A STUDY OF THE COMPETITIVE ABILITY OF CHENOPODIUM ALBUM L.

Summary. Experiments arc reported that demonstrate that there is mutual interference between kale and Chenopodium album when grown in association. As the plants grow, those at high density, whether in mixtures or in pure stands, interfere with each other and individual plant weight and leaf area are reduced. By changing the time:of Introduction of one of the species into a mixture it was shown that kale suffered heavy mortality when C. album had an initial advantage. When kale was introduced before C. album the weed remained stunted but there was no mortality. The weed exerted an early effect of kale. The ability of C. album to interfere with kale, seems to be related to its plasticity. It is able to grow rapidly, to trap light effectively and even under adverse conditions to set seed.
Etude sur le pouvoir de compétition de Chenopodium album L. I. Recherches sur la compétition enire les choux et C. album     

THE USE OF A LOW DOSE OF ATRAZINE ALONE AND IN MIXTURES WITH OTHER HERBICIDES IN THE MAIZE CROP

Summary. Linuron, 2,4-D-aniine, propachlor, pyriclor and cypromid, singly and mixture with atrazine, were compared with atrazine and fluromidine alone for effectiveness of weed control in maize on Oxford clay soil. Pre-emergence applications were made under wet conditions and atrazine, even at 0·28 kg/ha a.i. gave an excellent control of three main weeds, Stellaria media, Veronica spp. and Polygonum aviculare , and at 0·56 kg/ha also killed Aethusa cynapium. Fluromidine was comparable with atrazine, but linuron,2,4-D-amine, propachlor and pyriclor were less effective. Post-emergence treatments were less satisfactory. High doses of atrazine were needed for good weed control. Acynapium was resistant to pyriclor and cypromid and P. aviculare to fluromidine. 2,4-Daminewas ineffective, but atrazine/2,4-D-amine mixtures were more effective than the individual components for the control of P. aviculare. Pyriclor, at 0·56 kg/ha pre-emergenceand cypromid at 2·24 kg/ha post-emergence directly reduced the yield of the crop.
Utilisation de I'atrazine à faible dose, seule et en mélange avec d'autres herbicides, dans les culturesde maïs     

Effects of nitrogen supply on competition between wheat and three annual weed species

Three pot experiments have investigated the effects of nitrogen (N) supply on interspecific competition between three weed species ( Phalaris minor Retz., Chenopodium album L, and Sinapis arvensis L.) and spring wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) cv, Alexandria. The treatments tested included monocultures of each species and a mix-ture containing them in equal proportions that were combined factorially with two levels of N supply (20, 120 kg N ha^-1). Low N supply decreased net photosynthetic rate (P_n), leaf N percentage, plant dry weight and N uptake of both wheat and weed species and gram dry weight of wheat. The effects of low N on P_n and dry weight of weeds were greater than the effects on wheat. In most cases the decrease in P_n at low N was due to non-stomatal factors. The relative competitive abilities of wheat and weeds were influenced by N supply. At high N, S.arvensis was more competitive than wheat, whereas P. minor was less competitive than wheat. C. album was more competitive than wheat at both N levels. The rank order of competitive ability of the weed species was C. album > P. minor > S. arvensis . The effects of interspecific competition on P_n were smaller than the effects of N supply and were not associated with corresponding effects on leaf N percentage and plant dry weight of both wheat and weed species and grain dry weight of wheat.     

湖南省烟田杂草种群调查

为了明确湖南省烟田杂草种群与分布,采用对角线五点取样法在全省烟田进行了系统调查。结果表明,烟田杂草共有30科77种,其中禾本科杂草占比14.29%,阔叶杂草占比81.82%,莎草科杂草占比3.89%;一年生杂草占比75.32%,多年生杂草占比24.68%。相对多度大于3%的杂草有铁苋菜、酸模叶蓼、稗、碎米荠、马唐、繁缕、喜旱莲子草、看麦娘、通泉草、鸭跖草、水苦荬等11种,其中铁苋菜、酸模叶蓼、稗为湖南省烟田优势杂草种群,碎米荠、马唐、繁缕、喜旱莲子草、看麦娘、通泉草、鸭跖草、水苦荬为湖南省烟田区域性优势杂草种群。湖南省烟田杂草防除主要采用苗前土壤处理和苗后茎叶处理相结合的化学防除方法,主要使用的化学除草剂是精异丙甲草胺和砜嘧磺隆。本研究结果表明,湖南省烟田杂草存在区域性差异,应因地制宜制定合适的化学防治方案。     

Testing of an integrated regime for effective and sustainable control of invasive Crofton weed (Ageratina adenophora) comprising the use of natural inhibitor species,activated charcoal,and fungicide

Crofton weed is a major invasive species in China. It exhibits superior growth characteristics and can outcompete with native species via allolepathic effects and modulation of the soil fungal microbiome. The simple removal of invading plants will not ensure restoration of the habitat due to the persistence of allelochemicals and viable seeds in the surrounding soil. An orthogonal experimental design was employed to evaluate the effects of three control factors (A, powdered natural inhibitor species to retard growth; B, activated charcoal to absorb allelochemicals; and C, fungicide to reduce fungal modulation effects), applied at three levels, on the growth and competitive ability of Crofton weed against two native species, in a pot‐culture experiment. All treatments reduced all measured growth parameters (P < 0.05) except for a specific leaf area, when compared with control plants. Furthermore, the competitive capacity of Crofton weed was decreased in the treatments while that of the native species was improved. Application to soil of the powdered natural inhibitor species and of activated charcoal significantly inhibited plant growth and competitive ability of Crofton weed (P < 0.05). Application of fungicide was less effective, but significantly reduced the specific leaf area of Crofton weed plants (P < 0.05). The specific combination of factors producing the greatest decrease in plant growth and competitive ability (compared with the control) included the addition of Delavaya toxocarpa powder (37.5 g per kg soil), addition of activated charcoal to soil at a ratio of 1:3 (v/v) (62.5 g per kg soil), and application of fungicide (Thiophanate‐Methyl) (0.28 g per kg soil).     

THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELECTIVE HERBICIDES FOR KALE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

Summary. The purpose of this paper is firstly to describe the background of an investigation started in 1961 to develop new herbicides for the control of weeds in agricultural kale, Brassica oleracea vars. acephala D.C. and fruticosa Metz, and secondly to present the results of four experiments concerned with the effects of weeds on the yield of kale. The results of the herbicide investigation are to be presented in subsequent papers.
Kale as grown in the United Kingdom is a valuable fodder crop and relatively easy to grow, but beset by weeds against which existing mechanical and chemical methods of control have not usually been successful. The effect of weed competition on the yield of four farmers'crops was investigated in 1961 and 1962. When grown entirely free of weeds, the crops provided yields in the range of 20.9–34.5 tons of green material per acre. Where no attempt was made to control the weeds, the yields were reduced by 9.4, 14.5 and 18.9 tons/ac, respectively, in three experiments. In no case did kale, hoed only between the rows, produce as high a yield as the weed-free crop. Although variable in effect, uncontrolled weed growth early in the life of the crop always lowered the yield of kale.
Le développement de l'usage des herbicides selectifs pour le chou fourrager dans le Royaume-Uni. La plante cultivée, les mauvaises herbes et le problème     

EFFECTS OF WEED CONTROL AND NITROGEN APPLICATION RATE ON THE YIELD AND NTTROGEN CONTENT OF KALE

Summary. The experiments reported show that weed competition throughout growth reduced kale yields by up to 89%. Competition until the 4-leaf stage reduced yields by about 12%. Application of nitrogen had little effect on the actual loss of yield. The same yield could be obtained by controlling weeds from emergence and giving little nitrogen, or by delaying weed control until the 4-leaf stage and giving a higher level of nitrogen, but kale crops that had suffered weed competition until the 4-Ieaf stage appeared to be incapable of achieving the same yield as crops clean-weeded from emergence. Data on nitrogen percentage and content suggest that competition between weeds and kale was not solely for i
Effets du desherbage et du taux de fertilisation azoiée sur le rendement et la teneuren azote du chou fourrager     

A quantitative analysis of temperature-dependent dormancy changes in Polygonum aviculare seeds

Mathematical models that predict emergence of weed seedbanks could be useful tools for determining the most suitable time for weed seedling control and, consequently, should result in a higher efficacy of applied control methods. To achieve this goal in dormant weed species, functional relationships should be established between environmental factors regulating dormancy and dormancy changes of seed populations. In the present work, we used a simple model and an optimisation procedure to quantify the effect of temperature on Polygonum aviculare seed dormancy release and induction, based on germination data. Dormancy release rate was inversely related to temperature, showing a decreasing logistic trend that results in no dormancy release for seeds exposed to 20 and 25°C. In contrast, dormancy induction rates in absolute values were positively associated with temperature, showing a logistic trend in which dormancy induction was almost zero at low temperatures and maximal at 25°C. Derived model parameters were used to simulate dormancy changes of P. aviculare seeds stored under controlled and field conditions. These results suggest that similar model structures could be used to quantify temperature effects on seed dormancy status of other weed species and to develop predictive models of weed emergence.     

达州市烟田杂草种类及群落数量分析

采用杂草优势度七级目测法对四川省达州市烟田杂草的种类、危害程度和群落特点进行调查。结果表明,达州市烟田杂草共有36科127种,其中优势杂草为马唐和空心莲子草。根据草害综合指数进行聚类分析,杂草群落可分为马唐+尼泊尔蓼+空心莲子草+看麦娘+繁缕+酸模叶蓼+辣蓼和马唐+空心莲子草+铁苋菜+光头稗+无芒稗+牛筋草2个聚类群。主成分分析结果表明,第Ⅱ聚类群的各杂草种在群落中的分布更集中,且优势杂草间相关性更高。     

Phosphorus fertilizer effects on the competition between wheat and several weed species

Information on phosphorus (P) fertilizer affecting crop–weed competitive interactions might aid in developing improved weed management systems. A controlled environment study was conducted to examine the effect of three P doses on the competitive ability of four weed species that were grown with wheat. Two grass and two broad-leaved weed species were chosen to represent the species that varied in their growth responsiveness to P: wild oat (medium), Persian darnel (low), round-leaved mallow (high), and kochia (low). Wheat and each weed species were grown in a replacement series design at P doses of 5, 15, and 45 mg P kg⁻¹ soil. The competitive ability of the low P-responsive species, Persian darnel and kochia, decreased as the P dose increased, supporting our hypothesis that the competitiveness of species responding minimally to P would remain unchanged or decrease at higher P levels. As expected, the competitiveness of the high P-responsive species, round-leaved mallow, progressively improved as the P dose increased. However, wild oat's competitive ability with wheat was not affected by the P fertilizer. The results suggest that fertilizer management strategies that favor crops over weeds might deserve greater attention when weed infestations consist of species known to be highly responsive to higher soil P levels. The information gained in this study could be used to advise farmers of the importance of strategic fertilizer management in terms of both weed management and crop yield.     

THE RESPONSE TO VARIATIONS IN NITROGEN LEVEL OF SOME WEED SPECIES OF THE SUDAN

Summary. Five weed species, Argemone mexicana, Calotropis procera, Cynodon dactylon, Cyperus rotundus and Dactylocleniwn aegyptium , and two crop plants, Gossypium barbadense and Sorghum vulgare , were grown at five nitrogen levels (3, 9, 27, 81 and 243 ppm N) in sand-culture. The response of the species was noted in terms of total dry-weight yield, percentage dry-weight and mm; shout ratio.
Cynodon dactylon and Calotropis procera both showed a strong linear relationship between dry-weight yield and nitrogen level, yield increasing with increase in nitrogen concentration. This response was at a higher overall level and higher rate in the former species. Argemone mexicana , and the two crop plants, yielded best at 81 ppm, yield being depressed by the highest nitrogen level. Dactyloctenium aegyptium showed a somewhat similar response to Argemone mexicana . Cyperus rotundus exhibited yield peaks at 9 and 81 ppm N. Percentage dry-weight values were highly variable but in most cases highest yield was accompanied by the highest shoot : root ratio.
The responses of the species are discussed in relation to the soil factors prevailing in the habitats in which they are usually found. Adaptation on the part of some weed species is suggested where the yield response is similar to that of some of the crop plants with which they are usually associated.
The ability to reproduce similar reactions to variations in nitrogen level on the part of three weed species, on two separate occasions, indicates that real and reliable responses can be demonstrated in work of this kind.
Réaction de quelques espèces de mauvaises herbes du Soudan à diverses concentrations d'azote     

STUDIES ON WEED SPECIES OF THE GENUS POLYGONUM L.

Summary. Seeds ni Polygonum lapathifolium from several sources or after certain treatments were subjected to various periods of moist chilling and then incubated for 3 weeks, during which time the numbers that germinated were recorded.
Populations from different localities differed in both seed weight and in the response of the seeds to chilling, but no relationships between the response and the environment of the locality of origin were found. Seeds from individual plants and from single inflorescences within populations also varied in both seed weight and germination with and without chilling. Application of dichlorprop to the parent plants was found to affect seed weight and % germination, the effect varying with both population and dose.
Etudes sur des espèces de mauvaises herbes du genre Polygonum L.
IV. Variations du poids et des modalités de germination des semences chez P. lapathifolium L.     

Effects of pre- and post-emergence weed harrowing on annual weeds in peas and spring cereals

To assess the effects of timing and frequency of weed harrowing on weed abundance and crop yield, different pre- and post-emergence weed harrowing sequences were applied to spring cereals and peas in field experiments performed during 2003 and 2004 in Sweden. Post-emergence harrowing was performed at crop growth stages 2–3 and 5–6 true leaves respectively. The best weed control was obtained by a combination of pre- and post-emergence harrowing, but these treatments also caused yield losses of 12–14% in spring cereals, while no yield losses were observed in peas. Pre-emergence weed harrowing treatments alone or combined with weed harrowing shortly after crop emergence proved to be most effective against the early emerging annual weed species Sinapis arvensis and Galeopsis spp. Post-emergence harrowing alone in peas had no effect on S. arvensis . The late emerging annual weed species Chenopodium album and Polygonum lapathifolium were most effectively controlled when pre-emergence weed harrowing was combined with one or two weed harrowing treatments after crop emergence.     

EFFECTS OF CHEMICAL WEED CONTROL ON THE GROWTH PATTERNS OF CONIFER TRANSPLANTS

Summary. Studies were undertaken to determine the tolerance of three conifer species to repeated applications of several herbicides over a 2-year period and the degree of weed control required to obtain optimal growth.
The results indicated that: (1) 60% or more weed control was required to obtain optimal growth of Picea glauca (Moench) Voss and P. pungens Engelm., while Pinus sylvestris L. showed optimal growth with average weed control as low as 40%; (2) weed competition did not affect the percentage survival of any of the three species under irrigated nursery conditions; (3) absence of visual injury symptoms was not an indication of the tolerance of a species to a herbicide; (4) severe weed competition caused an overall reduction in growth with significant reductions in stem diameter and in height and fresh weight of shoots; (5) herbicidal toxicity caused reductions in height, fresh weight or stem diameter but not necessarily of all three; (6) initial survival was affected only by those herbicides that were highly toxic at the doses applied; and (7) significant differences in growth, due either to weed competition or to herbicidal toxicity were apparent, in most instances, after the 2nd year's growth.
The treatments that gave 70% or more control each year with no apparent growth retardation over the 2-year period of the three species tested were: single yearly applications of neburon 4 lb/ac or linuron 2 lb/ac, two applications each year of DCPA (dimethyl 2,3,5,6-tetrachloroterephthalate) 10 lb/ac and directed application of sodium pentachlorophenate 15 lb/ac.     

Comparison of growth,survivorship, seed production and shedding of eight weed species in a wheat crop in Western Australia

Development of integrated weed management strategies is dependent on a thorough knowledge of the demography of individual species. The current research established eight winter or summer weed species in a winter annual wheat cropping system at Wongan Hills, Western Australia, and investigated emergence of the first cohort of each species, survivorship, plant size, seed production and seed shedding over three years (2016–2019). The winter weeds Bromus diandrus and Lolium rigidum emerged at the same time as the wheat crop, and the initial cohort of marked plants had 100% survival to seed production in each year. By comparison, other winter weed species like Hordeum leporinum, Rumex hypogaeus, Sonchus oleraceus and Polygonum aviculare frequently emerged later than the crop and had a lower percentage of plants surviving to seed production. However, individual S. oleraceus and P. aviculare plants had the greatest seed production compared to other species. All winter weeds had variable patterns of seed shedding between years, with the exception of L. rigidum. Summer weed species emerged at the same time, but plants in the initial cohort of each species did not always survive to produce seed. The early emergence and high survivorship of B. diandrus indicates high competitive ability, but shedding commenced at a similar time to L. rigidum and harvest weed seed control may be a viable control method for this species.     

Use of phytotoxic rice crop residues for weed management

There is a general perception among Cambodian rice (Oryza sativa) farmers that, after harvesting, rice crop residues that are incorporated into the field benefit the growth of the subsequent rice crop. However, the effect of this action upon weed establishment and growth has not yet been considered. A series of pot and field trials were conducted to determine whether such action could inhibit weed establishment and/or growth. The pot studies first evaluated the response of the test plant (rice line ST‐3) and three weed species, barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus‐galli), small umbrella sedge (Cyperus difformis), and water primrose (Ludwigia octovalves), to the residue of 16 rice lines and the field trials were later conducted to evaluate the response of the same test plants to the residue of seven putatively allelopathic rice lines and one non‐allelopathic rice line. The residue of all the studied rice lines, depending on how long they had been incorporated into the soil, reduced the establishment and growth of all three weed species, as well as the rice crop. However, if the residue's incorporation was delayed by 2 weeks or only a proportion of the residue was incorporated, the rice crop could withstand the growth‐inhibiting effect, while the inhibition of the establishment and growth of the three weed species was retained. These responses of rice and the weeds to rice crop residues might provide a basis for a weed management strategy, particularly in the resource‐poor rice‐production systems of Cambodia.     

CONTROL OF WEEDS IN MARROWSTEM KALE BY EPTC AND SOME OTHER HERBICIDES

Summary. Two experiments on chemical weed control in marrowstem kale are reported. In the first of these three herbicides applied before sowing were compared; in the second experiment four herbicides were studied, one applied before sowing and the others applied after emergence. Of all the herbicides examined, EPTC, applied before sowing and incorporated into the seedbed, was the most satisfactory in terms of both weed control and yield of kale. Neither endothal + propham nor dinoseb + TCA proved satisfactory as pre-sowing treatments. The three herbicides applied post-emergence (all methylmercapto triazines) were ineffective for the control of Polygonum spp. and Poa annua , although fairly effective against Stellaria media and Chenopodium album . They caused considerable damage to the crop and reduced yields by at least 25%.
Le désherbage du chou moellier par l'EPTC et quelques autres herbicides     

Modelling assimilation rates of 14 temperate arable weed species as a function of the environment and leaf traits

Information on the response of assimilation rate to environmental factors is lacking for many less competitive weed species that need to be considered in the context of increasing farm biodiversity. A pot experiment was sown to parameterize gross assimilation rate at light saturation and initial light use efficiency for 14 common UK annual weeds and winter wheat at four leaf temperatures. Field experiments were also sown to measure inter-specific differences in specific leaf area (SLA), leaf nitrogen content and assimilation rates in the field at near-optimum temperatures. A generic relationship describing the response of assimilation rate to temperature and light using SLA and leaf nitrogen content as conversion factors successfully predicted inter-specific differences in assimilation rates in the field. This relationship could be incorporated into weed–crop competition models to predict the productivity and competitive impact of weed mixtures, including species outside the current data set. Assimilation rates at light saturation in the field were determined largely by SLA. This trait was variable between species and within a species across the growing season and needs to be well described in mechanistic competition models to accurately calculate instantaneous assimilation rates.     

Effects of winter wheat cultivars and seed rate on the biological characteristics of naturally occurring weed flora

Summary Differential competitive ability of six winter wheat cultivars and traits that confer such attributes were investigated for a range of seed rates in the presence or absence of weeds for a naturally occurring weed flora in two successive years in split-plot field experiments. Crop height and tillering capacity were considered suitable attributes for weed suppression, although competitiveness is a relative rather than an absolute characteristic. Maris Huntsman and Maris Widgeon were the most competitive cultivars whereas Fresco was the least competitive. Manipulation of seed rate was a more reliable factor than cultivar selection for enhancement of weed suppression, although competitiveness of cultivars Buster, Riband and Maris Widgeon was not enhanced by increased seed rate. Crop densities ranging between 125 and 270 plants m⁻² were found to offer adequate weed suppression. Linear relationships were observed between individual and total weed species dry weight and reproductive structures per unit area.     

Image‐based thresholds for weeds in maize fields

Recent development of site‐specific weed management strategies suggests patch application of herbicides to avoid their excessive use in crops. The estimation of infestation of weeds and control thresholds are important components for taking spray decisions. If weed pressure is below a certain level in some parts of the field and if late germinating weeds do not affect yield, it may not be necessary the spray such places from an economic point of view. Consequently, it makes sense to develop weed control thresholds for patch spraying, based on weed cover early in the growing season. In Danish maize field experiments conducted from 2010 to 2012, we estimated competitive ability parameters and control thresholds of naturally established weed populations in the context of decision‐making for patch spraying. The most frequent weed was Chenopodium album, accompanied by Capsella bursa‐pastoris, Cirsium arvense, Lamium amplexicaule, Tripleurospermum inodorum, Poa annua, Polygonum aviculare, Polygonum persicaria, Stellaria media and Veronica persica. Relative leaf cover of weeds was estimated using an image analysis method. The relation between relative weed leaf cover and yield loss was analysed by nonlinear regression models. The competitive ability parameters and economic thresholds were estimated from the regression models. The competitive ability of weed mixtures was influenced by the increasing proportion of large size weeds in the mixtures. There was no significant effect of weeds which survived or established after the first herbicide application, indicating that early image analysis was robust for use under these conditions.