Abstract
Background: Annually farmers in the United States suffer crop losses due to the invasive weed, Amaranthus palmeri. The two major reasons for the losses are: the rapid reproduction and adaptability of this aggressive species. The dioecious Amaranthus has adapted so rapidly that some populations of Amaranthus are resistant to the traditional glyphosate herbicides. Glyphosate was introduced as an herbicide and was considered unlikely to cause resistant populations of plant species. The mechanism of action, lack of metabolic degradation in plants or residual activity in the soil made it a very popular herbicide hoice. Over time glyphosate resistant (GR) Amaranthus palmeri species emerged. This new GR Amaranthus palmeri calls for a new herbicide, preferably an organic herbicide. Agricultural Vinegar (vinegar with 20% acetic acid) is an effective, non-selective organic herbicide. Over time, a buildup of acetic acid may cause harm to the ecosystem. Methods: We are looking at organic herbicide solutions that contain lesser concentrations of acetic acid. For this experiment, we used solutions with 5%, 10%, and 20% acetic acid. These solutions were applied when the plants were young (less than 10 days) and less than 4 cm tall. We are observing the effects of the solution on the epicuticular wax and epidermal layers. We hypothesized that when applied very early, lower concentrations of agricultural vinegar (5%, 10%, or15%) can slow or stop growth and allow for the desired crop to outcompete the weeds.
Recommended Citation
Garcia, F., & Youngblood, Y. (2017). Agricultural Vinegar as a growth control agent for both Glyphosate susceptible (GS) Amaranthus palmeri and Glyphosate resistant (GR) Amaranthus palmeri. Pursue: Undergraduate Research Journal, 1(1). Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.pvamu.edu/pursue/vol1/iss1/4