Dissemination of Weed Seeds by Irrigation Water

Abstract

Irrigation laterals PL.15.LR and S2.15W, in the Yakima Valley of Washington and the Columbia River near Paterson, Washington, were sampled for weed seeds during 1970, 1971, and 1973–74, respectively. Weekly or biweekly screenings of the water in the three systems during the irrigation season yielded seeds of 137, 84, and 77 plant species, respectively. In the same order, the total number of seeds per 254 kl of water averaged 2,220, 682, and 292 for the season. Moreover, if the seeds were evenly distributed in the average amount of water used to irrigate the land during the season, the number of seeds disseminated would average 94,500, 10,400, and 14,100 per hectare. Weed control practiced by water users along certain sections of S2.15W markedly reduced both the kind and number of weed seeds found in the water when compared with PL.15.LR on which no weed control measures were used.