Title: Steaming and other management practices for pre-plant weed control in nurseries
[UCNFA News by Steven Fennimore 22 March 2012]Weed seed are the means by which annual weeds reproduce and disperse. The seed buried in the soil is referred to as the seedbank. Most seed in the soil seedbank were produced in the same field or greenhouse. Some of the seed in the seedbank moved there through the actions of wind, water, animals or the activities of man. Annual weeds usually regenerate from seed stored in the soil seedbank. The seedbank reflects the effectiveness of recent weed management practices in the field or greenhouse and will determine future weed infestations. This article will outline some of the factors that influence weed seedbanks and how to use steam to kill weed seeds.