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TRAITS OF INTEREST FOR IMPROVING WEED SUPPRESSIVE ABILITY IN SOYBEAN DURING THE CRITICAL PERIOD FOR WEED COMPETITION

TRAITS OF INTEREST FOR IMPROVING WEED SUPPRESSIVE ABILITY IN SOYBEAN DURING THE CRITICAL PERIOD FOR WEED COMPETITION

Summary/Abstract

Project Abstract
Soybean weed management systems in the Southeastern U.S. rely almost exclusively on conventional herbicide practices. Concerns of genetically modified food and the expansion of some organic soybean markets have led some producers to explore alternative weed management systems that utilize a variety of tactics to reduce weed competitiveness. The use of more competitive soybean varieties could be one such tactic in a more diverse weed management program. We will investigate over 30 soybean genotypes in 2009 at Plymouth and Kinston agricultural research stations in North Carolina. A strip split plot design will be used with weedy and weed free treatments stripped across tests with soybean genotype subplots. Two potential genotype screening tactics, early percent ground cover and percent canopy light interception will be evaluated in effectiveness to estimate the competitiveness of soybean genotypes. Measurements of soybean traits potentially related to weed competitiveness such as early and late height, leaf length and width, leaflet length and width, and petiolule length will be made from 2 weeks after emergence (WAE) through 7 WAE. Soybean and weed biomass at 7 WAE in weedy and weed free plots will be measured to quantify the ability of genotypes to reduce weed biomass. Tests will be conducted to reveal correlations of weed suppressiveness with: early percent ground cover, percent canopy light interception and measured soybean traits.

Objectives/Performance Targets

Objectives
This project entails two main objectives:
(1) identification of non destructive measurements that can be used in screening for soybean genotypes that are more competitive with weeds
(2) identification of specific plant characteristics that increase a genotype’s competitiveness with weeds




Project Content Page

2008 Proposal

Project Number: GS08-073
Type: Graduate Student Project
Region: South
SARE Grant: $9,972


Participants:
George Place
graduate student
North Carolina State University
Campus Box 7620
Raleigh , NC 27695
Phone: 919-515-7597
E-mail: george_place@ncsu.edu

Chris Reberg-Horton
Assistant Professor and Organic Cropping Specialis
North Carolina State University
Campus Box 7620
Raleigh , NC 27695
Phone: 919-515-7597
E-mail: chris_reberg-horton@ncsu.edu
This project and all associated reports and support materials were supported by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture- National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA). Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed within do not necessarily reflect the view of the SARE program or the U.S. Department of Agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.