The stability of railway embankment is essential for safe transport. In order to ensure safe transport, water should be allowed to freely drain. Furthermore, as the engine driver has to be able to see signs, and people working on the embankment are supposed to easily see flaws on the rails to ensure safety for the passing trains, plants should not be allowed to grow on the embankment. In Sweden there are 12 000 kilometers of railway tracks and 25?30 % of them are treated for weed control every year.

Herbicide resistance is the result of an evolutionary process where a population gradually changes from being susceptible to being resistant to an herbicide. The resistance mechanism is usually a change in the biochemistry of the weed, but in some cases changes in morphology or growth rhythm. The change is caused by random mutations. Two resistance mechanisms are found in black-grass; target site resistance and metabolic resistance.Black-grass is a tufty, winter annual grass weed, which is mainly found in milder climates. Black-grass is a big problem in Southern Europe.

Unwanted vegetation on the land of electric transforming stations is a problem, in the sense that it contributes to higher fire risks and also constitutes an obstacle for people performing maintenance operations at the station. Such unwanted vegetation is controlled using Herbicides and mechanical measures. Since the use of Herbicides implies environmental hazards, there is a need to find alternative ways of fighting the unwanted vegetation. Investigation into suitable plants for ground cover, trials in the greenhouse, trials in the field, soil analyses and compilation of experiences from similar trials are parts of this work. The paper also contains analyses of possible environmental benefits and economical gains. There is also a final discussion of some proposals regarding alternative weed controlling methods.

Plant Protection Products (PPP) used in the horticulture industry can be both chemical and biological. They are used for weeds (Herbicides), insects (insecticides), and fungi (fungicides) and as growth retarders.Many horticulture workers get in touch with plants, treated with PPPs and many of these don?t use any protective equipment.The aim of this project is to illustrate the work environment hazards for staff working with greenhouse pot plants, after they have been sprayed.The method used was observations of the operations for packing plants. I studied the operations and took notes of how operations were performed and what protective equipment they used. I also took photos and asked questions.A literature study completed the observations.

Den biologiska mångfalden är viktig inom lantbruket. Jordbrukslandskapets mångfald är vacker för människan att se på och spännande och rogivande att vistas i. Mångfalden innehåller även en genbank som kan bli mycket etydelsefull i framtiden. Dessutom innebär oftast en rik mångfald bland ogräsen även en rik mångfald bland insekter och andra djur, däribland skadeinsekternas predatorer, vilket bidrar till produktiva åkrar. Ogräsens mångfald på åkern beror till stor del på geografiskt läge, klimat och berggrund.

Couch grass (Elymus repens (L.) Gould) is a severe weed in Sweden, and since both the use of Herbicides and cultivation should be decreased, it will become increasingly problematic to control couch. The present work is meant to, by literature studies and an experiment, give some answers to the question if cutting and competition can depress the growth of couch. The experiment was carried out in the growing season 2001 at Ultuna, Uppsala, in plastic boxes. The design was three-factorial randomised complete blocks. The factors were plant combination, nitrogen level and cutting strategy.

Festulolium (Festulolium) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) has not been grown inSweden over a longer period. So far there is no greater area cultivated, but the area isincreasing. Festulolium and tall fescue are expected to eventually replace meadowfescue in many leyseed mixtures to dairy cows in southern and central Sweden. Tallfescue has in recent years become popular again. Festulolium is a hybrid betweenryegrass and fescue.

This study forms part of the R&D project "Improved survival of bird chicks in organic fields" managed by the Rural Economy & Agricultural society in Uppsala. The skylark (Alauda arvensis) is a species that has decreased drastically in Sweden as a consequence of more intensive cropping. Studies in England have shown that skylark reproduction can be greatly improved within conventional fields, at a low cost, by establishing patches of bare ground (skylark plots). Within conventional farming, Herbicides can be used in case a weed problem arises due to implementation of these skylark plots, whereas this is not allowed in organic farming. This study examined the effects of skylark plots on the weed culture in organic autumn-sown (winter) cereals and whether weeds might cause long-term problems to farmers. The study was conducted in two parts; a field study and a review of the literature regarding the weeds observed. The field study was carried out in 2007 during three weeks in June and three weeks in July, on eleven organic fields with winter cereal in the vicinity of Uppsala.

Attityden gentemot lövträd och lövskog i norra Sverige började förändras i mitten av 1900-talet. Tidigare var lövträden en resurs inom det agrara samhället, men genom det industriella skogsbrukets utveckling började man alltmer betrakta lövträden som ett problem. Lövträden gav sämre lönsamhet på grund av att de inte efterfrågades inom industrin och lövträden ansågs även hota barrträden och deras föryngring genom sin förmåga att föröka sig vegetativt genom stubbskott och rotskott. Det fick till följd att det inom skogsbruket talades om ett ?lövproblem?.

1. Reaction on burial depth and nitrogen availability and placement in competition with a crop In this trial it was investigated how couch grass (Elymus repens) changes its ability to compete in stands of wheat and barley with different burial depth and different amounts and placement of nitrogen. More knowledge in this area can be valuable in the attempt to decrease the use of Herbicides and still keep the weeds under control. The trial was carried out in the summer of 2004 as an outdoor pot experiment. The pots contained 15 litres of soil with a surface of 0,06 m2.