Proceedings of the Sixty-first Annual Meeting of the Northeastern ...

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WEED PROPAGATION TECHNIQUES FOR USE IN DISCOVERING NEW
HERBICIDES FOR TURF. M.S. Casini, L.F. Houck, G.R. Armel, and P.L. Rardon,
DuPont Crop Protection, Newark, DE.
ABSTRACT
Plant propagation techniques were investigated at the DuPont Stine-Haskell
Research Center in Newark, DE over the past several years to establish a means for
optimizing targeted plant species growth for herbicide screening on key turfgrass weed
species. Highly reproducible propagation techniques for difficult to grow species have
been integrated into our screening methods in an effort to enhance the quality of data
generated via whole plant testing. Such methods aid in the elimination of plant growth
variability, making it easier for the evaluating biologist to discern true differences in plant
responses. Propagation techniques employed include seed soaks, chemical
scarification and vegetative reproduction. Target species investigated included: wild
violet (Viola papilionacea Pursh p.p.), wild garlic (Allium vineale L.), buckhorn plantain
(Plantago lanceolata L.), ivyleaf speedwell (Veronica hederifolia L.), dollarweed
(Hydrocotyle umbellata L.), torpedo grass (Panicum repens L.) and green kyllinga
(Kyllinga brevifolia Rottb).
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