Doug Spaunhorst

United States Department of Agriculture | USDA · Agricultural Research Service (ARS)

‘Ho 07‐613’ (Reg. no. CV‐208, PI 699606) sugarcane (an interspecific hybrid of Saccharum officinarum L., S. barberi Jeswiet, S. spontaneum L., and S. sinense Roxb. amend. Jeswiet) was selected and evaluated by scientists at the USDA‐ARS, working cooperatively with the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and the American Sugar Cane League...

‘Ho 05‐961’ (Reg. no. CV‐207, PI 699490) sugarcane (interspecific hybrids of Saccharum spp.) was evaluated and selected by scientists at the USDA‐ARS, working cooperatively with the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center and the American Sugar Cane League, Inc. It was released to growers in Louisiana in 2012. The cultivar was tested across...

Morning glory (Ipomoea spp.) and other vining weeds infest Louisiana sugarcane fields and synthetic auxin herbicides are applied to control such weeds. Sugarcane exposed to herbicides during the critical growth period (grand growth) may influence starch and colorant accumulation in some cultivars and reduce processing efficiency. In this study, fie...

Cover crops are sustainable alternatives to current fallow practices (cultivation with and without synthetic herbicides) for sugarcane cultivation in Louisiana. Potential benefits of such ecological approach include additional profits from harvested cash crops, pest/disease management, and retention of highly erodible alluvial soils. This study inv...

Itchgrass [ Rottboellia cochinchinensis (Lour.) W.D. Clayton] is among the most troublesome weeds in subtropical climates where sugarcane ( Saccharum spp. interspecific hybrids) is cultivated. Two R. cochinchinensis biotypes commonly infest sugarcane in Louisiana. The Louisiana-1 biotype is daylength neutral, but Louisiana-2 flowered when daylength...

In Louisiana, growers remove sugarcane ( Saccharum spp. hybrids) residue following green‐cane harvesting by prescribed burning. Divine nightshade [ Solanum nigrescens (Mart. & Gal)] and itchgrass [ Rottboellia cochinchinensis (Lour.) Clayton] are problematic weeds in Louisiana sugarcane production. The objective of this study was to determine the e...

Burning postharvest sugarcane residue is a standard practice to remove extraneous leaf material before spring regrowth. Live-fires were simulated from field-collected postharvest sugarcane residue and seeds of divine nightshade and itchgrass were exposed to dry and moistened postharvest residue (PHR) at four densities (6.1, 12.1, 18.2, and 24.2 Mg...

Sugarcane ripening in Louisiana is necessary to ensure adequate sucrose levels in early-season harvested sugarcane. The response of nine sugarcane cultivar’s yield components to glyphosate and trinexapac-ethyl ripeners was determined in field trials. Glyphosate (210 g ae ha⁻¹) and trinexapac-ethyl (200 g ai ha⁻¹) treatments failed to increase sucro...

Herbicide-resistant weeds, especially Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson), are problematic in row-crop producing areas of the United States. The objectives of this study were to determine if chlorimuron-ethyl, fomesafen, and glyphosate applied separately and in mixtures control A. palmeri and confirm the presence of various genotypes sur...

A. palmeri injury to chlorimuron-ethyl (0.39 g ai ha-1), fomesafen (1,026 g ai ha-1), and glyphosate (2,500 g ae ha-1) in the initial screen for herbicide resistance experiment. (PDF)

A. palmeri survival after treatment to chlorimuron-ethyl (0.39 g ai ha-1), fomesafen (1,026 g ai ha-1), and glyphosate (2,500 g ae ha-1) applied separately and in all possible combinations in the greenhouse. (PDF)

Acetic acid (CH3COOH) is produced naturally through anaerobic fermentation (vinegar) or synthesized through various industrial chemical methods. The primary components of vinegar are water and acetic acid. Acetic acid can destroy cell membranes, which then can result in plant tissue desiccation and plant death. Therefore, vinegar has the potential...

Knowledge of the effects of burial depth and burial duration on seed viability and, consequently, seedbank persistence of Palmer amaranth ( Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) and waterhemp [ Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) J. D. Sauer] ecotypes can be used for the development of efficient weed management programs. This is of particular interest, given th...

Palmer amaranth ( Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson) is a problematic weed encountered in U.S. cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) and soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production, with infestations spreading northward. This research investigated the influence of planting date (early, mid-, and late season) and population (AR, IN, MO, MS, NE, and TN) on A....

Louisiana sugarcane farmers in 2016 harvested 11.7 million Mg of millable sugarcane from 163,000 ha, producing 1.47 million Mg of raw sugar and an estimated 3.5 million Mg of bagasse. Even though Louisiana sugar mills use 80% to 90% of the bagasse for fuel production, another 350,000 to 700,000 Mg of bagasse accumulates each year. The conversion of...

Louisiana sugarcane farmers in 2016 harvested 11.7 million Mg millable sugarcane from 163,000 ha, producing 1.47 million Mg of raw sugar and an estimated 3.5 million Mg of bagasse. Even though Louisiana sugar mills use 80 to 90% of the bagasse for fuel production, another 350,000 to 700,000 Mg of bagasse accumulates each year. The conversion of the...

Allelopathy, the chemical interaction between plants, may result in the inhibition of plant growth and development, and includes compounds released from a primary crop that adversely impact crop or weed species. The objective of this research was to observe the allelopathic impact of sugarcane (Saccharum sp.) post-harvest crop residue and mill baga...

Allelopathy, the chemical interaction between plants, may result in the inhibition of plant growth and development, which can include compounds released from a crop that adversely impact weed species. The objective of this research was to determine the allelopathic impact of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) field residue and root water extracts on...

Adoption of soybean that is resistant to 2,4-D will result in more use of glyphosate plus 2,4-D premixes and tank mixtures. Preliminary whole-plant greenhouse assays confirm most Palmer amaranth populations found in Indiana are glyphosate-resistant (GR), and some biotypes exhibit tolerance to 2,4-D amine. Dose - response experiments were conducted...

Louisiana processed 11.7 million mt of sugarcane in 2016, producing 1.47 million mt of raw sugar and an estimated 3.5 million mt of bagasse. Sugarcane bagasse is the fibrous material remaining after removing the sucrose, water, and other impurities (filter mud) from the millable sugarcane. Typically, Louisiana sugarcane mills burn a portion of the...

The chemical interaction between plants, which is referred to as allelopathy, may result in the inhibition of plant growth and development. The objective of this research was to determine the allelopathic impact of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) var. ‘HoCP 96-540’ field residue and sugarcane bagasse extracts on the germination of three vegetable...

A field study was conducted for the 2014 and 2015 growing season in Arkansas, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee to determine the effect of cereal rye and either oats, radish, or annual ryegrass on the control of Amaranthus spp. when integrated with comprehensive herbicide programs in glyphosate-resistant and glufosinate-resistant soy...

Sugarcane bagasse is the fibrous material remaining after removing the sucrose, water, and other impurities (filter mud) from the millable sugarcane. Louisiana sugarcane mills use a portion of the sugarcane bagasse to produce steam power to run equipment within the mill and/or as a boiler fuel for the clarification, evaporation, and crystallization...

Glyphosate-resistant (GR) Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats.) prevalence in Midwest soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production has increased in recent years. New soybean herbicideresistant traits will be important management tools for herbicideresistant weeds. The objectives of this research were to evaluate preemergence (PRE) herbicide...

Carrier water pH, hardness, coapplied foliar fertilizer, water conditioning agents, and plant height are critical considerations for optimum herbicide performance. Field studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of carrier water pH (4, 6.5, and 9) and zinc (Zn) or manganese (Mn) foliar fertilizer on mesotrione for horseweed and Palmer amaranth...

Field experiments were conducted across two locations during 2011 and 2012 to evaluate herbicide options for the control of glyphosate-resistant (GR) giant ragweed and GR waterhemp in dicamba-resistant (DR) soybean. All herbicide treatments provided 91 to 100% control of GR giant ragweed 3 wk after treatment (WAT). Flumioxazin plus dicamba plus gly...

A total of four field experiments were conducted over a 2-yr period (2011 and 2012) near Mokane and Moberly, Missouri, to determine the control of glyphosate-resistant (GR) waterhemp with dicamba and glyphosate applied alone or as a tankmix combination. In one experiment, dicamba was applied at 0.14, 0.28, 0.42, and 0.56 kg ae ha(-1) with or withou...