Poster Title
P-10 Exploring Soil Texture Effects on Mustard Seed Meal Suppression of the Weed Velvetleaf
Abstract
The use of mustard seed meal (MSM) as a biofumigant in managing weeds in agricultural settings has been well documented. Previous work with MSM has shown that soils with higher sand content were better at weed suppression. It was hypothesized that the elevated sand content created more air space for the volatile inhibitory compounds to spread and work. Although initial results from bioassays systematically testing the comparison of 5 differing levels of sand showed support for this hypothesis, further testing with micron-sized glass beads showed that loss of airspace did not reduce the effectiveness of MSM in suppressing velvetleaf.
Start Date
2-28-2020 2:30 PM
P-10 Exploring Soil Texture Effects on Mustard Seed Meal Suppression of the Weed Velvetleaf
The use of mustard seed meal (MSM) as a biofumigant in managing weeds in agricultural settings has been well documented. Previous work with MSM has shown that soils with higher sand content were better at weed suppression. It was hypothesized that the elevated sand content created more air space for the volatile inhibitory compounds to spread and work. Although initial results from bioassays systematically testing the comparison of 5 differing levels of sand showed support for this hypothesis, further testing with micron-sized glass beads showed that loss of airspace did not reduce the effectiveness of MSM in suppressing velvetleaf.
Acknowledgments
J.N. Andrews Honors Scholar
Mentor: Robert Zdor, Biology