MSc Erik Höft 2016

Barnyardgrass, Echinochloa crus-galli, is a strong competitor of maize, causing substantially yield losses. To prevent yield losses, weeds are controlled by herbicides, or physical and mechanical control measures that target the seedling stage in spring. In contrast, weed seed predators target the newly produced seeds in autumn, thus preventing new input into the seedbank. To quantify the effect of seed predation on the population growth rate of barnyardgrass, a population dynamic model will be constructed. The model will be parameterized by values for the germination rate, seed and seedling survival rates, seed production, seed viability and seed predation rate, which originate from a field experiment in continuous, no-till maize in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.