We are having difficulty finding a method for accurately estimating and
reporting the impact that the different methods are having on the weeds
because the weeds are extremely spotty in some plots (very heavy
populations in a few scattered areas - mulched trt.), more evenly
distributed but only in the rows (cultivated trt.) and somewhere in
between (mulch+cultivation).
Any good ideas out there for an efficient and accurate count of weeds in
these kinds of situations? We had hoped to count and take biomass from
randomly selected "representative" areas within the plots, but this method
will not work with these treatments because it is too difficult to
determine what is representative....and a random count loses too much
information about what is actually happening out there.
Short of counting and harvesting large areas (which we don't have the
resources to do), we're at loss as to how to best measure weed growth and
distribution.
I'd especially appreciate references to methods that work in these kinds
of situations.
Thanks!
Laura Lengnick
Farming Systems Project
Beltsville Agriculture Research Center
Beltsville, MD