments planted to a fall cover crop.
- Taxon
- red clover
Trifolium pratensee2 - Treatment
- vegetated treatments, particularly red clovere2
- Interactor
- Harpalus rufipesHarpalus rufipese2biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- more abundante2
- Direction
- more abundante2
- Comparator
- treatments recently tilled and planted to a fall cover crope2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“The predominant invertebrate seed predator across all entry points of four cropping systems was a ground-dwelling carabid beetle, Harpalus rufipes, which was more abundant in vegetated treatments, particularly red clover, compared with treatments recently tilled and planted to a fall cover crop”
Claim · model-written summary
Cover-cropping strategies should consider late-season weed management that keeps weed seeds on the soil surface.
Verbatim
e4“the high level of predation imposed on weed seeds at the soil surface indicate that cover-cropping strategies should consider late-season weed management”