Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #248306
Title: Evaluation of corn gluten meal for weed control in cowpea

Author
item SHREFLER, JAMES - Oklahoma State Experiment Station
item BRANDENBERGER, LYNN - Oklahoma State University
item Webber Iii, Charles
item TAYLOR, MERRITT - Oklahoma State Experiment Station

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2009
Publication Date: 7/1/2009
Citation: Shrefler, J.W., Brandenberger, L.P., Webber III, C.L., Taylor, M.J. 2009. Evaluation of corn gluten meal for weed control in cowpea [abstract]. HortScience. 44(4):1165.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Current weed control practices for cowpea production typically involve use of synthetic herbicides. Increasing interest in organic crop production creates a need for alternative weed control techniques that are consistent with requirements of the USDA National Organic Program. Corn gluten meal (CGM), a by-product of the corn milling process, controls weeds at the time of seed germination. Its use as a weed control material has already been explored for several vegetables. CGM was evaluated in cowpea as part of a weed management program that included mechanical cultivation and manual weed removal. In 2006 and 2008 cowpea was direct-seeded at Bixby, Oklahoma on a Severn very fine sandy loam soil. Immediately following seeding, CGM was applied at 2178 or 6534 lb/a to the soil surface. At each CGM rate, applications were made using either a solid band over the row (solid) or a band that had a narrow strip just above the seed row that remained untreated (banded). Another treatment (herbicide) used the herbicides Dual Magnum (0.75 lb ai/a) and Pursuit (0.063 lb ai/a) applied preemergence. A sixth treatment did not receive herbicide or CGM (weedy). The treatments were cultivated and hoed as soon as crop growth and weed size were sufficient. In a seventh treatment (weeded), weeds were removed manually soon as they emerged throughout the course of the study. Prior to performing cultivation and hoeing procedures, percent weed control was estimated for all treatments. The time requirement for cultivation and hoeing was determined for each treatment. Plots were harvested at maturity to estimate cowpea yields. Yields did not differ significantly among treatments for either year for the study.