Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T19:13:10.817Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A New Soil Sampler and Elutriator for Collecting and Extracting Weed Seeds from Soil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2017

Lori J. Wiles
Affiliation:
, Water Manage. Res. Unit, USDA-Agric. Res. Serv., AERC, Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO 80523
Douglass H. Barlin
Affiliation:
, Water Manage. Res. Unit, USDA-Agric. Res. Serv., AERC, Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO 80523
Edward E. Schweizer
Affiliation:
, Water Manage. Res. Unit, USDA-Agric. Res. Serv., AERC, Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO 80523
Harold R. Duke
Affiliation:
, Water Manage. Res. Unit, USDA-Agric. Res. Serv., AERC, Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO 80523
Douglas E. Whitt
Affiliation:
AERC, Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO 80523

Abstract

A soil sampler, elutriator, and associated sample flushing device were designed and constructed for an intensive study of weed seedbanks. This equipment was used in 1993 to collect and process 4980 soil samples. The sampler was durable, core size was consistent, and sampling was efficient. Cores were approximately 200 cm3 and two people could take 120 cores/h. The elutriator separated weed seeds from 36 of these cores at a time. Washing required 60 to 75 min depending on soil texture. Seeds as small as 0.3 mm in diam were recovered and almost 100% of the seeds were recovered from samples spiked with barnyardgrass, redroot pigweed, velvetleaf, and witchgrass. The flushing device was used to transfer sample contents from strainers of the elutriator to propyltex bags for drying and storing. Equipment like this, plus improved technology for identifying and counting seeds, is needed to make weed seedbank studies more feasible.

Type
Research
Copyright
Copyright © 1996 by the Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

1. Bigwood, D. W. and Inouye, D. W. 1988. Spatial pattern analysis of seed banks: an improved method and optimized sampling. Ecology 69:497507.Google Scholar
2. Brown, P. L. 1964. Soil sampling tube. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. Proc. 29:96.Google Scholar
3. Buhler, D. D. and Maxwell, B. D. 1993. Seed separation and enumeration from soil using K2CO3-centrifugation and image analysis. Weed Sci. 41:298302.Google Scholar
4. Davis, J. F. and French, G. W. 1952. An organic soil sampler with telescoping handle. Mich. Agric. Exp. Stn. Q. Bull. No. 35. 4 p.Google Scholar
5. Eplee, R. E. and Norris, R. S. 1990. Soil sampling collection equipment and equipment to separate seeds from soil. p. 136140 in Sands, P. F., Eplee, R. E., and Westbrooks, R. G., eds. Witchweed Research and Control in the United States. Weed Sci. Soc. Am. Monogr. 5.Google Scholar
6. Fay, P. K. and Olson, W. A. 1978. Technique for separating weed seed from soil. Weed Sci. 26:530533.Google Scholar
7. Flynt, T. O., Riley, T. E., Bovey, R. W., and Meyer, R. E. 1971. Auger soil sampler for herbicide residues. Weed Sci. 19:583584.Google Scholar
8. Gross, K. L. and Renner, K. A. 1989. A new method for estimating seed numbers in the soil. Weed Sci. 37:836839.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9. Hamilton, E. W. 1967. A portable powered soil-core sampler for residue analysis. J. Econ. Entomol. 60:301302.Google Scholar
10. Kovach, D. A., Thill, D. C., and Young, F. L. 1988. A water-spray system for removing seed from soil. Weed Technol. 2:338341.Google Scholar
11. Malone, C. R. 1967. A rapid method for enumeration of viable seeds in soil. Weeds 15:381382.Google Scholar
12. Robinson, E. L. and Kust, C. A. 1962. Distribution of witchweed seeds in soil. Weeds 10:3.35.Google Scholar
13. Robinson, E. L., Woolen, O. B., and Fulgham, F. E. 1967. A new method for extracting soil samples. Weeds 15:368370.Google Scholar
14. Schweizer, E. E. and Frey, C. R. 1974. Collecting soil cores in plastic liners. Weed Sci. 22:45.Google Scholar