Predictive models of weed population dynamics

Many of the challenges faced by weed ecologists can be met only by the capability to predict the responses of weed populations to changes in their environment or management. In spite of this, a review of papers published in Weed Research suggests that weed ecologists are remarkably reluctant to produce detailed, quantitative predictions. This may result from uncertainty in the accuracy of predictions and indeed, a variety of reasons have been put forward to suggest that the potential utility of weed models may be limited in this regard. In this study, we review the applications to which weed models have been put. Focusing on predictive population modelling, we highlight several limitations that can lead to failures of this approach and we discuss the likely prospects for weed population modelling. We make three points regarding the future of weed modelling. First, owing to prohibitive data requirements, the development of highly mechanistic models that attempt to make detailed predictions of weed population numbers is unlikely to be very successful. Second, data collection for developing weed models needs to be rethought. Weed models are most commonly compromised by a lack of spatial and temporal replication, preventing modellers from measuring parameter variability and error effectively and limiting assessments of model uncertainty. Finally, the utility of models needs to be better appreciated; models are key tools in making long range predictions of how management will affect weed populations, but, we estimate, they are used in only a small fraction of studies. Without the further development of models for weed population dynamics, our ability to predict long-term dynamics will be restricted.     

The Exploitation of Crop Allelopathy in Sustainable Agricultural Production

Crop allelopathy may be useful to minimize serious problems in the present agricultural production such as environmental pollution, unsafe products, human health concerns, depletion of crop diversity, soil sickness and reduction of crop productivity. Several crops including alfalfa, buckwheat, maize, rice, rye, sorghum, sunflower, wheat, etc. are affected either by their own toxicity or phytotoxin exudates when their residues decompose in the soil, that show strong suppression on weed emergences. Allelopathic crops when used as cover crop, mulch, smother crops, green manures, or grown in rotational sequences are helpful in reducing noxious weeds and plant pathogen, improve soil quality and crop yield. Those crop plants, particularly the legumes, incorporated at 1–2 tons ha⁻¹ (alfalfa, buckwheat, rice by-products), which can give weed reduction and increase of rice yield by 70 and 20 %, respectively, are suggested for use as natural herbicides. Allelochemicals from allelopathic crops may aid in the development of biological herbicides and pesticides. Cultivating a system with allelopathic crops plays an important role in the establishment of sustainable agriculture. The introduction of allelopathic traits from accessions with strong allelopathic potential to the target crops will enhance the efficacy of crop allelopathy in future agricultural production.     

Interactions between different genotypic tissues in citrus graft chimeras

The heritability of tolerance of wheat F₃ lines to competition from annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum), and its relationship to morphological traits, were determined using crosses between wheat cultivars with good and poor competitive ability. Forty F₂-derived F₃ lines from a cross between two late flowering varieties (Machete × Spear) and 40 from a cross between early flowering varieties (Wilgoyne × Gutha) were grown in the field with and without annual ryegrass. There was significant genetic variation between lines within each of the two populations in a number of aspects of plant growth and development, including yield in monoculture. The estimates of heritability for % yield loss due to competition were 0.25 and 0.57 in the two crosses respectively, indicating that selection for high tolerance to competition in the F₃ generation or later should be effective. Fairly strong relationships between height and % yield loss and between leaf length and % yield loss suggest that these may be useful auxiliary traits when selecting for low % yield loss. However, differences between crosses in the magnitude and sign of genetic and phenotypic correlation between traits indicate that competitive ability is a complex character influenced by many factors. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

外来杂草刺萼龙葵及其风险评估

外来入侵生物已对世界各国的自然生态系统、农业生产及公众健康造成了严重危害。刺萼龙葵(Solanum rostratum)起源于北美洲,其繁殖和适应能力很强,是具有潜在危险的外来有害杂草。对刺萼龙葵的分布、生物生态学特性、经济和生态影响及其控制和管理措施等进行了系统综述。根据生物生态学特性、潜在危险及管理控制的难度等特点,对刺萼龙葵进行了风险评估,得出其风险值为86,属高度危险的检疫性有害生物。应当高度重视刺萼龙葵的入侵,积极采取措施控制其危害蔓延。     

Suppressing Weeds in Direct-seeded Lowland Rice: Effects of Methods and Rates of Seeding

High weed infestation is a major constraint to widespread adoption of direct seeding of rice (Oryza sativa L.) The experiments were conducted in 1998 wet and 1999 dry seasons in the Philippines to examine the effects of seeding methods and rates on suppressing weeds in direct-seeded lowland rice. Treatments consisted of four seeding methods: conventional and modified broadcast seeding, drill seeding with east–west and north–south row orientations; three seeding rates: 40, 80 and 160 kg seed ha⁻¹ as well as two weed control levels: weed control with herbicide and no weed control. Among the seeding methods drill seeding with east–west row orientation had the lowest rice grain yield loss caused by weeds (38 % in the wet and 20 % in the dry season), whereas the highest losses because of weeds were observed with conventional broadcast seeding (59 % in the wet and 27 % in the dry season). Seeding rate was inversely correlated to weed interference. Severe rice yield reduction (71 %) caused by weeds was found at a seeding rate of 40 kg seed ha⁻¹ in the wet season. Using seeding rates of 80 and 160 kg seed ha⁻¹, respectively, lowered yield loss to 47 and 26 % in the wet season, 32 and 18 % in the dry season. Therefore suitable method and/or rate of seeding can significantly suppress weeds in direct-seeded lowland rice.     

Herbicide-tolerant crops in agriculture: oilseed rape as a case study

Oilseed rape has been modified extensively by conventional breeding for the production of varieties useful for human consumption (blended vegetable oil and margarine) and industrial processes (rubber additives and high‐temperature lubricants). Because much is now known about its genetic and biochemical composition, it has been an obvious choice for genetic modification and is now at the forefront of the commercial development of genetically modified (GM) or transgenic crops. Around the world, the increase in commercial plantings of all transgenic crops has been rapid. In 1996, 1.7 million hectares were planted, but by 1998 this figure had jumped to 27.8 million ha. The area in the year 2001 is likely to be about 50 million ha. With the possible introduction of transgenic varieties into European agriculture, it is essential that the associated farming practices employed are appropriate for their growth, both from a commercial and an environmental viewpoint. Some of the first transgenic crops are those carrying agronomic traits, e.g. herbicide tolerance transgenes. However, before full commercialization occurs, important agronomic and environmental questions need to be answered. How are these new crops to be incorporated into existing cropping practices? How will this change the current herbicide use profile for a given crop? Do herbicide‐tolerant varieties enhance or impede integrated pest management schemes? What is the likely uptake of such crops in agriculture? What are the ecological implications of their introduction? Are there effective measures to control the spread of transgenes to wild relatives? This paper addresses these questions, with special emphasis on oilseed rape production in the UK, but includes examples from other crops and countries where appropriate.     

Characterization of host tolerance to Striga hermonthica

Summary One of the most promising control options against the parasitic weed Striga hermonthica is the use of crop varieties that combine resistance with high levels of tolerance. The aim of this study was to clarify the relation between Striga infestation level, Striga infection level and relative yield loss of sorghum and to use this insight for exploring the options for a proper screening procedure for tolerance. In three pot experiments, conducted in Mali (2003) and The Netherlands (2003, 2004), four sorghum genotypes were exposed to a range of Striga infestation levels, ranging from 0.0625 to 16 seeds cm⁻³. Observations included regular Striga emergence counts and sorghum grain yield at maturity. There were significant genotype, infestation and genotype × infestation effects on sorghum yield. The relation between infestation level and infection level was density dependent. Furthermore, the relation between Striga infection level and relative yield loss was non-linear, though for the most resistant genotype Framida only the linear part of the relation was obtained, as even at high infestation levels only moderate infection levels were achieved. The results suggest that for resistant genotypes, tolerance can best be quantified as a reduced relative yield loss per aboveground Striga plant, whereas for less resistant genotypes the maximum relative yield loss can best be used. Whether both expressions of tolerance are interrelated could not be resolved. Complications of screening for tolerance under field conditions are discussed.     

应用计算机图像处理技术识别玉米苗期田间杂草的研究

利用计算机图像处理技术分析了玉米苗期田间杂草的特征量，识别出田间杂草并确定了杂草的位置和生长状况。研究中采用双峰法滤除了土壤背景，根据投影面积、叶长、叶宽识别出了杂草，并且根据杂草投影面积确定出了杂草密度。实验结果表明，此方法可有效地识别出玉米苗期田间细长的单子叶杂草。     

Effects of salinity and desalination on seed germination of six annual weed species

The effects of various salinities and desalination on seed germination of six annual glycophytes (Artemisia sieversiana, A. scoparia, Chloris virgata, Eragrostis pilosa, Chenopodium acuminatum and Chenopodium glaucum) were studied in Horqin Sandy Land, Inner Mongolia, China. NaCl solutions of five concentrations (0 mM, as the control, and 50, 100, 200 and 300 mM) were used for saline stress and desalination treatments. Increasing salinity significantly reduced germination percentages of A. sieversiana, A. scoparia, Ch.virgata and Ch. acuminatum, but had no effect on the germination percentages of E. pilosa. Lower salinity levels (50 mM) significantly increased germination percentage of Ch. glaucum. High salinity might be a precondition for germi- nation after desalination for five of the six species, excepting E. pilosa at NaCl concentration of 300 mM in comparison with non-primed seeds. Higher salinity (>200 mM) led to some specific ion toxicity and reduced seed viability of A. sieversiana. No specific ion toxicity but an osmotic effect limited the germination of other five species was observed The final germination percentages (salinity stress and desalination) of the six species showed three variations in comparison with the controls, namely, indiscrimination, stimulation, and reduction. Germination responses to salinity and desalination suggested that the six species were separated into three categories. Three species (A. sieversiana, Ch. virgata and Ch. acuminatum) showed similar germination responses to salinity with those of halophyte, but also showed a lower tolerance limit than most halophytes, although this was not always the case. A. scoparia and Ch. glaucum exhibited some ’salt stimulation’ in seed germination percentages after desalination, whereas E. pilosa did not show any obvious responseto salinity. Therefore, salinity usually induces dormancy of seeds with strong germination capacity in fresh water, but has few, or even positive, effects on seeds with strong innate dormancy.     

The major features of an infestation by the invasive weed legume gorse (Ulex europaeus) on volcanic soils in Hawaii

Gorse (Ulex europaeus) infestation occupies over 4,000 ha of agriculture and conservation lands on the southeastern slope of Mauna Kea on the Island of Hawaii. The aim of this investigation is to identify ecological features associated with this weed invasion by comparing the gorse-infested areas to the surrounding uninfested areas of this landscape. The soils within the gorse infestation are more acidic, resulting in higher levels of KCl-extractable Al and lower levels of Mehlich III-extractable Ca, Mg, Mn, and Zn. Yet, gorse accumulates higher concentrations of Ca, Zn and, Cu than the kikuyu grass (Pennesitum clandestinum), which is ubiquitous throughout the site. The Ca:Al and Mg:Al molar charge ratios of the soils are lowest within the epicenter of the gorse infestation, while the molar ratios are highest in the gorse apical stem tissues. All gorse plants are nodulated and have higher nitrogen contents than the surrounding kikuyu grass. Furthermore, the δ¹⁵N of the gorse stem tissues approaches 0‰, suggesting that nitrogen is being symbiotically fixed from the atmosphere. Characterization of the Bradyrhizobium isolated from gorse nodules shows similarities and distinctions to Bradyrhizobium isolated from the endemic legume koa (Acacia koa) within the same location. Population densities of the indigenous Bradyrhizobium are higher within the gorse rhizosphere than the kikuyu grass. Soil acidification, nutrient depletion, and symbiotic nitrogen fixation distinguish gorse-infested areas from the surrounding uninfested areas. These observations suggest that gorse has a competitive advantage over kikuyu grass under conditions of soil nutrient deficiency.