Late-Autumn Ramet Sprouting of Three Arable Creeping Perennial Weed Species

Abstract

Elymus repens (L.) Gould), Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. and Sonchus arvensis L. are important arable creeping perennial weeds in Europe. These are clonal plants with subterranean reproductive organs (E. repens, rhizomes, the two dicots, horizontal creeping roots) sprouting from ramets. We tested the sprouting ability and early growth of ramet sprouts at temperatures typical for Nordic autumn climate and with different preconditions of the mother plant (time in autumn, mother plant age, climate change experiences of the mother plants (two experiments)). The species reacted differently, with S. arvensis not sprouting at all, and C. arvense ramets sprouting at higher temperatures than those of E. repens, which sprouted at all tested temperatures. Plant age affected only the ramet sprout biomass of E. repens. Climate change during mother plant growth only affected C. arvense, with the highest above-ground biomass of the sprouted ramets at an elevated temperature and ambient CO2. Testing earlier in autumn showed more sprouting and biomass for C. arvense and E. repens than testing later in the season. The observed temperature responses confirmed more and bigger sprouts with higher autumn temperatures. Controlling the sprouted ramets in autumn is easier for E. repens than for C. arvensis. Due to their low/no sprouting ability in autumn, the ramets of S. arvensis cannot be controlled in autumn.