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Diversifying crop rotations with temporary grasslands - Université de ...

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B.IV.3 Design of the seed predation experiments<br />

B.IV.3.1 Weed species<br />

Differences in seed predation rates between weed species were tested in 2007 in an organic<br />

wheat field near Dijon and in 2008 on the different plots of the Epoisses field experiment<br />

<strong>de</strong>scribed in Manuscript 3. In both experiments, seed predation rates were compared for seven<br />

common annual weed species, chosen from the 17 weed species sown in the Epoisses field<br />

experiment (compare Table 2 of Article 6 and Table 7 of Manuscript 3).<br />

B.IV.3.2 Vegetation cover<br />

The impact of vegetation cover on weed seed predation was tested in 5+ <strong>crop</strong> treatments of the<br />

field experiment <strong>de</strong>scribed in Manuscript 3. These <strong>crop</strong> treatments were chosen (i) to represent<br />

a wi<strong>de</strong> gradient of vegetation cover from bare soil to uncut perennial <strong>crop</strong>s, (ii) to find out<br />

whether the quality of the vegetation (grass vs. legume <strong>crop</strong>) or the vegetation quantity (cut vs.<br />

uncut plots) is more important for seed predation rates. The experiments were repeated at<br />

three different periods (April, Mai and July 2008). Three weed species were tested at all<br />

periods, seven species at one period (July). In the July trial, two additional treatments were<br />

inclu<strong>de</strong>d: mown and unmown field margin strips, that were located on the same experimental<br />

farm in Epoisses close to the experimental field (Article 7). For each period, weed species,<br />

<strong>crop</strong> treatment and exclusion treatment, 4 spatial repetitions were used.<br />

46

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