Posts Tagged: seed production
The Case for Removing Weeds From Growing Areas
But suppose you miss some weeds that are starting to flower but the flowers aren't open yet? I think most growers will just pull or cut the weed and leave it in or near the field.
I want to show you a time-lapse video I took. I cut the flowering stem off of an annual sowthistle plant and took a photo with a special camera every minute for 6 days. As you can clearly see, even though the stem was no longer receiving water or nutrients from the soil, at least the flower bud continued to mature and produce seeds. Now, having said that, I have not germinated the seeds to see if they are viable, but there is a good chance they are. Click HERE for video. It's about 1 1/2 minutes long, but most of the action happens in the first 50 seconds.
So the take home message - if the weeds have flower buds starting to open, remove them to covered piles, trash cans, or other area where they will not be a source of new weed seeds.
The Case for Removing Weeds From Growing Areas
One point I always make is that the sooner you control annual weeds, the better. The reduces crop-weed competition, along with a host of other issues caused by weeds (we'll save that for another blog). But the real key to forward-looking weed management is to kill the weed before it...
Bees and Onions Go Together: Pollination Partners
The University of California, Davis, is a world leader in seed, plant and agricultural sciences. Some 100 seed and seed-related companies are located near UC Davis and benefit greatly from its proximity, but the influence of UC Davis extends throughout the USA and far beyond.--Seed...
Honey bees on an onion umbel. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Honey bees circling the "globe" (onion umbel). (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Compensatory growth and seed production: A tale of two weeds
Talking Points: Weed control failures can and do occur. Weed control failures occur for many reasons, including improper treatment applications and plant size and development at the time of treatment. Plants that aren't completely controlled can produce viable seed and re-infest...