Crop Tech Corner
Weeds Nibble Away at Nitrogen
By Mark Moore
DTN Contributing Editor
Research recently published in the Journal Crop and Pasture Science indicates weeds could be stealing Nitrogen (N) from crops.
The study "investigated the ability of several plant species commonly occurring as weeds in Australian cropping systems to produce root exudates that inhibit nitrification via biological nitrification inhibition (BNI)."
The weeds -- wild radish, great brome grass, wild oats and annual ryegrass -- were considered.
Read the preliminary results of the study here: http://bit.ly/…
Each of the weed species showed the ability to suppress nitrification, which could help them to compete with other plants for nitrogen. "This highlights that increasing our understanding of how plants influence soil microbiota and associated nutrient cycling could open the door to potential novel weed-management strategies," according to the study. Further research is needed to explore whether it is possible to enhance weed-control strategies by manipulating the form and or timing of N supplied to crops.
"Weeds are called weeds for a reason," writes Cathryn O'Sullivan, a researcher with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization. "They are masters of invasion, and they use sneaky tricks to give them an advantage over our crops. This is very interesting research that could one day give us another tool in our arsenal against our selfish weeds."
PASS THE CORN BELT-RAISED RICEhttps://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/crops/article/2017/12/01/weeds-nibble-away-nitrogen-3
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