Evaluation of Flora and Distribution of Weeds in Pistachio (Pistacia vera) Orchards of Kerman City

پژوهش های حفاظت گیاهان ایران

Article 4, Volume 32, Issue 1 - Serial Number 39, March 2018, Pages 59-69   

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.22067/jpp.v32i1.60787

Authors

Ebrahim Izadi-Darbandi; Mahnaz Mirzaei^* ; Hadi Mehdikhani

Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

Abstract

Introduction: Weeds movement and their dispersal power are amongst the major factors affecting the agricultural plants success. Diversity reflects the complexity of a system and can maintain its sustainability. Higher diversity results in higher inherent complexity of agro-ecosystems and strengthens their processes. It is necessary to realize the spatial distribution and temporal properties of the biodiversity components in agro-ecosystems, for the conservation and optimal utilization. Since weeds as a complementary component of agro-ecosystems are inseparable, studying species and their functional and structural diversity plays an important role in weed management and balance of ecological systems. Pistachio is one of the most economically important and strategic agricultural products in Iran. Weeds are one of the serious problems in pistachio orchards creating problems through competition, and costs imposed on farmers. Studying distribution and density of weed species can play an effective role in weed management. Therefore, this study was to assess the weeds flora and their distribution in pistachio orchards at Kerman city.
Materials and Methods: In order to investigate the flora and weeds distribution in pistachio (Pistacia vera) orchards of Kerman city, 19 orchards in 4 regions were selected. Weeds population sampling was conducted in a W pattern using 0.5×0.5 m² quadrates in 2014. The weeds at each quadrate were identified based on genus and species and the number of weed species was counted. Indices including frequency, uniformity of distribution, mean density, and abundance index as well as relative frequency, relative uniformity of distribution, relative mean density, and relative abundance were also calculated. Finally, weed species were classified based on cluster analysis using the Ward method and Euclidean distance square.
Results and Discussion: The weeds of pistachio orchards were belonged to 18 families and 57 species that dicotyledons with 45 species (78.95 percentage) had higher diversity than monocotyledons with 11 species (19.30 percentage). Family of Asteraceae with 12 weed species was the most abundant weed at Kerman’s pistachio orchards followed by Poaceae with 10 weed species, Chenopodiaceae with eight weed species and Fabaceae with seven weed species. According to the photosynthetic pathway, diversity of C3 weed species with 38 species (66.67 percentage) was more than twice of C4 weed species with 16 species (28.7 percentage). Based on life-cycle, diversity of annuals with 32 species (56.14 percentage) was more than perennials with 32 species (42.10 percentage). Five species of mouse barley (Hordeum murinum L.), field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.), knapweed (Acroptilon repense L.), bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon L.), and saltbush (Atriplex sp. L.) had the greatest frequency. The most important species of weeds with maximum abundance index were mouse barley, knapweed, saltbush, field bindweed, and bermuda grass. Based on cluster analysis, species were divided into four groups and based on importance were performed from the bottom to the top of the dendrogram.
Conclusions: Although the number of halophytic weeds in the pistachio orchards of Kerman was remarkable, the frequency and relative density of these weeds were not considerable. Identifying weed species, as well as their structural and functional diversity in pistachio orchards seems to improve the horticultural production management.

Keywords

Abundance Index; Density; Frequency; Pistachio orchards; Species richness

References

1- Agricultural Statistics. 1393. 2015. Ministry of Agriculture, planning and Economic Department, Center of Information and Communication Technology, Volume 3, Gardening Products.

2- Ebrahimi E., Izadi Darbandi E., and Rashed Mohassel M. H. 2017. Weed flora identification of saffron farms and grapevine, pomegranate and pistachio orchards of Bardaskan. 7th Iranian Weed Science Congress, Gorgan.

3- Elahi S., Sadrabadi Haghighi R., and Alimoradi L. 2010. Evaluation of special, functional and structural diversity of weeds community in pistachios (Pistacia vera L.) orchards of Bardaskan county. Journal of Agroecology 2: 574-586. (In Persian with English Abstract).

4- Esmaeilizadeh M., Talaie A. R., Lesani H, Javanshah A., and Hokmabadi H. 2014. Effect of shoot girdling, fruit thinning and foliar application of urea, zinc sulfate and sucrose on yield, leaf chlorophyll content, photosynthesis rate and nut quantitative characteristics of Pistachio CV. ‘Ohadi’. Journal of Horticulture Science 28: 277-287. (In Persian with English Abstract).

5- Fallah Mehrjardi H., Minbashi Moeini M., and Mirvakili S. M. 2011. Weed mapping of Pistachio gardens by using geographic information system (GIS) in Meibod & Ardekan counties. 4th Iranian Weed Science Congress. Ahvaz, 393-396. (In Persian with English Abstract). Ferdowsi University Press. 404 p. )In Persian(

6- Izadi-Darbandi E., and Hosseini Evari Z. 2017. Study of Flora and structure of weed communities of saffron fields in Kashmar and Khalil Abad counties. Journal of Saffron Research. 4: 249-265

7- Lass L. W., and Callhan R. H. 1993. GPS and GIS for weed survey and management. Weed Technology 7: 249-254.

8- McCully K.M., Simpson G., Watson A.K. 1991. Weed survey of Nova Scotia Lowbush (Vaccinilum angustifolium) fields. Weed Science. 39, 180-185.

9- Minbashi Moeini M., Baghestani M. A., and Rahimian Mashhadi H. 2008. Introducing abundance index for assessing weed flora in survey studies. Weed Biology and Management 8: 172-180.

10- Minbashi Moeini M., Baghestani M. A., Rahimian H., and Aleefard M. 2008. Weed Mapping for Irrigated Wheat Fields of Tehran Province using Geographic Information System (GIS). Iranian Journal of Weed Science 4: 97-118. (In Persian with English Abstract).

11- Mousavi S. K., Sori N., Zeidali A. A., Azadbakht N., and Ghiasvand M. 2010. Compare of Flora and determine the status of weeds in the orchards of Khorramabad County. Iranian Journal of Field Crops Research 8: 252-268. (In Persian with English Abstract).

12- Mousawi Toghani S. Y., Rezvani Moghaddam P., Nasiri Mahalti and Damavandian M. R. 2015. Structural and functional diversity of weed species in organic and conventional rice agro-ecosystems. Iranian Journal of Field Crops Research 13: 496-512. (In Persian with English Abstract).

13- Norozzadeh S., Rashed Mohasel M. H., Nassiri Mahallati M., Koocheki A., and Abbas poor M. 2009. Evaluation of species, functional and structural diversity of weeds in wheat fields of Northern, Southern and Razavi Khorasan provinces. Iranian Journal of Field Crops Research 6: 471-485. (In Persian with English Abstract).

14- Radosevich S. R., and Holt J. 1984. Weed Ecology: Implications for Vegetation Management. New York: Wiley.

15- Rashed Mohassel M. H., Najafi H., Akbarzadeh M. D. 2001. Weed Biology and Control. Ferdowsi University Press. 404 p. (In Persian)

16- Rezaeinejad Ashkvari H., Mousavi S. N., and Najafi B. 2015. Factors affecting ecological and economic sustainability of pistachio in Kerman. Journal of Agricultural Economics Researches 7: 1-23. (In Persian with English Abstract).

17- Thomas A.G., and Donaghy D.I. 1991. A survey of the occurrence of seedling weeds in spring annual crops in Manitoba. Canadian Journal of Plant Science. 71: 811-820.

18- Zand E., Rahimian H., Koocheki A. R., Khalaghani J., Moosavi S. K., and Ramezani K. 2004. Weed Ecology (Translation). Jehade Daneshgahi of Mashhad Press (In Persian).