Survival of weed seeds subjected to sheep rumen digestion
HAIDAR, M.A. | GHARIB, C. | SLEIMAN, F.T.
An experiment was conducted to examine the effect of sheep rumen digestion on the viability of the seeds of eight weed and two crop species common in Lebanon. Seed samples were put in small monofilament polyester bags and placed in the rumen of fistulated sheep for 1, 2, 3 and 4 days. The viability of the seeds 4 days after placement in the rumen was 85% for Cuscuta campestris, 76% for Amaranthus retroflexus, 31% for Convolvulus arvensis, 17% for Chenopodium album, 10% for Eleusine indica, and 1.3% for Setaria viridis, compared with the control. Seeds of Lolium multiflorum and Raphanus raphanistrum died 2 days after placement in the rumen, while seeds of Lens culinaris and Hordeum vulgare, which were tested for comparison, died 1 day after placement in the rumen. The seeds most tolerant to incubation were Cuscuta campestris and Amaranthus retroflexus, followed by Convolvulus arvensis, Chenopodium album and Eleusine indica. The results indicate that sheep could be an important vector for dispersing viable weed seeds, particularly hard-coated seeds. Thus, sheep should be kept in pens for about 4 days before being released into new fields, to reduce the risk of weed infestation and spread.
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