Prediction of corn (Zea mays) yield loss from early observations of the relative leaf area and the relative leaf cover of weeds

Weed Science ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 297-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathieu Ngouajio ◽  
Claudel Lemieux ◽  
Gilles D. Leroux

The relative leaf area of weeds is a good predictor of the outcome of weed-crop competition. However, this variable has not been used in decision-making tools for integrated weed management because leaf area cannot be measured quickly. A powerful image analysis system for measuring leaf cover (the vertical projection of plant canopy on the ground) has been developed and validated. This research was conducted to compare the efficiency of weed relative leaf area and relative leaf cover in predicting corn yield loss. Field studies were conducted in 1996 and 1997 using varying densities of common lambsquarters, barnyardgrass, common lambsquarters plus barnyardgrass, and a natural weed community. Corn grain yield and biomass loss varied with weed infestation type and year. Values of the relative damage coefficient of weeds (q) were smaller in 1997 compared with 1996. For both years, the relative leaf area of weeds was an adequate predictor of corn yield loss (r2varied from 0.61 to 0.92). The precision of the predictions was not influenced by the leaf area sampling period (four- or eight-leaf stage of corn). In general, smaller values ofqandm(predicted maximum yield loss) were obtained as a consequence of using the relative leaf cover of weeds in model fitting. However, percentages of variation explained by the model (from 0.67 to 0.90) were similar to values obtained with the relative leaf area. On the basis of the residual mean squares, neither of the variables could be declared superior to the other in yield loss prediction. The development of weed control decision-making tools using the relative leaf cover of weeds may require improvements prior to being used in weed management systems. Such improvements would include use of appropriate sampling and image-processing techniques, development and validation of empirical models specific to individual situations, and proper identification of the crop growth stage at which leaf cover must be assessed.

Weed Science ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 276-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aca C. Bosnic ◽  
Clarence J. Swanton

Barnyardgrass is a serious weed problem in cornfields in Ontario. Field experiments were conducted at two locations in 1994 and 1995 to determine the influence of emergence time and barnyardgrass density on corn yield loss, leaf area at 50% silking, and barnyardgrass seed production. Selected barnyardgrass densities up to 200 plants m−1were established within 12.5 cm on either side of the corn row. Barnyardgrass seeds were planted concurrently with corn and at the 3- to 5- or 1- to 2-leaf stage of corn growth in 1994 and 1995, respectively. Barnyardgrass density and seedling emergence relative to corn influenced the magnitude of corn yield loss. Maximum corn grain yield loss ranged from 26 to 35% for early emerging barnyardgrass, and less than 6% yield loss occurred from barnyardgrass seedlings emerging later than the 4-leaf stage of corn growth. Changes in corn leaf area index at 50% silking reflected the level of barnyardgrass competition in corn. Maximum leaf area reduction ranged from 21 to 23%. Barnyardgrass seed production varied with time of seedling emergence and density. Ten barnyardgrass plants emerging up to the 3-leaf stage of corn growth produced 14,400 to 34,600 seeds m−2compared to only 1,200 to 2,800 seeds m−2from plants emerging after the 4-leaf corn stage. The results of this study are essential in the development of an integrated weed management strategy for corn.


Weed Science ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 569-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Lindquist ◽  
David A. Mortensen

Improved crop tolerance and weed suppressive ability are tactics that may reduce the negative effect of weeds on crop yield. Irrigated field experiments were conducted to compare leaf area index (LAI), intercepted photosynthetic photon flux (PPF), and relative tolerance and velvetleaf suppressive ability among two old (circa 1940) and two modern corn hybrids. Each hybrid was grown in monoculture and in mixture with velvetleaf at 1, 4, 16, and 40 plants m−1row. Plants were periodically harvested in monoculture plots to obtain estimates of corn LAI, and PPF interception was measured. Variation in hybrid tolerance to velvetleaf competition for light was evaluated by comparing among hybrids the coefficients of a regression of corn yield loss on velvetleaf density. Velvetleaf seed capsule production in the presence of each hybrid was compared to evaluate variation in velvetleaf suppressive ability among hybrids. Maximum corn yield loss was 32% lower for the two old hybrids, and velvetleaf capsule production was reduced by 62% at low velvetleaf densities in 1995 compared to the modern hybrids. In 1996, yield loss of the modern hybrid 3394 was 74% lower than that of the other three hybrids at low velvetleaf densities, whereas maximum yield loss of the old hybrid 336 was 44% lower at high densities. Velvetleaf capsule production did not vary among hybrids at any velvetleaf density in 1996. Hybrids with greater tolerance and velvetleaf suppressive ability also had greater LAI and PPF interception, suggesting optimized corn LAI and PPF interception may be useful in an integrated weed management program.


Weed Science ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Lindquist ◽  
David A. Mortensen ◽  
Philip Westra ◽  
W. J. Lambert ◽  
Thomas T. Bauman ◽  
...  

Variation in interference relationships have been shown for a number of crop-weed associations and may have an important effect on the implementation of decision support systems for weed management. Multiyear field experiments were conducted at eight locations to determine the stability of corn-foxtail interference relationships across years and locations. Two coefficients (IandA) of a rectangular hyperbola equation were estimated for each data set using nonlinear regression procedures. TheIandAcoefficients represent percent corn yield loss as foxtail density approaches zero and maximum percent corn yield loss, respectively. The coefficientIwas stable across years at two locations and varied across years at four locations. Maximum yield loss (A) varied between years at one location. Both coefficients varied among locations. Although 3 to 4 foxtail plants m−-1row was a conservative estimate of the single-year economic threshold (Tc) of foxtail density, variation inIandAresulted in a large variation inTc. Therefore, the utility of using common coefficient estimates to predict future crop yield loss from foxtail interference between years or among locations within a region is limited.


Weed Science ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (02) ◽  
pp. 354-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darren C. Barker ◽  
Stevan Z. Knezevic ◽  
Alex R. Martin ◽  
Daniel T. Walters ◽  
John L. Lindquist

Weeds that respond more to nitrogen fertilizer than crops may be more competitive under high nitrogen (N) conditions. Therefore, understanding the effects of nitrogen on crop and weed growth and competition is critical. Field experiments were conducted at two locations in 1999 and 2000 to determine the influence of varying levels of N addition on corn and velvetleaf height, leaf area, biomass accumulation, and yield. Nitrogen addition increased corn and velvetleaf height by a maximum of 15 and 68%, respectively. N addition increased corn and velvetleaf maximum leaf area index (LAI) by up to 51 and 90%. Corn and velvetleaf maximum biomass increased by up to 68 and 89% with N addition. Competition from corn had the greatest effect on velvetleaf growth, reducing its biomass by up to 90% compared with monoculture velvetleaf. Corn response to N addition was less than that of velvetleaf, indicating that velvetleaf may be most competitive at high levels of nitrogen and least competitive when nitrogen levels are low. Corn yield declined with increasing velvetleaf interference at all levels of N addition. However, corn yield loss due to velvetleaf interference was similar across N treatments except in one site–year, where yield loss increased with increasing N addition. Corn yield loss due to velvetleaf interference may increase with increasing N supply when velvetleaf emergence and early season growth are similar to that of corn.


2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Fonseca da Silva ◽  
Leandro Pereira Pacheco ◽  
Leandro dos Santos Soares ◽  
Wéverson Lima Fonseca ◽  
João Batista da Silva Oliveira ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTSandspur grass has hindered the integrated weed management in the Brazilian crop systems. This study aimed at evaluating the efficiency of biomass levels of different cover crops on the soil surface to control the sandspur grass. A complete randomized blocks design with four replications, in a 6 x 5 + 1 factorial arrangement, was used. The first factor consisted of six cover crops (Pennisetum glaucum-ADR 7010 and ADR 300 cultivars, Crotalaria ochroleuca, Urochloa ruziziensis, Fagopyrum tataricum and Crambe abyssinica) and the second one consisted of five biomass levels of each species (2 t ha-1, 4 t ha-1, 8 t ha-1, 12 t ha-1 and 16 t ha-1), plus a control treatment without soil cover. The variables analyzed were the total number of emerged plants, germination speed index, leaf area, root volume and shoot and root dry biomass. U. ruziziensis excelled in the suppression of C. echinatus growth by reducing the number of emerged plants, emergence speed index, shoot and root dry biomass, root volume and leaf area.


Weed Science ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 447-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Teasdale

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 ×), 96,000 (1.5 ×), or 128,000 (2 ×) plants ha−1and two row spacings of 38 or 76 cm. Influences on corn were determined in weed-free plots, and influences on velvetleaf were determined for target plants established at 1.5–m intervals along the center of corn interrows. Four velvetleaf plantings were made at weekly intervals beginning at corn planting. Corn row spacing had little influence on corn or velvetleaf. Corn yield exhibited a parabolic response to population with a maximum of approximately 90,000 plants ha−1in one year, no response to population in another year, and a linear decline with increasing population in a dry year. Velvetleaf seed production was reduced 69 to 94% by the 1.5 × population and 99% by the 2 × population compared to the standard 1 × population when velvetleaf emerged with corn. Velvetleaf seed production was eliminated when velvetleaf emerged at or later than corn leaf stages 3, 5, and 6 for corn populations of 2 ×, 1.5 ×, and 1 ×, respectively. 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 build-up of weed populations.


1995 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 665-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chad Scholes ◽  
Sharon A. Clay ◽  
Kalyn Brix-Davis

Studies were conducted at two sites in South Dakota in 1992 and at one site in 1993 to measure the effect of velvetleaf on corn growth and yield. Velvetleaf was overseeded in corn rows and thinned to densities of 0, 1.3, 4, 12, and 24 plants/m2. Velvetleaf leaf area index and total biomass were positively correlated with velvetleaf density. Biomass per velvetleaf plant and corn biomass were correlated negatively with velvetleaf density. The percent corn yield reduction was similar for locations and years in spite of large yield differences. Maximum yield loss estimated by a hyperbolic yield reduction model was 37.2% with a loss of 4.4% per unit velvetleaf density.


Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gulshan Mahajan ◽  
Lee Hickey ◽  
Bhagirath Singh Chauhan

Weed-competitive genotypes could be an important tool in integrated weed management (IWM) practices. However, weed competitiveness is often not considered a priority for breeding high-yielding cultivars. Weed-competitive ability is often evaluated based on weed-suppressive ability (WSA) and weed-tolerance ability (WTA) parameters; however, there is little information on these aspects for barley genotypes in Australia. In this study, the effects of weed interference on eight barley genotypes were assessed. Two years of field experiments were performed in a split-plot design with three replications. Yield loss due to weed interference ranged from 43% to 78%. The weed yield amongst genotypes varied from 0.5 to 1.7 Mg ha−1. Relative yield loss due to weed interference was negatively correlated with WTA and WSA. A negative correlation was also found between WSA and weed seed production (r = −0.72). Similarly, a negative correlation was found between WTA and barley yield in the weedy environment (r = −0.91). The results suggest that a high tillering ability and plant height are desirable attributes for weed competitiveness in the barley genotypes. These results also demonstrated that among the eight barley genotypes, Commander exhibited superior WSA and WTA parameters and therefore, could be used in both low- and high-production systems for weed management. Westminster had a superior WSA parameter. Therefore, it could be used for weed management in organic production systems. These results also implied that genotypic ranking on the basis of WSA and WTA could be used as an important tool in strengthening IWM programs for barley.


Weed Science ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 917-922 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew M. Harbur ◽  
Micheal D. K. Owen

Nitrogen (N) management markedly affects weed competition with crops. The effect of N availability on plant competition varies with a plant's abilities to capture and use N. Accordingly, we expected the N effect on plant competition to change with the relative emergence time of competing individuals. This hypothesis was tested by growing corn and velvetleaf plants in target and neighbor roles and comparing their N responses. Sowing times were varied, so that target plant emergent dates were constant, whereas neighbor plants were sown to emerge 7 d before, with, or 7 d after targets. Seedlings were fertilized daily with 2.5 mmol (“low N”) or 10.0 mmol (“high N”) ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3). Corn had greater total weight, leaf area, and root-to-shoot ratio (RSR) than velvetleaf. Different dry weights may have reflected seed weights; corn seed weight was greater than velvetleaf. Regardless of role, corn and velvetleaf dry weight and leaf area were greater with high N than low N; in contrast, RSR was lower with high N than low N. The RSR response to N availability suggested plant resources were shifted from N foraging, toward competition for photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). In target plants of each species, dry weight and leaf area increased linearly with time between target and neighbor emergence. Conversely, dry weight and leaf area of neighbor plants decreased with time between target and neighbor emergence. The N response of neighbor plants increased with time of emergence between target and neighbor emergence. Larger plants likely required more N to sustain growth than smaller plants; plants that emerged earlier likely had greater daily N requirements than those that emerged later. These results support factoring in emergence when predicting N effects on plant competition. Optimal N provisioning for integrated weed management may differ with emergence times of competing plants.


2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (03) ◽  
pp. 448-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brendan A. Metzger ◽  
Nader Soltani ◽  
Alan J. Raeder ◽  
David C. Hooker ◽  
Darren E. Robinson ◽  
...  

AbstractEffective POST herbicides and herbicide mixtures are key components of integrated weed management in corn; however, herbicides vary in their efficacy based on application timing. Six field experiments were conducted over 2 yr (2017–2018) in southwestern Ontario, Canada, to determine the effects of herbicide application timing and rate on the efficacy of tolpyralate, a new 4-hydroxyphenyl pyruvate dioxygenase inhibitor. Tolpyralate at 15, 30, or 40 g ai ha−1 in combination with atrazine at 500 or 1,000 g ai ha−1 was applied PRE, early POST, mid-POST, or late POST. Tolpyralate + atrazine at rates ≥30 + 1,000 g ha−1 provided equivalent control of common lambsquarters and Powell amaranth applied PRE or POST, whereas no rate applied PRE controlled common ragweed, velvetleaf, barnyardgrass, or green foxtail. Common ragweed, common lambsquarters, velvetleaf, and Powell amaranth were controlled equally regardless of POST timing. In contrast, control of barnyardgrass and green foxtail declined when herbicide application was delayed to the late-POST timing, irrespective of herbicide rate. Similarly, corn grain yield declined within each tolpyralate + atrazine rate when herbicide applications were delayed to late-POST timing. Overall, the results of this study indicate that several monocot and dicot weed species can be controlled with tolpyralate + atrazine with an early to mid-POST herbicide application timing, before weeds reach 30 cm in height, and Powell amaranth and common lambsquarters can also be controlled PRE. Additionally, this study provides further evidence highlighting the importance of effective, early-season weed control in corn.


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