Multivariate Analysis of the Agricultural Management Presence of Sorghum Halepense (L.) Pers. Relationships in Maize Crops

Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. is one of the most troublesome weeds in warm climates. Its control is difficult, and understanding the factors affecting its spreading is crucial. A study was conducted in 47 commercial maize fields, which account for more than 400 ha in the Spanish provinces of Albacete, Badajoz and Madrid, to analyse the distribution of S. halepense as a function of various agricultural variables. The results showed significant effects of agricultural management on the presence of this weed. Crop rotation decreased the infestation of S. halepense. Furrow irrigation system favored the establishment of large patches with high plant density, while the sprinkler irrigation system favored the presence of isolated plants or small patches. Apparently, moldboard tillage promoted the establishment of large patches. The combination of different variables also had effects on the characteristics of the present infestations, and its management could lead to a better control in maize fields.     

Response of Sorghum halepense demographic processes to plant density and rimsulfuron dose in maize

In spatially heterogeneous weed infestations, variable dose technologies could be used to minimise herbicide use; high doses could be applied to reduce high‐density patches and low doses to maintain weed populations in low‐density portions of a field. To assess the potential short‐ and long‐term effects of variable herbicide dose and site‐specific management, the major weed demographic processes were described and parameterised in this study. Various doses of rimsulfuron (from 0 to 12.5 g a.i. ha^?1) were applied to different densities of Sorghum halepense (0–100 plants m^?2). Contrary to similar studies with other weed species, higher herbicide efficacy was not observed at low densities, suggesting that the same rimsulfuron dose should be applied regardless of the S. halepense density. The highest percentage of control was obtained with the full rimsulfuron dose. However, it did not guarantee a decrease of the infestation in the following season in the field areas where the initial S. halepense density was lower than 60 plants m^?2. Reduced doses of rimsulfuron to control S. halepense cannot be recommended based on our results.     

Verändern pfluglose Bodenbearbeitung und Frühsaaten die Unkrautvegetation im Winterraps?

Between 2005 and 2007 a total of 1364 oilseed rape (OSR) fields in 12 federal states of Germany was surveyed. Investigations took place in late autumn and included the identification and counting of all weeds in unsprayed parts of rape fields. Results on the impact of tillage intensity and crop sowing date on the level of total weed infestation, weed species number and weed flora composition in OSR fields are shown and those species identified which are sensitive to the analysed factors. Neither tillage intensity nor crop sowing date affect the level of weed infestation in OSR fields. In contrast, species richness was enhanced by non-inversion tillage as well as by an early crop sowing. While there were statistically proofed differences in the weed species composition of ploughed and unploughed OSR fields due to canonical correspondence analysis, the crop sowing date only had minor effects on species composition. Nevertheless, a multitude of single weed species was affected by tillage intensity and sowing date showing significantly differing relative frequencies and/or densities in fields with inversion and non-inversion tillage as well as between early and late sown crop. Among others Centaurea cyanus, Anchusa arvensis, A. spica-venti and Elymus repens were more abundant and partly reached higher densities after ploughing, whereas non-inversion tillage mainly favoured Galium aparine, Geranium spp. and Sisymbrium spp.. Lots of weed species tended to have higher populations when OSR was sown before August 15^th, species significantly increased by early sowing date were e. g. Centaurea cyanus, Convolvulus arvensis, Euphorbia spp. and Anchusa arvensis. However, only V. arvensis reached significantly higher densities when OSR was sown after September 1^st.     

Abundance of Rhamphicarpa fistulosa in rainfed lowland rice fields in the Savannah region of Togo: Moderate influence of physico-chemical characteristics of soils

Rainfed lowland rice fields in northern Togo are increasingly infested by the facultative hemiparasitic weed Rhamphicarpa fistulosa that is widely reported throughout sub-Saharan Africa to be one of the most damaging weeds in rice fields. In this geographical area, some studies have shown that soil characteristics may influence the presence and/or the level of infestation of some parasitic weeds, but none have been conducted on R. fistulosa. Based on surveys conducted in northern Togo over two years in 66 lowland rice fields, we characterised the level of infestation of R. fistulosa as well as physico-chemical characteristics of soils. We highlighted that fields with medium-to-high levels of infestation of R. fistulosa (more than 5 plants per m²) were mainly characterised by a coarser soil texture, a higher potassium content and a higher pH, while fields without R. fistulosa were characterised by a lower proportion of silt content. In contrast, the level of infestation of R. fistulosa appeared only marginally influenced by soil organic carbon and nitrogen in our study. Considering these results, options to modify the main physico-chemical characteristics of soils that influence the level of infestation of R. fistulosa are likely difficult to implement. In order to continue rice production in these lowland fields, we suggest several measures to better manage R. fistulosa seedbank and development.     

Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. control with foliar-applied herbicides in conventional and no-tillage soyabeans*

Separate field experiments were conducted to evaluate Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. (johnson-grass) control with foliar-applied herbicides in soyabeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. Williams) grown in tilled (mould board plough) or no-tillage fields. Fluazifop-butyl, sethoxydim, CGA-82725 and mefluidide were applied post-emergence to 45-cm high S. halepense and glyphosate was applied with a wick bar to 90-cm high S. halepense in the conventional and no-tillage studies. HOE-00581 {ethyl 2-[4-[(6-chloro-2-benzoazolyl)oxyl]-phenoxy]propanoate} was applied to 45-cm high S. halepense only in the no-tillage studies. Fluazifop-butyl, sethoxydim, CGA-82725, HOE-00581 (no-tillage only) and glyphosate provided good control of S. halepense in conventional and no-tillage soyabeans and generally increased soyabean yields compared to weedy controls, when low precipitation was not limiting yields. Mefluidide at 0.3 kg ai ha^?1 provided the least S. halepense control in the conventional and no-tillage studies. The studies were not designed to compare S. halepense control in the two tillage systems; however, these data show that tillage to disrupt S. halepense rhizomes was not required to obtain good control of S. halepense with foliar applications of fluazifop-butyl, sethoxydim, CGA-82725, HOE-00581 and glyphosate. La lutte contre Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. utilisant des herbicides foliaires dans le soja en culture classique et en non-culture Plusieurs essais ont été installés sur le terrain dans le but d'évaluer des herbicides foliaires pour la destruction de Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. dans le soja (Glycine max (L.) Merr. var. Williams) cultivé en terre labourée et en non-culture. Le fluazifop-butyle, le séthoxydime, le CGA-82725 et le méfluidide ont été appliqués en postlevée sur S. halepense haut de 45 cm et le glyphosate a été appliqué sur S. halepense haut de 90 cm, utilisant un frotteur, dans les deux sytèmes de culture. HOE-00581 (éthyle 2-[4-[(6-chloro-2-benzoazolyl)oxyl]phénoxy]propanoate) a été appliqué sur S. halepense haut de 45 cm uniquement dans les systèmes de·non-culture. Le fluazifop-butyle, le séthoxydime, le CGA-82725, le HOE-00581 et le glyphosate ont bien maitriséS. halepense dans les deux systèmes de culture du soja, tout en augmentant les rendements de soja par rapport au témoin enherbé, là où une précipitation insuffisante n'est pas intervenue. Le méfluidide à 0,3 kg ai ha^?1 a donné la plus faible destruction de S. halepense en culture classique et en non-culture. Une comparaison de la destruction de S. halepense dans les deux systèmes de culture n'était pas le but principal de ces travaux; cependant ces données font voir qu'un labourage pour briser les rhizomes de S. halepense n'est pas de rigueur pour obtenir une bonne maîtrise de l'adventice par des applications foliaires de fluazifop-butyle, séthoxydime, CGA-82725, HOE-00581 et glyphosate. Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. Bekämpfung mit blattwirksamen Herbiziden in Soyakulturen mit und ohne Bodenbearbeitung Es wurden separate Feldversuche zur Bekämpfung von Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. mit blattwirksamen Herbiziden in Soyakulturen (Glycinemax (L.) Merr. cv. Williams), ohne und mit Bodenbearbeitung (Mouldboard Pflug), ausgeführt. Fluazifop-Butyl, Sethoxydim, CGA-82725 und Mefluidid wurden postemergent auf 45 cm hohe und Glyphosat mit einem Docht-Streichgerät (wick bar) auf 90 cm hohe S. halepense appliziert; diese Produkte kamen in den Feldern mit und ohne Bodenbearbeitung zur Anwendung. HOE-00581 {Aethyl 2-[4-[(6-chlor-2-benzoazolyl)oxyl]phenoxy]propanoat} wurde nur auf den Parzellen ohne Bodenbearbeitung auf 45 cm hohe S. halepense appliziert. Fluazifop-Butyl, Sethoxydim, CGA-82725, HOE-00581 (Ohne Bodenbearbeitung) und Glyphosat erzielten in bearbeiteten und unbearbeiteten Feldern eine gute Bekämpfung von S. halepense und bewirkten im allgemeinen eine Erhöhung der Ernteerträge, sofern nicht geringe Niederschläge als limitierender Faktor auftraten. Mefluidid (0,3 kg ai ha^?1) ergab die geringste Wirkung in bearbeiteten und unbearbeiteten Feldern. Diese Versuche waren nicht geplant um den Erfolg der S. halepense Bekämpfung unter den zwei Anbaubedingungen (mit resp. ohne Bodenbearbeitung) miteinander zu vergleichen; immerhin zeigen die Ergebnisse, dass eine Bodenbearbeitung zur Zerkleinerung der S. halepense-Rhizome nicht notwendig ist, um gute Effekte mit Fluazifop-Butyl, Sethoydim, CGA-82725, HOE-00581 und Glyphosat zuerzielen.     

Changes in the incidence of ragwort (Senecio jacobaea L.) infestation of grassland over a 4-year period in NE Scotland

A roadside survey of 4749 fields in eight areas of NE Scotland was conducted annually from 1979 to 1982. The proportion of grass fields infested with ragwort remained steady at 18–19% from 1979 to 1981 but fell to 13·5% in 1982. This fall resulted from fewer fields becoming newly infested and from more fields that had remained in grass ceasing to be infested. The proportion of infested fields remaining in grass that showed a reduction of two or more points on a 0–5 logarithmic scale of ragwort density (a possible indication of the frequency of control measures) was 24·0% in 1979–1980, 21·7% in 1980–1981 and 36·3% in 1981–1982. The incidence of ragwort infestation was consistently higher in some areas than in others and was not related to the proportion of arable crops. The change in incidence of infestation varied greatly between different areas, as did the proportion of infested fields whose score on the 0–5 scale fell by two or more points. In 1979–1980 and 1980–1981 this proportion had to exceed 22% to effect a net decrease in the incidence of infestation in an area, but in 1981–1982 no relationship was evident between these two measures of change. The incidence of infestation in all areas increased with increasing sward age but one area (Moray and Nairn) had a much higher proportion of young grass infested than any of the others. Over 99% of ragwort infestations consisted of Senecio jacobaea, infestations of S. aquatints Huds. being rare.     

An investigation of genetic variation in Cirsium arvense field patches

The genetic structure of typical Cirsium arvense patch populations in two arable fields was examined. Patches were mapped and plant samples were taken in these patches. Plants of a central patch and four surrounding patches were sampled in 1 year to investigate the influence of root fragment dispersal. Plants of another patch were sampled in three subsequent years to investigate the patch development. The genotypes of the plants were examined using repetitive enterogenic primer (REP) and inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) analysis. The mean proportion of distinguishable genotypes ranged from 0.13 to 0.67 and the evenness index ranged from 0.58 to 1.00. Differences in genotypes between neighbouring patches indicated that root fragment dispersal via soil cultivation was of minor importance. Three years sampling within a patch showed that the patch mainly ‘grew’ via the establishment of new clones rather than by clonal growth of one genotype. The influence of various factors caused by population demography or arable practice on patch development in an arable field is discussed. Although various factors can help to maintain genetic diversity, there is strong evidence for regular seedling establishment in arable fields.     

Artenspektrum und Befallshäufigkeit von Fusarium spp. in Bt- und konventionellem Mais im Maiszünsler-Befallsgebiet Oderbruch

The European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) is one of the most important pests of maize (Zea mays). Injuries to the plants caused by the larvae of the European corn borer may represent entrance gates for fungal-spores. The cultivation of Bacillus thuringiensis maize (Bt-maize) is one possibility to reduce infestation by the European corn borer. The aim of the present project was to determine and to compare the number of species and the frequency of Fusarium spp. infestation in Bt-maize (cry1Ab) and conventional maize. In 2003, we analysed the Fusarium spp. infestation of samples of chaffed Bt-maize and its isogenic variety on two experimental fields in the Oderbruch region (Germany), an European corn borer infested area. The conventional variety on the first of the experimental fields (previous crop wheat and forking cultivation) showed a small infestation (16%) of Ostrinia nubilalis while in the conventional variety on the second field (previous crop maize and not forking cultivation) the infestation of the European corn borer was almost three times higher (47%). In the conventional variety on both of the experimental fields we found a high Fusarium spp. infestation (70%). Especially species of the section Liseola dominates, among them: F. subglutinans, F. proliferatum und F. verticillioides. The Fusarium infestation in the samples of Bt-maize from the field with previous crop wheat and forking cultivation was just as high as in the conventional variety (70%). The infestation of Fusarium spp. in the samples of Bt-maize from the field with previous crop maize and forking cultivation was more than 20?% lower.     

Simulating the effects of weed spatial pattern and resolution of mapping and spraying on economics of site-specific management

The economic benefits of using site‐specific weed management (SSWM) are related to the proportion of the field that is weed‐infested, the number of weed patches and the spatial resolution of sampling and spraying technologies. In this paper we simulate different combinations of these factors using parameter values obtained for Avena sterilis ssp. ludoviciana growing in Spanish winter barley crops. The profitability of SSWM systems increased as the proportion of the field infested by this weed decreased and when patch distribution was more concentrated. Under most of the conditions tested, positive net returns for SSWM were obtained when the weed‐infested area was smaller than 30%. The highest net return occurred using a 12 m × 12 m mapping and spraying resolution. The critical parameter that determined the economic viability of patch mapping and spraying resolution was the technology costs. The site specific strategy was economically superior to the standard strategy (overall herbicide application) in most cases. However, the differential between the two strategies decreased when the number of patches and the resolution of mapping and spraying increased, such that the highest net returns were obtained with a single patch covering 14% of the field and using a 12‐m mapping and spraying resolution; whereas the worst net returns were obtained for all patch numbers when 64% of the field was infested and a 3‐m mapping and spraying resolution was used.     

Survey of the presence of wild oat and blackgrass in parts of the United Kingdom

The survey was carried out over an area representing about 47% of the cereal acreage of the United Kingdom. Estimates of the acreage of fields containing wild oat (Avena fatua L. and A. ludoviciana Dur) ranged from 15% (Northern Ireland) to 74% (England, South West Region). The degree of infestation over the total acreage was 58%‘light’, 34%‘medium’, and 8%‘heavy’. Blackgrass (Alopecurus myosurodies Huds.) was found only in the central and southern regions, estimates of the infested cereal field acreage ranging from 2% (Wales) to 23% (South East England). Nine per cent of the fields were rogued for wild oat. On average, only 10% of the infested acreage received herbicide treatment for wild oat and blackgrass though, in some regions, up to 23 % was treated. The timing of treatment and the herbicide used were recorded. Information on the extent and type of herbicide used for broad-leaved weeds was also recorded. Data on sowing dates of the crops, the previous cropping, previous infestations, the soil type and the state of field drainage were obtained and were correlated with the incidence of wild oat and blackgrass where relevant.     

Spread dynamics and agricultural impact of Sorghum halepense,an emerging invasive species in Central Europe

Sorghum halepense is a serious weed and reservoir for pathogens of crops worldwide that has recently spread in Austria. On the basis of an exhaustive distribution data set (302 records), we analysed the spread dynamics and agricultural impact. The first record of S. halepense was recorded in 1871, but the species remained rare until 1970. After a moderate increase in records until 1990, it has recently expanded strongly (>70% of all records have been collected since 1990), in particular, in the lowlands of eastern and southern Austria. Invasion into fields was first documented in the 1970s, but again, since 1990, S. halepense has spread strongly and fields now account for 32% of all records. In southern Austria, we found that S. halepense invasion already puts approximately 41% of grain maize fields and 40% of oil‐pumpkin fields at risk of yield losses. In cooler regions within Austria, S. halepense is still rarely recorded in fields. Sorghum halepense serves as a reservoir for the maize dwarf mosaic virus, as it was found in 38% of 21 samples collected in southern Austria. Invasion of S. halepense in fields was most likely assisted by frequent secondary dispersal and intensive maize and oil‐pumpkin cultivation. Given the fast and on‐going spread in fields, which is likely to continue under climate warming, our results provide evidence that S. halepense will cause serious impacts for agriculture in Austria and probably in other countries of Central Europe.     

Glyphosate resistance in perennial Sorghum halepense (Johnsongrass), endowed by reduced glyphosate translocation and leaf uptake

BACKGROUND: In a large cropping area of northern Argentina, Sorghum halepense (Johnsongrass) has evolved towards glyphosate resistance. This study aimed to determine the molecular and biochemical basis conferring glyphosate resistance in this species. Experiments were conducted to assess target EPSPS gene sequences and ¹⁴C‐glyphosate leaf absorption and translocation to meristematic tissues. RESULTS: Individuals of all resistant (R) accessions exhibited significantly less glyphosate translocation to root (11% versus 29%) and stem (9% versus 26%) meristems when compared with susceptible (S) plants. A notably higher proportion of the applied glyphosate remained in the treated leaves of R plants (63%) than in the treated leaves of S plants (27%). In addition, individuals of S. halepense accession R₂ consistently showed lower glyphosate absorption rates in both adaxial (10–20%) and abaxial (20–25%) leaf surfaces compared with S plants. No glyphosate resistance endowing mutations in the EPSPS gene at Pro‐101–106 residues were found in any of the evaluated R accessions. CONCLUSION: The results of the present investigation indicate that reduced glyphosate translocation to meristems is the primary mechanism endowing glyphosate resistance in S. halepense from cropping fields in Argentina. To a lesser extent, reduced glyphosate leaf uptake has also been shown to be involved in glyphosate‐resistant S. halepense . Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Possible Mechanisms Influencing the Dynamics of Rhizoctonia Disease of Tulips

looseness-1In two observation fields, where six sites were artificially infested with Rhizoctonia solani AG 2-t, bare patches developed. These patches did not re-occur at the site of infestation in three successive years. In fields with and without artificial infestation, natural infection of tulip bulbs by Rhizoctonia spp. occurred. The spatial distribution of infected tulip bulbs was visualised in maps after kriging. The influence of sampling intensity was evaluated by stepwise reduction obtained in the observed data set of the first year. Omnidirectional semivariogram characteristics did not change when sampling intensity was reduced down to 10%. The average maximum prediction error was minimised at sampling intensities varying from 7% to 25%. Naturally occurring bare patches slowly vanished during successive cropping of flower bulbs and did not re-appear in the fourth growing season. A high frequency of isolation of R. solani AG 2-t in one field (Lisse-2) in the fourth consecutive crop did not result in bare patches in that year. It is hypothesised that a reduction in aggressiveness may account for this observation. In contrast, bulb rot due to Rhizoctonia spp. increased during the observation period. R. solani AG 5 isolates were seldom isolated before the bulbs flowered, but were the dominant isolate from bulbs at harvest. In a growth chamber experiment, it was demonstrated that AG 5 did not account for replacement of AG 2-t. However, it was demonstrated that competition may partially explain replacement of AG 2-t isolates during the growing season. At 18 °C, but not at 9 °C, an AG 4 isolate prevented AG 2-t colonising and infecting iris bulbs when both isolates were introduced together to soil. Rhizoctonia populations develop in relation to soil temperature and plant development. It is hypothesised that a temporal niche differentiation may be one of the mechanisms affecting the dynamics of rhizoctonia bare patch of tulips.     

Standorteigenschaften und Anbaumanagement erklären regionale Unterschiede im Kohlherniebefall in Deutschland

In the years 2013 and 2014 the presence and the infestation level of Plasmodiophora brassicae in six federal states of Germany were assessed using a bioassay method. Soils were sampled from 237 oilseed rape fields and the farmers provided information about the soil type, the soil pH values and the last year of oilseed rape cultivation. Clubroot was detected in 66 % of the fields investigated with a mean disease severity (BI) of 0.34. Between and within the federal states differences in presence and infestation level of P. brassicae were detected. In Schleswig-Holstein significantly more fields were infected by P. brassicae (90 %) and BI was relatively high (0.49) compared to Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and North Rhine-Westphalia with 50 % infected fields and a mean BI of 0.27. Highly infested fields (BI > 0.8) were prevalent on 15 and 25 % of fields investigated in every federal state. Within the federal states the soil climate regions (BKR) differed significantly from each other. In BKR with light and sandy soils P. brassicae was less widespread compared to neighboring BKR with loamy soils. In addition, BKR with high infestation levels on fields investigated revealed a high presence of clubroot infested fields within this BKR. The infestation level in our study was significantly influenced by soil type, content of sand and soil pH value: soil types with a sand content of 30–35 % and a pH values lower than 5.6 showed high clubroot severity and disease incidences.     

Anoplophora species in Europe: infestations and management processes1

By the end of summer 2005, four sites of infestation by Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) had been detected in three European countries: Austria in 2001, at Braunau am Inn; France in 2003, at Gien, and in 2004, at Sainte‐Anne‐sur‐Brivet; and Germany in 2004, at Neukirchen am Inn. Two sites of infestation by Anoplophora chinensis have been detected in two European countries: Italy in 2000, at Parabiago, and France in 2003, at Soyons. The history of the A. glabripennis and A. chinensis discoveries is presented, as well as the respective management responses (monitoring and destruction of the infested trees). By the end of summer 2005, the eradication was not yet fully achieved in any of the four A. glabripennis‐infested sites. In contrast, no new A. chinensis‐infested trees had been found at Soyons, France, since 2003. At Parabiago, Italy, monitoring is taking place: the A. chinensis infestation affects 16 municipalities over more than 60 km². By summer 2005, destruction on a large scale of the infested trees had not yet taken place, but tree‐cutting of more than 1000 trees had been planned for winter 2005‐06. Given the current substantial extent of the A. chinensis infestation near Milan, and the density of the established A. chinensis populations, there is a high probability that the status of the pest in Italy will soon be raised from ‘introduced’ to ‘invasive’.     

Invasive weed facilitates incidence of Colorado potato beetle on potato crop

We examined whether the invasive silverleaf nightshade, Solanum elaeagnifolium (Cavanilles) can facilitate the infestation of potato (Solanum tuberosum (L.)) by the Colorado Potato Beetle, CPB, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) in Greece, which would have important financial and pest management implications for the growing of potato crops. In laboratory tests, CPB from Lesvos could utilise S. elaeagnifolium if supplied with whole plants. In the field, however, CPB was only found on S. elaeagnifolium after the start of the spring potato harvest and the resulting loss of potato foliage, and no eggs were laid. This suggests that S. elaeagnifolium provides only a temporary food resource for adult beetles. One of 10 surveyed summer potato fields near the study population of S. elaeagnifolium was infested with CPB. It is likely that the presence of S. elaeagnifolium in the vicinity of spring and summer potato fields can help maintain CPB population viability in the immediate post harvest period of the spring potato crop, which may in turn facilitate the infestation of summer potato fields with CPB.     

A technique for mapping the spatial distribution of Elymus repots, with estimates of the potential reduction in herbicide usage from patch spraying

The spatial distribution of Elymus repens L. was mapped in five cereal fields during the 1994 season. Weed maps were created using a semi-automated system mounted on a vehicle that travelled up the tramlines, centred on a 12-m-wide spray boom. Two operators detected weeds visually and recorded their presence and density by means of a simple push-button system that recorded data from (2 × 1) m² areas, or cells, across the boom section on a portable computer. The position of the vehicle along the tramline was monitored by integrating output from a wheel sensor. Eight tramlines of one field were mapped three times consecutively, to assess detection and navigational error. Pair-wise comparisons of the three runs gave approximately 85% repeatability on presence/ absence data, 80% on zero/low- or high-density data and 85% on low/high-density data when weeds were definitely present. Simultaneous comparisons of all three runs gave 78%, 69% and 75% respectively. Repeated runs of tramlines up to 550 m long recorded mean differences of approximately 2 m with a maximum error of 14 m (2.5%). The spatial distribution of E. repens within the five fields was visibly patchy, but the size and morphology of patches varied both within and between fields. Thus, the potential reduction in herbicide usage as a result of patch spraying varied with patch morphology and infestation level. The effect of lowering the resolution from six (2 × 1) m² cells to three (4 × 1) m² cells across the 12-m boom width showed little change in potential reduction in herbicide usage.     

Effect of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Meloidogyne ethiopica</Emphasis> parasitism on water management and physiological stress in tomato

Root-knot nematodes (RKN) are obligate endoparasites that severely damage the host root system. Nutrient and water uptake are substantially reduced in infested plants, resulting into altered physiological processes and reduced plant growth. The effect of nematode infestation on the morphological changes of roots and subsequent physiological plant responses of infested tomatoes with the RKN Meloidogyne ethiopica was studied in a pot experiment. Plants were infested with two inoculum densities (10 or 50 eggs per cm³ substrate) and its effect was evaluated 74 and 102 days post inoculation (DPI). Morphological changes and root growth was determined by analysing scanned images of the whole root system. Nematode infestation reduced the portion of fine roots and increased that of coarse roots due to gall formation. Fine roots of non-infested control plants represented around 51% of the area of the whole root system at 74 and 102 DPI. In comparison to controls, plants inoculated with low and high nematode density had 2.1 and 3.2-times lower surface area of fine roots at 102 DPI. Root analyses revealed that plants had a very limited ability to mitigate the effects of the root-knot nematodes infestation by altering root growth. Root galls had a major influence on the hydraulic conductivity of the root system, which was significantly reduced. The low leaf water potential of infested plants coincided with decreased stomatal conductivity, transpiration and photosynthesis. The latter two were reduced by 60–70% when compared to non-infested control plants.     

Weed seed predation rate in cereals as a function of seed density and patch size,under high predation pressure by rodents

Weed seed predation is an ecosystem service, influencing weed population dynamics. The impact of weed seed predation on weed population dynamics depends on how predators respond to seed patches at the field scale. Seed predation will be most effective if the proportion of seeds predated increases with increasing size and seed density of patches. Density‐dependent rodent seed predation was measured by varying seed density and patch size in four irrigated conventionally managed cereal fields in north eastern Spain. Artificial weed seed patches were created by applying a range of Lolium multiflorum seed densities from 0 to 7500 seeds m^?2 in 225 m² patches (2008) or in patches that varied in size from 1 to 9 m² (2009). Seed predation was estimated using seed cards and seed frames. The granivorous rodents Mus spretus and Apodemus sylvaticus caused high seed predation rates (92%) in three fields, whereas in a fourth field, it was lower (47%). Rodents responded in an inversely density‐dependent manner, but this had little biological meaning as even in patches seeded with the highest density, the input to the soil seedbank was reduced by 88%. For the period of time this experiment lasted, hardly any new seeds would have entered the seedbank.