A NEW study has shown that blackgrass uses specific adaptations to flourish even when soil is totally saturated for up to three weeks.
Black-grass thrives on heavy land, particularly where drainage is poor and the findings reveal that when waterlogged, black-grass plants grow bigger than their well-drained counterparts.
Even though blackgrass doesn't pose as many issues for potato growers as for other crops, blackgrass plants can still seed in the potato crop, reducing attractiveness.
The research examined different populations of blackgrass and showed that the more herbicide resistant the population was, the more waterlogging tolerant it was too.
Other studies have shown that weed competition early in crop development has the greatest impact on yield. These findings suggest fields infested with herbicide resistant blackgrass are going to be badly affected by autumn waterlogging. The results also help to explain why black-grass tends to form patches in areas of the field where the soil is good at holding onto water.
Rothamsted’s Dr Dana MacGregor, who led the research, said: “This is an important step forward in our understanding of what makes black-grass so resilient. We are getting closer to pinpointing the physical and genetic mechanisms.”
She said blackgrass is incredibly resilient and will probably do pretty well even in the face of climate chang.“If we want to future-proof our crops, studying how this weed survives today’s challenges could help us to identify new or useful traits that could be used in tomorrow’s crops.”
The research was primarily funded under a Science Initiative Catalyst Award (SICA) supported by BBSRC, as part of the Growing Health Strategic Research Programme.
