Field experiments were conducted in 1999 and 2000 in northern Greece to study interference between johnsongrass from seed or rhizomes and three corn hybrids (‘Dunia’, ‘Papea’, and ‘Costanza’). Fresh weight of each corn hybrid was lower with greater duration of johnsongrass interference, and it was lower for corn grown with johnsongrass from rhizomes than from seed. Corn-silage yield and corn-grain yield were 10 to 14% less than weed-free corn yield when grown with johnsongrass plants from rhizomes 4 wk after sowing (WAS) or from seed 6 WAS. Regression analysis indicated that a corn-grain yield loss of 10% was associated with an interference period of 2.6 to 2.7 WAS for johnsongrass from rhizomes and 4.3 to 5.1 WAS for johnsongrass from seed compared with weed-free corn. Corn-silage yield with season-long interference by johnsongrass from rhizomes or from seed was 83 and 62% lower, respectively, than was weed-free corn yield. Similarly, corn-grain yield with season-long interference by johnsongrass from rhizomes or from seed was 88 and 57% lower, respectively, than was the yield from weed-free corn. Corn-ear length of each hybrid was more affected by johnsongrass interference than was 1,000-seed weight. Johnsongrass plants from rhizomes emerged earlier, grew faster, and produced greater fresh weight than did plants from seed. However, fresh weight and stem number of johnsongrass plants from either seed or rhizomes were not affected by corn hybrids.

Nomenclature: Johnsongrass, Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. SORHA; corn, Zea mays L. ‘Pioneer Costanza’, ‘Pioneer Dunia’, ‘Pioneer Papea’.