Tillage and Soybean Canopy Effects on Common Cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium) Emergence

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted in Pendleton, SC, in 2004 and 2005, to determine the influence of tillage with or without soybean on common cocklebur emergence. Treatments included no-till/no soybean (NTNS), no-till plus soybean (NTS), tillage/no soybean (TNS), and tillage plus soybean (TS). Emergence was monitored from an artificial seed bank in 2004 and a natural seed bank in 2005. Overall, common cocklebur emerged from early May through late October and presented multiple emergence. In no-till plots with or without soybean, initial emergence was delayed 7 d in both years. In TNS plots, major emergence (daily emergence > mean emergence plus standard deviation) of common cocklebur occurred from early May to late July. In NTNS plots, major emergence occurred from late May through late August. No-till reduced total common cocklebur emergence by 59 to 69% compared with tillage. At the V5 to V6 soybean growth stage, the daily soil thermal fluctuation at 2.5 cm soil depth diminished from approximately 15 to 5 C and reduced common cocklebur emergence by 84 to 91% for the rest of the growing season. Common cocklebur emergence was higher when the mean soil temperature was > 15 C, and the daily thermal fluctuation was > 7.5 C. This study suggests that strategies that promote early crop canopy development and minimum tillage should reduce common cocklebur emergence.