We determined rate of seed deterioration for 3 crops (corn, rice, and
soybean) and 8 weeds commonly found in agricultural fields and moist-s
oil management units in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV). The wee
ds were broadleaf signalgrass (Brachiaria platyphylla), junglerice bar
nyardgrass (Echinochloa colonum), morningglory (Ipomaea sp.), panic gr
ass (Panicum sp.), bull paspalum (Paspalum boscianum), red rice (Oryza
sativa), hemp sesbania (Sesbania exaltata), and bristlegrass (Setaria
sp.). Weed seeds, except morningglory, deteriorated slower than corn
and soybean, whereas rice decomposed slower than all weed seeds except
red rice and bull paspalum. For land managers desiring to provide pla
nt food for wintering waterfowl, rice is clearly the most persistent s
mall grain crop in the MAV. Persistence of weed seeds under flooded co
nditions throughout winter makes them a cost-effective alternative to
traditional crops on land managed for waterfowl.