A 4-yr field study was conducted during 1998 through 2001 at Stoneville, MS, to determine the effects of narrow-row transgenic cotton and soybean rotation on purple nutsedge populations and crop yield. Crop rotations over 4 yr included cotton and soybean sown in the following patterns: CCSS, CSCS, SCSC, SSCC, and continuous cotton (CCCC) and soybean (SSSS), where cotton is denoted as (C) and soybean as (S), all with herbicide programs that were glyphosate based, non–glyphosate based, or no purple-nutsedge control (NPNC). Purple nutsedge populations and shoot dry biomass were reduced in cotton and soybean rotation and continuous soybean by 72 and 92%, respectively, whereas in continuous cotton, purple nutsedge populations increased by 67% and shoot dry biomass was reduced by 32% after 4 yr. Reductions in purple nutsedge populations also occurred in soybean when cotton was rotated with soybean (CSCS and SCSC), compared with continuous cotton. Among herbicide programs, the glyphosate-based program was more effective in reducing purple nutsedge populations, compared with the non–glyphosate-based program. Seed cotton yield was greater with cotton following soybean (SCSC) than with cotton following cotton (CCCC, CCSS) in 1999. However, seed cotton yields were similar regardless of crop rotation systems in 2000 and 2001. Seed cotton yields were equivalent in the glyphosate-based and non–glyphosate-based programs in 1999 and 2001. During 1999 to 2001, seed cotton yields were reduced by 62 to 85% in NPNC compared with yields in glyphosate- and non–glyphosate-based programs. Soybean yields were unaffected by crop rotation systems in all the 4 yr. Among herbicide programs, non–glyphosate-based program in all 4 yr and glyphosate-based program in 1999 and 2000 gave higher soybean yield compared with NPNC. After 4 yr of rotation, purple nutsedge tubers and plant density were highest in continuous cotton and lowest in continuous soybean. Both herbicide programs reduced tubers per core and plant density compared with NPNC, and the glyphosate-based program was more effective than the non–glyphosate-based program. These results show that in cotton production, severe infestations of purple nutsedge can be managed by rotating cotton with soybean or by using glyphosate-based herbicide program in glyphosate-resistant cotton.
Nomenclature: Glyphosate; purple nutsedge, Cyperus rotundus L. #3 CYPRO; cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. ‘DP 436RR’; soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr. ‘DP 5806RR’.
Additional index words: Purple nutsedge tuber, transgenic crop.
Abbreviations: fb, followed by; NPNC, herbicide program with no purple-nutsedge control; POST, postemergence; PPI, preplant incorporated; PRE, preemergence.
