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Re: night cultivation for weed control
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Lawrence F. London, Jr. - InterGarden - Venaura Farm
mailto:london@sunSITE.unc.edu - mailto:llondon@bellsouth.net
http://sunSITE.unc.edu/InterGarden
http://sunSITE.unc.edu/InterGarden/permaculture.html
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On Thu, 25 Sep 1997, Lisa Krall wrote:
> I'm working with an organic dairy farmer who's having a problem with
> jimson weed. She's interested in learning more about cultivating at
> night to inhibit weed seeds from germining. I saw some test plots of
> night cultivation at Cornell. Searched the web but can't find any info.
> on this or any other work being done. Any information on night
> cultivation or other ideas for organic control of jimson weed (this is
> in silage corn) would be appreciated. Thanks, Lisa Krall
>
> Lisa Krall, Agronomist
> USDA NRCS, New England
http://sunsite.unc.edu/london/orgfarm/biocontrol/tilling-soil-in-darkness-to-reduce-weeds
>From milesc@wsu.eduWed May 1 22:24:01 1996
Date: Wed, 1 May 1996 17:05:04 -0800
From: "Carol A. Miles" <milesc@wsu.edu>
To: sanet-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu
Subject: Nightmare in the Tilling Fields
Nightmare in the Tilling Fields - this article just appeared in the
Cornell Ag Viepoints Newsletter. It summarizes work by USDA-ARS scientist
Doug Buhler in Rosemount, Minnesota. The work indicates that tilling
soil in darkness can reduce small-seeded broadleaf weeds by 50-80%.
Does anyone know if this work has been published and/or is the reference
available? Have these results been documented elsewhere? A pointer to the
author or others who have conducted this type of research would be
appreciated. Buhler is apparantly located at the National Soil Tilth
Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.
Carol A. Miles, Ph.D.
Washington State University
Extension Agricultural Systems
360 NW North Street
Chehalis, WA 98532
PHONE 360-740-1295 FAX 360-740-2792
milesc@wsu.edu
Date: Thu, 2 May 1996 15:28:58 -0400 (EDT)
From: Matt Norton <matthew.norton@yale.edu>
Cc: sanet-mg@amani.ces.ncsu.edu
Subject: Re: Nightmare in the Tilling Fields
My grandfather sent me a clipping from the Peoria, IL newspaper
(star-tribune?) about this USDA study... apparently, even the lights from
a tractor or the moon are enough to negate the reduction in broadleaf
weed emergence.
The study involved driving tractors at night, in a new moon, with
military-issue night vision goggles (I'd be willing to try it if only
for the neighbors' reactions).
The Peoria paper should be able to direct you to the study, if no one
else sugggests a more direct route.
Matt Norton
>From GEOFF.SEAVERS@bbsrc.ac.ukFri May 3 12:01:05 1996
Date: Fri, 3 May 1996 10:34:03 +0000
From: SEAVERSG <GEOFF.SEAVERS@bbsrc.ac.uk>
Subject: Nightmare? in the Tilling Fields
Dear Carol,
This idea of using dark cultivations to control weeds which are stimulated
by light into germination is not a new one. Hartmann and Nezdal (1990)
Naturwissenschaften 77, 158-163 reported very similar results to those you
describe from the USDA author.
The idea is based on the principal that the phytochrome system, which is
responsible for many germination responses, will not be stimulated if
cultivations are completed in the dark because of the absence of red
light.
There is a possible problem with the idea though. There are several weedy
species which produce seeds which do not require red light in order to
germinate. If dark cultivations were employed for any length of time the
tendancy would be select for those species and populations and you could
end up
with a worse weed problem than you started with!
Geoff Seavers
IACR-Long Ashton
Long Ashton
Bristol
BS18 9AF
UK
References: