Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T05:25:35.001Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Feeding Preferences of Weed Seed Predators and Effect on Weed Emergence

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Sharon S. White
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
Karen A. Renner*
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
Fabian D. Menalled
Affiliation:
Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717
Douglas A. Landis
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

We determined feeding preferences of invertebrate seed predators and the effect of seed predation on weed emergence. Feeding choice studies were completed with three species of common ground beetles: (Amara aenea DeGeer, Anisodactylus sanctaecrucis F., and Harpalus pensylvanicus DeGeer) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and the northern field cricket (Gryllus pennsylvanicus DeGeer) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). Anisodactylus sanctaecrucis, H. pensylvanicus, and the female and male G. pennsylvanicus consumed more redroot pigweed seeds compared with giant foxtail seeds; A. aenea seed consumption did not differ between these two weed species. All invertebrates consumed fewer velvetleaf seeds compared with redroot pigweed and giant foxtail seeds; however, when seed biomass was compared, A. aenea consumed similar biomass of velvetleaf, giant foxtail, and redroot pigweed, whereas A. sanctaecrucis and H. pensylvanicus consumed greater biomass of velvetleaf compared with giant foxtail seed. Seed burial depths of 0.5 or 1.0 cm reduced redroot pigweed and giant foxtail seed consumption by A. aenea and A. sanctaecrucis but not by the larger carabid beetle, H. pensylvanicus. In a greenhouse study, A. sanctaecrucis decreased total weed emergence by 15%, and G. pennsylvanicus females and males decreased weed emergence by 16 and 5%, respectively. Emergence of redroot pigweed, but not velvetleaf or giant foxtail, decreased when A. sanctaecrucis and the male G. pennsylvanicus were present, whereas the emergence of all three weed species decreased in the presence of the female G. pennsylvanicus. In field experiments, vertebrate access to velvetleaf seeds reduced emergence from 4 to 9% across field sites; invertebrate access reduced emergence 4 to 6%. Vertebrate access to giant foxtail seeds reduced emergence 3 to 7%, and invertebrate access reduced emergence 4 to 13%. These results suggest that predation of weed seeds by both vertebrates and invertebrates may reduce weed emergence and influence the weed community.

Type
Weed Management
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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

Literature Cited

Anderson, A. N. 1988. Insect seed predators may cause far greater losses than they appear to. Oikos. 52:337340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, J. H., Grover, J. J., Davidson, D. W., and Lieberman, G. A. 1975. A preliminary study of seed predation in desert and montane habitats. Ecology. 56:987992.Google Scholar
Brust, G. E. 1994. Seed-predators reduce broadleaf weed growth and competitive ability. Agric. Ecosys. Environ. 48:2734.Google Scholar
Brust, G. E. and House, G. J. 1988. Weed seed destruction by arthropods and rodents in low-input soybean agroecosystems. Am. J. Altern. Agric. 3:1925.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buhler, D. D. and Hartzler, R. G. 2001. Emergence and persistence of seeds of velvetleaf, common waterhemp, woolly cupgrass, and giant foxtail. Weed Sci. 49:230235.Google Scholar
Buhler, D. D., Hartzler, R. G., and Forcella, F. 1997. Implications of weed seedbank dynamics to weed management. Weed Sci. 45:329336.Google Scholar
Burt, W. H. and Grossenheider, R. P. 1980. Peterson Field Guides: Mammals. New York Houghton Mifflin. 289.Google Scholar
Cardina, J., Norquay, H. M., Stinner, B. R., and McCartney, D. A. 1996. Postdispersal predation of velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti) seeds. Weed Sci. 44:534539.Google Scholar
Carmona, D. M., Menalled, F. D., and Landis, D. A. 1999. Northern field cricket, Gryllus pennsylvanicus Burmeister (Orthoptera: Gryllidae): laboratory weed seed predation and within field activity-density. J. Econ. Entomol. 92:825829.Google Scholar
Crawley, M. J. 1992. Seed predators and plant population dynamics. Pages 157191. in Fenner, M. ed. Seeds: the Ecology of Regeneration in Plant Communities. Wallingford, UK CAB International.Google Scholar
Cromar, H. E., Murphy, S. D., and Swanton, C. J. 1999. Influence of tillage and crop residue on postdispersal predation of weed seeds. Weed Sci. 47:184194.Google Scholar
Fausey, J. C. and Renner, K. A. 1997. Germination, emergence, and growth of giant foxtail (Setaria faberi) and fall panicum (Panicum dichotomiflorum). Weed Sci. 45:423425.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gallandt, E. R., Molloy, T., Lynch, R. P., and Drummond, F. A. 2005. Effect of cover-cropping systems on invertebrate seed predation. Weed Sci. 53:6976.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hall, J. C., Van Eerd, L. L., Miller, S. D., Owen, M. D. K., Prather, T. S., Shaner, D. L., Singh, M., Vaughn, K. C., and Weller, S. C. 2000. Future research directions for weed science. Weed Technol. 14:647658.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heggenstaller, A. H., Menalled, F. D., Liebman, M., and Westerman, P. R. 2006. Seasonal patterns in post-dispersal seed predation of Abutilon theophrasti and Setaria faberi in three-cropping systems. J. Appl Ecol. 43:9991010.Google Scholar
Holland, J. M. 2002. Carabid beetles: their ecology, survival, and use in agroecosystems. Pages 140. in Holland, J.M. ed. The Agroecology of Carabid Beetles. Fordingbridge, UK The Game Conservancy Trust.Google Scholar
Inouye, R. S., Byers, G. S., and Brown, J. H. 1980. Effects of predation and competition on survivorship, fecundity, and community structure of desert annuals. Ecol. 61:13441351.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jordan, N., Mortensen, D. A., Prenzlow, D. M., and Cox, K. C. 1995. Simulation analysis of crop rotation effects on weed seedbank. Am. J. Bot. 82:390398.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kremer, R. J. and Spencer, N. R. 1989. Impact of a seed-feeding insect and microorganisms on velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti) seed viability. Weed Sci. 37:211216.Google Scholar
Louda, S. M. 1989. Predation in the dynamics of seed generation. Pages 2551. in Leck, M.A., Parker, V.T., Simpson, R.L. eds. Ecology of Soil Seed Banks. New York Academic.Google Scholar
Lund, R. D. and Turpin, F. T. 1977. Carabid damage to weed seeds found in Indiana cornfields. Environ. Entomol. 6:695698.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marino, P. C., Gross, K. L., and Landis, D. A. 1997. Weed seed loss to predation in Michigan maize fields. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ. 66:189196.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Menalled, F. D., Liebman, M., and Renner, K. A. 2006. The ecology of weed seed predation in herbaceous systems. Pages 297328. in Wingh, H.P., Batish, D.R., Kohli, R.K. eds. Handbook of Sustainable Weed Management. Binghamton, NY Food Products.Google Scholar
Menalled, F., Smith, R., Dauer, J., and Fox, T. 2007. Impact of agricultural management on carabid communities and weed seed predation. Agric. Ecosys. Environ. 118:4954.Google Scholar
Pimentel, D., Zuniga, R., and Morrison, D. 2005. Update on the environmental and economic costs associated with alien-invasive species in the United States. Ecol. Econ. 52:273288.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Radosevich, S., Holt, J., and Ghersa, C. 1997. Weed Ecology: Implications for Management. 2nd ed. New York John Wiley & Sons. 265.Google Scholar
Reichman, O. J. 1979. Desert granivore foraging and its impact on seed densities and distributions. Ecology. 60:10851092.Google Scholar
Rivard, I., Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in relation to agricultural crops. Can. Entomol. 98:189195.Google Scholar
Siriwardana, T. and Zimdahl, R. 1983. Competition between barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli) and redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus). Weed Sci. Soc. Amer. 23:61. [Abstract].Google Scholar
Tooley, J. and Brust, G. 2002. Weed seed predation by carabid beetles. Pages 215228. in Holland, J.M. ed. The Agroecology of Carabid Beetles. Fordingbridge, UK The Game Conservancy Trust.Google Scholar
Westerman, P., Liebman, M., Menalled, F., Heggenstaller, A., Hartzler, R., and Dixon, P. 2005. Are many little hammers effective? velvetleaf population dynamics in two- and four-year crop rotation systems. Weed Sci. 53:382392.Google Scholar
Wiese, A. and Davis, R. 1987. Weed emergence from two soils at various moistures, temperatures and depths. Weeds. 15:118121.Google Scholar