Kelly Patches
- M.S. Candidate in Agronomy
University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
Education
- B.S. in Environmental Soil Science with a minor in Agronomy
- Penn State, 2010.
Common Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana)
I am studying pokeweed management in no-till corn and soybeans. Pokeweed is a perennial broadleaf weed with a large, persistent taproot that is also capable of abundant seed production. It has become a frequent problem in agronomic crops, perhaps due to the wide-spread adoption of conservation tillage and a decline in the use of soil residual herbicides.
My research has two main objectives: to evaluate herbicide effectiveness and to better understand the biology and ecology of pokeweed in order to develop improved management tactics.
Herbicide trials are being conducted in both corn and soybeans in order to determine their effect on pokeweed. To study the biology and ecology, several studies are currently in place to look at seedling emergence period as well as seed viability and germination.
Advisor: Dr. Bill Curran
Activities
