Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T03:01:23.307Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Seed germination biology of sweet acacia (Vachellia farnesiana) and response of its seedlings to herbicides

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 August 2021

Bhagirath S. Chauhan Open the ORCID record for Bhagirath S. Chauhan [Opens in a new window] ,
Shane Campbell  and
Victor J. Galea
Bhagirath S. Chauhan*
Affiliation:
Professor, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) and School of Agriculture and Food Sciences (SAFS), University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia; Adjunct Professor, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU), Hisar, Haryana125004, India
Shane Campbell
Affiliation:
Senior Lecturer, SAFS, University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland4343, Australia
Victor J. Galea
Affiliation:
Professor, SAFS, University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland4343, Australia
*
Author for correspondence: Bhagirath S. Chauhan, QAAFI and SAFS, University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia. (Email: [email protected])
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Sweet acacia [Vachellia farnesiana (L.) Willd.] is a problematic thorny weed species in several parts of Australia. Knowledge of its seed biology could help to formulate weed management decisions for this and similar species. Experiments were conducted to determine the effect of hot water (scarification), alternating temperatures, light, salt stress, and water stress on seed germination of two populations of V. farnesiana and to evaluate the response of its young seedlings (the most sensitive developmental stage) to commonly available postemergence herbicides in Australia. Both populations responded similarly to all the environmental factors and herbicides; therefore, data were pooled over the populations. Seeds immersed in hot water at 90 C for 10 min provided the highest germination (88%), demonstrating physical dormancy in this species. Seeds germinated at a wide range of alternating day/night temperatures from 20/10 C (35%) to 35/25 C (90%), but no seeds germinated at 15/5 C. Germination was not affected by light, suggesting that seeds are nonphotoblastic and can germinate under a plant canopy or when buried in soil. Germination was not affected by sodium chloride (NaCl) concentrations up to 20 mM, and about 50% of seeds could germinate at 160 mM NaCl, suggesting high salt tolerance ability. Germination was only 13% at −0.2 MPa osmotic potential, and no seeds germinated at −0.4 MPa, suggesting that V. farnesiana seeds may remain ungerminated until moisture conditions have become conducive for germination. A number of postemergence herbicides, including 2,4-D + picloram, glufosinate, paraquat, and saflufenacil, provided >85% control of biomass of young seedlings compared with the non-treated control treatment. Knowledge gained from this study will help to predict the potential spread of V. farnesiana in other areas and help to integrate herbicide use with other management strategies.

Keywords

Acaciaherbicide sensitivitylightsalt stressscarificationtemperaturewater stress
Type
Research Article
Information
Weed Science , Volume 69 , Issue 6 , November 2021 , pp. 681 - 686
Check for updates
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the 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.)

Footnotes

Associate Editor: Hilary A. Sandler, University of Massachusetts

References

Aref, IM, El-Juhany, LI, Hegazy, SS (2003) Comparison of the growth and biomass production of six Acacia species in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia after 4 years of irrigated cultivation. J Arid Environ 54:783–792 10.1006/jare.2002.1067CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bot, AJ, Nachtergaele, FO, Young, A (2000) Land Resource Potential and Constraints at Regional and Country Levels. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Land and Water Development Division. 114 p Google Scholar
Chauhan, BS (2016) Germination biology of Hibiscus tridactylites in Australia and the implications for weed management. Sci Rep 6:26006 10.1038/srep26006CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chauhan, BS, Johnson, DE (2008) Seed germination and seedling emergence of giant sensitiveplant (Mimosa invisa). Weed Sci 56:244–248 10.1614/WS-07-120.1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chauhan, BS, Johnson, DE (2009) Germination ecology of spiny (Amaranthus spinosus) and slender amaranth (A. viridis): troublesome weeds of direct seeded rice. Weed Sci 57:379–385 10.1614/WS-08-179.1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chauhan, BS, Johnson, DE (2010) The role of seed ecology in improving weed management strategies in the tropics. Adv Agron 105:221–262 10.1016/S0065-2113(10)05006-6CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Erkovan, HI, Clarke, PJ, Whalley, RDB (2013) Seed bank dynamics of Acacia farnesiana (L.) Willd. and its encroachment potential in sub-humid grasslands of eastern Australia. Rangeland J 35:427–433 10.1071/RJ13036CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Genstat (2019) Genstat for Windows. 20th ed. VSN International: Hemel Hempstead, UK Google Scholar
Holmes, PM (1989) Decay rates in buried alien Acacia seed populations of different density. South Afr J Bot 55:299–303 10.1016/S0254-6299(16)31179-6CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Iqbal, N, Manalil, S, Chauhan, BS, Adkins, SW (2019) Germination biology of sesbania (Sesbania cannabina): an emerging weed in the Australian cotton agro-environment. Weed Sci 67:68–76 10.1017/wsc.2018.62CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kodela, PG, Wilson, PA (2006) New combinations in the genus Vachellia (Fabaceae: Mimosoideae) from Australia. Telopea 11:233–244 Google Scholar
Leino, MW, Edqvist, J (2010) Germination of 151-year old Acacia spp. seeds. Gen Res Crop Evol 57:741–746 10.1007/s10722-009-9512-5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marchante, E, Kjøller, A, Struwe, S, Freitas, H (2008) Short- and long-term impacts of Acacia longifolia invasion on the belowground processes of a Mediterranean coastal dune ecosystem. Appl Soil Ecol 40:210–217 10.1016/j.apsoil.2008.04.004CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meyer, RE, Bovey, RW (1982) Establishment of honey mesquite and huisache on a native pasture. J Range Manag 35:548–550 10.2307/3898635CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Michel, BE, Radcliffe, D (1995) A computer program relating solute potential to solution composition for five solutes. Agron J 87:126–130 10.2134/agronj1995.00021962008700010022xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (2020) Mimosa Bush. https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industries/farms-fishing-forestry/agriculture/land-management/health-pests-weeds-diseases/weeds-diseases/invasive-plants/other/mimosa-bush. Accessed: March 1, 2021Google Scholar
Rengasamy, P (2002) Transient salinity and subsoil constraints to dryland farming in Australian sodic soils: an overview. Aust J Exp Agric 42:351–361 10.1071/EA01111CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scifres, CJ (1974) Salient aspects of huisache seed germination. Southwest Nat 18:383–391 10.2307/3670296CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tadros, MJ, Samarah, NH, Alqudah, AM (2011) Effect of different pre-sowing seed treatments on the germination of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) and Acacia farnesiana (L.). New Forests 42:397 10.1007/s11056-011-9260-1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Teketay, D (1996) Germination ecology of twelve indigenous and eight exotic multipurpose leguminous species from Ethiopia. Forest Ecol Manag 80:209–223 10.1016/0378-1127(95)03616-4CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Traveset, A (1990) Post-dispersal predation of Acacia farnesiana seeds by Stator vachelliae (Bruchidae) in Central America. Oecologia 84:506–512 10.1007/BF00328167CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Welgama, A, Florentine, S, Marchante, H, Javaid, M, Turville, C (2019) The germination success of Acacia longifolia subsp. longifolia (Fabaceae): a comparison between its native and exotic ranges. Aust J Bot 67:414–424 10.1071/BT19018CrossRefGoogle Scholar