Targeted herbicide use in winter wheat for biodiversity benefits: is it a practical option?

摘要

The effect of intensification of farming in the UK, on arable plants, invertebrates and mammals is now well documented (Robinson & Sutherland, 2002). This overall decline in biodiversity has been driven, at least in part, by a reduction in plant species, as they provide food and shelter for higher trophic groups. In recent years, financial incentives have been given to UK farmers to improve biodiversity on their farms, through environmental stewardship schemes. These schemes have focused on uncroppedareas of the farm (e.g. field margins) and have been less used to encourage greater presence of arable plant communities within fields. The need for arable plants (weeds) in fields is still being debated (Storkey & Westbury, 2007), but may be required to optimise overall increases in biodiversity. It is clear that some arable plant species, especially broad-leaved ones, are of importance in providing ecosystem services (Marshall et al, 2003). Increased in-field biodiversity is not favoured by many farmers because of the perceived risk to yields. The research reported here explored the encouragement of diversity within fields by exploiting differences in herbicide sensitivity.