Control of rattail fescue, a winter annual grass, can be difficult in spring or winter wheat. Although rattail fescue is not a new weed species in the Pacific Northwest, occurrences have been increasing in circumstances where soil disturbances are minimized, such as in direct-seed cropping systems. To develop integrated management strategies for rattail fescue, information is needed on the longevity of seed viability in the soil, the presence of seed dormancy, vernalization requirements, and optimal environmental conditions for seed germination and establishment under field conditions. Controlled experiments on the biology of rattail fescue indicated that newly mature seed required an afterripening period of 1 to 12 mo to obtain high levels of seed germination, depending on germination temperature. Maximum seed germination was observed at constant day/night temperatures of approximately 20 C from thermogradient plate studies. Germination tests from seed burial studies indicated that a majority of buried seed was not viable after 2 to 3 yr. Field-grown rattail fescue plants required vernalization to produce panicles and germinable seed. A short afterripening period, cool germination temperature, and vernalization requirements support the classification of rattail fescue as a winter annual. This information will facilitate development of rattail fescue management systems, including crop rotations and various control tactics such as tillage or herbicide application timing during fallow periods.
Specific knowledge about the dormancy, germination, and emergence patterns of weed species aids the development of integrated management strategies. The after-ripening period for jointed goatgrass seed was quantified, and the effects of germination conditions and spikelet structures on jointed goatgrass seed germination were measured. As the duration of after-ripening increased, jointed goatgrass seed germinated earlier, at faster rates, and to greater final percentages compared to non–after-ripened seed. Both primary and secondary positioned seed within jointed goatgrass spikelets were nondormant after 16 wk after-ripening at 22 ± 2 C. Germination of dormant seed depended on incubation temperature and dark/light conditions. Sixty-seven percent of spikelets produced a radicle when exposed to low temperatures in the dark, and light at warm temperatures increased germination by 7%. The relationship between light and incubation temperature was similar also for germination of the primary positioned seed in nondormant spikelets; however, the magnitude of the effect increased. Light increased germination of seed incubated at warm temperatures by 18%. Coleoptile emergence was dependent on planting depth for three jointed goatgrass populations, winter wheat, and spring wheat. Under optimum conditions in the greenhouse, no planting depth selectively allowed wheat germination and emergence while preventing jointed goatgrass germination and emergence. Glume removal increased jointed goatgrass secondary positioned seed final germination percentage to 96%, increased the germination rate, and decreased the number of days required to reach 50% germination to 6 d. Glume removal also promoted germination of the primary seed within jointed goatgrass spikelets. Glume removal resulted in 80% of the spikelets having two coleoptiles, but did not alleviate dormancy completely in jointed goatgrass seed. Tillage and herbicide applications for jointed goatgrass control will be most effective in the fall when primary dormancy is lost, but before secondary dormancy is imposed.
A better understanding of the persistence of jointed goatgrass seed in soil and its dormancy will lead to the development of more effective weed-management strategies. Three populations of jointed goatgrass were collected from winter wheat fields in Oregon, and grown together with the winter wheat variety ‘Madsen’ in nurseries at Moro and Pendleton, OR. Germination responses of jointed goatgrass and wheat seed were recorded over 14 d at 5/5, 15/10, 15/15, 25/15, 25/25, and 30/20 C day/night temperatures and a 12-h photoperiod. Because jointed goatgrass spikelets often contain two seed, primary and secondary seed germination values were recorded. Secondary seed germination was defined as 3-mm radicle protrusion, and primary seed germination was defined as 5-mm emergence of the second coleoptile. Jointed goatgrass secondary seed germinated when exposed to all temperature regimes. Jointed goatgrass secondary seed germination occurred 3 d earlier in temperature regimes involving 15 C compared to germination at 5/5, 25/25, and 30/20 C. Final germination values for jointed goatgrass secondary seed were greatest when seed were incubated at 25/15 C. Wheat seed germinated at all temperature regimes, although the onset of germination occurred 1 to 1.5 d later at 5/5 C compared to other temperature regimes. Jointed goatgrass primary seed germinated only at 15/10, 15/15, and 25/15 C, and maximum germination occurred at 25/15 C. Dormancy in jointed goatgrass might prevent germination of seed within freshly shattered spikelets until autumn when temperatures are low and moisture is available. Because final germination percentages in jointed goatgrass primary and secondary seed were less than 100%, additional research on factors regulating dormancy is needed.
Numerous studies have quantified the developmental responses of wheat to vernalization, but its response compared to a weedy relative, jointed goatgrass, remains relatively unknown. Six paired jointed goatgrass collections gathered from Washington and Oregon fields, and winter and spring wheat, were grown in field studies to quantify yield and germination in response to vernalization. Monthly planting dates initiated in October and concluded in March were used to vary the vernalization durations for plants sown at three Oregon locations (Corvallis, Moro, and Pendleton) over two growing seasons. Minimum vernalization requirements to produce reproductive spikes were similar among plants of six jointed goatgrass collections. Jointed goatgrass collections grown at Corvallis required a minimum of 89 and 78 vernalization days (January 17, 2003 and January 22, 2004 sowing, respectively) to produce reproductive spikes, and plants grown at Moro required 60 vernalization days (March 3 and February 23) in both years, and 48 and 44 vernalization days (March 3 and February 24) were required by plants to produce spikes at Pendleton. Jointed goatgrass spikelet and winter wheat seed yield were positively influenced by vernalization days, experiment location, and year. The strength of the interactions among these main effects differed among jointed goatgrass collections and winter wheat. The effects of vernalization on jointed goatgrass yields and seed quality were more pronounced at Pendleton, OR, a location where jointed goatgrass has adapted, compared to Corvallis, OR, where it has not adapted. The minimum vernalization days required to produce germinable seed differed among jointed goatgrass collections, winter and spring wheat. There was not a selection of spring-adapted jointed goatgrass populations in the populations tested. Yet if spring temperatures are cool, minimum conditions for vernalization may be satisfied, and the benefits of planting spring crops to control jointed goatgrass would be reduced.
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