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Journal article
Adverse consequences of herbicide residues on legumes in dryland agriculture
Field crops research, Vol.308, 109271
2024
Abstract
Context or problem
Selective herbicides control weeds in cereal crops and break down over time, allowing safe planting of legumes in the following years. However due to climatic inconsistencies and changing farming practices, this is not always the case, and residues can inhibit formation of legume/rhizobia symbioses.
Objective or research question
The objectives were to determine whether: i) exposure to triasulfuron, even at extremely low levels, reduces shoot and root growth and nodulation of five diverse and widely sown legume pasture cultivars in Australian farming systems; and ii) sowing legumes prior to recommended plant-back criteria being met for chlorsulfuron, triasulfuron herbicide, clopyralid, and pyroxasulfone herbicides results in unacceptable damage to subsequently sown pasture and crop legumes, causing reduced root and shoot growth, nodulation and N fixation.
Methods
A series of glasshouse and field experiments explored herbicide residue impact on commonly used legumes in dryland farming systems.
Results
A glasshouse study determined triasulfuron at concentration 0.000225 g a.i/ha, a (1/100,000) dilution of the label rate caused significant (p < 0.001) decrease in nodule count, root length, root, shoot weight for Trifolium spumosum cv. Bartolo and T. subterraneum cv. Dalkeith, and at 0.225 g a.i/ha and 2.25 g a.i/ha for all five cultivars tested. A bioassay assessed T. subterraneum cv. Dalkeith health when grown in field soil-cores taken 4, 7 and 10 months after herbicide application (chlorsulfuron, triasulfuron, clopyralid and pyroxasulfone) to a wheat crop. For all three, herbicide residues significantly decreased (p < 0.001) nodule number, shoot weight, root length and whole plant weight of T. subterraneum cv. Dalkeith compared to control. A field experiment assessed nodulation of five pasture and two crop legumes sown dry (dormant summer sowing), or following rainfall 10.5 months after initial herbicide application. Nodulation of all legume cultivars decreased in plots treated with clopyralid. Chlorsulfuron decreased nodulation for all cultivars except T. glanduliferum and T. subterraneum. Triasulfuron reduced nodulation for all cultivars except Ornithopus sativus and T. spumosum. Pyroxasulfone decreased nodulation of Biserrula pelecinus cv. Casbah and Lupinus angustifolius cv. Mandalup.
Conclusions
Herbicide residues from preceding cereal crops reduced fitness and symbiotically fixed N in subsequently sown pasture or crop legumes.
Implications or significance
Our study highlighted label plant-back recommendations should be strictly adhered to, despite conflict with modern farming approaches of dry or early sowing) to combat climate change. This outcome may consequently lower profitability and increase the carbon footprint of farming systems.
Details
- Title
- Adverse consequences of herbicide residues on legumes in dryland agriculture
- Authors/Creators
- Ronald J. Yates - Legume and Rhizobium Sciences (LRS), Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, AustraliaEmma J. Steel - Murdoch University, Centre for Sustainable Farming SystemsTom J. Edwards - Murdoch UniversityRobert J. Harrison - Department of Primary Industries and Regional DevelopmentBelinda F. Hackney - Select Carbon, 429 Swift St, Albury, New South Wales, AustraliaJohn G. Howieson - Legume and Rhizobium Sciences (LRS), Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia
- Publication Details
- Field crops research, Vol.308, 109271
- Publisher
- Elsevier B.V
- Identifiers
- 991005637970007891
- Copyright
- © 2024 The Authors.
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Murdoch University
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Citation topics
- 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
- 3.97 Plant Pathology
- 3.97.892 Rhizobium-Legume Symbiosis
- Web Of Science research areas
- Agronomy
- ESI research areas
- Agricultural Sciences