Peanut Cultivars Differing in Growth Habit and Canopy Architecture Respond Similarly to Weed Interference

Abstract

ABSTRACT It has been proposed that crops can be improved to be more competitive with weeds by increasing their ability to suppress weed growth and reproduction. Weed suppressive ability is predominantly influenced by plant architectures that favor shading and rapid canopy closure. A three-yr field experiment was conducted in Jay, FL to assess the response of peanut cultivars with different growth habits to weed interference. Three cultivars (‘Bailey', erect growth and tall canopy height; ‘Georgia-06G', semi-bunch and intermediate height; ‘TUFRunner 727’, prostrate growth and intermediate height) and one advanced breeding line (‘UFT312’, very prostrate growth and short canopy height) were subjected to three weed interference levels: no interference, early season interference, and full-season interference. Results showed that, despite differences in growth habit, morphological response to weed interference was similar among peanut cultivars. All cultivars suppressed weed growth more than 76% in 2 of 3 yr. Peanut reduced reproductive growth and maintained vegetative growth under weed interference scenarios, and yields decreased as interference duration increased. Competitiveness of peanut to weeds could be improved by identification of lines that better balance translocation of photoassimilates favoring kernels over vegetative growth.