[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: weed control
Hello to all...
I don't think that the question of whether nutrient imbalances
promote/inhibit weed growth is really a question
of how well an actively growing weed would perform under
balanced/imbalanced conditions... instead unlike the crop seed which has
been selected to minimize non-environmental dormancy (hard seededness,
immature or chemically inhibited embryos..) and has been carefully planted
to maximize rapid germination... the weeds that emerge to compete with a crop are
have awakened from dormancy in the soil seed bank... they have
responded to cues that indicate an appropriate niche... while
exposure to light/oxygen/moisture/warmth etc.. are the more
commonly considered cues it seems likely to me that mineral imbalances
specifically promote the germination of many weed species...
I have read that high nutrient levels cue the germination of certain plant
species... I recently read that spring ephemerals in forest ecosystems are
not just responding to available light prior to
canopy closure... the early spring nutrient pulse
which is quickly eliminated when the tree roots kick into high gear
is involved with triggering spring ephemeral growth...
Perhaps some weed scientists can comment on nutrient effects on
seed dormancy...
Joel Gruver
U of MD, Agronomy
References: