Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) Rhizome Regeneration in Pine Bark, Soil and Sand Substrates

Abstract

<jats:p>Mugwort, or false chrysanthemum (<jats:italic>Artemisia vulgaris</jats:italic> L) is a well-adapted invasive plant that presents increasing management challenges to agricultural producers, Green Industry professionals and homeowners across portions of the eastern U.S. The ability of mugwort to regenerate from cut rhizome sections has not been adequately quantified for substrates that are typical of landscapes and nursery fields, container nurseries, and propagation beds. Cut rhizome sections were analyzed by rhizome color, length, and the presence or absence of a leaf scale. Media substrates included pine bark, sand, and soil. Rhizomes darken with time and color did not account for differences in growth among treatments. When grown in pine bark, sand, and soil substrates during 45-d trials, 85%, 78%, and 69% of 2 cm-long rhizome sections produced both roots and shoots. These results contrast with previous research. When rhizome fragments 0.5 cm long did not include a leaf scale, slightly fewer than 31% produced both roots and shoots in soil. Fewer rhizomes survived in soil, but root and shoot fresh masses of soil-grown rhizomes were greater than rhizomes that were regenerated in pine bark and sand. When rhizome sections had a leaf scale, survival, fresh masses of roots and shoots, shoot height, leaf number and root lengths were greater, regardless of substrate type. Root initials emerged in the internode between leaf scales and also adjacent to leaf scales. Shoot emergence preceded root emergence from rhizome sections. Growers, landscape managers and homeowners should scout regularly and initiate aggressive controls when mugwort populations are found.</jats:p>

Regeneration Capacity of Small Clonal Fragments of the Invasive Mikania micrantha H.B.K.: Effects of Burial Depth and Stolon Internode Length

“…Compared with another stoloniferous noxious invader in China, A. philoxeroides , for which fragment survival decreased from 60.9% at a 0-cm burial depth to 16.9% at an 8-cm burial depth [ 15 ], the survival of the M. micrantha fragments was more sensitive to burial (i.e., only 2.19% at an 8-cm burial depth). Interspecies differences in regeneration capacity have also been reported in other studies [ 13 , 16 , 31 , 32 ] and may be attributed to differences in vigor or the amount of reserves stored, as well as in factors other than species traits, e.g., soil type [ 33 ], water content [ 10 ], light conditions [ 34 ] and temperature. These differences in regeneration capacity after burial may partly explain species differences in invasiveness.…”

Strong regeneration ability from rhizome fragments in two invasive clonal plants (Solidago canadensis and S. gigantea)

“…soil type (Klingeman et al 2004), amount of stored carbohydrates (Steen and Larsson 1986;Iwasa and Kubo 1997;Johnson et al 2003), light conditions (Leakey et al 1978), water content (Akamine et al 2007), and orientation of fragment in the soil (Dong et al 2010). Seasonality, which has not been taken into account in this study, is another.…”

Effect of Rhizome Fragment Length and Burial Depth on the Emergence of a Tropical Invasive Weed Cyperus aromaticus (Navua Sedge)

“…Typically, it is expected that deep burial of short rhizome fragments will reduce shoot emergence. Apart from these two elements, an external factor, soil type, can also influence the emergence of shoots from the rhizomes [ 30 ]. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of rhizome fragment lengths and burial depths on the emergence of C. aromaticus to gain knowledge about fragmentation and establishment dynamics under various soil types.…”