Greenhouse experiments were conducted to examine the effect of glyphosate on reproductive development in sicklepod. Glyphosate was applied postemergence over the top at 112 and 280 g ai/ha to sicklepod at 4-leaf stage (L), 8-L, 4-L followed by 8-L, and 12-L. A nontreated control was included. Immediately after the 12-L application, number of flowers was recorded for all treatments twice per week for 8 wk. Pollen viability was measured on 1 open flower/plant/sampling time using Alexander stain. The number of pods, pod length, seeds per plant, 50-seed weight, total seed weight, seed germination, seed viability, and dry weight of aboveground biomass were also recorded. No significant differences among the treatments were found for average pod length, 50-seed weight, seed germination, seed viability, and aboveground biomass. The nontreated had 18 flowers counted over 8 wk. Glyphosate applied at 12-L and sequentially at 4-L and 8-L, averaged over glyphosate rates, reduced cumulative flower production after 8 wk by 65 and 54%, respectively, compared with the nontreated. Similarly, glyphosate at 280 g/ha, averaged over treatment timings, reduced flower production by 58% compared with the nontreated. Because the number of flowers produced was limited by glyphosate treatment due to flower abscission, pollen viability measurements could not be analyzed because of large numbers of missing data points. The number of pods, seeds, and total seed weight were reduced by 79, 80, and 81%, respectively, with 280 g/ha of glyphosate compared with the nontreated.
Nomenclature: Glyphosate; sicklepod, Senna obtusifolia (L.) Irwin and Barneby #3 CASOB.
Additional index words: Alexander stain, pollen viability, tetrazolium chloride.
Abbreviations: fb, followed by; IAA, indoleacetic acid; L, leaf stage.
