Comparative Analysis of Undersown Cover Crops and Bio-Preparations on Weed Spread and Organically Grown Spring Oilseed Rape Yield
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The introduction can include the effect of fenugreek igre(Trigonella f) c as a good solution in intercropping as presumably if you chosen the sustainable way to grow brassica oil seed. Rape you wont use clearfield varieties which expose the variety to the phelipache ramosa threat , authors ate invited to add recent references dealing with fenugreek effect on weeds such P.ramosa ...please add references from last 5 years it will give better support to your original work
In material and method please indicate the seed varieties origine and degree of purity as i have pointed out the threat of P ramosa and using landraces , cultivars ... May induce any person who want to repeat your experiment ( scientist , farmers ...) To the risk of P ramosa as the used material such as oil seed rape cultivars may be sensitive to this parasitic weed
Using trifolium may be also risky as we know that parasitic weeds have a potential of differentiation and out burst to cultivated species so in order to strenghen your finding i suggest you mention the risk of p.ramosa attaque ، cover cropping is a good sustainable farming system however we have to be more precise regarding the choice of species and varieties
As well a comparaison with studies involving vicia faba intercrop with oil seed rape is useful for the discussion
Author Response
[2023-08-29]
Dear Reviewer:
We wish to submit an original research article for publication in Sustainability. We have made improvements to this article, titled “Comparative Analysis of Undersown Cover Crops and Bio-preparations on Weed Spread and Organically Grown Spring Oilseed Rape Yield”.
The introduction can include the effect of fenugreek igre (Trigonella f) c as a good solution in intercropping as presumably if you chosen the sustainable way to grow brassica oil seed. Rape you wont use clearfield varieties which expose the variety to the phelipache ramosa threat , authors ate invited to add recent references dealing with fenugreek effect on weeds such P.ramosa ...please add references from last 5 years it will give better support to your original work
In material and method please indicate the seed varieties origine and degree of purity as i have pointed out the threat of P ramosa and using landraces , cultivars ... May induce any person who want to repeat your experiment ( scientist , farmers ...) To the risk of P ramosa as the used material such as oil seed rape cultivars may be sensitive to this parasitic weed
Using trifolium may be also risky as we know that parasitic weeds have a potential of differentiation and out burst to cultivated species so in order to strenghen your finding i suggest you mention the risk of p.ramosa attaque cover cropping is a good sustainable farming system however we have to be more precise regarding the choice of species and varieties
As well a comparaison with studies involving vicia faba intercrop with oil seed rape is useful for the discussion
In the Lithuanian climate, we have no problems with parasitic weeds and the grasses you mentioned do not spread in the fields. The weeds you mentioned may be a problem in the future. Also, after your comment, we considered that in further research we will be able to carry out a study determining the adaptation of invasive weeds in local agroecocenoses. This time it was not the subject of the investigation and if you nothing against, we did not fill the article with additional information. Today it is very important for us to present research testability with this object. Later, we will complete the survey with the recommendations received from you. We very appreciate your opinion.
We would like to sincerely thank You for your comments and recommendations.
We reviewed and clarified the manuscript. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Aušra Marcinkevičienė
Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaičio str. 58, 44248 Kaunas, Lithuania
[+37067412525]
Reviewer 2 Report
The research paper entitled “Comparative Analysis of Under sown Cover Crops and Bio-preparations on Weed Spread and Organically Grown Spring Oilseed Rape Yield” was critically reviewed which emphasized on the weed management under organically cultivating oilseed rape crop. This agronomic parameter is having utmost importance for sustainable organically production of crops.
Tile: The title is fine.
Abstract: This is well written and represented the topic nicely for the readers.
Introduction: It is focused. If possible, try to prune it, so that this involves readers impressively.
Material and Method – well defined.
Results – nicely presented
Line 34-36 – rewrite.
Line 53 – use filed crops
Line 54 – great threat and challenge.
Line 64 –use genotype or cultivar instead of variety
Line 71 –natural conditions? Or climatic conditions
Line 87 – expansion
Line 94 – not pests, its pathogens
Line 94 – group of microbes
Line 96 – produce
Line 102-103 – climatic fluctuations
Line 114 – add city and country name
This manuscript entitled "Comparative Analysis of Undersown Cover Crops and Bio-preparations on Weed Spread and Organically Grown Spring Oilseed Rape Yield" needs moderate editing of English by English native.
Author Response
[2023-08-29]
Dear Reviewer:
We wish to submit an original research article for publication in Sustainability. We have made improvements to this article, titled “Comparative Analysis of Undersown Cover Crops and Bio-preparations on Weed Spread and Organically Grown Spring Oilseed Rape Yield”.
Notes of the reviewer:
Line 34-36 – rewrite;
Line 53 – use filed crops;
Line 54 – great threat and challenge;
Line 64 –use genotype or cultivar instead of variety;
Line 71 –natural conditions? Or climatic conditions;
Line 87 – expansion;
Line 94 – not pests, its pathogens;
Line 94 – group of microbes;
Line 96 – produce;
Line 102-103 – climatic fluctuations;
Line 114 – add city and country name.
We thank the Reviewer for the comments.
We've taken the comments and made the changes.
We would like to sincerely thank You for your comments and recommendations that allowed us to correct the article.
We reviewed and clarified the manuscript. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Aušra Marcinkevičienė
Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaičio str. 58, 44248 Kaunas, Lithuania
[+37067412525]
Reviewer 3 Report
In order to better understand what is done in the method section, a workflow chart should be given in the form of a table. In academic articles, too many parenthetical expressions should not be preferred. This article should be revised.
Line 126: The seed rates for this plant species were found to be low. Are there any articles about the usage at these rates?
First, the manuscript should be reviewed by a native English-speaking editor. On the other hand, in order for the article to be read fluently, the spelling should be reconsidered.
Author Response
[2023-08-29]
Dear Reviewer:
We wish to submit an original research article for publication in Sustainability. We have made improvements to this article, titled “Comparative Analysis of Undersown Cover Crops and Bio-preparations on Weed Spread and Organically Grown Spring Oilseed Rape Yield”.
In order to better understand what is done in the method section, a workflow chart should be given in the form of a table. In academic articles, too many parenthetical expressions should not be preferred. This article should be revised.
We thank the Reviewer for the comment. We used parenthetical expressions because others reviewers asked to explain more in detail some information so in this way, we got many parenthetical expressions. In the future we will try to avoid this and find the way how to express all information without parenthetical.
We agree that method sections should be given in the form of a table but with a less information. In our research we described a method section in every detail and it would be not very clear to understand if it was written in form of a table.
Line 126: The seed rates for this plant species were found to be low. Are there any articles about the usage at these rates?
In Lithuania is only one big organic seed company called ‘Agrolitpa’. We followed the recommendations provided by this company. This company is highly successful and has a diverse portfolio of activities from seed drying to final seed cleaning and help in certification. They work with leguminous crops (30%), buckwheat, mustard, root radish. They cooperate with research centres for testing, but also run a laboratory where they test the quality of the seed (germination, purity, moisture, etc). They have a licence agreement with national and foreign breeders or variety owners (e.g. clover, alfalfa, ryegrass). UAB ‘Agrolitpa’ for a long time has collaborated with the best-known breeding companies from Europe and other countries in the world, research institutions in Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Czech Republic, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Finland. More information about it is in https://www.agrolitpa.lt/en/.
We added a note.
Comments on the Quality of English Language
First, the manuscript should be reviewed by a native English-speaking editor. On the other hand, in order for the article to be read fluently, the spelling should be reconsidered.
We thank the Reviewer for the comment. We decided to send this article second time to MDPI English editing. Making some changes after reviewers suggestions and notes probably we made some English writing mistakes.
We've taken the comments and made some changes.
We would like to sincerely thank You for your comments and recommendations that allowed us to correct the article.
We reviewed and clarified the manuscript. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Aušra Marcinkevičienė
Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaičio str. 58, 44248 Kaunas, Lithuania
[+37067412525]
Round 2
Reviewer 3 Report
None.
