Weed Control In The Future May Hinge On What Plants ‘say’

By: Farm Progress, Western Farmer-Stockman

The life of a plant is more complicated than many originally thought, as researchers delve into a range of factors that can influence growth and development. Scientists at the Weed Science Society of America notes that plants can sense and communicate in ways that may surprise you.

Originally, it was thought that plants were relatively simple organisms, but they are constantly changing as they sense and respond to their surroundings. WSSA Fellow Clarence Swantan, a University of Guelph researcher has made a range of findings about plants and what they seem to sense.

For example, he found that corn seeds can detect whether weeds are growing above ground. They sense light reflected by weeds that penetrate the soil surface. If those corn seeds sense weeds are nearby, cellular changes are triggered that delay germination – which can result in yield losses.

He believes it may be possible to find a way to protect seeds from stresses they experience when they detect growing weeds, noting that “with the right treatment, we might be able to trigger a beneficial reaction and actually boost the development and emergence of new seedlings.”

Previously, Swanton had discovered that light reflected by weeds also helps emerged corn and soybean plants sense when competitors are growing nearby. Crops respond to chemical changes that stunt both their root system and their above-ground growth. This shows that early weed control is critical so “crops are free of competitors during the earliest stages of their growth,” Swanton says. “Delays can be costly. Weeds aren’t just competing for water and nutrients. They actually are triggering genetic-level changes that impact crop yields.”