Development and validation of a simulation model for hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth) self-regeneration under different crop rotations

CHANTRE, GUILLERMO R.; RENZI, JUAN P.; CANTAMUTTO, MIGUEL A.; GONZÁLEZ-ANDÚJAR, JOSÉ L.

FIELD CROPS RESEARCH

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2019 vol. 235 p. 79 - 86

0378-4290

Hairy vetch (HV, Vicia villosa Roth) is a winter annual legume cultivated for pasture grazing, in crop rotationswith cereal crops under semi-arid conditions. The inclusion of HV increases soil nitrogen, thus contributing tosatisfied the nutrient requirements of the successive crops. As a forage crop, HV shows a remarkable capabilityfor natural reseeding. This study aimed to develop and validate a simulation model to evaluate HV self-regenerationcapacity considering different HV?winter cereal crop rotation (pasture-crop phase) scenarios.Predicted HV plant density for the evaluated crop sequences matched observed values. HV yield and seed rainwere the most important variables affecting seedbank replenishment and self-regeneration capacity. HVmonoculture permits successive natural reseeding to reach a basal stand threshold of 30 plants m−2, required fora productive pasture. In a HV-cereal-HV crop rotation, the HV self-regeneration capacity requires a minimumseed yield of 185 and 240 kg ha−1 at the end of the first season under conventional (CT) and no tillage (NT)systems, respectively. Natural seedbank replenishment would not be enough to establish a productive pasture byself-regeneration after two or more successive years of cereals. From a weed management perspective, HVcontrol should not be a considerable problem as a ?volunteer plants? if management practices avoid seed productionand seedbank replenishment for at least three consecutive years. These outcomes suggest the potentialapplicability of the proposed modelling approach within management decision support systems.