Tillage Effects and Environmental Influences on Quackgrass (Agropyron repens) Rhizome Growth

Abstract

Field experiments were established in 1978 and repeated in 1979 to monitor quackgrass [Agropyron repens (L.) Beauv. ♯3 AGRRE] rhizome growth through a growing season. Quackgrass shoots grew most vigorously when temperatures were moderate. They elongated and differentiated an inflorescence in June. Rhizome apical tips remained belowground in late spring, early summer, and early fall. Quackgrass rhizome tips grew vertically and emerged from the soil in midsummer and late fall. Experiments conducted in growth chambers revealed that photoperiod, temperature, and nitrogen level affected quackgrass shoot and rhizome growth. Shoots grew vigorously at 21C and elongated to differentiate an inflorescence when exposed to a photoperiod of 14 h or longer. Rhizome apical tips remained belowground when plants were grown at 21 C and received 16 or 12 h of light, but the tips curved upward and emerged from the soil when quackgrass was grown at 32 or 10 C, or when the plants received 14 or less than 10 h of light. The temperature and photoperiod responses coordinated to partition the growing season into primary rhizome and rhizome-tiller growth periods.