Newswise — In a new study, researchers have found that morningglory are 78-percent more likely to locate and climb neighboring corn stalks if located within 46 cm. Because many crops are planted with row spacing of 76 to 90 cm, the success of morningglory in locating and climbing the crop readily illustrates reasons why control of morningglory is critical. The study is published in the latest issue of Weed Technology.
Morningglory can grow and reproduce readily on the ground surface. The ability to locate a neighboring plant or object may be because of a phototrophic response, a basic growth-orienting process in which light plays a central role in orienting plant shoots to grow in a particular direction. Another proposed mechanism for the ability of morningglory to find and climb neighboring green vegetation relates to the ability of the plants to detect and respond to neighboring-plant-induced alterations of the far-red light environment.
In the study, greenhouse and field experiments were initiated to determine whether morningglory grew preferentially toward certain colored structures or corn plants. Greenhouse-grown ivyleaf morningglory varied in frequency when locating and climbing toward black (17%), blue (58%), red (58%), white (67%), green (75%), and yellow (75%) stakes or corn (92%). Pots containing black stakes had the fewest climbing morningglory plants.
Morningglory initial planting distance from colored structures or corn was also significant in the percentage of ivyleaf morningglories that exhibited climbing growth and in its final weight. Morningglories that successfully located and climbed structures or corn weighed more and produced more seed than morningglories that remained on the ground. The researchers concluded that ivyleaf morningglory appeared to respond to spatial distribution of surrounding objects, and possibly responded to far-red light reflectance from those objects to preferentially project its stems toward a likely structure for climbing.
To read the entire study, click here . Weed Technology is a publication of the Weed Science Society of America publishing original articles about current weed science research and technology, teaching, extension, industry, consulting, and regulation. Weed Technology includes original research on weed biology and control, weed and crop management systems, reports of new weed problems, new technologies for weed management and, and special articles emphasizing technology transfer to improve weed control. For more information about the Weed Science Society of America, visit http://www.wssa.net.
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