| Integrating cultural weed management practices with herbicides is an important strategy to reduce wild oat (Avena fatua L.) populations in Alberta, Canada. The purpose of this thesis is to expand the knowledge on wild oat seed banks and seedling emergence within integrated weed management systems. Field experiments were conducted from 2006-2007 to examine the impact of crop rotation, barley cultivar, barley seeding rate and herbicide rate on wild oat seed bank density, seed mortality, seedling emergence and seedling survivorship. Management systems consisting of diverse crop rotations, tall barley cultivars and increased barley seeding rates reduced wild oat seed bank density, seedling emergence and seedling survivorship, especially at low herbicide rates. Wild oat seed banks predicted subsequent wild oat emergence, whereas biomass and emergence strongly predicted seed banks. Lastly, 50% wild oat emergence was achieved at 537 and 509 growing degree days in 2006 and 2007, respectively, in Lacombe, Alberta. |
