Effects of fertilizer salts on the germination of corn, winter wheat, and their common weed species

Abstract

Laboratory and greenhouse experiments were carried out to study the effects of the fertilizer salts, NH₄NO₃, ammonium nitrate‐limestone, (NH4)₂SO₄, urea, KC1, K₂SO₄, superphospate, and triple superphosphate, on the germination of corn, winter wheat, and their common weed species (ABUTH and AMARE for corn and GALAP and MATIN for wheat). Increasing rates of fertilizer salts from 10, 100, and 1,000 ppm were applied in five replicates in both laboratory and greenhouse experiments on 0.5 kg of a loamy soil. In the laboratory experiments, seeds were germinated on top of paper at 22°C. Germination of winter wheat seeds was inhibited only by the highest dose of urea, while that of its weed species was highly affected by the applied fertilizers. Germination and emergence of corn was only slightly affected by the fertilizer salts. Significant changes in germination of AMARE could be observed with each fertilizer salt and each concentration; these changes tended to be positive even with the highest level of superphosphates. Emergence of ABUTH was only slightly affected by the lower rates of fertilizers while it was significantly reduced by higher doses of nitrogen (N) fertilizers. Results of these studies may serve as means of integrated weed control.