Influence of nitrogen on competition between cereals and their natural weed populations

The effects of nitrogen fertilizer on the growth and density of natural weed populations in spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were investigated in the absence of herbicide. An increased level of applied nitrogen did not enhance: weed germination, tended to decrease the total weed biomass and had a differential effect upon the biomass of individual weed species in both wheat and barky. In competition with barley, Chenopodium album L. and Lamium spp. had lower nitrogen optima than the crop, while Urtica urens L. had a higher nitrogen optimum. In competition with wheat, Stellaria media (L.) Vill., Lamium spp. and Veronica spp. had lower nitrogen optima than the crop. The systematic changes in nitrogen effect with time were analysed by fitting orthogonal polynomials to the growth and density curves. The methodology could be recommended for other studies in which time or other systematic factors are included, as it supplies information which a traditional analysis of variance cannot provide. Since seed production is positively correlated with biomass, so nitrogen level affects seed production and, hence, the seed pool and future weed population, suggesting that fertilizer usage can be exploited in an integrated programme of crop: weed management. A trend towards lower N fertilizer application owing to concerns about the environment willfavour most of the weed species investigated in these experiments and change the composition of weed populations.     

Selectivity of SMY 1500 (4-amino-6-tert-butyl-3-ethylthio-l,2,4,triazin-5(4H)-one) in Triticum durum

Susceptibility to SMY 1500 (4-amino-6-tert-butyl-3-ethylthio-1.2.4-triazin-5(4H)-one) was studied in durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) cultivars in growth-chamber assays. Weight reduction, photosynthesis inhibition and herbicide levels were determined at various times after a 24-h herbicide treatment in two cultivars of durum wheat, one cultivar of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L). and in the weed Bromus diandrus (Roth). Measurements of weight reduction distinguished between plants tolerant and plants susceptible to SMY 1500. Tolerant cultivars showed a lower herbicide content and photosynthesis inhibition than susceptible plants after the 24-h treatment. Thereafter, herbicide levels and photosystem II inhibition decreased faster in tolerant plants. Comparison with previous work showed that plants tolerated doses of SMY 1500 about four times higher than of its analogue, metribuzin. Herbicide content in leaves just after treatment, and rate of detoxification may explain the selectivity of SMY 1500 in these cereals.     

Field evaluation of allelopathic plant extracts alongside herbicides on weed management indices and weed–crop regression analysis in maize

Synthetic herbicides are posing problems owing to the development of weed resistance and emerging debate on their associated health hazards and ecological threats. Allelopathic manipulations are evolving as applicable substitutes for weed management in agroecosystems. In order to assess the efficacy of potential allelopathic water extracts from different plant species, field experiments were conducted during 2010 and 2011. Sorghum bicolor L., Helianthus annuus L., Brassica napus L., Oryza sativa L., Zea mays L. and Morus alba L. aqueous extracts in different combinations alone or along with a reduced dose of herbicide were evaluated for weed suppression in a maize crop. A weedy check and two herbicidal treatments, S‐metolachlor + atrazine (pre‐emergence) and atrazine alone (early postemergence), were included for comparison. Sorghum, brassica or sunflower tank‐mixed with 25% of the recommended dose of atrazine significantly suppressed the total weed density and dry biomass, along with a concomitant decrease in the crop resistance indices and treatment efficacy indices over the control. The weed density and dry biomass that were recorded at 60 days after sowing showed a strong negative correlation, while the leaf area index, crop growth rate, dry matter accumulation and net assimilation rate predicted a strong positive correlation, with the stover and grain yield of maize.     

Real-time weed detection, decision making and patch spraying in maize, sugarbeet, winter wheat and winter barley

Information on temporal and spatial variation in weed seedling populations within agricultural fields is very important for weed population assessment and management. Most of all, it allows a potential reduction in herbicide use, when post‐emergence herbicides are only applied to field sections with weed infestation levels higher than the economic weed threshold; a review of such work is provided. This paper presents a system for site‐specific weed control in sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.), maize (Zea mays L.), winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), including online weed detection using digital image analysis, computer‐based decision making and global positioning systems (GPS)‐controlled patch spraying. In a 4‐year study, herbicide use with this map‐based approach was reduced in winter cereals by 60% for herbicides against broad‐leaved weeds and 90% for grass weed herbicides. In sugarbeet and maize, average savings for grass weed herbicides were 78% in maize and 36% in sugarbeet. For herbicides against broad‐leaved weeds, 11% were saved in maize and 41% in sugarbeet.     

Competition between safflower and weeds as influenced by crop genotype and sowing time

The effects of crop genotype and sowing time on competition between safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) and weeds were investigated in a 2-year field study. Each year, safflower was grown as a pure stand and in mixture with a natural weed infestation, mostly represented by Polygonum aviculare L., Fallopia convolvulus (L.) A. Löve and Chenopodium album L., in an additive design including weed stands grown without the crop. Grain yield reduction ranged from about 50% to 80% depending on crop genotype, and was higher under spring sowing (mid-March) than under winter sowing (mid-February). In general, those genotypes incurring the least yield reduction gave the greatest suppression of weed biomass. More competitive genotypes also tended to reduce the proportion of C. album in the weed biomass at harvest, particularly in 1994 (the wetter growing season). The competitive ability of the crop was mainly correlated with its biomass at early growth stages, but was not related to its grain-yielding ability in the absence of weeds. Results showed that more competitive crops may be obtained by sowing the most competitive genotypes early. Selecting for higher competitive ability in safflower does not seem to imply a reduction in grain-yielding ability.     

Weed flora and seed yield in quinoa crop (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) as affected by tillage systems and fertilization practices

The effects of tillage system and fertilization regimes on weed flora in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) were evaluated by means of two field experiments in 2011 and 2012. The experiments were laid out in a split-plot design with two main plots (conventional and minimum tillage) and four sub-plots (fertilization regimes). The results indicated that weed biomass and density in quinoa were influenced by the different fertilization and tillage treatments. Moreover, seed yield in conventional was 5%–13% higher than that of minimum tillage, probably due to the lower weed density and biomass. Concerning fertilization treatments, total weed density and biomass increased under manure application and inorganic fertilization. Tillage effects on weeds were species specific. The density of perennial weeds such as purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus L.) and the density of small-seeded weeds such as redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) and common purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) were significantly lower under the conventional tillage than under the minimum tillage system.     

Dicotyledonous weeds of spring cereal crops in north-east Scotland

A survey of dicotyledonous weeds of spring cereals was conducted prior to herbicide application in 1985 in six districts of north-east Scotland, which involved a total of 113 fields. Results were similar to those from an earlier survey in 1973. The main species remained the same but in four of the six districts, total weed densities were lower. Stellaria media was the most common species except in Upper Banffshire and Morayshire where Galeopsis spp. and Polygonum aviculare, respectively, were predominant. The main changes apparent were a decline of Spergula arvensis and Polygonum persicaria, and an increase in Matricaria perforata and Viola arvensis in several districts.     

Chemical control of herbicide-resistant Lolium rigidum Gaud. in north-eastern Spain

BACKGROUND: Lolium rigidum Gaud. is one of the most common weed species in winter cereals in north‐eastern Spain, with populations that have evolved resistance to herbicides becoming more widespread since the mid‐1990s. Nine trials on commercial fields with herbicide‐resistant L. rigidum were conducted during the cropping seasons 2001–2002 to 2003–2004, testing the efficacy of 20 herbicides and mixtures pre‐ and post‐emergence and as sequential applications. Weed populations chosen had different resistance patterns to chlortoluron, chlorsulfuron, diclofop‐methyl and tralkoxydim, representative of the resistance problems faced by farmers. RESULTS: In pre‐emergence, prosulfocarb mixed with trifluralin, chlortoluron or triasulfuron was effective on six populations. In post‐emergence, iodosulfuron alone or mixed with mesosulfuron gave the best results but did not control three resistant populations. At Ferran 1, none of the herbicide combinations reached 90% efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: The diverse efficacy patterns of the different populations demonstrate the need for detailed knowledge of the populations before using herbicides. Moreover, the unexpected insufficient efficacy of the new herbicide iodosulfuron prior to its field use shows the need to combine herbicides with other non‐chemical weed control methods to control resistant L. rigidum in north‐eastern Spain. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Estimation of thresholds for weed control in Australian cereals

A non-linear model relating crop yield to the density of weeds was fitted to nine Victorian weeds to evaluate their competitive abilities. The weeds were: Acroptilon repens (L.) DC. (creeping knapweed), Chondrilla juncea L. (Skeleton weed, Raphanus raphanistrum L. (Wild radish), lolium rigidum Gaud. (Annual ryegrass), Lithospermum arvense L. (White iron weed), Brassica tournefortii Gouan (Wild turnip), Lamium amplexicaule L. (Deadnettle), Fumaria parviflora Lam. (White fumitory) and Amsinckia hispida (Ruiz & Pav.) I.M. Johnston (Amsinckia). Where more than one experiment was available for a weed, the net return for a herbicide treatment over a range of weed densities was calculated to obtain the economic threshold density. Generally, the economic threshold densities within a weed species were the same order of magnitude, except for the perennial Chondrilla Juncea L., For this species data were collected in years of contrasting rainfall. The model used here is discussed in view of the threshold approach currently used in continental Europe.     

Modelling the effects of sub-lethal doses of herbicide and nitrogen fertilizer on crop–weed competition

The effects of sub‐lethal dose of herbicide and nitrogen fertilizer on crop–weed competition were investigated. Biomass increases of winter wheat and a model weed, Brassica napus, at no‐herbicide treatment with increasing nitrogen were successfully described by the inverse quadratic model and the linear model respectively. Increases in weed competitivity (β₀) of the rectangular hyperbola and parameter B in the dose–response curve for weed biomass, with increasing nitrogen were also successfully described by the exponential model. New models were developed by incorporating inverse quadratic and exponential models into the combined rectangular hyperbola with the standard dose–response curve for winter wheat biomass yield and the combined standard dose—response model with the rectangular hyperbola for weed biomass, to describe the complex effects of herbicide and nitrogen on crop–weed competition. The models developed were used to predict crop yield and weed biomass and to estimate the herbicide doses required to restrict crop yield loss caused by weeds and weed biomass production to an acceptable level at a range of nitrogen levels. The model for crop yield was further modified to estimate the herbicide dose and nitrogen level to achieve a target crop biomass yield. For the target crop biomass yield of 1200 g m^?2 with an infestation of 100 B. napus plants m^?2, the model recommended various options for nitrogen and herbicide combinations: 140 and 2.9, 180 and 0.9 and 360 kg ha^?1 and 1.7 g a.i. ha^?1 of nitrogen and metsulfuron‐methyl respectively.     

Efficacy of reduced herbicide doses in spring cereals of different competitive ability

The effect of dose reduction on the efficacy of MCPA/mecoprop and MCPA/fluroxypyr mixtures in the control of broad-leaved weeds was studied in spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), Five crop densities were sown to obtain crop stands of different competitive ability. Halving the highest recommended dose decreased the control efficacy by 5–15 percentage units, but still provided a good weed control. Further reduction of the dose resulted in high variation in efficacy. The level of weed suppression was mainly determined by the competitiveness of the crop, environmental conditions and weed spectrum with differential sensitivity of species to the herbicides. No changes in the weed infestation were detected after continuous use of low herbicide doses for 3 years. The seed bank of weeds in soil was higher after a wheat-dominated rotation than after a barley-dominated rotation. Efficacité de doses réduites d'herbicides chez des céréales de printemps d'aptitudes à la compétitivé différentes L'impact de la réduction des doses sur l'efficacité de melange MCPA/mecoprop et MCPA/ fluroxypyr en matiere de desherbage des dicotyledones a étéétudié chez l'orge de printemps (Hordeum vulgare L.) et le blé de printemps (Triticum aestivum L.) 5 densités de culture ont été semées pour obtenir des cultures d'aptitudes a la compétitivité différentes. La réduction de moitié de la dose recommandée la plus élevée a reduit l'efficacité herbicide de 5 à 15% mais a encore fourni un bon résultat. Des reductions plus élevées de la dose ont conduit à de fortes variations dans l'efficacité. Le niveau de suppression des adventices était principalement déterminé par la compétitivité de la culture, les conditions environnementales et le spectre des adventices avec une sensibilité differentes des espèces aux herbicides, Aucun changement dans l'infestation en adventices n'a été observé après une utilisation continue de faibles doses d'herbicide pendant 3 ans, Le stock grainier d'adventices du sol était plus élevé après une rotation à dominante blé, qu'après une rotation à dominante orge. Wirksamkeit reduzierten Aufwands von Herbiziden in Sommergetreide mit unterschiedlicher Konkurrenzkraft In Sommergerste (Hordeum vulgare L.) und Sommerweizen (Triticum aestivum L.) wurde untersucht, wie die Reduzierung des Aufwands die Wirksamkeit von MCPA-Mecoprop- und MCPA-Fluroxypyr-Mischungen beeinflußt, Die Getreide wurden in 5 Dichten gesät, um Pflanzenbestände unterschiedlicher Konkurrenzkraft zu haben. Die Halbierung des hochsten empfohlenen Aufwands verminderte die Wirksamkeit um 5 bis 15 Prozentpunkte, ergab dennoch eine gute Unkrautbekämpfung, Eine weitere Reduzierung des Aufwands brachte sehr unterschiedliche Wirksamkeit. Der Grad der Unkrautunterdrückung wurde überwiegend durch die Konkurrenzkraft des Getreides, die Umweltbedingungen und das Unkrautspektrum mit gegenüber den Herbiziden verschieden empfindlichen Arten bestimmt. Nach 3 Jahren niedrigen Herbizidaufwands ließen sich Änderungen der Verunkrautung nicht erkennen. Der Unkrautsamenvorrat im Boden war nach einer weizen-dominierten Fruchtfolge größer als nach einer gerstendominierten.     

Simulation of herbicide use in a crop rotation with transgenic herbicide-tolerant oilseed rape

The potential impact of herbicide-tolerant winter oilseed rape ( Brassica napus L.) on future herbicide use was investigated with a simulation model. The model uses a sigmoid function to simulate the growth of crops and weeds that compete for a maximum yield potential. Thresholds for weed control are based upon critical levels of weed biomass. The dynamics of the weed population are determined by the efficacy of representative herbicides on individual weed species and by seedbank parameters. Herbicide efficacy is determined by a log-logistic dose–response curve for each species. Simulation of a rotation with winter oilseed rape/wheat/wheat/barley showed contradictory predictions of herbicide use, because herbicide use in a rotation with either glyphosate- or glufosinate-tolerant oilseed rape was not reduced in the amount of kg a.i. ha^–1 compared with a traditional treatment, whereas the treatment frequency (number of standard recommended doses per unit area) decreased.     

Herbicide-resistant crops: yield penalties and weed thresholds for oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.)

An expérimental procedure was designed to provide a simple model for types of analyses necessary to determine weed density thresholds for advantageous use of crop plants engineered for herbicide resistance. Oilseed rape (Brassica napus L., cv. Tower) biotypes resistant (RES) and susceptible (SUS) to atrazine were used as model crop plants, and wild oat (Avena fatua L.) was used as the model weed. Along a wild oat density gradient equivalent to 0–128 plants m^?2, RES plants consistently experienced biomass and yield reductions of approximately 10–20% compared to SUS plants. When atrazine was applied at 1.5 kg ha^?1 to control wild oats competing with RES plants, RES biomasses and yields were stabilized at the same level as that where 25–30 wild oats m^?2 reduce yields of SUS plants. This implies that with wild oat densities of 25–30 plants m^?2, it becomes agronomically advantageous to crop with RES plants plus atrazine rather than to crop with higher-yielding SUS plants.     

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) response to weed and disease management in northern Ghana

Weeds and diseases can reduce peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) yield or increase cost of production to maintain acceptable yield. While herbicides and fungicides have limited availability in many areas of Ghana and currently are too expensive for resource-poor farmers, control by these pesticides can have a major positive impact on peanut yield. Field experiments were conducted during the rainy seasons of 2009 and 2010 in northern Ghana to determine the effects of herbicide and hand weeding in combination with fungicides on pest management and peanut yield. Peanut pod yield was often more highly correlated with disease severity and canopy defoliation resulting from early leaf spot (caused by Cercospora arachidicola Hori) and late leaf spot (caused by Cercosporidium personatum (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) Deighton) than weed biomass. In some instances, less disease and canopy defoliation were observed when weeds were not controlled effectively compared with increased weed management through hand weeding or herbicide. Two hand weedings or applying pendimethalin preemergence with one hand weeding in combination with 4 applications of triadimefon and chlorothalonil resulted in the lowest weed density and canopy defoliation and often resulted in the highest peanut yield.     

Practical experiences with a system for site-specific weed control in arable crops using real-time image analysis and GPS-controlled patch spraying

Information on temporal and spatial variation in weed seedling populations within agricultural fields is very important for weed population assessment and management. Primarily, spatial information allows a potential reduction in herbicide use, when post‐emergent herbicides are only applied to field sections with high weed infestation levels. This paper presents a system for site‐specific weed control in sugar beet, maize, winter wheat, winter barley, winter rape and spring barley. The system includes on‐line weed detection using digital image analysis, computer‐based decision making and Global Positioning System‐controlled patch spraying. In a 2‐year study, herbicide use with this map‐based approach was reduced in winter cereals by 6–81% for herbicides against broad leaved weeds and 20–79% for grass weed herbicides. Highest savings were achieved in cereals followed by sugar beet, maize and winter rape. The efficacy of weed control varied from 85% to 98%, indicating that site‐specific weed management will not result in higher infestation levels in the following crops.     

Weed control in conventional and herbicide tolerant winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus) grown in rotations with winter cereals in the UK

Two winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus) cultivars, tolerant to glyphosate and glufosinate, were compared with a conventional cultivar at three sites over 4 years, in 3‐year crop rotations in the UK. The winter oilseed rape was grown in Years 1 and 4, with winter cereals, which received uniform herbicide treatments, in the intervening years. The second winter oilseed rape treatments were applied to randomised sub‐plots of the original plots. Weed densities were recorded in autumn and spring and weed biomass was measured in summer. At most sites, there was only one application of glufosinate or glyphosate, whereas two products were often used on the conventional variety. The timing of glyphosate and glufosinate application was, on average, 34 days later than that of the conventional broad‐leaved weed control treatments. Overall weed control, across all sites and years, was not statistically different between the conventional, glyphosate and glufosinate treatments. However, glyphosate achieved higher control of individual weed species more frequently than the other treatments. Glufosinate and the conventional treatments were similar in performance. The treatments in Year 1 sometimes affected weed populations in the subsequent cereal crops and, in rare instances, those in the rape in Year 4. Carry‐over effects were small after most treatments. In general, weed survival was greater in the oilseed rape crops, irrespective of the treatment, than it was in the intervening cereal crops.     

新疆核桃-小麦间作麦田杂草组成及群落特征

为明确新疆核桃与小麦间作对麦田杂草种类及群落结构的影响,于2012—2017年对新疆南疆核桃-小麦间作、单作麦田杂草发生情况进行了调查。结果表明,南疆麦区杂草有39种,隶属14科33属,其中以菊科、禾本科、藜科为主;优势杂草有9种,分别是灰绿藜Chenopodium glaucum L.、稗草Echinochloa crusgalli(L.)Beauv.、播娘蒿Descurainia sophia(L.)Schur.、扁蓄Polygonum aviculare L.、硬草Sclerochloa kengiana L.、田旋花Convolvulus arvensis L.、离蕊芥Malcolmia africana(L.)R. Br.、小蓟Cephalanoplos segetum(Bunge.)Kitam.、苣荬菜Sonchus brachyotus DC.;与小麦单作田相比,核桃-小麦间作麦田杂草物种丰富度及Shannon-Wiener指数较高,2017年物种丰富度最高达27种,代表杂草优势集中性的Simpson指数则是小麦单作田高于核桃-小麦间作麦田,2013年高达0.32;核桃-小麦间作有利于麦田播娘蒿、苣荬菜和离蕊芥发生,但不利于萹蓄发生,其它5种优势杂草在间作和单作麦田的发生密度无显著差异。     

Influence of weather on the efficacy of dichlorprop-P/MCPA and trihenuron-methyl

The influence of weather on the efficacy of dichlorprop-P/MCPA and tribenuron-methyl on annual weeds in spritig barley was studied in the field during 4 years at six locations in southern Sweden. The herbicides were applied at one-eighth to three-quarters of the full dose at three application times with approximately 6-day intervals. Weather stations, placed in the experiments, recorded climatic data, Maximum herbicide efficacy was obtained when spraying 1 week after the cotyledon stage with half or three-quarters of the recommended dose. Dose-response curves were estimated and the ED₈₀ doses were calculated. On average, the herbicide dose required to obtain an effect of 80% was about 40% of the recommended dose. The influence of weather was analysed for seven different periods: 7 and 2 days before and after herbicide application, 1 day before and after application, and the day of herbicide treatment. The most pronounced eftects of weather were found for the day of and the day before herbicide application, revealing the strong influence of weather on herbicide uptake and plant metabolism. High air tetnperature and low global radiation during the day of treattnent reduced the ED₈₀ dose of dichlorprop-P/MCPA, whereas the ED₈₀ dose of tribenuron-methyl increased. For both herbicides, precipitation and high soil temperature increased the ED₈₀ dose, which reflects the importance of rain on herbicide uptake and the effect of soil temperature on plant growth. The R² values were higher in the analyses of dichlorprop-P/MCPA than of tribenuron-methyl, indicating that the effect of dichlorprop-P/MCA was more weather-dependent than that of tribenuron-methyl. Separate analyses of the ED₈₀ doses for Brassica napus L., Chenopodium, album L. and Stellaria media (L.) Vill. generally resulted in increased R² values. but otherwise gave results similar to those for the total weed population. Although the analyses revealed significant effects of indivtdual weather factors on herbicide efficacy, it was not possible to discern a consistent and causal relationship between weather and herbicide performance.     

Dynamics and control of Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. shoot populations: a test of a thermal calendar model

The dynamics of Sorghum halepense tiller emergence and rhizome biomass were studied in field experiments. The effect of different application dates of a post-emergence herbicide on crop yield was measured. The relationship between accumulated thermal units (A.T.U.) and the percentage of emerged tillers in soybean was described by a single non-linear regression model, independent of initial bud density. The estimates of population density were generally higher than those predicted by the original model developed by Satorre, Ghersa & Pataro (1985). In the absence of a crop, the higher the density of the weed the more concentrated the tiller emergence in the early part of the tillering period. The rhizome biomass reached a minimum value at about 230°C days, and was independent of the initial weed density. The maximum herbicide efficiency was achieved when the application was performed closest to the period of minimum rhizome biomass. The results show the feasibility of optimizing S. halepense control by calculating the period f minimum rhizome biomass. Such a criterion ls consistent with the maximization of crop yields.