Response of field dodder (Cuscuta campestris) seeds to soil solarization and chicken manure

Field studies were conducted in Lebanon to investigate the effect of differ ent durations (0-6 wk) of solarization alone on scarifred dodder seeds, and solarization with/without chicken manure on non-scarified seeds at various soil depths (0-20 cm). For both scarified and non-scarified dodder seeds, the effect of solarization periods on percent total seed germination (PTSG) was consistent only at 0 depth. At this depth, most of the solarization ef fect on scarifred dodder seeds occurred during the first 10 d where the red uction in PTSG was 95%. Non-scarified dodder seeds required 6 wk of solariz ation alone for significant reduction (69%) in PTSG at 0 depth. Chicken man ure reduced the period of solarization from 6 to 2 wk for significant PTSG reduction. However, reduction in PTSG for solarization alone and solarizati on with chicken manure were similar after 6 wk. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science L td. All rights reserved.