Consequences of narrow crop row spacing and delayed Echinochloa colona and Trianthema portulacastrum emergence for weed growth and crop yield loss in maize

Echinochloa colona and Trianthema portulacastrum are weeds of maize that cause significant yield losses in the Indo‐Gangetic Plains. Field experiments were conducted in 2009 and 2010 to determine the influence of row spacing (15, 25 and 35 cm) and emergence time of E. colona and T. portulacastrum (0, 15, 25, 35, 45 and 55 days after maize emergence; DAME) on weed growth and productivity of maize. A season‐long weed‐free treatment and a weedy control were also used to estimate maize yield and weed seed production. Crop row spacing as well as weed emergence time had a significant influence on plant height, shoot biomass and seed production of both weed species and grain yield of maize in both years. Delay in emergence of weeds resulted in less plant height, shoot biomass and seed production. However, increase in productivity of maize was observed by delay in weed emergence. Likewise, growth of both weed species was less in narrow row spacing (15 cm) of maize, as compared with wider rows (25 and 35 cm). Maximum seed production of both weeds was observed in weedy control plots, where there was no competition with maize crop and weeds were in rows 35 cm apart. Nevertheless, maximum plant height, shoot biomass and seed production of both weed species were observed in 35 cm rows, when weeds emerged simultaneously with maize. Both weed species produced only 3–5 seeds per plant, when they were emerged at 55 DAME in crop rows spaced at 15 cm. Infestation of both weeds at every stage of crop led to significant crop yield loss in maize. Our results suggested that narrow row spacing and delay in weed emergence led to reduced weed growth and seed production and enhanced maize grain yield and therefore could be significant constituents of integrated weed management strategies in maize.     

Weed species composition of conventional soyabean crops in Hungary is determined by environmental,cultural, weed management and site variables

The goal of this study was to identify factors determining weed species composition in soyabean crops in Hungary, where its expanding production faces difficult weed problems. The abundance of weed flora was measured in 262 fields across the country, along with 38 background variables. Using a minimal adequate model containing 24 terms with significant net effects, 21.6% of the total variation in weed species data could be explained. Plot location (edge vs core position, the single site variable in our analysis) was found to be the most important explanatory variable that was followed by a set of environmental (temperature, precipitation, altitude, soil texture, pH, Ca, K, Na and humus content), cultural (cultivar maturity, organic manure, fertiliser P and N, row spacing) and weed management (flumioxazin, pendimethalin, dimethenamid, propaquizafop, bentazone, quizalofop‐p‐ethyl, quizalofop‐p‐tefuril, linuron, thifensulfuron) factors. Variation partitioning revealed that environmental variables accounted for about four times more variance than cultural and about two and half times more than weed management variables. Chenopodium album, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Hibiscus trionum, Echinochloa crus‐galli and Convolvulus arvensis were the most dominant and frequent weeds, but their abundance was influenced by different factors. The responses of weed species to the studied variables provide new information about their ecological behaviour, and our findings also can be used to develop better weed management strategies.     

A survey of weed seed contamination of rice paddy in Cambodia

Cambodia has experienced a rapid shift from transplanted to hand broadcast seeded rice, with a consequent increase in seeding rates from 25–30 to 100–200 kg ha^?1. To reduce costs, farmers keep their own seed for sowing with the risk of greater weed seed contamination of the sowing seed. A survey of weed seed contamination in harvested rice paddy was conducted in two provinces of Cambodia (Battambang and Takeo) at the end of the wet season in 2016. Farmers were interviewed about rice‐seeding practices, and a total of 110 farmers' fresh paddy samples were inspected for weed seed contamination from the two provinces. Sowing seed samples collected from 28 seed producer lots and 71 samples of farmer‐kept seed were also analysed for weed seed contamination. In both provinces, the majority of farmers kept their own seed or bought seed from a neighbour. Farm‐kept seed for sowing accounted for 88% of sown seed in Battambang and 89% in Takeo. Seeds of 41 different weed species from 13 plant families were found in the farmers' freshly harvested paddy samples. Overall, farmers managed to reduce the number of weed propagules by 60% and seed producers by 95%. There was no significant difference between farmer‐kept seed and seed producer/seed company seed for the total number of weed seeds present. When shown photos, farmers' rankings of the 10 most common weed species found in freshly harvested paddy did not closely correspond to the actual weed seed frequency in the paddy. When farmers were asked to rank the frequency of weeds in their fields without the option to choose from a list, they ranked the weeds differently. Farmers ranked Ischaemum rugosum, Echinochloa spp. and Fimbristylis miliacea as the three most frequent weed species in their fields. The most frequent weeds in harvested paddy, apart from weedy rice, were I. rugosum and Melochia corchorifolia. Farmers did not rank M. corchorifolia as a frequently occurring weed, and most farmers could not recognise M. corchorifolia from photographs. The priority for improved seed hygiene is to place the emphasis on assisting farmers to further improve their seed purification techniques and to caution them to inspect seed before purchasing from neighbours, seed producers and seed companies in the absence of the implementation of seed certification regulation.     

Effects of panicle development stage and temperature on rice panicle blast infection by Magnaporthe oryzae and visualization of its infection process

Panicle blast, caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae (syn. Pyricularia oryzae), directly contributes to yield loss in the field. The effects of panicle development stage and temperature on panicle blast were studied and the infection process of M. oryzae in panicles was visualized. Rice panicles at different development stages from three rice cultivars were inoculated with a conidial suspension in vitro. The rice cultivar Lijiangxintuanheigu was highly susceptible to panicle blast at 5 days postinoculation (dpi) when the pulvinus distance was 15–20 cm. Nanjing 9108 was moderately susceptible to panicle blast when the pulvinus distance was 8–10 cm, but Yliangyou 800 was resistant. The effect of temperature on panicle blast was determined under 22–35 °C temperature treatments. Inoculated panicles placed at temperatures of 28 and 30 °C showed the highest lesion grade based on lesion length at 5 dpi. The infection process of M. oryzae in rice panicles was observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). M. oryzae initially formed the appressorium to invade through the epidermis of rice panicles at 24 hours postinoculation (hpi). As the disease progressed, the invasive hyphae formed dense mycelial networks in the inner parenchyma cells at 60 hpi. Our results will contribute to the understanding of panicle development stage and temperature effects on panicle blast and improve resistance evaluation methods. Additionally, visualization of the infection process by CLSM and TEM are valuable methods to observe M. oryzae invasive hyphae inside rice panicle cells.     

Weed seed decay in conventional and diversified cropping systems

Diversified cropping systems can have high soil microbial biomass and thus strong potential to reduce the weed seedbank through seed decay. This study, conducted in Iowa, USA, evaluated the hypothesis that weed seed decay is higher in a diversified 4‐year maize–soyabean–oat/lucerne–lucerne cropping system than in a conventional 2‐year maize–soyabean rotation. Mesh bags filled with either Setaria faberi or Abutilon theophrasti seeds and soil were buried at two depths in the maize phase of the two cropping systems and sampled over a 3‐year period. Setaria faberi seed decay was consistently greater at 2 cm than at 20 cm burial depth and was higher in the more diverse rotation than in the conventional rotation in 1 year. Abutilon theophrasti seeds decayed very little in comparison with seeds of S. faberi. Separate laboratory and field experiments confirmed differences in germination and seed decay among the seed lots evaluated each year. Fusarium, Pythium, Alternaria, Cladosporium and Trichoderma were the most abundant genera colonising seeds of both species. A glasshouse experiment determined a relationship between Pythium ultimum and S. faberi seed decay. Possible differences in seed susceptibility to decay indicate the need to evaluate weed seedbank dynamics in different cropping systems when evaluating overall population dynamics and formulating weed management strategies.     

Seed dormancy and soil seedbank of the invasive weed Chenopodium hybridum in north‐western China

Seed dormancy and persistence in the soil seedbank play a key role in timing of germination and seedling emergence of weeds; thus, knowledge of these traits is required for effective weed management. We investigated seed dormancy and seed persistence on/in soil of Chenopodium hybridum, an annual invasive weed in north‐western China. Fresh seeds are physiologically dormant. Sulphuric acid scarification, mechanical scarification and cold stratification significantly increased germination percentages, whereas dry storage and treatments with plant growth regulators or nitrate had no effect. Dormancy was alleviated by piercing the seed coat but not the pericarp. Pre‐treatment of seeds collected in 2012 and 2013 with sulphuric acid for 30 min increased germination from 0% to 66% and 62% respectively. Effect of cold stratification on seed germination varied with soil moisture content (MC) and duration of treatment; seeds stratified in soil with 12% MC for 2 months germinated to 39%. Burial duration, burial depth and their interaction had significant effects on seed dormancy and seed viability. Dormancy in fresh seeds was released from October to February, and seeds re‐entered dormancy in April. Seed viability decreased with time for seeds on the soil surface and for those buried at a depth of 5 cm, and 39% and 10%, respectively, were viable after 22 months. Thus, C. hybridum can form at least a short‐lived persistent soil seedbank.     

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.     

Diversity in weed seed production and the soil seed bank: Contrasting responses between two agroecosystems

This study was carried out to compare the diversity in seed production and the soil seed bank in a dryland and an irrigated agroecosystem in the dry tropics. Both agroecosystems showed a comparable number of species, but only 25% and 38% similarity during the winter and rainy cropping seasons, respectively. In the irrigated agroecosystem, the amount of seed production diversity was almost double in the winter season, compared to the rainy season. The weed seedbank diversity was low but was sensitive to cropping practices and seasons in both agroecosystems. A considerably smaller soil seedbank size in the irrigated agroecosystem (cf. dryland) was related to lowered weed seed production. The dryland agroecosystem showed a greater accumulation of the seeds of broad‐leaved weeds, whereas the irrigated agroecosystem accumulated more seeds of the grasses or sedges. About three‐fourths of the seeds during the winter season were accounted for by Anagallis arvensis and Chenopodium album in the dryland agroecosystem and by C. album and Melilotus indica in the irrigated agroecosystem. However, during the rainy season, Ammannia baccifera, Echinochloa colona and Cyperus rotundus dominated in both agroecosystems. The changes in the weed seed bank and its diversity are mainly attributed to differences in water management, which tends to reduce species diversity, especially at a lower depth, but leads to the dominance of some potentially noxious weeds (e.g. Phalaris minor and M. indica). Approximately double the soil seedbank size and a greater diversity at a lower depth might indicate an adaptive mechanism in the storage of weed seeds in the dryland agroecosystem.     

Contaminant seeds in imported crop seed lots: a non‐negligible human‐mediated pathway for introduction of plant species to islands

Contaminant seeds in crop seed lots constitute a pathway for plant species introduction into new areas, and these non‐native weeds may be an environmental problem if they become invasive. Seed certification is a process that regulates and guarantees the quality of seed lots, including their purity. In this study, we assessed weed contamination in certified and non‐certified seed lots (n = 116) from 12 crop species commonly cultivated in the Balearic Islands. Contaminant seeds were separated using sieves, and then manually under a stereomicroscope, before they were germinated to confirm taxonomic identity. Weight, number and diversity of the contaminant seeds per kilogram of seed lot, number released per hectare according to sowing rate, and taxonomic identity and biogeographical origin of contaminant species were recorded. Although certification reduced the number of contaminant seeds in the seed lots, it did not entirely eliminate contaminants, because we found up to 2000 contaminant seeds kg^?1 of certified ryegrass and sulla. Overall, contaminant seeds represented 118 taxa; of which, 82 were identified to species level, 70% of species were native, 19% were cultivated, and 11% were non‐native. Two of the identified taxa were first records for the Balearic Islands. In conclusion, contaminant seeds in imported crop seed lots represent a non‐negligible pathway for plant species introduction.     

Winter annual grassy weeds increase over‐winter mortality in autumn‐sown wheat

Over‐winter mortality, that is, winterkill, reduces cereal crop competitive ability and yield. While management and environmental variables are known to affect winterkill, the extent to which weeds contribute to increased winterkill is largely unknown. Winter annual weeds may increase winterkill through resource competition and by increasing incidence of and damage from plant pathogens that cause winterkill. We evaluated the impact of summer annual (Avena fatua) and winter annual (Bromus tectorum) weeds on the over‐winter survival rate of winter wheat over three winters, during which plots were covered with snow. Pink snow mould (Microdochium nivale), a winterkill pathogen known to infect B. tectorum and winter wheat, was common in wheat stands. In weed‐free treatments, mortality rates were initially near zero, but increased by nearly 45% in each subsequent winter, presumably due to an increase in snow mould disease in continuously cropped winter wheat. Whereas A. fatua infestation had no impact on crop survival rates, winter wheat survival in B. tectorum‐infested plots was 50% less than the weed‐free control in the second and third years of this study. Among B. tectorum‐infested plots, winter wheat over‐winter survival declined with increasing weed seed produced in the previous summer. Overall, this study demonstrated that winter annual weed infestations can reduce crop stand densities below replanting thresholds by reducing fall‐sown cereal winter survival. The effects of winter annual weeds on winter wheat may be meditated by increased proliferation of snow mould disease.     

Chloroplast DNA markers for Echinochloa taxa

The genus Echinochloa (Poaceae) includes numerous problematic weeds over a wide range of ecoregions in the world. To date, molecular markers for species identification and assessing phylogenetic relationship are still limited in the genus Echinochloa. In this study, we developed seven chloroplast molecular markers based on divergent chloroplast regions of E. crus‐galli and E. oryzicola. Furthermore, Marker #1 (psbA) was examined in more than 200 Echinochloa accessions and a phylogenetic tree grouped these Echinochloa accessions into four clades. Additionally, two different E. crus‐galli varieties (E. crus‐galli var. crus‐galli, E. crus‐galli var. praticola) and E. colona were successfully distinguished by this marker. The developed molecular markers contribute to better identification of Echinochloa taxa.     

Modelling the effects of herbicide dose and weed density on rice‐weed competition

The effects of herbicide dose on rice‐weed competition were investigated to develop a combined model, which can be utilised to estimate an optimum herbicide dose for a given weed density in paddy rice cultivation. Field studies were conducted in Suwon for rice‐Echinochloa crus‐galli competition and Iksan for rice‐Eleocharis kuroguwai during 2007. The competitive effect of the weeds E. crus‐galli and E. kuroguwai decreased with increasing doses of flucetosulfuron and azimsulfuron, respectively, in the same manner as the standard dose–response curve. The combination of the rectangular hyperbolic model and the standard dose–response curve adequately described the complex effects of herbicide dose and weed competition on rice yield. Parameter estimates were used with the model to predict rice yield and estimate the doses of flucetosulfuron and azimsulfuron required to restrict rice yield loss caused by E. crus‐galli and E. kuroguwai, respectively, to an acceptable level. For a rice yield of 5.0 t ha^?1, the model recommended flucetosulfuron doses of 8.7, 13.4 and 20.1 g a.i. ha^?1 when infested with E. crus‐galli at 12, 24 and 48 plants m^?2 respectively. For a rice yield of 5.2 t ha^?1, the model recommended azimsulfuron doses of 3.9, 7.5 and 12.6 g a.i. ha^?1 when infested with E. kuroguwai at 24, 48 and 96 plants m^?2 respectively. The theoretical outputs of the combined model appear robust and indicate there are opportunities for reduced herbicide use in the field. These now require evaluation under field conditions.     

Efficacy of UV‐C radiation to reduce seedborne anthracnose (Colletotrichum acutatum) from Andean lupin (Lupinus mutabilis)

The potential of UV‐C radiation of Andean lupin (Lupinus mutabilis) seeds to eradicate seedborne infections of anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum acutatum was investigated. UV‐C doses from 0 to 691.2 kJ m^?2 (resulting from 0 to 96 h of exposure time) on disease incidence reduction and germination on artificially and naturally infected seed were evaluated. The degree of incidence reduction and seed germination was dependent on the dose of UV‐C. The UV‐C doses of 86.4 kJ m^?2 and higher reduced incidence from 6% to 7% to undetectable levels, but these UV‐C doses also reduced seed germination. UV‐C can deleteriously affect physiological processes and overall growth. To assess its impact, L. mutabilis seeds irradiated with UV‐C doses of 57.6 and 86.4 kJ m^?2 were grown. Seedlings grown from noninfected seed and UV‐C treated seed showed an increased concentration of chlorophyll and protein contents, as well as an increase in the activation of defence enzymes peroxidase and catalase, in comparison with plants grown from infected seed. UV‐C doses resulted in seed emergence and seedling dry weight rates that were similar to the noninfected control or better than the fungicide control. Moreover, 57.6 kJ m^?2 reduced transmission of the pathogen from seed to the plantlets by 80%, while 86.4 kJ m^?2 apparently eradicated the pathogen, under greenhouse conditions. The use of UV‐C, first reported here, is advantageous for controlling anthracnose in lupin.     

Crop–weed competition rather than temperature limits the population establishment of two annual C4 weeds at the edge of their northern range

Climate change is predicted to affect range expansion of harmful C₄ weeds into the boreal region, given that they are able to successfully colonise both C₃ and C₄ crops. We studied the impact of a 3°C elevation in temperature on the establishment and maintenance of populations of two annual C₄ weeds (Amaranthus retroflexus and Echinochloa crus‐galli) with and without a competing C₃ (barley) or C₄ (maize) crop. Data obtained from field and glasshouse experiments were modelled using a periodic matrix population model. Competition of a weed with a crop appeared to be a more important factor for limiting the maintenance of weed populations than elevation in temperature, as neither of the weed species was able to maintain populations in competition with crops. Even an increase in the frequency of warm years did not result in viable weed populations establishing. However, A. retroflexus was able to form persistent populations in competition with maize when released from competition every fifth year. Simulations parameterised from glasshouse data predicted that both weed species would persist without competition in the current climate, whereas simulations parameterised from field data suggested only A. retroflexus to be able to persist. These results demonstrate that competition affects the range expansion of arable weed species more than elevation in temperature, necessitating the inclusion of crop–weed interactions in models of range shifts as a consequence of climate change.     

Effect of phosphate‐based seed priming on strigolactone production and Striga hermonthica infection in cereals

Strigolactones, plant‐secreted underground signalling molecules, play an important role in agricultural ecosystems, because they mediate the interaction of crops with symbiotic AM fungi and parasitic weeds like Striga hermonthica. Cereal host plants secret these signalling molecules particularly under nutrient‐deficient conditions and especially when phosphate (P) is limiting. The objective of the present study was to see the potential of P seed priming for S. hermonthica management in cereals in relation to strigolactone production. It has been demonstrated that P fertiliser application down‐regulates the production of these signalling molecules in the rhizosphere, which results in lower S. hermonthica infection of cereals. The laboratory study showed maximum production of strigolactones from dry and water‐soaked seeds, while seed soaking in P solution reduced their production. Similarly, maximum S. hermonthica infection was observed under control treatments with dry sowing or water soaking, while P seed soaking decreased S. hermonthica germination, emergence and dry biomass in all cereal crops. Our study shows that P seed priming resulted in lower exudation of strigolactones, which induced less S. hermonthica seeds germination and hence may lead to lower S. hermonthica infection. P‐based seed priming could prove to be an effective and affordable strategy to reduce S. hermonthica infection in cereals. Further research for practical field application is needed.     

A mathematical model to predict the population dynamics of Oryza sativa var. sylvatica

A mathematical model has been developed for the prediction of the population dynamics of Oryza sativa L. var. sylvatica . The input variables included in the model were the seedbank composition; the number of panicles per plant and seeds per panicle; the rate of shattering; the seed longevity and the number of weed seeds contained in the sown grain; the type of soil tillage (ploughing, minimum and No tillage); the weed control efficacy; and the predation. The output variables were the number of seedlings that emerged from different depths and the seedbank evolution. The model relies on probability matrices that predict the vertical movement of the seeds after different soil tillage practices. Sensitivity analysis showed that the weed control efficacy and number of grains per panicle were the parameters that had the highest influence on the development of the weed population. The model evaluation was carried out by comparing the predicted with the observed seedling emergence at different seedbank values and under different soil tillage conditions. The model performance showed a tendency to overestimate seedling densities. The agreement between the estimated and experimental data was closely related to the accuracy of the input values of the seed distribution along the soil profile.     

Fates of Setaria faberi and Abutilon theophrasti seeds in three crop rotation systems

Weed seeds in and on the soil are the primary cause of weed infestations in arable fields. Previous studies have documented reductions in weed seedbanks due to cropping system diversification through extended rotation sequences, but the impacts of different rotation systems on additions to and losses from weed seedbanks remain poorly understood. We conducted an experiment in Iowa, USA, to determine the fates of Setaria faberi and Abutilon theophrasti seeds in 2‐, 3‐ and 4‐year crop rotation systems when seed additions to the soil seedbank were restricted to a single pulse at the initiation of the study. Over the course of the experiment, seedlings were removed as they emerged and prevented from producing new seeds. After 41 months, seed population densities dropped >85% for S. faberi and >65% for A. theophrasti, but differences between rotation systems in the magnitude of seedbank reductions were not detected. Most of the reductions in seedbank densities took place from autumn through early spring in the first 5 months following seed deposition, before seedling emergence occurred, suggesting that seed predation and/or seed decay was important. For S. faberi, total cumulative seedling emergence and total seed mortality did not differ between rotation systems. In contrast, for A. theophrasti, seedling emergence was 71% lower and seed mortality was 83% greater in the 3‐ and 4‐year rotation systems than in the 2‐year system. Results of this study indicate that for certain weed species, such as A. theophrasti, crop rotation systems can strongly affect life‐history processes associated with soil seedbanks.     

Potential for endozoochorous seed dispersal by sheep and goats: Risk of weed seed transport via animal faeces

Endozoochory is known as an important mechanism for the spread of weeds. We carried out experiments to assess the fate of seeds of several weed species (Convolvulus arvensis, Cuscuta campestris, Rumex crispus, Hordeum spontaneum and Sorghum halepense) after passing through the gut of sheep and goat. Eighteen animals of both sheep and goat received diet mixed with seeds of the weed species or control with only wheat bran (five weed species + control × three replications). Results showed that a higher proportion of seeds were missing after passage through the sheep gut than in goats. In goats, a greater proportion of seeds were dead after passage, but the number of seeds collected from dung was also greater. Weed species differed, with the highest seed recovery and viability in Cuscuta campestris. Based on time of seed passages through the animal gut estimated for the different weed species, we recommend that sheep should be kept in a corral for 96 hr to minimise seed transportation via their faeces. For goats, if R. crispus and C. arvensis seeds could be excluded from the diet, then maintaining them for 96 hr in an animal stall would ensure little seed transportation via dung, but we found R. crispus and C. arvensis seeds to be present and viable in goat dung even 120 hr after feeding. Very large numbers of viable seeds can be found in goat and sheep dung, so the use of rotted manure is highly recommended to avoid transportation of viable seeds via manure fertilisers.     

Development of herbicide resistance in weeds in a crop rotation with acetolactate synthase‐tolerant sugar beets under varying selection pressure

The development of acetolactate synthase (ALS) tolerant sugar beet provides new opportunities for weed control in sugar beet cultivation. The system consists of an ALS?inhibiting herbicide (foramsulfuron + thiencarbazone‐methyl) and a herbicide‐tolerant sugar beet variety. Previously, the use of ALS‐inhibitors in sugar beet was limited due to the susceptibility of the crop to active ingredients from this mode of action. The postulated benefits of cultivation of the ALS‐tolerant sugar beet are associated with potential risks. Up to now, with no relevant proportion of herbicide‐tolerant crops in Germany, ALS‐inhibitors are used in many different crops. An additional use in sugar beet cultivation could increase the selection pressure for ALS‐resistant weeds. To evaluate the impact of varying intensity of ALS‐inhibitor use on two weed species (Alopecurus myosuroides and Tripleurospermum perforatum) in a crop rotation, field trials were conducted in Germany in two locations from 2014 to 2017. Weed densities, genetic resistance background and crop yields were annually assessed. The results indicate that it is possible to control ALS‐resistant weeds with an adapted herbicide strategy in a crop rotation including herbicide‐tolerant sugar beet. According to the weed density and species, the herbicide strategy must be extended to graminicide treatment in sugar beet, and a residual herbicide must be used in winter wheat. The spread of resistant biotypes in our experiments could not be attributed to the integration of herbicide‐tolerant cultivars, although the application of ALS‐inhibitors promoted the development of resistant weed populations. Annual use of ALS‐inhibitors resulted in significant high weed densities and caused seriously yield losses. Genetic analysis of surviving weed plants confirmed the selection of ALS‐resistant biotypes.     

The impact of management on weeds and aquatic plant communities in Hungarian rice crops

This study assessed the cultural and weed management factors influencing the weed communities of Hungarian rice fields. Hungary is situated at the northern limit of rice production with a history of about 300 years of rice culture. We surveyed the weed flora and 25 background variables in 100 active rice fields. Using a minimal adequate model containing 11 terms, 48.5% of the total variation in weed species data could be explained. The net effects of nine variables on species composition were significant. Crop cover was found to be the most important explanatory variable, which was followed by the herbicides penoxsulam and azimsulfuron, tillage depth, phosphorous and potassium fertilisers, years after last rotation, water depth in May, sowing type, pendimethalin and water conductivity. Filamentous algae, as the most abundant group of weeds, were positively associated with deep tillage, deep water and surface sowing. Echinochloa crus‐galli, one of the most troublesome grass weeds, was associated with low rice cover, shallow water and later years after crop rotation, while weedy rice favoured high crop cover, deep water and soil sowing. These findings can be used to design improved weed management strategies. The occurrence of red list species and charophytes in diverse micro‐mosaic patterns deserves attention from a conservation perspective, as well. The maintenance of these unique charophyte communities can be facilitated by shallow tillage without soil inversion.