Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 January 2017
Purple nutsedge is among the most troublesome weeds of vegetables in theSoutheast US and a substantial impediment in the search for methyl bromidealternatives. Greater understanding of the environmental cues that regulatetuber sprouting may assist in improved nutsedge management. Experiments wereconducted to evaluate the effect of diurnal temperature variation onsprouting of purple nutsedge tubers. Two temperature regimes were evaluated:the first averaged 28 C, with daily fluctuations ranging from 0 to 19.5 C;the second temperature regime averaged 16 C, with daily fluctuations rangingfrom 0 to 18.5 C. When average temperature was 28 C, cumulative tubersprouting ranged from 88 to 92%, with no detectable differences amongdiurnal fluctuations. The high average temperature in the first study mayhave negated any type of enforced sprouting suppression. However, whenaverage temperature was lowered to 16 C (simulating early spring diurnalfluctuations under polyethylene mulch), there was a positive linearcorrelation between maximum tuber sprouting and temperature variation. Withan average temperature of 16 C, the absence of temperature variationresulted in 52% purple nutsedge sprouting, while 87% sprouting occurred whendaily temperature varied 18.5 C at the same average temperature. The use ofvarious types of mulching material can affect average soil temperatures anddiurnal variations, potentially shifting nutsedge emergence. Further studiesare needed to determine if these data on tuber sprouting in response toalternating temperatures can facilitate more efficient weed management.