Author
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Webster, Theodore |
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Submitted to: Fruits and Vegetables Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 1/23/2006 Publication Date: 3/1/2006 Citation: Webster, T.M. 2006. The effect of plastic mulch on nutsedge growth. In: Proceedings of the 2006 Southeast Regional Vegetable Conference, January 5-8, 2006, Savannah, GA. p. 49-51. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Purple and yellow nutsedge are the most troublesome weeds of vegetable crops in the southeast US. Polyethylene mulch is an effective barrier for most weeds; however, nutsedges can proliferate in beds covered with polyethylene mulch. Yellow nutsedge shoot and tuber production were reduced by black and clear mulches. In contrast, purple nutsedge shoot and tuber production were promoted by black polyethylene mulch compared to the non-mulched treatment. Without mulch, yellow nutsedge produced more shoots, shoot biomass, tubers, tuber biomass, and root biomass than purple nutsedge. Mulches promoted lateral expansion of purple nutsedge patches. After one growing season, the number of purple nutsedge shoot and patch size in the black mulch treatment was nearly twice that in the non-mulched control. In contrast, yellow nutsedge growth was suppressed in the black mulch treatment, with the non-mulched control producing nearly three times as many yellow nutsedge shoots. These data indicate that there are significant differences in the growth habits of the two nutsedge species in mulched vegetable systems. These differences in response to black mulch will likely lead to purple nutsedge becoming a greater problem in vegetable production systems, relative to yellow nutsedge. |