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Tolerance of Weed Competition Associated with High Leaf-Area Expansion Rate in Tall Fescue¹

Crop traits that confer competitive ability and/or tolerance to interference by weeds have not been documented well. Such documentation requires comparisons of competitive abilities of isogenic lines of crop cultivars. To determine the value of leaf-area expansion (LAE) rates as a competitive trait, two near-isogenic lines of tall rescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) with high and low LAE rates were grown in pots in monoculture and in mixture with velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medik.) in a greenhouse. In monoculture, shoot dry matter production of the two genotypes was equal. However, when competing with velvetleaf, the high-LAE genotype produced 38 to 73% more dry matter (in two experiments) than the low-LAE genotype. Furthermore, velvetleaf growth was suppressed 14 to 24% (in two experiments) when grown with the high-LAE genotype than when grown with the low-LAE genotype. Thus, high-LAE rate confers weed tolerance and competitive ability to tall rescue. This trait also maybe a valuable inclusion to breeding programs for other crops that currently suffer from weed interference.

Key Words: Abutilon theophrasti Medik. • Breeding • Festuca arundinacea Schreb. • Interference • Velvetleaf

² Research agronomist, USDA-ARS-NCSCRL, Morris, MN 56267, and adjunct assistant professor, Dep. of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul 55108.

Received for publication May 19, 1986.