Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T10:41:33.275Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Post-emergence weed control through abrasion with an approved organic fertilizer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 September 2010

Frank Forcella ,
Trevor James  and
Anis Rahman
Frank Forcella*
Affiliation:
North Central Soil Conservation Research Laboratory, USDA-ARS, 803 Iowa Avenue, Morris, MN 56267, USA.
Trevor James
Affiliation:
AgResearch, Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand.
Anis Rahman
Affiliation:
AgResearch, Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand.
*
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Corn gluten meal (CGM) is an approved organic fertilizer and pre-emergence herbicide that can be manufactured in the form of grit. This grit was tested for its ability to abrade seedlings of the summer annual weedy grass, Setaria pumila, when plants were in the 1- to 5-leaf stages of growth. CGM was propelled at air pressures of 250–750 kPa at distances of 30–60 cm from the plants. Established seedlings of S. pumila were controlled more effectively when grit was applied at 500 and 750 kPa than at 250 kPa, as well as when the applicator's nozzle was 30 cm from the plants compared to 60 cm distance. Seedling growth and dry weights were greatly reduced by exposures to grit at 60 cm and 500 kPa for 2 s or less, and seedlings were nearly completely destroyed at 30 cm distance and 750 kPa. CGM, a soft grit, was as effective for abrading seedlings as fine quartz sand, a hard grit. CGM had little pre-emergence herbicidal effect on S. pumila. Although regrowth can occur in S. pumila after abrasion by grit, the initial grit-induced stunting is sufficient to allow competing crop plants, like maize, to escape competition and suppress the weed. Consequently, CGM may be an effective form of soft grit for post-emergence abrasion of seedlings of summer annual grass weeds in organic row crops, while simultaneously supplying the crop with fertilizer.

Keywords

alternativecontrolfertilizermanagementnon-chemicalorganicweed
Type
Research Papers
Information
Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems , Volume 26 , Issue 1 , March 2011 , pp. 31 - 37
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Walz, E. 2004. Fourth National Organic Farmers’ Survey. Organic Farming Research Foundation, Santa Cruz, CA. 106 p. Available from Web site http://ofrf.org/publications/pubs/4thsurvey_results.pdf (accessed September 20, 2010).Google Scholar
2Posner, J., Baldock, J.O., and Hedtcke, J.L. 2008. Organic and conventional production systems in the Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trials: I. Productivity 1990–2002. Agronomy Journal 100:253–260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3Forcella, F. 2009. Potential for air-propelled abrasives for selective weed control. Weed Technology 23:317–320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4Kücke, M. 1993. The efficiency of rapeseed oil cake as fertilizer. Agrobiology Research 46:269–276.Google Scholar
5Müller, T. and von Fragstein und Niemsdorff, P. 2006. Organic fertilizers derived from plant materials. Part I: turnover in soil at low and moderate temperatures. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 169:255–264.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6Agnew, M.L. and Christians, N.E. 1993. Influence of fertilizer source and core cultivations on the growth of Kentucky bluegrass. International Turfgrass Research Journal 7:458–463.Google Scholar
7Card, A., Whiting, D., Wilson, C., and Reeder, J. 2009. Organic fertilizers. CMG GardenNotes No. 234, Colorado State University Extension, Ft. Collins, Colorado. 8 p.Google Scholar
8Liu, Y.-L., Christians, N.E., and Garbutt, J.Y. 1994. Herbicidal activity of hydrolyzed corn gluten meal on three grass species under controlled environments. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation 13:221–226.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9FAO. 2008. FAOSTAT: New Zealand Maize Grain Statistics. Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. Available from Web site http://faostat.fao.org/default.aspx (accessed December 12, 2008).Google Scholar
10Booker, J.W. 2009. Production, distribution, and utilization of maize in New Zealand. Dissertation, Lincoln University, Christchurch, New Zealand, 69 p.Google Scholar
11Bingaman, B.R. and Christians, N.E. 1995. Greenhouse screening of corn gluten meal as a natural control product for broadleaf and grass weeds. HortScience 30:1256–1259.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12Statistix 9.0 2008. Analytical Software. Tallahassee, FL.Google Scholar
13Rask, A.M. and Kristoffersen, P. 2007. A review of non-chemical weed control on hard surfaces. Weed Research 47:370–380.CrossRefGoogle Scholar