Weeds seed predation

Seeds are an important food source for many insects, birds, and small mammals. Seed predation is usually less in agricultural systems due to the intensive soil disturbance, seed burial by tillage, and lack of habitats for predators. However, studies have found significant weed seed loss by predation when seeds remained on the soil surface. 

As much as 69% of the weed seed was lost to predation in no-tillage soybean production, as compared with 27% in conventional tillage (Brust and House, 1988). 

Brouwer R (1983) Functional equilibrium sense or nonsense Neth J Agric Sci 31 335-348 Bnist GE (1994) Seed-predators reduced broadletif weed growth and competitive ability. Agric Ecosyst and Environ 48 27-34... 

Putnam AR, DeFrank J, Barnes JP (1983) Exploitation of allelopathy for weed control in annual and perennial cropping systems. J Chem Ecol 9 1001-1010 Putnam AR, Tang CS (1986) The science of allelopathy. WUey, New York, NY Qasem IR, Hill TA (1989) On difficulties with allelopathy methodology. Weed Res 29 345-347 Reader RJ (1991) Control of seedling emergence by ground cover a potential mechanism involving seed predation. Can J Bot 69 2084-2087... 

The behavior of hybrid plants and their descendants will depend on seed viability, predation and germintion, plant survival from herbicide or crop competition, fertility, and gene exchanges within the weed population. Preliminary estimates lead us to think that the risk of having resistant weeds is not acceptable. Therefore, it is necessary to start a breeding program to produce a tetraploid resistant foxtail millet that reduces the chance of having viable hybrids between the crop and the weed. 

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