Summary
This paper describes an experimental dataset from 8 field trials conducted on Reunion Island (2012–2021) comparing three inter-row management strategies in sugarcane production: chemical weeding, cover crop intercropping, and spontaneous weed flora. The dataset, structured within the AEGIS database system, encompasses comprehensive observations on crop performance, weed dynamics, soil characteristics, and weather, and is positioned as a resource for validating crop simulation models under intercropping conditions. The work contributes methodological infrastructure for managing complex agroecological datasets and provides empirical evidence on the capacity of cover crops to suppress weed pressure in sugarcane systems.
UK applicability
The findings are of limited direct applicability to UK sugarcane production, as commercial sugarcane cultivation is not established in the UK climate. However, the methodological approach to cover crop intercropping for weed management and the AEGIS database framework may inform UK arable and horticultural systems exploring similar integrated weed management strategies under temperate conditions.
Key measures
Sugarcane yield; cover crop yield; weed ground cover; weed species richness and composition; chemical and manual weeding frequency; soil properties; daily weather data
Outcomes reported
The study compiled experimental datasets from 8 field trials assessing the efficacy of cover crops sown in sugarcane inter-rows for weed suppression across varying soil and climatic conditions. Data included sugarcane yield, cover crop performance, weed flora composition (104 species), crop management practices, soil analyses, and weather records.
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