Impact of weeds from field margins on adjacent agriculture land

A vegetation survey in northeastern Croatia explored the influence of intensive arable farming on the weed community in relation to the crop edge and adjacent field margin. A total of 141 vascular plants were recorded, and significant differences among the species appear in the field margins (134) as compared to the crop edges (109) and middle of the fields (49). Native plants predominated (83.7%), but among non-natives, the most abundant were Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., Abutilon theoprasti Med. and Veronica persica Poir., with the highest cover values inside the cropped areas, particularly during spring sowing of row crops. The most diverse (having significantly higher Evenness and Shannon’s diversity index) was the community from the field margin, followed by the weed community that developed on the crop edges. Three distribution patterns were observed: weeds typically limited to the crop area, weeds limited to the non-crop area and weeds with some ability to spread from the field margins. Major variations in species composition were identified according to sowing season and crop type. Wind dispersal annuals with light- and nitrogen-demands were associated with disturbed, tilled habitats, while perennials with higher requirements for moisture and other than a wind mode of dispersal, were associated with the field margins.