EFFECT OF TUBER PLACEMENT ON YELLOW NUTSEDGE REPRODUCTION

Joel Felix and Joey Ishida

Malheur Experiment Station

Oregon State University

Ontario, OR, 2007

Introduction

Yellow nutsedge has become a major problem weed in agricultural land in the Treasure Valley of eastern Oregon and western Idaho. Yellow nutsedge is difficult to control because it reproduces mainly by rhizomes and nutlets (tubers) that are produced by the millions per acre each growing season. Tillage and irrigation tend to favor yellow nutsedge growth, and crops like onions that lack extensive canopy are especially vulnerable to competition. Control of yellow nutsedge will require multiple strategies including mechanical operations, destruction of tubers by using soil fumigants, timing of herbicides at vulnerable stages of growth, and synergistic use of fumigation and herbicides. Understanding the soil depth at which most tubers are produced and the maximum depth from which tubers will emerge is essential for managing tillage and fumigation operations. Also, it is important to understand yellow nutsedge emergence patterns in eastern Oregon in response to temperature and weather changes. This trial tested tuber emergence by depth, tuber production, and distribution of tubers produced from mother tubers planted at different depths.

Materials and Methods

The study was laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The treatments were composed of 9 tuber planting depths ranging from 2 to 18 inches. Each plot consisted of a 10-inch-diameter PVC pipe, 24 inches long. In order to facilitate recovery of intact soil columns at harvest, the PVC pipes were cut lengthwise in half and reassembled using industrial strength duct tape before burying them. The PVC pipes were placed in a previously dug trench and arranged in 2 parallel rows with 18 pipes in each row with 12-inch spaces between them. Then the trench was filled with soil so the top of the PVC pipes were at ground level. The pipes were filled with soil and then drip irrigated on March 14 for 30 minutes to allow the soil to settle. Each PVC pipe was irrigated with one emitter capable of delivering 1 gal water/hour.

On May 5, 2007, tubers were collected from a field (within 1,000 ft of the study site) severely infested with yellow nutsedge. Two tubers were planted in each pipe center, 3 inches apart at respective treatment depth. Planting holes were made with a soil probe (4.25 inches diameter) to the specified depth. After planting, the pipes were irrigated for 15 minutes to allow the soil to settle. Thereafter the pipes were irrigated weekly to maintain soil moisture to a 2-ft depth. A total of 94.1 inches of water was applied from March 14 to the last irrigation on September 14, 2007. On November 6, the pipes were dug by carefully removing the surrounding soil. Each pipe was opened along the precut sides and the soil column was cut vertically in 2-inch increments and the soil placed in labeled zip-lock bags. The tubers from each 2-inch depth increment were separated by washing the soil and sieving. Immediately after washing, the tubers from each 2-inch depth increment were counted and weighed.

The data were subjected to analysis of variance using agricultural research data management (ARM 7.0) software by depth and means separated by the least significant difference (LSD) at 5 percent level of significance.

Results and Discussion

Many yellow nutsedge tubers were produced in each pipe regardless of the initial tuber placement (Fig. 1). The number of tubers produced in each 2-inch increment varied greatly, with most of the tubers concentrated in the top 4 inches of the soil profile (Table 1). The number of tubers declined with depth, but the 4- to 6-inch depth had lots of tubers and overall, most of the tubers were produced in the top 12 inches regardless of the original tuber placement. The total number of tubers produced was not significantly different between initial tubers placed at 2 to 16 inches (Table 1). Variation in tuber weight in the 2-inch depth increments depended on the number of tubers produced (Table 2). Tuber production below 12 inches decreased sharply with depth (Table 1 and Fig. 1).

The results show that yellow nutsedge tuber production is concentrated in the top 12 inches of the soil profile regardless of the depth of emergence. Therefore, moldboard plowing to depths deeper than 12 inches will not provide yellow nutsedge control. Herbicides requiring soil incorporation will be more effective if incorporated at 4- to 6-inches depth to affect the tubers as they germinate.

Table 1. Total number of yellow nutsedge tubers produced in 2-inch increments when the original tuber was planted at 2- to 18-inches depth, Malheur Experiment Station, Oregon State University, Ontario, OR, 2007.

Table 2. Total yellow nutsedge tuber weight (g) produced in 2-inch increments when the original tuber was planted at 2- to 18-inches depth, Malheur Experiment Station, Oregon State University, Ontario, OR, 2007.