Can Equisetum palustre L. be combatted using electrical weed control?

Pedro W.L. Janssen, Merijn van den Hout, Henk Schilder, Nick J.M. van Eekeren. 2023. Can Equisetum palustre L. be combatted using electrical weed control?. In: EGF 2023: The future role of ley-farming in cropping systems. Vilnius, Lithuania. 28: 146-147.
Pagina's / pages: 2
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Taal/language: Engels
Abstract / summary in English:

Marsh horsetail (Equisetum palustre L.) is harmful to livestock and it increases in grassland when fertilisation is reduced. The combination of being a toxic feed and having few options to reduce its population brings challenges, especially for organic dairy farming. In a field trial on grassland with marsh horsetail infestation, electrical weed control (Zasso Xpower) was compared to no control of marsh horsetail and aboveground control using a chain harrow. Three replicates were placed in a field with high infestation and three in low infestation. Before treatments were applied, ground cover of marsh horsetail was between 8 and 15% in the high infestation plots and between 0.5 and 4% in the low infestation plots. Chain harrowing showed an initial reduction between 17 and 21%, while electrical control showed a reduction between 42 and 94%. Although initial reduction through electrical control was promising, in the next year marsh horsetail levels returned to that of the control treatment. The reduction through use of the chain harrow was not significant. Therefore, we conclude that a Zasso Xpower, as a single application, to control of marsh horsetail did not result in the desired level of reduction in the longer term. More frequent applications could provide a desirable effect.

Keywords in English: grassland, herbicide, semi-natural