Seed germination following herbicide treatment

Don’t rush to plant following herbicide application according to a new article published in Restoration Ecology.  In pots in a greenhouse experiment sprayed with aminopyralid or picloram at the recommended rate, native forb and grass seeds from a dry NW grassland had lower seedling emergence and biomass than pots sprayed with water.   Even though the herbicides target broadleaf plants, grass seeds also suffered.  Not just seeding post-spraying but also seed recruitment from the seedbank would likely be affected by spraying.

 

Wagner, V. and Nelson, C.R. 2014. Herbicides can negatively affect seed performance in native plants. Restoration Ecology, online 07 April

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