Field emergence of Avena fatua L. and A. sterilis ssp. ludoviciana (Dur.) Nym. in Aragón, Spain

Emergence of Avena fatua and A. sterilis ssp. ludoviciana infesting winter cereals during two years and at two sites in Aragon began after sowing in late October and continued for 23 weeks, with 75% of seedlings appearing in the first 9 weeks. The start of emergence was associated with a fall in minimum air temperature to below 9°C and a maximum of less than 20°C. Soil moisture was not limiting, and during winter flushes of seedlings tended to be associated with rises in mean temperature. In contrast with results from other latitudes, A. fatua emerged mainly in autumn at the same time as A. sterilis ssp. ludoviciana.     

Factors affecting seed germination and emergence of Aegilops tauschii

Information on seed germination and emergence ecology of Aegilops tauschii is scant, despite it being a widespread invasive weed in China. We conducted this study to determine the effects of various factors on seed germination and seedling emergence in three A. tauschii populations. Seeds germinated across a wide range of temperatures (5–35°C), with germination of over 90% at 15–20°C. Germination was completely inhibited when dry seeds were exposed to a temperature of 160°C for 5 min; a similar response was observed for pre-soaked seeds at 100°C. Light was neither required for nor inhibited germination. Germination was not significantly affected by pH. Aegilops tauschii was relatively tolerant to low osmotic potential and high salt stress: over 80% of seeds germinated at −0.3 MPa, and all three populations germinated in the presence of 400 mM salt (NaCl) although salt tolerance varied among the populations. Seeds buried at depths of 1–3 cm emerged well, but emergence was completely inhibited at depths greater than 8 cm. The addition of maize straw caused a linear reduction in seedling emergence, although the rate of reduction varied among the populations. The results of this study have contributed to understanding the requirements of A. tauschii germination and emergence and optimising an integrated management system for this weed in Huang–Huai–Hai Plain of China. In addition, our study provides data for development of models to predict the geographical distribution of this weed.     

Factors affecting seed germination and emergence of button grass (Dactyloctenium radulans) (R.Br.) P.Beauv.

Button grass (Dactyloctenium radulans) is a native, widely spread summer grass weed species in Australia. However, limited information is available on the seed germination biology of this species. Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of environmental factors on the germination and emergence of two populations of D. radulans. The seeds of these populations were collected separately from Dalby, Queensland and Coleambally, NSW. Seeds were germinated at a range of constant and alternating temperatures (25/15, 30/20, 35/25 and 40/30°C day/night). The greatest seed germination was at a constant temperature of 30°C. Seed germination was reduced at the lowest alternating temperature (25/15°C). Germination of both populations was strongly stimulated by light, suggesting a great amount of emergence of D. radulans on bare ground, such as crop seedbeds. Germination of the D. radulans population collected from a northern cotton farming system (Dalby) was more tolerant to a greater range of salt stress than the population sourced from the south (Coleambally). Seeds of both populations germinated over a wide range of pH, between 4 and 10. However, germination was the greatest in a high pH buffer solution, indicating that the species prefers to germinate in alkaline soil. These results showed that D. radulans seeds possess a wide range of tolerance mechanisms to different environmental stresses. Information obtained in this study will help in developing more sustainable and effective integrated weed management strategies for the control of this weed and weeds with similar responses in summer cropping systems, such as cotton.     

Untersuchungen zur Keimungsbiologie von sechs tropischen Segetalarten

Investigation of the germination of six tropical arable weeds With the six tropical arable weeds studied, Ageratum conyzoides, Blechum brownei, Crassocephalum crepidioides, Mikania micrantha, Paspalum conjugatum and P. paniculatum, the lowest temperatures at which germination occurred were in the range 10–15(20)°C, the highest up to 40°C, with the optimum between 20°C and 35°C. Ageratum conyzoides and C. crepidioides had lower limits of germination temperature than the other species, which explains their comparatively greater incidence at high altitudes. The germination temperatures of both representative temperate species, Alopecurus myosuroides and Chenopodium album were 5 (minimum), 15–25 (optimum) and 40°C (maximum). The germination of A. conyzoides, C. crepidioides and M. micrantha was reduced by an osmotic potential of - 1 bar. At -4·7 bar only P. paniculatum of the tropical species germinated to a small extent whilst Al. myosuroides and Ch. album were not affected. After storage for a year in dry conditions all six tropical species only germinated when exposed to light. After 20 months, C. crepidioides and P. paniculatum would also do so in the dark.     

Germination ecology of Emex spinosa and Emex australis,invasive weeds of winter crops

Emex spinosa and Emex australis are invasive dicotyledonous weeds. The effects of various environmental factors on the germination of these weeds were investigated under laboratory and glasshouse conditions. Germination response of both species was lower at warmer temperature, and maximum germination was recorded at 20/12°C (day/night). Light stimulated germination in both species, but considerable germination also occurred under darkness. More than 80% of E. spinosa seeds germinated at pH between 6 and 9, whereas E. australis seeds germination was considerably decreased at pH 9. Emex spinosa was fairly tolerant to salinity as compared with E. australis and germination (21%) of E. spinosa occurred even at 200 mm NaCl. Both species were sensitive to osmotic stress, but E. spinosa tolerated more osmotic stress than E. australis. Temperature above 20/12°C (day/night) and low osmotic potential increased time to start germination and mean germination time (MGT), as well as decreased germination index (GI) of both species. Darkness resulted in increased MGT and decreased GI in both species when compared with 10 h photoperiod. Salt stress strongly increased time to obtain 50% germination and reduced GI of both species. In both species, an increasing burial depth decreased emergence percentage and emergence index and increased time to start emergence, although some seed emerged even at 10 cm burial depth. It was concluded that both species can germinate over a wide range of environmental conditions. However, E. australis was more sensitive under adverse environmental conditions compared with E. spinosa. This information on germination ecology may aid in developing tools and strategies for management.     

Seed germination ecology of creeping mannagrass (Glyceria acutiflora) and response to POST herbicides

Creeping mannagrass is a perennial grass weed widely distributed in China and is becoming increasingly problematic in nurseries and landscapes in some regions. Understanding the germination ecology and response to commonly available POST herbicides of this weed is critical to determining its adaptive capabilities and potential for infestation, and assist in the development of effective control strategies. In the light/dark regime, creeping mannagrass germinated over a wide range of temperatures (15/5 to 30/20°C), with maximum germination at 20/10°C (95%). No seed germinated at 35/25 or 10/0°C. The time required for 50% of maximum germination increased as temperature decreased. Compared with the light/dark conditions, germination was slightly stimulated when seeds were placed in the dark. Creeping mannagrass is moderately tolerant to osmotic and salt stress, which had 53 and 50% germination rates at ?0.6 mPa osmotic potential and 200 mM NaCl concentration, respectively. Seedling emergence of the seeds buried at a depth of 0.5 cm (86%) was higher than those sowing on the soil surface (17%), but declined with burial depth increasing. There were no differences in the emergence rates from a burial depth 0.5–2 cm. Few seeds (4%) could emerge when seeds were sowed at a depth of 8 cm. POST application of haloxyfop‐R‐methyl, quizalofop‐p‐ethyl, sethoxydim, and pinoxaden provides 100% control of creeping mannagrass at the three‐leaf to five‐leaf stages. To achieve 80% control with clodinafop‐propargyl, mesosulfuron‐methyl, and fenoxaprop‐p‐ethyl, herbicides had to be applied at the three‐leaf stage.     

Temperature requirements for germination of buried seeds of Aethusa cynapium L.

Freshly-collected mature mericarps of Aethusu cynapium were dormant, but some germinated at alternating (16 h low/8 high) temperatures when the seed coverings were removed. Burial during winter increased percentage germination and the temperature range over which it took place. In late spring the range narrowed, first at low and then at higher temperatures, widening again in autumn. Moist storage at both low (4°C) and high (30°C) temperatures overcame dormancy, but exposure to 30°C inhibited subsequent germination at low temperatures. Germination of intact mericarps was consistently lower than that of de-coated seeds. The cyclic change in dormancy status of the seeds appears to interact with the restricting effects of the seed coverings and perhaps other factors in determining the consistent pattern of spring emergence in A. cynapium.     

Seed dormancy and periodicity of seedling emergence in Veronica hederifolia L.

Emergence of Veronica hederifolia seedlings began in mid-October and continued into spring; few appeared from June to September. Ripe seeds shed in June were dormant but wben buried in soil outdoors developed a capacity for germination initially at low temperatures (constant4 C; daily alternations of 4-10° and 4-1 5 C) and later at somewhat higher temperatures, with peak germination in September-November. During winter, spring and early summer thc germination capacity declined, to increase again in late summer and early autumn. Cyclic physiological changes thus occur in seeds of V,hederifolia present in the soil, with which lhe consistent seasonal periodicity of seedling emergence is associated. In dry storage ihe capacity for germination progressively increased, but alter 12 months there was a sharp decline in germination at 4° C. Few seeds germinated at 20° C, but moistening with GA 4/7; brought about complete germination at this temperature.     

Dormancy studies in three populations of Poa annua L. seeds

Seeds of Poa annua from original collections in Louisiana, Maryland and Wisconsin were grown together in Louisiana over a 3-year period. The freshly harvested seeds and samples stored in moist soil at 30°C were tested for germination at a range of temperatures to compare dormancy and germination characteristics. Seeds of the Louisiana population were dormant over the germination temperature range of 5–25°C, and imbibed storage for 2 weeks did not break dormancy. Freshly harvested seeds of the Maryland population germinated well (78%) at 10°C. With 1 week of imbibed storage at 30°C, germination was good over the range from 5 to 15°C and near 50% at 20°C. Storage for 2 weeks had little further effect. Freshly harvested seeds of two Wisconsin populations germinated above 50% throughout the range of temperatures, and imbibed storage for 2 weeks at 30°C had no effect on germination. The variations in the dormancy of freshly harvested seeds and the varying responses of dormancy breaking from storing imbibed seeds at 30°C suggests that these populations have adapted to avoid high summer temperatures in Louisiana and Maryland but to grow as a summer annual in Wisconsin.     

Germination ecology of seeds of the annual weeds Capsella bursa-pastoris and Descurainia sophia originating from high northern latitudes

Low temperatures may inhibit dormancy break in seeds of winter annuals, therefore it was hypothesized that seeds of Capsella bursa‐pastoris and Descurainia sophia that mature at high latitudes in late summer–early autumn would not germinate until they had been exposed to high summer temperatures. Consequently, germination would be delayed until the second autumn. Most freshly matured seeds of both species collected in August and September in southern Sweden were dormant. After 3 weeks of burial at simulated August (20/10°C) and September (15/6°C) temperatures, 28 and 27%, respectively, of the C. bursa‐pastoris and 56 and 59%, respectively, of the D. sophia seeds germinated in light at 15/6°C. In contrast, in germination phenology studies conducted in Sweden, only a few seeds of either species germinated during the first autumn following dispersal. However, there was a peak of germination of both species the following spring, demonstrating that dormancy was lost during exposure to the low habitat temperatures between late summer and early autumn and spring. Nearly 100% of the seeds of both species subjected to simulated annual seasonal temperature changes were viable after 30.5 months of burial. In the burial study, exhumed seeds of C. bursa‐pastoris were capable of germinating to 98–100% in light at the simulated spring–autumn temperature regime (15/6°C) in both spring and autumn, while those of D. sophia did so only in autumn. In early spring, however, seeds of D. sophia germinated to 17–50% at 15/6°C. Thus, most seeds of these two annual weeds that mature in late summer do not germinate in the first autumn, but they may do so the following spring or in some subsequent autumn or spring.     

Germination and seedling emergence of glyphosate‐resistant and susceptible biotypes of goosegrass (Eleusine indica[L.] Gaertn.)

Effects of environmental factors on the germination and seedling emergence of glyphosate‐resistant (R) and ‐susceptible (S) biotypes of Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn. were examined under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. The R biotype exhibited a higher germination percentage compared with the S biotype at constant temperatures of 20 and 35°C under dark conditions, and alternating temperatures of 30/25°C, and 35/25°C during a 12 h photo period. For both biotypes, germination was optimal at alternating temperatures of 30/20°C and 35/20°C. However, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the germination between the R and S biotypes at these temperature regimes. The germination of both biotypes was inhibited by osmotic stress imposed by a water potential of ?0.80 MPa. When the moisture stress was released and the seeds were subsequently transferred to distilled water, the germination was enhanced to approximately 90% and 16% for the R and S biotype seeds, respectively. Higher emergence rates were obtained in shallow seed depths (0 or 2 cm) compared to deep depths. Emergence percentage of the R biotype was higher than that of the S biotype at 0 cm and 2 cm depths. The maximum emergence percentage of the R biotype was higher than that of S biotype when seeds were sown on the surface of either loamy or clay loam soil taken from three different sites.     

Influence of environmental factors on seed germination and emergence of Iresine diffusa

Iresine diffusa has become more abundant under no‐till soyabean in Argentina. The influence of temperature, light, cold‐wet storage, osmotic potential, dry storage and depth of seed burial on germination and emergence of I. diffusa was examined in a growth chamber experiment. Iresine diffusa seeds germinated at the highest proportion (>0.80) in all fluctuating day/night temperatures tested. Conversely, under a constant temperature regime, maximum germination rates occurred at 15 (0.78) and 20°C (0.82), and minimum germination rates occurred at 10 (0.19) and 30°C (0.36). Seed germination was not influenced by light exposure. However, germination decreased after 12 (0.76) and 16 (0.65) weeks in cold‐wet storage. To reduce germination significantly, ?0.4 MPa of osmotic potential (induced by PEG‐6000) or 120 mmol L^?1 of salt (NaCl) concentration was required. Seeds of I. diffusa showed high viability (0.85) after 720 days of dry storage. Low emergence was recorded for seeds buried at 2 cm, and seedling emergence was completely inhibited when seeds were buried at 5 and 10 cm. Iresine diffusa seeds had high viability and were capable of emerging in a broad range of environmental conditions. The thermal germination conditions, shallow soil depths and high moisture conditions in germination phase for I. diffusa are congruent with the conditions in Argentina no‐tillage soyabean. Thus, no‐tillage could provide better conditions for germination than conventional tillage systems. However, due to the fact that I. diffusa can reproduce by rhizomes, further research should be conducted to understand the relative importance of the vegetative reproductive strategy in relation to the presence and persistence of this weed in fields.     

Arrowleaf sida (Sida rhombifolia) and prickly sida (Sida spinosa): germination and emergence

Maximum arrowleaf sida (Sida rhombifolia L.) germination occurred at 35°C, whereas prickly sida (Sida spinosa L.) germinated to the same extent at 35 or 40°C. Arrowleaf sida germinated better than prickly sida at 20 and 25°C, but did not germinate at 40°C. Less than 50% of seed from both species were viable at 45°C after 21 days of exposure. Both species exhibited more than 75% germination at a range of pH from 5.0 to 8.0. Arrowleaf sida germinated to a greater extent than prickly sida from 0 to —800 kPa, and an osmotic stress of —200 kPa reduced prickly sida germination, whereas —400 kPa was necessary to reduce arrowleaf sida germination. Prickly sida emergence was optimal at a planting depth of 0.5 cm, and declined rapidly at deeper planting depths. However, arrowleaf sida emergence was equivalent at planting depths of 0.5–2.0 cm, with declining emergence below 2.0 cm. Neither species emerged from depths exceeding 5.0 cm. Light did not influence the germination of arrowleaf sida or prickly sida. Sida rhombifolia et Sida spinosa: germination et levee Le maximum du germination pour Sida rhombifolia L. a été atteint à 35°C tandis que Sida spinosa L. a germé de facon équivalente à 35 ou 40°C. S. rhombifolia a mieux germé que S. spinosaà 20 et 25°C, mais n'a pas germéà 40°C. Moins de 20% de graines des deux espèces étaient encore viables à 45°C après 21 jours dèxposition. Les deux especes ont germéà plus de 75% dans des niveaux de pH allant de 5 à 8. S. rhombifolia a mieux germe que S. spinosa de 0 à 800 kPa, et un stress osmotique de —200 kPa a réduit la germination de S. spinosa, tandis que —400 kPa ont été nécessaires pour réquire la germination de S. rhombifolia. La levée de S. spinosaétait optimale à une profondeur de semis de 0,5 cm, et décroissait rapidement à des profondeurs plus élevées. Cependant la levée de S. rhombifoliaétait équivalente pour des profondeurs de 0,5 à 2 cm, avec une baisse à partir de 2 cm. Aucune des deux espèces n'a levéà des profondeurs supérieurs à 5 cm. La lumière n'a pas d'influence sur la germination des 2 espèces. Keimung und Auflaufen der Sidafaserpflanze (Sida rhombifolia L.) und der Stacheligen Samtmalve (Sida spinosa L.) Die stärkste Keimung lag bei der Sidafaserpflanze (Sida rhombifolia L.) bei 35 °C vor, während Samen der Stacheligen Samtmalve (Sida spinosa L.) bei 35 oder 40 °C gleich gut keimten. Samen der Sidafaserpflanze keimten bei 20 und 25 °C besser als die der Stacheligen Samtmalve, keimten jedoch nicht bei 40 °C. Nach Lagerung bei 45 °C für 21 Tage waren die Samen beider Arten zu < 20% keimfähig. Bei pH-Werten zwischen 5 und 8 keimten beide Arten zu >75%. Bei osmotischen Drücken zwischen 0 und —800 kPa keimte die Sidafaserpflanze besser als die Stachelige Samtmalve, deren Keimung ab —200 kPa gehemmt wurde, wahrend bei der Sidafaserpflanze —400 kPa erforderlich waren, die Keimung zu verringern. Samen der Stacheligen Samtmalve keimten am besten in 0,5 cm Tiefe, in gröβerer Ablagetiefe schnell schlechter. Bei der Sidafaserpflanze jedoch waren Aussaattiefen zwischen 0,5 und 2,0 cm gleich gut, erst bei Tiefen unter 2 cm ging der Auflauf zurück. Aus Tiefen unter 5 cm keimte keine der beiden Arten. Durch Licht wurde die Keimung der beiden Sida Arten nicht beeinflußt.     

Factors affecting the seed germination and seedling emergence of muskweed (Myagrum perfoliatum)

Myagrum perfoliatum is a noxious broad‐leaved weed in western Iranian farming systems. A better understanding of the timing of seedling emergence would facilitate the development of better control strategies for this weed. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the effects of different factors on muskweed seed germination. Only 2.8% of the seeds of this species, which are encapsulated in siliques, germinated by, while the seeds that had been removed from the siliques had a 50% germination rate. The immersion of muskweed fruits in concentrated sulfuric acid for 110 min was the best treatment for promoting germination. Gibberellic acid stimulated the germination of the naked seeds by 29.1%, potassium nitrate (40 mmol L^‐1) increased the germination rate to 71%, while higher concentrations of potassium nitrate inhibited germination. The optimum germination temperature for the naked seeds was 20/10°C (day/night) and light was not required for germination. No seedling emerged when the seeds were buried 6 cm deep. The seeds were sensitive to both osmotic and salinity stress, but they germinated to 46–49% over a pH range of 4–10. The results of this study revealed that the seeds of M . perfoliatum have physiological dormancy and that it is slowly broken via after‐ripening. However, the fruit wall can prevent germination after physiological dormancy is broken. Thus, this species has the potential to form a persistent seed bank because of the presence of the fruit wall.     

Role of temperature in regulating timing of germination in soil seed reserves of Lamium purpureum L.

Fresh seeds of Lamium purpureum L. were dormant at maturity, and when buried and exposed to natural seasonal temperature changes they exhibited an annual dormancy/non-dormancy cycle. During burial in summer, fresh seeds and those that had been buried for 1 year afterripened and thus were non-dormant by September and October; light was required for germination. During autumn and winter seeds re-entered dormancy, and during the following summer they became non-dormant again. Dormant seeds afterripened when buried and stored over a range of temperatures, becoming conditionally dormant at low (5, 15/6°C) and non-dormant at high (20/10, 25/15, 30/15 and 35/20°C) temperatures. Conditionally dormant seeds germinated to high percentages at 5, 15/6 and 20/10°C, while non-dormant seeds germinated to high percentages additionally at 25/15, 30/15 and 35/20°C. Low temperatures caused non-dormant seeds to re-enter dormancy, while high temperatures caused a sharp decline in germination only at 30/15 and 5°C. The temperature responses of L. purpureum seeds are compared to those of L. amplexicaule L.     

A high temperature requirement for after ripening of imbibed dormant Poa annua L. seeds

Freshly harvested seeds of Poa annua L. collected in south Louisiana were stored in moist soil at seven temperatures between 5°C and 35°C. At monthly intervals, seed lots were removed and germinated at each of the seven temperatures. Seed were dormant for at least 1 month at all test temperatures. Seeds stored for 2 months at 30 and 35°C showed conditional dormancy; there was 100% germination at 10 or 15°C, and poorer germination at 5 or 20°C. Seeds started to lose viability after 2 months at 35°C and were dead after 7 months. In seeds stored at 10–30°C, there were increased percentages and a wider range of germination temperatures as storage time or storage temperatures increased. Seeds stored at 10°C remained dormant for 9 months, but by 12 months of storage the seeds germinated only at 5 or 10°C. Nearly all seeds stored at the same temperatures in air dry soil remained dormant for 6 months, regardless of storage temperature. These results differ from other reports of low temperatures breaking seed dormancy in Poa annua L. and suggest an adaptation to subtropical climates.     

Temperature requirements for after-ripening in buried seeds of four summer annual weeds

Freshly matured, seeds of the four summer annuals Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Polygonum pensylvanicum, Amaranthus hybridus and Chenopodium album were buried in soil at (12/12 h) daily thermoperiods of 15/6, 20/10, 25/15, 30/15 and 35/20°C and at a constant temperature of 5°C. After 0, 1, 3 and 5 months, seeds of each species at each temperature were exhumed and tested at a 14-h daily photoperiod at all six temperatures. Fresh seeds of A. artemisiifolia and P. pensylvanicum did not germinate at any temperature, those of A, hybridus germinated to 4 and 64% at 30/15 and 35/20°C, respectively, and those of C. album to 11–20% at 25/15, 30/15 and 35/20°C. Seeds of A. artemisiifolia and P. pensylvanicum, which germinate only in spring, required exposure to low (5, 15/6°C) temperature to after-ripen completely (i.e., to gain the ability to germinate over a wide range of temperatures), and little or no after-ripening occurred at high (25/15, 30/15 and 35/20°C) temperatures. Seeds of A. hybridus and C. album, which germinate in spring and summer, required exposure to low temperature to after-ripen completely, but at high temperatures they rapidly gained the ability to germinate at high temperatures. Regardless of the burial temperatures and species, when after-ripening occurred, seeds firs germinated at high and then at low temperatures. The minimum germination temperature for a species decreased with after-ripening temperature and with an increase in the length of the burial period.     

A hydrothermal seedling emergence model for Conyza bonariensis

Conyza bonariensis is a South American native annual Asteraceae that has been introduced to the Mediterranean, where it behaves as a ruderal plant and a weed that is difficult to control in several crops. The development of predictive models can contribute to control measures at early growth stages, but currently there are no studies to predict seedling emergence of Conyza species. Our objectives were to develop and evaluate a model for predicting emergence response of C. bonariensis to the soil hydrothermal environment. A hydrothermal seed germination model was fitted to time course germination data from germination tests carried out at different constant temperatures and water potentials with the aim of establishing the hydrothermal parameters characterising C. bonariensis seed germination. The relationship between cumulative seedling emergence and cumulative hydrothermal time under field conditions was analysed using the Gompertz function. Model development was based on 2 years' data from a field experiment. Base temperature and base water potential for seed germination were estimated at 10.6°C and ?0.70 ± 0.151 MPa, respectively. The emergence model showed a very good fit to the experimental data. According to this model, seedling emergence starts at 15 accumulated hydrothermal time (HTT) after sowing, and 50 and 95% emergence is completed at 53 HTT and 105 HTT, respectively. For model evaluation, independent field experiments were carried out in two localities. Cumulative seedling emergence was accurately predicted by the model. Results indicate that this model can be useful as a predictive tool contributing to effective control of C. bonariensis populations.     

Herbicidal potential of pyrenophorol isolated from a Drechslera avenae pathotype

A pathotype of Drechslera avenae (Eidam) Scharif exhibited host‐specificity, being pathogenic to Avena sterilis L but not to a number of related or unrelated species tested. In culture, the fungus produces a metabolite which was identified as the macrodiolide pyrenophorol (5,13‐dihydroxy‐8,16‐dimethyl‐1,9‐dioxa‐cyclohexadeca‐3,11‐diene‐2,10‐dione). This compound at a concentration of 320 µM was phytotoxic to A sterilis and considerably less so to Avena fatua L. The phytotoxicity was expressed as leaf necrosis on seedling cuttings partially immersed in pyrenophorol solution and as ‘green islands’ on detached leaves on which droplets of the solution were placed. Seed germination and seedling growth of A sterilis were not affected. Pyrenophorol at concentrations up to 640 µM did not cause any symptoms of phytotoxicity to a number of other monocotyledons or dicotyledons tested, with the exception of Lycopersicon esculentum Miller on which leaf necrosis was observed after application of the substance through the vascular system to seedling cuttings. These findings are discussed in relation to the exploitation of such compounds of natural origin as wild oat herbicides. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effects of environmental factors and burial depth on seed germination and emergence of two populations of Caucalis platycarpos

Caucalis platycarpos is a weed species in irrigated and dry land farming systems in East Azerbaijan and Kermanshah provinces of Iran. Experiments were undertaken to compare C. platycarpos seed germination and emergence of a population from each province over a range of environmental factors, burial depth and crop residue treatments. The Azerbaijan population required lower temperatures (20/10°C day/night temperature) for its highest (90%) germination, compared with the Kermanshah population (88% germination at 25/15°C day/night temperature). In both populations, germination was 84–90% over a wide range of light/dark periods (10–24 h light), but considerable reduction (up to 42%) occurred under continuous darkness. The osmotic potential required for 50% inhibition of germination was ?0.54 and ?0.40 MPa for Azerbaijan and Kermanshah populations respectively. The NaCl concentration of 8.83 and 5.71 dS m^?1 caused 50% inhibition of germination in Azerbaijan and Kermanshah populations respectively. The X₅₀ parameter (the burial depth at which emergence is reduced by 50%) for Azerbaijan and Kermanshah population was 2.18 and 2.86 cm respectively. Crop residues had more inhibitory effects on the Azerbaijan than Kermanshah population. Adaptive differentiation of C. platycarpos populations has also resulted in smaller seeds of the Azerbaijan compared with the Kermanshah population and resulted in higher emergence for Kermanshah population seedlings from greater soil depths. These results suggest that differences in germination requirements, drought and salinity tolerance of C. platycarpos populations are correlated with environmental conditions of the habitats of the studied populations.