Turning Up the Heat for Weed Control
by Susan V. Fisk, American Society of Agronomy
Weeds are thieves. They steal nutrients, sunlight and water from our food crops. In the case of sugarcane, yield refers to the amount of biomass and the sucrose concentration of the cane, which ultimately determines the amount of sugar produced. Two weedy culprits, namely itchgrass and divine nightshade, reduce cane biomass and sucrose yield. These two weeds are a growing problem in Louisiana, where nearly half of the United States' sugarcane is grown.