The effects of storage in maize silage and cattle slurry on the germination of Abutilon theophrasti Med. seeds

Abstract

Three sets of experiments were carried out in which the time dependent changes in germination of fresh seeds and 1-year-old seeds of velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Med.) stored in maize silage and in cattle slurry were studied. Seeds were stored in maize silage in 30-L plastic containers (0-16 months) and fed to cows. The mixture of digested seeds and dung was placed in plastic containers, which were immersed in the basins of cattle slurry for 8 months. The fresh seeds did not germinate after being stored in maize silage for 15 months, whereas percent germination of 1-year-old seeds after the same period was 7.4%. Storage of seeds in maize silage and passage through the cow digestive tract significantly decreased germination of fresh seeds and 1-year-old seeds stored in cattle slurry. The experiments suggest that slurry produced on Slovene dairy farms can still contain germinable seeds of A. theophrasti if stored less than 6 months.