Seedling emergence of Smallflower Morningglory and Green Foxtail subjected to a pulsed electric field

Non-chemical approaches to weed control as possible methyl bromide alternatives, or for organic production, are needed in vegetable production. Effects of pulsed electric fields generated by a DC breakdown event and from a Blunlein transmission line type generator were tested to ascertain their effe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of vegetable science 2007-08, Vol.13 (1), p.61-72
Main Authors: Foshee, Wheeler G. III, Kirkici, Hulya, Hung, John Y, Blythe, Eugene K, Goel, Aditya, Wehtje, Glenn R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
dose response
Jacquemontia tamnifolia
methyl bromide
methyl bromide alternative
non-chemical weed control
organic production
pulsed electric fields
pulsed power
seedling emergence
seedling growth
Setaria viridis
vegetable growing
vegetables
weed biology
weed control
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Summary:Non-chemical approaches to weed control as possible methyl bromide alternatives, or for organic production, are needed in vegetable production. Effects of pulsed electric fields generated by a DC breakdown event and from a Blunlein transmission line type generator were tested to ascertain their effects on seedling emergence of Smallflower Morningglory [Jacquemontia tamnifolia(L.) Briseb.] and Green Foxtail [Setaria viridis(L.) Beauv.]. Seeds were air-dried and exposed to single and repetitive pulsed electric fields. To determine the effect of these systems the parameters of the pulsed system such as duration, rise/ fall time, repetition rate, and field strength, were tested. The DC breakdown results indicated a decrease in percent seedling emergence for Green Foxtail and an increase in seedling emergence for Smallflower Morningglory. A replicated study was conducted with a 50 ns pulse generator with an average of 59 kV output. The pulsed electric field method caused a small increase in seedling emergence from air-dried seed of Smallflower Morningglory, possibly due to disruption of the hard seed coat of this species. A better understanding of the application of a pulsed electric field may lead to a method for non-chemical weed control.
ISSN:1931-5260
1931-5279
DOI:10.1300/J512v13n01_05