JACKSON, Tenn. – The Weed Science
Society of America (WSSA) awarded the title of Outstanding Paper in Weed
Technology to researchers from the University of Tennessee Institute of
Agriculture. Matthew Wiggins, a recent Ph.D. graduate of UT’s College of
Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and Robert Hayes and Larry Steckel,
both professors with UT’s Department of Plant Sciences, co-authored the paper.
“Evaluating Cover Crops and
Herbicides for Glyphosate Resistant Palmer Amaranth Control in Cotton” appeared
in Weed Technology in April 2016. The
research evaluated four cover crops (cereal rye, crimson clover, hairy vetch
and winter wheat) plus combinations of one grass and one legume followed by pre-emergence applications of fluometuron or acetochlor.
The study showed that combinations
of grass and legume cover crops accumulated the most biomass and reduced
Palmer amaranth emergence by half compared to non-cover-treated areas. However,
by 28 days after application, the cereal rye and wheat cover crops provided the
best Palmer amaranth control.
Herbicide-resistant weeds are
a significant threat to agronomic crop production across the globe. Besides
lost yields, Steckel estimates the costs of additional management can run from
$35 - $100 per acre, depending on the crop. Integrating cultural practices,
like cover crops, in weed management programs has been a central theme in UTIA
weed science research for the past decade as scientists search for solutions to
herbicide resistance.
The Outstanding Paper award
was presented February 6, 2017, during WSSA’s annual meeting in Tucson, Arizona. “We’re proud to honor true
innovators who are making a significant mark on weed science through their
commitment to research, education and teaching,” said Janis McFarland, 2017
annual meeting program chair and incoming president of WSSA.
The study was conducted at
the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson, Tennessee, and
was partially funded by Cotton Incorporated through the Tennessee Cotton State
Support Committee.
Through its
mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee
Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. ag.tennessee.edu
###
Contacts:
Larry
Steckel, professor, UT Department of Plant Sciences, 731-425-4705, lsteckel@utk.edu
Ginger Rowsey,
UTIA Marketing and Communications, 731-425-4768, gtrice@tennessee.edu