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Glyphosate-Resistant Alfalfa Response to Harvest Frequency and Weed Management

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Doo-Hong Min ,
Timothy S. Dietz ,
Wesley J. Everman ,
Andrew J. Chomas ,
James J. Kells  and
Richard H. Leep
Doo-Hong Min
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Michigan State University, 286 Plant and Soil Sciences Building, East Lansing, MI 48824
Timothy S. Dietz
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Michigan State University, 286 Plant and Soil Sciences Building, East Lansing, MI 48824
Wesley J. Everman
Affiliation:
Department of Crop Science, North Carolina State University, Box 7620, Raleigh, NC 27695
Andrew J. Chomas
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Michigan State University, 286 Plant and Soil Sciences Building, East Lansing, MI 48824
James J. Kells*
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Michigan State University, 286 Plant and Soil Sciences Building, East Lansing, MI 48824
Richard H. Leep
Affiliation:
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Michigan State University, 286 Plant and Soil Sciences Building, East Lansing, MI 48824
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: kells@msu.edu
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Abstract

Glyphosate-resistant (GR) alfalfa offers growers new options for weed control in alfalfa. One potential benefit of using GR alfalfa is increased longevity of an alfalfa stand under frequent harvests. It was hypothesized that GR alfalfa would have a greater longevity because of removal of weed interference with minimal crop injury. To study GR alfalfa yield, weed invasion, alfalfa stand persistence, and relative forage quality (RFQ), a field experiment with three weed control methods (no herbicide, glyphosate, and hexazinone) under two harvest frequencies (high and moderate) was established in August 2003 at the Michigan State University Agronomy Farm in East Lansing, MI. Forage yield of established alfalfa was not adversely affected by herbicide treatments. There were no differences in weed biomass between alfalfa treated with glyphosate and that treated with hexazinone, except in 2007. Average GR alfalfa stand density decreased approximately 90% (from 236 to 27 plant m−2), and yield decreased approximately 30% (from 11.04 to 7.87 Mg ha−1) during the 7-yr period (2004 to 2010) of the experiment. Stand density of GR alfalfa showed natural thinning during the 7-yr period regardless of harvest intensity or herbicide treatment. In most production years (4 out of 5 yr), relative forage quality of GR alfalfa was higher under a high-intensity harvesting system (4 to 5 harvests yr−1) than it was with a moderate intensity harvesting system (3 to 4 harvests yr−1). Relative forage quality was not affected by weed removal with herbicides in most years. Weed removal and harvest intensity in established GR alfalfa had no effect on stand persistence.

La alfalfa resistente al glyphosate (GR) ofrece a los agricultores nuevas opciones para el control de malezas en este cultivo. Uno de los beneficios potenciales de usar alfalfa GR es que incrementa la longevidad de las plantaciones de alfafa con cosechas frecuentes. Se planteó la hiipotésis de que la alfalfa GR tendría una mayor longevidad debido a la eliminación de la interferencia de malezas con un daño mínimo al cultivo. Para estudiar el rendimiento de esta leguminosa, la invasión de malezas, la persistencia de las plantaciones y la calidad relativa del forraje (RFQ), se estableció un experimento de campo con tres métodos de control de malezas (sin herbicida, con glyphosate y con hexazinone) bajo dos frecuencias de cosecha (alta y moderada) en agosto de 2003 en la finca agronómica de la Universidad Estatal de Michigan en East Lansing, Michigan, USA. El rendimiento de forraje de una plantación establecida no se afectó adversamente por los tratamientos con herbicidas. No hubo diferencia en la biomasa de las malezas entre la alfalfa tratada con glyphosate y con hexazinone excepto en 2007. La densidad promedio de la plantación de alfalfa disminuyó aproximadamente 90% (de 236 a 27 plantas m−2) y el rendimiento también disminuyó aproximadamente 30% (de 11.04 a 7.87 Mg ha−1) durante el período de 7 años (2004–2010) del experimento. La densidad de plantas de alfalfa GR mostró un raleo natural durante el período de 7 años, sin importar la intensidad de la cosecha o el tratamiento de herbicida. En la mayoría de los años de producción (4 de los 5 años), la calidad relativa del forraje fue mayor bajo un sistema de cosecha de alta intensidad (4–5 cosechas por año) que en un sistema de cosecha de intensidad moderada (3–4 cosechas por año). La calidad relativa del forraje no se vio afectada por la eliminación de malezas usando herbicidas en la mayoría de los años. La eliminación de malezas y la intensidad de la cosecha en alfalfa GR establecida no tuvo ningún efecto en la persistencia de la plantación.

Keywords

Glyphosatehexazinonealfalfa, Medicago sativa L.Established alfalfaforage qualityalfalfa stand persistence
Type
Weed Management—Major Crops
Information
Weed Technology , Volume 26 , Issue 3 , September 2012 , pp. 399 - 404
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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