Tillage Method and Glyphosate-Resistant Alfalfa Termination Timing Affect Soil Properties and Subsequent Corn Yield

Application of glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine]-containing herbicides and tillage, alone or in combination, has been the standard for removing declining alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) stands. With glyphosate no longer an option to control glyphosate-resistant alfalfa, different termination strategies are needed. Field studies across four site-years in Utah evaluated the effect of tillage type and timing (fall conventional till, spring conventional till, fall strip-till, spring strip-till, and no-till) and herbicide timing (fall, spring, in-crop, and no herbicide) of 2,4-D (2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) and dicamba (3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid) on penetration resistance, alfalfa regrowth, corn (Zea mays L.) emergence rate, and silage corn yield. Across tillage treatments, fall, spring, and in-crop herbicide timings compared with no herbicide reduced alfalfa stem count and biomass by at least 74 and 92%, respectively. Emergence rate was greatest under fall and spring conventional till or spring strip-till compared with fall strip-till or no-till. Silage corn yield was greatest and similar with fall or spring herbicide applications for all tillage systems and conventional tillage with an in-crop herbicide application (19–27 Mg ha−1), followed by in-crop herbicide application for conservation tillage systems and fall and spring conventional till without herbicide application (14–20 Mg ha−1), and lastly when only conservation tillage was used to terminate alfalfa (5–15 Mg ha−1). Silage corn yield can be optimized when glyphosate-resistant alfalfa is terminated with herbicides prior to planting, regardless of tillage type or timing. Termination of glyphosate-resistant alfalfa by herbicides after corn emergence, depending on tillage, reduces silage corn yield 9–19%

Nitrogen Fertilization and Glyphosate-Resistant Alfalfa Termination Method Effects on First-Year Silage Corn

Tillage type/timing and herbicide application date may change the amount and timing of N mineralization, altering fertilizer N needs for first-year corn (Zea mays L.) following glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine]-resistant (GR) alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Studies were conducted in 2012 and 2013 in Utah. Yield, quality, and economic return of silage corn as affected by five tillage type/timings (fall conventional till, spring conventional till, fall strip-till, spring strip-till, and no-till), three herbicide application dates for alfalfa termination (fall, spring, and in-crop), and four N rates (0, 56, 112, and 224 kg ha−1) were evaluated. Silage corn yield and quality following GR alfalfa was economically optimized without N fertilization regardless of tillage type/timing and herbicide application date. Thus, N from decomposing alfalfa can provide the full N requirement of first-year silage corn following GR alfalfa. Estimated animal milk production ha−1 of silage corn was greatest and similar for all herbicide application dates with conventional tillage and spring herbicide application with strip-till and no-till (26–38 Mg milk ha−1), whereas an in-crop herbicide application with strip-till and no-till resulted in the lowest estimated milk production (21–29 Mg milk ha−1). Increased economic return for the in-crop herbicide date by including economics from harvesting the first alfalfa cutting before planting corn mostly offset the reduced economic return of the lower silage corn yield. Therefore, an application of 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) and dicamba (3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid) in the fall, spring, or in-crop to control GR alfalfa are good economic options for conventional tillage, strip-till, and no-till systems

Influence of Harvest Date on Seed Yield and Quality in Forage Kochia

Forage kochia (Bassia prostrata) is used for rangeland reclamation and livestock and wildlife forage, but limited research has been conducted on its seed production. Therefore, this research evaluated the effect of harvest date on seed weight, germination, and seed yield of forage kochia subspecies virescens and grisea. Seed was harvested from individual plants for 3 years during October, November, and December. October harvest had the lightest 100-seed weights, with the November harvest slightly heavier than December, for most accessions. Cultivar Snowstorm and breeding line Sahsel, both subsp. grisea, had the greatest 100-seed weights in November, 155 and 143 mg, respectively, whereas, cv. Immigrant (subsp. virescens), the standard for forage kochia, ranked among the least for 100-seed weight. For most accessions, germination was lowest from the October harvest (11%–43%), with greater germination with November and December harvested seeds (43%–64%). Viable seed yields were greatest in November with the exception of two accessions, which peaked in October, indicating earlier maturity. Results indicate that forage kochia usually reaches optimum seed maturity by early November, after plants are exposed to freezing temperatures; however, earlier maturing accessions exist in both subspecies virescens and grisea

Proactive EBIPM: Establishing Weed Prevention Areas

The Rangelands archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform March 202

Seedling Interference and Niche Differentiation Between Crested Wheatgrass and Contrasting Native Great Basin Species

Interference from crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum [L.] Gaertn.) seedlings is considered a major obstacle to native species establishment in rangeland ecosystems; however, estimates of interference at variable seedling densities have not been defined fully. We conducted greenhouse experiments using an addition-series design to characterize interference between crested wheatgrass and four key native species. Crested wheatgrass strongly interfered with the aboveground growth of Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. subsp. wyomingensis Beetle Young), rubber rabbitbrush (Ericameria nauseosa [Pall. ex Pursh] G. L. Nesom Baird subsp. consimilis [Greene] G. L. Nesom Baird), and to a lesser extent with bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata [Pursh] A. Löve). Alternatively, bottlebrush squirreltail (Elymus elymoides [Raf.] Swezey subsp. californicus [J. G. Sm.] Barkworth) and crested wheatgrass had similar effects on each other’s growth, and interference ratios were near 1.0. Results indicate that the native grasses more readily establish in synchrony with crested wheatgrass than these native shrubs, but that once established, the native shrubs are more likely to coexist and persist with crested wheatgrass because of high niche differentiation (e.g., not limited by the same resource). Results also suggest that developing strategies to minimize interference from crested wheatgrass seedlings emerging from seed banks will enhance the establishment of native species seeded into crested wheatgrass-dominated communities. The Rangeland Ecology & Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform August 202

Comparison of Herbicides for Reducing Annual Grass Emergence in Two Great Basin Soils

Reducing seed germination and seedling emergence of downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.) improves the success of revegetating degraded shrubland ecosystems. While pre-emergence herbicides can potentially reduce these two processes, their impact on germination and emergence of downy brome and revegetation species in semiarid ecosystems is poorly understood and has not been comprehensively studied in soils with potentially contrasting herbicide bioavailability (i.e., residual plant activity). We designed a greenhouse experiment to evaluate the effects two pre-emergence acetolactate synthase-inhibiting herbicides (rimsulfuron and imazapic) on germination and emergence of downy brome and two revegetation grass species (crested wheatgrass [Agropyron cristatum {L.} Gaertn.] and bottlebrush squirreltail [Elymus elymoides {Raf.} Swezey]) that were grown in representative soils from salt desert and sagebrush shrublands. Pre-emergence herbicides significantly (P<0.05) reduced seedling emergence and biomass production of downy brome and crested wheatgrass and increased mortality more so in sagebrush compared to salt desert soil, suggesting that these common Great Basin soils fundamentally differ in herbicide bioavailability. Also, germination and emergence of the two highly responsive species (crested wheatgrass and downy brome) were clearly more impacted by rimsulfuron than imazapic. We discuss these results in terms of how the specific soil physiochemical properties influence herbicide adsorption and leaching. Our results shed new light on the relative performance of these two promising herbicides and the importance of considering soil properties when applying pre-emergence herbicides to reduce germination and emergence of invasive annual grasses and create suitable seedbed conditions for revegetation./Reduciendo la germinación y emergencia del pasto bromo velludo (Bromus tectorum L.) mejora las practicas de re-vegetación en los ecosistemas de matorral degradados. Mientras que los herbicidas de pre-emergencia puede potencialmente reducir estos dos procesos, sus impactos en germinación y emergencia en pasto bromo velludo y re-vegetación de especies en ecosistemas semiáridos no está bien entendido y no ha habido estudios profundos en suelos con potencial de contrastar la bio-disponibilidad del herbicida por ejemplo en la actividad residual en la planta. Se diseño un experimento en invernadero para evaluar el efecto depre-emergencia de acetolactate inhibidor de herbicida (rimsulfuron e imazapic) en la germinación y emergencia del bromo velludo y dos especies de pasto para re-vegetación (triguillo crestado [Agropyroncristatum {L.} Gaertn.] y escobilla cola de ardilla [Elymuselymoides {Raf.} Swezey]) los cuales fueron sembrados en suelos representativos de desierto salado y matorrales de artemisa. El herbicida de pre-emergencia reduce (P<0.05) significativamente la emergencia de plántulas y producción debió masa de bromo velludo y triguillo crestado y aumenta mas la mortalidad en artemisa comparado con el suelo salino del desierto, sugiriendo que estos suelos típicos del Great Basin difieren bastante en bio-disponibilidad del herbicida. Además, la germinación y emergencia de las dos especies altamente responsables (triguillo crestado y bromo velludo) fue más impactado por el rimsulfuron que el imazapic. Discutimos estos resultados en términos de cómo las propiedades fisicoquímicas del suelo influyen en la absorción del herbicida y escurrimiento. Nuestros resultados ofrecen nuevos senderos con respecto al desempeño de estos dos prometedores herbicidas y la importancia de considerar las propiedades del suelo cuando se vayan a hacer aplicaciones de herbicidas pre-emergentes para reducir la germinación y emergencia de pastos anuales invasores y crear un banco de siembra adecuado para la re-vegetación.The Rangeland Ecology & Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform August 202