Seed germination, seedling emergence, seed persistence and triflusulfuron-methyl sensitivity in Galinsoga parviflora and G. quadriradiata.

Galinsoga quadriradiota Ruiz and Pavon (hairy galinsoga) and Galinsogo parviflora Cav. (smaliflower galinsoga, gallant soldier) are very troublesome weeds in many vegetable row crops in Europe. In order to optimize further management strategies for Galinsoga control in-depth study of germination biology was performed. Germination experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of light and alternating temperatures on germination of a large set of Galinsoga populations. Seedling emergence was investigated by burying seeds at different depths in a sand and sandy loam soil. Dormancy of fresh achenes harvested in autumn was evaluated by studying germination response in light at 25/20 degrees C with and without nitrate addition. Seed longevity was investigated in an accelerated ageing experiment by exposing seeds to 45 degrees C and 100% relative humidity. A dose-response pot experiment was conducted in the greenhouse to evaluate the effectiveness of triflusulfuron-methyl, applied at the one leaf pair stage, for controlling Belgian Galinsoga populations. Galinsoga seeds required light for germination; light dependency varied among populations. Seedling emergence decreased drastically with increasing burial depth. Maximum depth of emergence varied between 4 and 10mm depending on soil type and population. In a sandy soil, emergence percentages were higher and seedlings were able to emerge from greater depths than in a sandy loam soil. Freshly produced G. parviflora seeds showed a varying but high degree of primary dormancy and were less persistent than G. quadriradiata seeds which lack primary dormancy. Galinsoga parviflora populations were more sensitive to triflusulfuron-methyl than G. quadriradiata populations. The lack of primary dormancy, high seed persistence and lower herbicide sensitivity may explain the higher distribution and abundance of G. quadriradiata over G. parviflora populations in Belgium. Overall, features such as lack of primary dormancy of freshly harvested G. quadriradiata seeds and light dependency for germination may be used to optimize and develop Galinsoga management strategies.