Competition Between Russian Wildrye Seedlings and Four Common Weeds

Abstract

Russian wildrye was tested in the greenhouse for both interspecific and intraspecific competition using various densities of Russian wildrye, alone and in combination with cheatgrass, peppergrass, Russian thistle, and halogeton. With Russian wildrye alone, production and vigor first increased as plant density increased, then decreased at the highest density tested. Under interspecific competition, both survival and production were reduced at all weed densities tested. Combinations of species were more adverse to vigor and production of Russian wildrye than were single species of weeds.