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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Maricopa, Arizona » U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center » Plant Physiology and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #356753
Research Project: Enhancing Abiotic Stress Tolerance of Cotton, Oilseeds, and Other Industrial and Biofuel Crops Using High Throughput Phenotyping and Other Genetic Approaches

Location: Plant Physiology and Genetics Research

Title: Tolerance of transplanted guayule seedlings to post-emergence herbicides

Author
item Abdel-Haleem, Hussein
item Waltz, Quinn Allen
item Leake, Gregory

Submitted to: Industrial Crops and Products
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/2019
Publication Date: 3/20/2019
Citation: Abdel-Haleem, H.A., Waltz, Q., Leake, G. 2019. Tolerance of transplanted guayule seedlings to post-emergence herbicides. Industrial Crops and Products. 133:292-294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2019.03.041.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2019.03.041

Interpretive Summary: Among the more than 2000 plant species that produce rubber, guayule is domesticated to the semi-arid zones of the southwestern of USA, and has produced commercial grade natural rubber and latex. Based on its origin in southern Texas and northern Mexico, guayule is a good candidate for the arid and semi-arid sustainable agricultural systems. Continued improvement of guayule for higher biomass and rubber and resin production, should be combined with improving the agronomics of the crop. Our results indicate the possibility of using post-emergence herbicides to control weeds growing in guayule fields. Gramoxone herbicide was able to suppress weed growth and mortality with minimal effect on guayule seedlings. When using new herbicide application, caution should be paid to eliminate weed growth with minimum damage of guayule plants to keep the plant number/planted area as high as possible for maximal rubber production.

Technical Abstract: Guayule (Parthenium argentatum Gray) is gaining a wide attention as natural rubber crop that is successfully grow in the arid and semi-arid regions. Genetically improving of guayule germplasm for higher rubber production and maximizing agronomic practices are the prioritized research areas. Among agronomic practices is weed control, where weeds compete with guayule plants and thus could reduce its productivity. To study the effect of herbicides on transplanted guayule seedlings and weeds survival rates, four post-emergence herbicides were tested. Three guayule genotypes were planted in a repeated split plot arrangement and sprayed with the post-emergence herbicides at different concentrations and time intervals. Results showed that after second spray, herbicide type and concentration had significant effect on guayule seedlings survival rate. Paraquat rates were effectively able to control weed growth and viability but affected survival of guayule seedlings. Paraquat at 840'g a.i. ha-1 resulted in 96% of guayule seedlings survived, and 97.8% of weed populations were inhibited. More studies with different concentrations for other herbicides are required. The optimal concentration of paraquat herbicide has non-significant effect on guayule plant height compare with control treatment, suggests herbicide effects on guayule plant are most effective during seedling establishment stage. When use new herbicide application caution should be paid to control weed growth in the same time reduce the damage on guayule plants.