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Effect of weed interference on Zea mays : Growth analysis
Author(s) -
Ghanizadeh Hossein,
Lorzadeh Shapoor,
Aryannia Nazer
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
weed biology and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.351
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 1445-6664
pISSN - 1444-6162
DOI - 10.1111/wbm.12041
Subject(s) - weed , biology , leaf area index , randomized block design , agronomy , competition (biology) , crop , dry matter , zea mays , phenology , specific leaf area , power index , photosynthesis , mathematics , botany , ecology , mathematical economics
In order to investigate the effect of weed competition on corn, growth trials were conducted in Shushtar, Iran, using a comparative growth analysis. In this study, two sets of treatments were imposed, based on the phenological stages of corn development, using a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The results showed that barnyardgrass and redroot pigweed were the most dominant weeds in these trials. Increasing the duration of weed interference reduced the corn leaf area index gradually. The reduction in the corn leaf area index led to a decline in the crop growth rate as a result of a reduction in the ability of corn to capture light and its photosynthetic ability. The total dry matter and relative growth rate of corn were decreased when the weeds were removed later as a result of a reduction in the leaf area index. According to these results, the leaf area index has a critical role in weed–crop competition.