Control of Spiny Amaranth (Amaranthus spinosus L.) with Italian Ryegrass (Loloum multiflorum Lam.) Living Mulch in Forage Corn (Zea mays L.).
Year: 1998
Type: article
Abstract: Forage corn (cv. Pioneer 3352) was sown on April 3, 1995 (early spring sowing), April 28 (mid-spring sowing) and May 24 (late spring sowing), 1996 in a field infested by spiny amaranth seeds. To control the weed, Italian ryegrass was sown as a living mulch at a density of 0.3 and 0.6kg/a on the same day as the corn sowing, and atrazine+alachlor was applied at a rate of 10.0+10.8a. i. g/a. Corn and spiny amaranth were periodically examined to monitor the growth of both species as well as the nitrogen absorption of the corn.In early spring sowing, living mulch provided adequate control of spiny amaranth through competition, however, it significantly suppressed the growth and nitrogen absorption of the corn, which caused remarkable reduction of the corn fodder yield. In mid-spring sowing, living mulch provided some suppression of the weed with a little decrement of the growth and nitrogen absorption of corn, although a slight reduction in the corn yield was observed. In late spring sowing, living mulch influenced neither the growth of the weed nor that of the corn since it was not established under high temperature during the growing season. At harvest time both the plant density and dry weight of spiny amaranth from untreated plots of mid-and late spring sowing fields were found to be smaller than those of early spring sowing fields. Pre-emergence herbicide application with atrazine+alachlor successfully controlled the weed without decreasing growth or nitrogen absorption of the corn during the growing seasons, and without reduction of the corn yields irrespective of the sowing dates.Italian ryegrass living mulch could be a viable means of controlling spiny amaranth in forage corn sown in mid-spring.
DOI: 10.3719/weed.43.317
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDGs: Zero hunger, Life on land
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W91785957