
More Corn Seed Can Mean Less Weed SeedBy Don Comis November 6, 1997Planting 50 percent more corn seed than usual cuts weed seed production by
69 to 94 percent, researchers say. Since fewer weeds grow, less chemical weed
killer is needed for years to come, according to a 3-year study by the
Agricultural Research Service in
Beltsville, Md. The results also showed a significant increase in corn yields
in some years. The denser corn growth forms a tighter canopy that blocks off the sun from
weeds such as velvetleaf. Trapped in the shade of taller corn plants, most
weeds are prevented from maturing enough to produce seed. ARS plant physiologist John R. Teasdale was most intrigued by the dropoff in
numbers of seeds of velvetleaf, a major weed pest for corn growers. Computer
projections show that having 80 percent less velvetleaf seeds could translate
into a 12 percent higher annual farm profits. Plus, it would eliminate the need
for herbicide in one of every four years, on average. The ARS study compared yields of corn seeded at the typical rate--25,000
plants per acre--and at rates 50 and 100 percent higher. Increasing the seeding rate can backfire, however, during a drought like the
one that struck Maryland this past summer. Higher seeding rates mean more
plants competing for the same amount of available moisture. In dry years, this
can result in unacceptably low yields compared to fields planted at the typical
rate. So, the researchers say, farmers may want to reserve the technique for
irrigated fields or soils with good capacity for storing lots of moisture that
corn roots can sip. They also advise against seeding at more than 50 percent
above the typical rate. Scientific contact: John R. Teasdale, USDA-ARS
Weed Science Laboratory,
Beltsville, MD, phone (301) 504-5504, fax 504-6491, e-mail
[email protected] U.S. Department of Agriculture | |