RE-GROWTH FROM STEM SEGMENTS BURIED INTO PUDDLED SOIL IN HYDROLEA ZEYLANICA VAHL., A TROUBLESOME WEED IN THE PHILIPPINES

Re-growth ability from a node of stem segment of Hydrolea zeylanica buried into puddled soil was determined at the Philippine Rice Research Institute, Nueva Ecija in August 2008. Re-growth of the shoot was not observed from the segment with one node buried into 2 and 5 cm depth under both conditions drained and flooded with 5 cm of surface water. The segments placed on the soil surface (0cm) reproduced new shoots and both the rate of re-growth and growth of new shoots were greater in the segments under flooded than drained condition. The result suggests that burying stems by careful puddling may reduce the infestation of H. zeylanica, spreading rapidly as a troublesome perennial weed in rice fields in Luzon Island of the Philippines.