Soybean yield and yield components as influenced by the single and repeated flaming

Abstract Field experiments were conducted to study the impact of single and multiple flaming on crop injury, yield components, and yield of soybean. The goal of this experiment was to determine the number of the maximum flaming treatments which soybean could tolerate without any yield loss. The treatments consisted of a non-flamed control, and broadcast flaming conducted one time (at VC-unfolded cotyledon, V2-second trifoliate, and V5-fifth trifoliate), two times (each at VC and V2, VC and V5, and V2 and V5 stages), and three times (at VC, V2, and V5 stages) resulting in a total of eight treatments. All plots were kept weed-free for the entire growing season by hand hoeing. A propane dose of 50 kg ha −1 was applied with torches parallel to the crop row and at an operating speed of 4.8 km h −1 for all treatments. The response of soybean was measured as visual injury ratings (at 7 and 28 days after treatment – DAT) as well as effects on yield components and yield. Broadcast flaming conducted once (at VC or V5 stage), as well as twice (at VC and V5 stages) exhibited the lowest injury of about 8% at 28 DAT. Any treatment that contained flaming at V2 stage resulted in more than 70% injury at 28 DAT. The highest crop yields were obtained from the non-flamed control (3.45 t ha −1 ) and the plots flamed once at VC (3.35 t ha −1 ), V5 (3.32 t ha −1 ), and two times at VC and V5 (3.24 t ha −1 ), which were all statistically similar. Soybean flamed at V2 stage had lower yields (1.03 t ha −1 at V2, 0.46 t ha −1 at VC and V2, and 0.38 t ha −1 at V2 and V5). The lowest yields were in soybean flamed three times (VC, V2, and V5 stages), which yielded only 0.36 t ha −1 . These results indicate that soybean could tolerate a maximum of two flaming treatments at VC and V5 growth stages per season without any yield reduction.

[1]  Stevan Z. Knezevic,et al.  Maize response to broadcast flaming at different growth stages: Effects on growth, yield and yield components , 2011 .

[2]  Clarence J. Swanton,et al.  The Critical Period of Weed Control in Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] , 1993, Weed Science.

[3]  Manjit S. Kang,et al.  Path Analyses of the Yield Formation Process for Late‐Planted Soybean , 1999 .

[4]  Philippe Seguin,et al.  Impact of selective flame weeding on onion yield, pungency, flavonoid concentration, and weeds , 2012 .

[5]  A. C. Grundy,et al.  Non‐chemical weed management in organic farming systems , 2001 .

[6]  M. N. Rifai,et al.  Effect of two different thermal units and three types of mulch on weeds in apple orchards , 2002 .

[7]  Cm Penfold,et al.  Biological farming for sustainable agricultural production , 1995 .

[8]  A. Datta,et al.  Growth Stage-Influenced Differential Response of Foxtail and Pigweed Species to Broadcast Flaming , 2010, Weed Technology.

[9]  D. Peterson,et al.  Common waterhemp (Amaranthus rudis) resistance to protoporphyrinogen oxidase-inhibiting herbicides , 2003, Weed Science.

[10]  Dawit Mulugeta,et al.  Critical time of weed removal in glyphosate-resistant Glycine max , 2000, Weed Science.

[11]  Stevan Z. Knezevic,et al.  Flaming as an Alternative Weed Control Method for Conventional and Organic Agronomic Crop Production Systems: A Review , 2013 .

[12]  Stevan Z. Knezevic,et al.  Growth Stage Influenced Sorghum Response to Broadcast Flaming: Effects on Yield and Its Components , 2011 .

[13]  D. Doohan,et al.  Weed control and crop quality in cabbage (Brassica oleracea (capitata group)) and tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum) using a propane flamer , 2007 .

[14]  H. F. Abouziena,et al.  Efficacy Comparison of Some New Natural-Product Herbicides for Weed Control at Two Growth Stages , 2009, Weed Technology.

[15]  J. Hanway,et al.  How a soybean plant develops , 1967 .

[16]  S. Herbert,et al.  Partitioning Soybean Seed Yield Components1 , 1982 .

[17]  J. Ascard,et al.  Dose–response models for flame weeding in relation to plant size and density , 1994 .

[18]  A. Datta,et al.  Yield and yield components of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] are influenced by the timing of broadcast flaming , 2010 .

[19]  T. Arkebauer,et al.  Weed control and crop tolerance to propane flaming as influenced by the time of day , 2012 .

[20]  M. Kropff,et al.  Ecological weed management by cover cropping: effects on weed growth in autumn and weed establishment in spring , 2008 .

[21]  A. Datta,et al.  Tolerance of selected weed species to broadcast flaming at different growth stages , 2010 .

[22]  S. Herbert,et al.  Differential Response of Soybean Yield Components to the Timing of Light Enrichment , 2000 .