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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Protection and Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #192011
Title: TROPICAL SPIDERWORT (COMMELINA BENGHALENSIS) - AKA BENGHAL DAYFLOWER - GROWTH AND FECUNDITY IN GEORGIA

Author
item Webster, Theodore
item GREY, T - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item FLANDERS, J - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item CULPEPPER, A - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

Submitted to: Proceedings of Southern Weed Science Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/10/2006
Publication Date: 6/1/2006
Citation: Webster, T.M., Grey, T.L., Flanders, J.T., Culpepper, A.S. 2006. Tropical spiderwort (Commelina Benghalensis) - AKA Benghal Dayflower - growth and fecundity in Georgia [abstract]. In: Proceedings of Southern Weed Science Society Annual Meeting, January 22-25, 2006, San Antonio, TX. 59:203.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Tropical spiderwort poses a serious threat to agroecosystems of the Southern US due to recent changes in cultural practices and herbicide use patterns in our cropping systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate spiderwort growth in the primary agronomic cropping systems in the Southern US. Rate of spiderwort lateral growth was suppressed by corn (39%), cotton (38%), and soybean (63%) relative to peanut when spiderwort emerged with each of the crops. When spiderwort was transplanted following crop emergence and establishment (Study 2), corn (71 and 82%) and soybean (85 and 90%) suppressed rate of lateral spiderwort growth relative to cotton and peanut, respectively. Study 2 provided more realistic crop planting dates and spiderwort transplant dates that approximated peak spiderwort emergence. Spiderwort plant biomass was suppressed (70 to 96%) by all crops, relative to the non-cropped control in Study 1. Among the four crops, peanut allowed the most spiderwort growth and soybean the least. In Study 2, the rate of spiderwort biomass accumulation, relative to cotton, was 41, 94, and 99% lower in peanut, corn, and soybean, respectively. In conclusion, spiderwort growth is greatest in peanut and cotton and least in corn and soybean during the cropping season. A temporal separation of crop planting and spiderwort emergence may be an effective component of management systems designed to minimize the impact of spiderwort and potentially reduce its presence in future crops.