Studying the Effect of Different Soil waterlogging Stress Levels and Burial Depth on Growth Characteristics of Strangle Wort (Cynanchum acutum) seeds and rhizomes

In Iran, the majority of research has been done on the depth of burial on crops and the effect of these factors on weeds resulted from seeds and rhziomes of seedlings has been less studied. Strangle Wort weed is one of the most problematic weeds in sugarcane fields, orchards, especially pistachio orchards, barren lands, and roads. Thus, this study aimed to find out the effect of different levels of burial depth and flood stress on the extent and quality of seedlings resulted from its rhizomes.

Two separate greenhouse experiments based on completely randomized design with four replications were conducted in the experimental farm of Sugarcane Research Institute of Khuzestan province at 2014-2015 growing season. Flooding stress treatment included 7 levels of flooding stress (4, 8, 16, 24, 48, 72, and 96 flooding hours) and 6 levels of seed burial (1, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 15 cm) and rhizome burial depth treatment included 7 levels (1, 3, 5, 7, 10, and cm 15).

With increasing levels of flood stress, all studied traits including root length, stem height, total dry matter biomass, shoot dry weight and root dry weight of strangle wort rhizomes decreased at 96 hours of waterlogged stress compared to the control by 63, 70, 59, 98 and 74 percent, respectively. Also, in second experiment, buried rhizomes of this weed with a length of 5 cm at a depth of 15 cm were not able to produce new seedlings.

According to these results, for proper management of this weed, highly contaminated areas in the field should be identified (especially in sugarcane fallow fields because at this time there is no weed control limitation). Then, the weed should be turned it into pieces smaller than 5 cm with plowing tools. Also, if possible, with suitable tools, transfer rhizomes should be transferred to a depth of more than 15 cm and integrated weed control management with drought and flooding stress and burial depth with at least two times of plowing could be implemented to control weed and prevent its expansion.

1-Germination characteristics of strangle wort seedlings under burial depths and flooding stress were evaluated.2-The effect of burial depth and flooding stress on control and management of strangle wort was examined.3-Precise determination of weed biology and weed germination behavior will lead to proper execution of weed control program.