Critical Timing of Fall Panicum (Panicum dichotomiflorum) Removal in Sugarcane

Abstract

Fall panicum is the most troublesome annual grass weed in sugarcane in Florida. The critical timing of fall panicum removal in sugarcane or the maximum amount of early season interference that sugarcane can tolerate before it suffers irrecoverable yield loss is not known. Field studies were conducted from 2012 to 2015 in Belle Glade, FL to determine the critical timing of fall panicum removal and season-long interference in sugarcane. The effect of season-long fall panicum interference and critical timing of removal based on 5 and 10% acceptable yield loss (AYL) levels were determined by fitting a log-logistic equation to percentage millable stalk, cane, and sugar yield loss data. Millable stalks, cane, and sucrose yield decreased as the duration of fall panicum interference increased. Season-long interference of fall panicum resulted in 34 to 60%, 34 to 62%, and 44 to 60% millable stalk, cane, and sucrose yield loss, respectively. The critical timing of fall panicum removal based on 5 and 10% AYL for millable stalks was 5 to 9 wk after sugarcane emergence (WAE). At 5 and 10% AYL, the critical timing of fall panicum removal ranged from 5 to 9 WAE and 6 to 8 WAE for cane and sucrose yield loss, respectively. These results show that fall panicum is competitive with sugarcane early in the season, demonstrating the need for timely early-season control to reduce negative effect on yield.