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Soybean Yield Responses and Intraspecific Competition from Simulated Seedcorn Maggot Injury
Author(s) -
Higley Leon G.,
Pedigo Larry P.
Publication year - 1991
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/agronj1991.00021962008300010031x
Subject(s) - intraspecific competition , biology , interspecific competition , competition (biology) , agronomy , yield (engineering) , botany , ecology , materials science , metallurgy
The reproductive and competitive responses of plants to early season stresses are not well known. In field experiments from 1983 to 1986 we examined these effects for one system; simulated seedcorn maggot (SCM), Delia platura (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) injury to soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr. Injury included different plant densities (simulating stand reductions) and different ratios of plumule‐injured to uninjured plants (simulating different levels of plumule destruction). Our objectives were to describe (i) how simulated SCM injury affected total yield, yield components, and intraspecific competition between injured and uninjured plants, and (ii) to determine the value of the replacement series experimental design for examining intraspecific competition from injury. Plant density did not influence plot yields but did affect yield components of injured and uninjured plants. The proportion of injured to uninjured plants influenced plot yields in 1983 and 1984 but not in 1985 or 1986. Uninjured soybean were much stronger competitors than injured soybean. Yield reductions of injured plants were attributable to competition from uninjured plants. Specifically, competition seemed to increase shading and reduce assimilate availability of injured plants. The replacement series design was a powerful technique for describing intraspecific competition arising from insect injury.