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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Houma, Louisiana » Sugarcane Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #259758
Title: Glufosinate does not affect floral morphology and pollen viability in glufosinate-resistant cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)

Author
item THOMAS, W - North Carolina State University
item PLINE, W - Syngenta - United Kingdom
item WILCUT, J - North Carolina State University
item EDMISTEN, K - North Carolina State University
item WELLS, R - North Carolina State University
item Viator, Ryan
item PAULSGROVE, M - North Carolina State University

Submitted to: Weed Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/4/2004
Publication Date: 4/2/2004
Citation: Thomas, W.E., Pline, W.A., Wilcut, J.W., Edmisten, K.L., Wells, R., Viator, R.P., Paulsgrove, M.D. 2004. Glufosinate does not affect floral morphology and pollen viability in glufosinate-resistant cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). Weed Technology. 18(2):258-262.

Interpretive Summary: Studies were conducted to determine whether glufosinate treatments to glufosinate-resistant cotton caused changes in floral morphology, pollen viability, and seed set. Glufosinate applied at 0.49 kg ai/ha did not affect stigma height, length of the staminal column, or pollen viability. Plants receiving a postemergence application at the four-leaf stage followed by a postemergence-directed stem application at the eight-leaf stage had eight seeds per boll less than nontreated plants. The effect on yield with these applications was not determined in this study.

Technical Abstract: Studies were conducted to determine whether glufosinate treatments to glufosinate-resistant cotton caused changes in floral morphology, pollen viability, and seed set. Four glufosinate treatments were included: (1) glufosinate applied postemergence over the top (POST) at the four-leaf stage, (2) glufosinate applied POST at the eight-leaf stage, (3) the first two treatments sequentially, and (4) a POST application at the four-leaf stage followed by (fb) a postemergence-directed stem application (PDS) at the eight-leaf stage. Glufosinate was consistently applied at 0.49 kg ai/ha. A nontreated control was included. Glufosinate treatments did not affect stigma height, length of the staminal column, or pollen viability. However, the distance from the top anther to the tip of the stigma was less in plants treated with an eight-leaf POST treatment than in nontreated plants, although this difference is not likely to influence pollen deposition because in both cases anthers reached above the stigma tip. Plants receiving four-leaf POST fb eight-leaf PDS treatment with glufosinate had eight seeds per boll less than nontreated plants; however, the more rigorous four-leaf POST fb eight-leaf POST treatment did not differ from the nontreated in seeds per boll.