Biological effect of maleic acid hydrazide on Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.)

Abstract

Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.) belongs to the family of Cyperaceae. It propagates exclusively with tubers in the ground. Its abundance has strongly increased in Switzerland in the last two decades. Main reasons for this increase are changing land use and production systems, a difficult herbicide control and a low awareness level among the farmers. The actual invasion is enhanced by unintended dislocation of tubers by machines or crops/crop waste, lack of knowledge of infested fields and missing supporting measures. An obligation to announce infested fields and to control Yellow Nutsedge is currently discussed in Switzerland. Such an obligation would help contractors and buyers of crops to reduce unintended dislocation of tubers. Cleaning up infested plots is quickly expensive and complex. Maleic acid hydrazide is actually used for preventing potato tubers to germinate in stock. We tested Fazor (maleic acid hydrazide) and Asulox (asulam) for its efficacy on preventing germination of Yellow Nutsedge tubers. The results of our pot trial in the greenhouse are clear. The expected efficiency was not observed. Furthermore the complexity of problems with this species in agriculture is discussed and some ideas for a control strategy are given in this paper.

Keywords

• changing land use
• control
• Cyperaceae
• germination
• invasive neophyte
• strategy
• Yellow Nutsedge