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GROWTH AND REPRODUCTIVE STRATEGIES OF TWO ANNUAL WEEDS AS AFFECTED BY SOIL NITROGEN AND DENSITY LEVELS
Author(s) -
TRIVEDI S.,
TRIPATHI R. S.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8137.1982.tb03327.x
Subject(s) - mentha arvensis , weed , biology , agronomy , nitrogen , botany , population , annual plant , chemistry , demography , organic chemistry , sociology , essential oil
SUMMARY The growth and reproductive strategies of two weeds, Spergula arvensis L., a weed of croplands, and Plantago major L., a weed of wastelands and lawns, were studied in relation to two soil nitrogen and four population density levels. The dry matter yield under the various treatments revealed that S. arvensis is less sensitive to density increase than P. major. The dry matter allocation pattern with reference to reproductive allocation was, however, not appreciably modified by soil nitrogen or density levels in either of the species, though reproductive allocation was higher in S. arvensis than P. major. S. arvensis produced larger numbers of seeds in nitrogen‐rich soil while P. major did not. The results indicate that S. arvensis is more of an ‘ r ‐’ strategist and P. major is ‘ K ‐’ selected in the r‐K continuum. In the C‐S‐R strategy model ( sensu Grime), P. major may be assigned a position more towards ‘ C ’ and S. arvensis more towards ‘ R ’.