Predicting Compensatory Growth and Reproduction in Agricultural Weeds Using a Plant＇s Growth Rate Trajectory： A Test with Defoliation of Abutilon theophrasti

A plant＇s capacity to compensate for pest damage as a function of resource availability needs to be predictable in order to apply biocontrol agents effectively. In this research, it was hypothesized that a weedy plant species＇ capacity to compensate for defoliation is related to how resource availability affects a plant＇s growth trajectory. Growth rate trajectory is defined as the percent change in relative growth rate or the slope of a plant＇s relative growth rate. 90 Abutilon theophrasti, a common weed species, in cultivated fields of corn and soybean, grew in a greenhouse for 70 d under three nitrogen （N） fertilization treatments. ＂Unfertilized＂ plants were not fertilized, ＂bulk＂ fertilized plants received 0.6 g N on day 15 and ＂exponential＂ fertilized plants received a total of 0.6 g N supplied at an exponential rate of 10% per day with a starting concentration of 0.02 g N on day 15. On day 25, 15 plants in each N treatment had 75% of total leaf area removed. Biomass and reproductive compensation were det