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Budding Phenology of Guar in the Rolling Plains of Texas 1
Author(s) -
Rogers C. E.,
Stafford R. E.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1976.00021962006800030014x
Subject(s) - guar , cyamopsis , agronomy , phenology , budding , biology , horticulture , botany
Development of a sound pest management program for the midge, Contarinia texana (Felt), requires a knowledge of the budding phenology of guar, Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub. Thus a 3‐year study was designed to determine the budding pattern for guar in the Rolling Plains of Texas. Guar was sampled and the number of floral buds counted weekly from the onset of budding until the plants reached maturity or were terminated by a freezing temperature. Bud production in guar under dryland cultivation was greatest in plants that emerged in mid‐June. With adequate soil moisture, three‐quarters of the total bud load in dryland guar was produced during the middle one‐third of the production period. Maximum bud production in dryland guar occurred during the 8th, 8th, 11th, and 16th week, respectively, for guar emerging on 25 May 1973, 12 July 1973, 12 July 1972, 15 June 1972 and 19 July 1974. Plants emerging on these dates produced 100, 50, 90 and 60% of the total bud load, respectively, by mid‐September. Bud production in irrigated guar was greatest in plants that emerged in mid‐to‐late May. Irrigated guar emerging on 22 May, 18 June, and 18 July, 1973, experienced maximum bud production during the eleventh, eighth, and sixth week postemergence, respectively. Plants emerging on these dates produced 90, 70, and 57% of the total buds, respectively, by mid‐September. This study indicates that for maximum returns for chemical control of the “guar midge,” treatment should be restricted to the middle one‐third of the budding season.