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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Morris, Minnesota » Soil Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #97389
Title: INFLUENCE OF WEED DENSITY ON MAIZE SEED QUALITY

Author
item DU TOIT, JEANETTA - POTCHEFSTROOM, RSA
item Forcella, Frank

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/22/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Small scale farmers in Africa employ the practice of using produced maize caryopsis (F2 seed) from one season as seed for the next season. Knowledge with regard to the influence of weed competition on quality (germination and vigor) of the produced caryopsis of Zea mays L. provide information on the degree of interference between the weed and the crop and the influence of weed/crop interference on the quality of the produced grain. Maize was planted in 2.1 m rows with a plant population of 16000 plants ha**-1. The weed Datura stramonium L. was planted at five densities between the maize. Caryopsis produced at the different weed densities were harvested at the end of the growing season and subjected to a series of germination and vigor tests. Germination and vigor of the caryopsis decreased with an increase in weed density. This information is important in sustainable agriculture and may also be useful in determining threshold values for more eeconomic weed control.