What is a soil weed seed bank?
Soil weed seed banks are reserves of viable seeds present on the surface and in the soil. The seed bank consists of new seeds recently shed by a weed plant as well as older seeds that have persisted in the soil for several years. The seed bank is an indicator of past and present weed populations. There are enormous numbers of viable weed seeds in the soil. Although a great number of the buried seeds die within a few years, seeds of some species can remain viable for decades. It has been estimated that only 1-9% of the viable seeds produced in a given year develop into seedlings; the rest remain viable and will germinate in subsequent years depending on the depth of their burial. How does tillage affect the weed seed bank? Tillage affects the vertical distribution of seeds within the soil profile. Studies so far have shown that the majority of the weed seeds remain at or near the soil surface in undisturbed soils or in soils where no tillage has been practiced. Tillage with a moldboard
