Author
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Teasdale, John |
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Submitted to: Weed Science Society of America Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/1998 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Research was conducted to determine the optimum population and row spacing for corn production and for suppressing velvetleaf growth and seed production. Corn was grown in a factorial arrangement of three populations targeted at 64,000 (1.0X), 96,000 (1.5X), or 128,000 (2.0X) plants ha-1 and two row spacings of 38 or 76 cm. Influences on corn yield were determined in weed-free plots and influences on velvetleaf were determined in plots with target velvetleaf plants established at 1.5 m intervals between corn rows. Four velvetleaf plantings were made at weekly intervals beginning at corn planting. Corn row spacing had little influence on corn or velvetleaf yield. Corn yield exhibited a parabolic response to population with an optimum of approximately 90,000 plants ha-1 in one year, showed no response to population in another year, and linearly declined with increasing population in a droughty year. Velvetleaf produced no seed regardless of corn population when emergence was later than the 5-leaf stage of corn. Velvetleaf seed production was reduced 69 to 94% by the 1.5X population and 99% by the 2.0X population compared to the standard 1.0X population when velvetleaf emerged with corn. Reduced velvetleaf seed production was correlated with lower positioning of plants in the corn canopy and reduced light availability. Results suggest that higher corn populations could aid integrated weed management strategies by reducing seed production and limiting the buildup of weed populations. |
