Effect of Flooding Period and Seed Burial Depth on Palmer Amaranth Seed Germination

An experiment was conducted in Starkville, MS to evaluate the effect of flooding period and soil burial depth on Palmer amaranth seed germination. One hundred Palmer amaranth seeds were numerated and placed into 500 micron pore mesh bags with 20 grams of soil. Three soil types were used, a sandy loam near Starkville, MS, a Dundee silty loam near Stoneville, MS, and a Brooksville silty loam, near Brooksville, MS. To avoid any undesirable germination from natural soil seedbank, soil was sterilized prior to study initiation. Soil and bags were placed into 26.5 liter (49.8 cm tall) plastic buckets. Each bucket received 30.4 cm of soil and two bags. One bag was buried at 15.2 cm and another bag placed at soil surface. Buckets were subjected to 5 different flooding periods. After each flooding period bags were removed from the study area, quantified under a microscope, and grown in a growth chamber for 21 days at 35°C day and 30°C night temperature with 14:10 hours day/night period. The effect of flooding period on Palmer amaranth seed germination may be used to reduce seed viability in soil seedbank.