Factors affecting weed seed germination and seedling growth in lowland rice in Indonesia

Summary Experiments were carried out in Indonesia to see whether weeds of lowland rice fields could be managed by manipulation of the water table and what factors affected germination of their seeds. It was found that seeds of two Scirpus spp. germinated when buried in anaerobic soil but not when on the surface, whereas seeds of two Echinochloa spp. germinated when on the surface of both aerobic and anaerobic soils but when buried germinated only in aerobic soil. The germination of weed seeds was affected to differing extents by submergence in water at depths down to 20 cm. Germination of Fimbristylis littoralis seeds was greatly reduced and of Ludwigia hyssopifolia was complétély inhibited by submergence. Conversely, germination of Monochoria vaginalis seeds was virtually unaffected. It is suggested that the effect of submergence on germination of some species may be due to their reaction to the amplitude of temperature fluctuation. The germination and emergence of seedlings under water were greatly reduced by a cover of Salvinia molesta . The practical importance of these findings is discussed.