Weeds remain the foremost production challenge for organic small grain farmers in the northeastern United States. Instead of crops sown in narrow, single-line rows, band sowing offers a more uniform spatial arrangement of the crop, maximizing interspecific while reducing intraspecific competition. Weeds in the inter-band zone are controlled by cultivating with aggressive sweeps; tine harrowing can target weeds in both intra- and inter-band zones. Field experiments in Maine and Vermont in 2016 and 2017 evaluated band sowing for improved weed control, crop yield, and grain quality in organic spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L. ‘Newdale’). Specifically, we compared: (1) the standard practice of sowing 16.5-cm rows at a target crop density of 325 plants m−2, (2) narrow-row sowing with increased crop density, (3) wide-row sowing with interrow hoeing, and (4) band sowing both with and (5) without inter-band hoeing. Mustard (Sinapis alba L. ‘Ida Gold’) was planted throughout the experiment as a surrogate weed. Compared with the standard practice, band sowing with hoeing reduced surrogate weed density on average by 45% across site-years. However, effects on weed biomass and yield were inconsistent, perhaps due to suboptimal timing of hoeing and adverse weather conditions. In 1 out of 4 site-years, band sowing with hoeing reduced surrogate weed biomass by 67% and increased crop yield compared with the standard treatment. Results also indicate that band sowing with hoeing may improve 1,000-kernel weight and plump kernel grain-quality parameters.

中文翻译：

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有机谷物锄带播种：I. 与春大麦替代杂草管理做法的比较

杂草仍然是美国东北部有机小农户面临的首要生产挑战。与以单行窄行播种的作物不同，带播提供了更均匀的作物空间排列，最大限度地提高了种间竞争，同时减少了种内竞争。带间区域的杂草通过积极扫除的方式进行控制；耙齿可以针对带内和带间区域的杂草。2016 年和 2017 年在缅因州和佛蒙特州进行的田间试验评估了带播在改善有机春大麦杂草控制、作物产量和谷物质量方面的作用（大麦L.“纽代尔”）。具体来说，我们比较了：（1）以 325 株 m 的目标作物密度播种 16.5 cm 行的标准做法-2, (2) 增加作物密度的窄行播种，(3) 行间锄地的宽行播种，和 (4) 带间锄地和 (5) 带间锄地的带式播种。芥末（白芥菜L.'Ida Gold'）在整个实验过程中作为替代杂草种植。与标准做法相比，带锄头的带式播种在不同地点年平均降低了 45% 的替代杂草密度。然而，对杂草生物量和产量的影响并不一致，这可能是由于锄草时间不理想和恶劣的天气条件。与标准处理相比，在四分之一的地点年中，带锄头的带播使替代杂草生物量减少了 67%，并增加了作物产量。结果还表明，带锄头播种可以提高千粒重和饱满的籽粒质量参数。