Abstract Effective cultivation of the potential rubber crop Taraxacum kok-saghyz (TKS) is hindered by weed competition, which can lead to substantial yield losses. A major challenge is the absence of effective weed control tools, specifically designed for TKS, in contrast to the situation that is available for major crops. Consequently, residual weed populations often remain, thereby exacerbating competition. A promising solution is the development of more targeted weed management strategies that focus on the competition ability of specific weed species or density thresholds. This study is the first to investigate the effect of two contrasting weed species, Viola arvensis (low competitive) and Chenopodium album (high competitive), on rubber yield using pot experiments on two sites. Results indicate that rubber yield is significantly affected by the weed species. In the presence of V. arvensis , higher yields (0.02 g/plant in Brunswick and 0.01 g/plant in Quedlinburg) were observed than in the presence of C. album or a mixture of both species (0.001–0.01 g/plant), with a strong site effect. This study reveals that rubber yield was independent of increasing weed densities. However, it was dependent on decreasing dry matter and increasing rubber content. The results suggest that managing weeds in TKS depends on the weed species, thus necessitating the development of species-specific weed management strategies in future research agendas.
Pannwitt et al. (Mon,) studied this question.