Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Brookings, South Dakota » Integrated Cropping Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #368114
Research Project: Soil and Crop Management for Enhanced Soil Health, Resilient Cropping Systems, and Sustainable Agriculture in the Northern Great Plains

Location: Integrated Cropping Systems Research

Title: Emergence of common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) is influenced by the landscape position in which seeds developed

Author
item Schneider, Sharon
item Forcella, Frank
item Amundson, Gary

Submitted to: Agricultural & Environmental Letters
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/14/2019
Publication Date: 2/26/2020
Citation: Papiernik, S.K., Forcella, F., Amundson, G.B. 2020. Emergence of common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) is influenced by the landscape position in which seeds developed. Agric Environ Lett. 5(1):e20000. https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20000.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20000

Interpretive Summary: The effects of soil temperature, moisture and other factors on the emergence and development of weed seedlings is a subject of significant study, but there is relatively little information available regarding differences in the success of weed seeds as affected by the microsite in which they developed and overwintered. We therefore conducted a two-year field study in which we evaluated the viability of common lambsquarters seeds as affected by the landscape position in which they were grown. Results indicated that a higher proportion of seeds originating from lower slope positions emerged compared with seeds originating from the backslope or upper slope. The timing of emergence was the same for all seed source locations. There was no influence of overwintering location on weed emergence. We observed faster emergence and growth of lambsquarters planted in the lower slope, where soil conditions were more conducive to growth. These experiments will support the development of new strategies and decision aids to improve weed management.

Technical Abstract: In a two-year field study, we evaluated the viability of Chenopodium album (common lambsquarters) seeds as affected by the microsite in which they developed and overwintered. Results indicated that a higher proportion of seeds originating from lower slope positions emerged compared with seeds originating from the backslope or upper slope. The timing of emergence was the same for all seed source locations. There was no influence of overwintering location on weed emergence. We observed faster emergence and growth of C. album planted in the lower slope, where soil conditions were more conducive to growth. These experiments will support the development of new strategies and decision aids to improve weed management.