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

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

A survey of weed seed contamination of rice paddy in Cambodia

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

Competition between Imperata cylindrica and maize in the forest savannah transition zone of Nigeria

Imperata cylindrica is a noxious weed that infests annual and perennial crops in most tropical regions. High crop densities may offer opportunities to reduce I. cylindrica competition in small‐scale farming systems. The competitive ability of maize relative to I. cylindrica was evaluated in an addition series experiment in the forest savannah transition zone in 2006 and 2007 at Ibadan, Nigeria. Maize and I. cylindrica were planted in eight monoculture densities (4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 32, 48 and 64 plants m^?2) and in a 1:1 mixture at eight total densities (2:2, 4:4, 6:6, 8:8, 10:10, 16:16, 24:24 and 32:32 maize: I. cylindrica plants m^?2) as in monoculture. Non‐linear regression models were used to relate crop and weed shoot biomass to their densities and total grain yield to maize density. In maize, intraspecific competition was more than interspecific competition; in I. cylindrica, interspecific competition was higher than intraspecific. As expected, total grain yield was lower in the mixture than in maize monoculture at all total densities. Average maize grain yield in maize monoculture differed from that in mixtures by 0.77 t ha^?1 in 2006 and 0.57 t ha^?1 in 2007. Niche differentiation indices were <1 in 2006 and >1 in 2007, indicating that both species competed for similar resources in 2006, but not in 2007. The greater competitive ability of maize over I. cylindrica may be associated with rapid growth and canopy development observed in the field.     

Varied occurrence of diverse sulfonylurea‐resistant biotypes of Schoenoplectus juncoides [Roxb.] Palla in Japan,as classified by an acetolactate synthase gene mutation

Suspected sulfonylurea (SU)‐resistant Schoenoplectus juncoides plants were collected from rice paddy fields at 24 sites in Japan in order to discover the occurrence pattern of target‐site substitutions on a nationwide scale and at a local field scale. A genetic analysis of the two acetolactate synthase (ALS) genes, ALS1 and ALS2, of the collected plants confirmed that a single‐nucleotide mutation at the Pro₁₉₇, Asp₃₇₆ or Trp₅₇₄ site of either ALS1 or ALS2 existed in each suspected SU‐resistant plant. On a nationwide scale, it was shown that the ALS1 mutations and the ALS2 mutations occurred at a similar frequency, that the P197S and the P197L substitutions were found most frequently among all the substitutions, and that the W574L substitutions (known as global resistance to any ALS‐inhibiting herbicide) were found at a relatively low frequency but in a geographically wide range. In the local field‐scale survey, which was conducted at two sites in Hyogo Prefecture, it was shown that the substitutions were less diverse, compared to on a nationwide scale, probably because the investigation involved a limited number of local fields, and that several substitutions and a susceptible biotype were found in single fields suggesting that a number of collections is required in order to understand the local SU‐resistant status of S. juncoides. In addition, this study reported new findings, that of the P197R, P197T and D376E substitutions in S. juncoides. This set of diverse substitutions in a weed species can be used for further research purposes.     

Impacts of soil moisture level and organic matter content on growth of two Juncus species and Poa pratensis grown under acid soil conditions

The abundance of Juncus effusus (soft rush) and Juncus conglomeratus (compact rush) has increased in coastal grasslands in Norway over recent decades, and their spread has coincided with increased precipitation in the region. Especially in water‐saturated, peaty soils, it appears from field observations that productive grasses cannot compete effectively with such rapidly growing rush plants. In autumn–winters of 2012–2013 and 2013–2014, a four‐factor, randomised block greenhouse experiment was performed to investigate the effect of different soil moisture regimes and organic matter contents on competition between these rush species and smooth meadow‐grass (Poa pratensis). The rush species were grown in monoculture and in competition with the meadow‐grass, using the equivalent of full and half the recommended seed rate for the latter. After about three months, above‐ and below‐ground dry matter was measured. J. effusus had more vigorous growth, producing on average 23–40% greater biomass in both fractions than J. conglomeratus. The competitive ability of both rush species declined with decreasing soil moisture; at the lowest levels of soil moisture, growth reductions were up to 93% in J. conglomeratus and 74% in J. effusus. Increasing water level in peat–sand mixture decreased competivitiveness of meadow‐grass, while pure peat, when moist, completely impeded its below‐ground development. These results show that control of rush plants through management may only be achieved if basic soil limitations have been resolved.     

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

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

High‐throughput sequencing reveals bacterial community composition in the rhizosphere of the invasive plant Flaveria bidentis

Bacteria are important soil components as both decomposers and plant symbionts and play a major role in plant–microbe interaction processes. However, little is known about the diversity of bacterial communities in the rhizosphere of the invasive plant Flaveria bidentis. In this study, we used high‐throughput sequencing to investigate bacterial communities in the rhizosphere of F. bidentis, compared with those of native crop maize and control plant Setaria viridis. We obtained >70 000 analysis reads from the three samples and used bioinformatics and multivariate statistics to analyse the results. An analysis of indicators showed that F. bidentis samples had lower richness but higher diversity than maize and S. viridis samples. Operational taxonomic unit (OTU)‐based bioinformatics and statistical analysis also demonstrated that F. bidentis significantly altered the bacterial rhizosphere community. Higher abundance of Actinobacteria and lower abundance of Firmicutes were observed in F. bidentis rhizosphere than those of maize and S. viridis. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed the correlations between soil bacteria communities, soil nutrients and the abundance of bacterial groups. Our results provide a starting point for investigations of the effects of F. bidentis on soil bacterial diversity and a theoretical basis for the microecological mechanism of F. bidentis invasion.     

Weight loss in overwintering below‐ground parts of Sonchus arvensis under current and temperature‐elevated climate scenarios in Sweden

Weight loss in overwintering below‐ground parts of perennial weeds has been attributed to respiration, but neither its temperature dependence nor its relevance for biomass dynamics under changing climate conditions have been investigated. In two experiments, we quantified weight loss of the perennial weed Sonchus arvensis, by measuring weight changes over time of sprouting roots in dark rooms at temperatures of 4, 8 and 18°C. Dry weight loss rates were 0.47, 0.64 and 1.47% day^?1 at 4, 8 and 18°C, respectively, giving a half‐life time of 149, 110 and 47 days, respectively. A factor by which weight loss rates increase for every 10° rise in temperature (Q₁₀) was equal to about 2.3. Cumulative weight loss may comprise >40% of the below‐ground biomass during overwintering periods. Applying weight loss rates and Q₁₀ to elevated soil temperature projections showed that losses during winter seasons in central Sweden will remain basically constant, the effect of increased weight loss at higher temperatures being balanced by shorter winters. This implies that need for control of S. arvensis in a changing climate will persist, but that shorter winter seasons will provide a longer time window for control of S. arvensis prior to sowing crops.     

Resistance levels of sulfonylurea‐resistant Schoenoplectus juncoides (Roxb.) Palla with various Pro197 mutations in acetolactate synthase to imazosulfuron,bensulfuron‐methyl,metsulfuron‐methyl and imazaquin‐ammonium

An investigation, using herbicidal pot tests in a greenhouse condition, was conducted to determine the whole‐plant dose–response relationships to several acetolactate synthase (ALS)‐inhibiting herbicides of sulfonylurea (SU)‐resistant Schoenoplectus juncoides with various Pro₁₉₇ mutations in ALS that was collected from Japanese rice paddy fields. All the tested SU‐resistant accessions with a Pro₁₉₇ mutation were highly resistant to two commonly used SU herbicides (imazosulfuron and bensulfuron‐methyl), but were much less resistant to another SU herbicide, metsulfuron‐methyl, and were substantially not resistant to imazaquin‐ammonium. These cross‐resistance patterns have been known previously in fragments of S. juncoides and other weed species and were comprehensively confirmed in this study with a whole set of Pro₁₉₇ mutations. The analyses of resistance levels, based on ED₉₀ values, newly showed that different accessions with a common amino acid substitution in ALS1 showed similar responses to these herbicides (confirmed with four amino acid substitutions), that the rankings of resistance levels that were conferred by various Pro₁₉₇ mutations in ALS1 differed among the SU herbicides and that the resistance levels of the ALS2‐mutated accessions were higher than, lower than or similar to those of the corresponding ALS1‐mutated accessions, depending on the compared pair, but the deviation patterns were generally similar among the SU herbicides in each compared pair. The final finding might suggest that the abundance of ALS2 is not as stable as that of ALS1. In addition, as a result of these new findings, together with expected further research, a suggested possibility is that substituting amino acids at Pro₁₉₇ generally could be estimated by plotting each accession's ED₉₀ values of imazosulfuron and bensulfuron‐methyl in a two‐dimensional graph.     

Species composition,toxigenic potential and pathogenicity of Fusarium graminearum species complex isolates from southern Brazilian rice

This study aimed to assess the extent and distribution of Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC) diversity in rice seeds produced in southern Brazil. Four species and two trichothecene genotypes were detected among 89 FGSC isolates, based on a multilocus genotyping assay: F. asiaticum (69·6%) with the nivalenol (NIV) genotype, F. graminearum (14·6%) with the 15‐acetyldeoxynivalenol (ADON) genotype, and F. cortaderiae (14·6%) and F. meridionale (1·1%), both with the NIV genotype. Seven selected F. asiaticum isolates from rice produced NIV in rice‐based substrate in vitro, at levels ranging from 4·7 to 84·1 μg g^?1. Similarly, two F. graminearum isolates from rice produced mainly 15‐ADON (c. 15–41 μg g^?1) and a smaller amount of 3‐ADON (c. 6–12 μg g^?1). One F. meridionale and two F. cortaderiae isolates did not produce detectable levels of trichothecenes. Two F. asiaticum isolates from rice and two from wheat (from a previous study), and one F. graminearum isolate from wheat, were pathogenic to both crops at various levels of aggressiveness based on measures of disease severity in wheat spikes and rice kernel infection in a greenhouse assay. Fusarium asiaticum and the reference F. graminearum isolate from wheat produced NIV, and deoxynivalenol and acetylates, respectively, in the kernels of inoculated wheat heads. No trichothecene was produced in kernels from inoculated rice panicles by any of the isolates. These findings constitute the first report of FGSC composition in rice outside Asia, and confirm the dominance of F. asiaticum in rice agroecosystems.     

Arabidopsis thaliana,an experimental host for tomato yellow leaf curl disease‐associated begomoviruses by agroinoculation and whitefly transmission

Tomato yellow leaf curl disease is one of the most devastating viral diseases affecting tomato crops worldwide. This disease is caused by several begomoviruses (genus Begomovirus, family Geminiviridae), such as Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), that are transmitted in nature by the whitefly vector Bemisia tabaci. An efficient control of this vector‐transmitted disease requires a thorough knowledge of the plant–virus–vector triple interaction. The possibility of using Arabidopsis thaliana as an experimental host would provide the opportunity to use a wide variety of genetic resources and tools to understand interactions that are not feasible in agronomically important hosts. In this study, it is demonstrated that isolates of two strains (Israel, IL and Mild, Mld) of TYLCV can replicate and systemically infect A. thaliana ecotype Columbia plants either by Agrobacterium tumefaciens‐mediated inoculation or through the natural vector Bemisia tabaci. The virus can also be acquired from A. thaliana‐infected plants by B. tabaci and transmitted to either A. thaliana or tomato plants. Therefore, A. thaliana is a suitable host for TYLCV–insect vector–plant host interaction studies. Interestingly, an isolate of the Spain (ES) strain of a related begomovirus, Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus (TYLCSV‐ES), is unable to infect this ecotype of A. thaliana efficiently. Using infectious chimeric viral clones between TYLCV‐Mld and TYLCSV‐ES, candidate viral factors involved in an efficient infection of A. thaliana were identified.     

Characterization of acetolactate synthase from sulfonylurea herbicide‐resistant Schoenoplectus juncoides

Ten accessions of sulfonylurea‐resistant Schoenoplectus juncoides were collected from paddy fields in Japan. In order to characterize acetolactate synthase from sulfonylurea‐resistant S. juncoides, acetolactate synthase amino acid substitutions, whole‐plant growth inhibition and acetolactate synthase enzyme inhibition were examined. Schoenoplectus juncoides has two acetolactate synthase genes (ALS1 and ALS2). The sulfonylurea‐resistant accessions harbored amino acid substitutions at Pro197 or Trp574 in either ALS1 or ALS2 (the amino acid number is standardized to the Arabidopsis thaliana sequence). The whole plants of all the sulfonylurea‐resistant accessions showed resistance to imazosulfuron. The resistance level depended on the altered amino acid residues in acetolactate synthase. The acetolactate synthase enzyme that was partially purified from all the sulfonylurea‐resistant accessions was less sensitive to imazosulfuron, compared to the susceptible accession, suggesting that the resistance is related to the altered acetolactate synthase enzyme. In addition, the concentration–response inhibition of acetolactate synthase activity by imazosulfuron in the sulfonylurea‐resistant accessions was remarkably different with the presence of an amino acid substitution in either ALS1 or ALS2. Furthermore, the concentration–response inhibition of acetolactate synthase activity in the sulfonylurea‐resistant accessions with a P197S, P197T or W574L mutation showed a double‐sigmoid curve. The regression analysis of enzyme inhibition suggested that the abundance ratio of ALS1 to ALS2 enzymes was approximately 70:30%, with a range of ±15%. Taken together, these results suggest that the resistance of sulfonylurea‐resistant accessions of S. juncoides is related to altered acetolactate synthase in either ALS1 or ALS2, although the abundance of the altered acetolactate synthase in the plants is different among the sulfonylurea‐resistant accessions.     

Response of photosynthesis and chlorophyll a fluorescence in leaf scald‐infected rice under influence of rhizobacteria and silicon fertilizer

Leaf scald caused by Monographella albescens reduces the photosynthetic area, causing yield losses in rice. This study investigated the efficacy of the rhizobacteria Burkholderia pyrrocinia (BRM‐32113) and Pseudomonas fluorescens (BRM‐32111), combined with silicon (Si) fertilization, to reduce lesion size and the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC), as well as to minimize the negative effects on gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence, chlorophyll content and the activity of oxidative stress enzymes. The experiment used a completely randomized design with four replications and seven treatments. Compared with plants only fertilized with Si, plants fertilized with Si and treated with BRM‐32113 showed reductions of 22% in scald lesion expansion and 37% in AUDPC, a 27% increase in the rate of CO₂ assimilation (A), a 33% decrease in the internal CO₂ concentration (C_i), and a 40% increase in ascorbate peroxidase activity. It was therefore concluded that the combination of BRM‐32113 with Si fertilization reduces the severity of leaf scald, protecting the photosynthetic apparatus, thus representing a sustainable method of reducing the loss of income caused by leaf scald in rice.     

An integrated approach to control glyphosate‐resistant Ambrosia trifida with tillage and herbicides in glyphosate‐resistant maize

Glyphosate‐resistant Ambrosia trifida is a competitive and difficult‐to‐control annual broad‐leaved weed in several agronomic crops in the Midwestern United States and Ontario, Canada. The objectives of this study were to compare treatments for control of glyphosate‐resistant A. trifida with tillage followed by pre‐emergence (PRE) and/or post‐emergence (POST) herbicides in glyphosate‐resistant maize and to determine the impact of A. trifida escapes on maize yield. Field experiments were conducted in 2013 and 2014 in grower fields infested with glyphosate‐resistant A. trifida. Tillage prior to maize sowing resulted in 80–85% control compared with no tillage. Tillage followed by PRE application of saflufenacil plus dimethenamid‐P with or without atrazine resulted in 99% control compared with ≤86 and 96% control with PRE herbicides alone at 7 and 21 days after application respectively. Tillage or POST‐only herbicides resulted in 4–14 A. trifida plants m^?2, whereas a PRE and POST programme had <3 plants m^?2. Maize yield was greatest (13.1–14.2 tonnes ha^?1) with tillage followed by PRE and POST herbicide programme. The relationship between maize yield and late‐season density of A. trifida escapes showed a 50% maize yield reduction irrespective of control measures when A. trifida density was 8.4 plants m^?2. It was concluded that the combination of tillage with PRE and/or POST herbicides reduced A. trifida density and biomass accumulation early in the season and provided an integrated approach for effective management.     

Evaluation of novel sulfonylurea derivatives with a fused heterocyclic moiety as paddy herbicides that control sulfonylurea‐resistant weeds

Herbicidal activity and acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibition of sulfonylurea derivatives with a fused heterocyclic moiety bonded to a sulfonyl group were investigated. Some compounds that had an imidazo[1,2‐b]pyridazine moiety substituted at the 2‐position by chlorine or methyl controlled sulfonylurea‐resistant (SU‐R) weeds and showed inhibitory activity to ALS prepared from SU‐R Schoenoplectus juncoides shoot. There was a correlation between in vitro and whole‐plant herbicidal activity of the compounds mentioned above against SU‐R Schoenoplectus juncoides. Among them 1‐(2‐chloro‐6‐propylimidazo[1,2‐b]pyridazin‐3‐ylsulfonyl)‐3‐(4,6‐dimethoxypyrimidin‐2‐yl)urea, propyrisulfuron, was selected for further evaluation. Propyrisulfuron effectively controlled paddy weeds at doses of 70 and 140 g a.i. ha^?1 with good rice selectivity in a field trial.     

Dynamics of above‐ground and below‐ground biomass of Rumex crispus,Rumex obtusifolius and the new weedy species Rumex hybrid cv. OK‐2 (R. patientia x R. tianschanicus) in the seeding year

Docks can be serious weeds of arable land and permanent grasslands where they can persist through well‐established root systems. A Rumex hybrid (R. patientia x R. tianschanicus; cv. OK‐2, Uteusha) has been planted as a forage and energy crop since 2001 in Czechia and has now become a new weed species. As its ecological characteristics are unknown, there is a need for improved knowledge for developing control measures and strategies. In 2010 and 2011, we performed a tube pot experiment to investigate above‐ground and below‐ground biomass growth dynamics and below‐ground biomass allocation of Rumex OK‐2. We compared the hybrid with Rumex crispus and Rumex obtusifolius during the vegetation season in the seeding year. Above‐ground and below‐ground biomass of Rumex species tended to increase from July to September. In the seeding year, flowering was recorded only for one plant of Rumex OK‐2 and 27.5% of R. obtusifolius plants, whereas R. crispus did not flower. The proportion of below‐ground biomass of Rumex species in the upper 30 cm was about 70–80%. The growth dynamics and allocation of below‐ground biomass of Rumex OK‐2 were more like R. crispus than to R. obtusifolius. These similarities indicate the potential of Rumex OK‐2 to become a troublesome weedy species, comparable with R. crispus.     

Herbicide‐resistant weeds in the Philippines: Status and resistance mechanisms

Two major weeds in rice in the Philippines, Sphenochlea zeylanica Gaertn. and Echinochloa crus‐galli (L.) Beauv., are controlled with chemical and cultural methods. In the 1980s, after >10 years of continuous use of 2,4‐D, S. zeylanica evolved resistance to the chemical in those rice fields that had been treated with 2,4‐D once or twice every cropping season. In the 1990s, E. crus‐galli evolved resistance to butachlor and propanil in rice monocrop areas where both herbicides were used continuously for 7–9 years. Rice farmers continue to use 2,4‐D, butachlor and propanil extensively and are often unaware of herbicide resistance or the potential for cross‐resistance, its causes or its implications. In order to control herbicide‐resistant E. crus‐galli, farmers are shifting to locally available herbicides with different modes of action, such as bispyribac, an acetolactate synthase inhibitor, and cyhalofop, an acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase inhibitor. Follow‐up manual weeding or rotary weeding after herbicide spraying, a common farmers’ practice, removes the susceptible and resistant biotypes and could help to delay or prevent the evolution of resistance. Although the resistance mechanisms of both weeds are not determined yet, they could be related to enhanced degradation that is similar to the mechanisms that are shown by the resistant biotypes in other countries.     

Occurrence of sulfonylurea resistance in Sagittaria trifolia,a basal monocot species,based on target‐site and non‐target‐site resistance

Sagittaria trifolia L. is one of the most serious weeds in paddy fields in Japan. Since the late 1990s, severe infestations of S. trifolia have occurred following applications of sulfonylurea herbicides in Akita prefecture. In this study, two accessions of S. trifolia, R1 and R2, were collected from paddy fields with severe infestations and their resistance profiles were determined in comparison to a susceptible accession, S1. R1 and R2 were highly resistant to bensulfuron‐methyl. R1 was also highly resistant to pyrazosulfuron‐ethyl, but R2 was susceptible. Relative to S1, R1 had an amino acid substitution at the Pro₁₉₇ residue of acetolactate synthase (ALS), a well‐known mutation that confers sulfonylurea resistance, suggesting that R1 has a target‐site‐based resistance (TSR) mechanism. The sequence of the ALS gene in R2 was identical to that in S1. A Southern blot analysis indicated that there was only one copy of the ALS gene in S1 and R2. These results suggest that R2 has a non‐target‐site‐based resistance (NTSR) mechanism. R2 was moderately resistant to imazosulfuron but susceptible to thifensulfuron‐methyl. R2 and S1 were susceptible to pretilachlor, benfuresate, MCPA‐ethyl and bentazon. The results reveal the occurrence of two sulfonylurea‐resistant biotypes of S. trifolia that show different mechanisms of cross‐resistance to sulfonylureas related to TSR in R1 and NTSR in R2.     

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

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

Silencing of Erwinia amylovora sy69 AHL‐quorum sensing by a Bacillus simplex AHL‐inducible aiiA gene encoding a zinc‐dependent N‐acyl‐homoserine lactonase

Quorum sensing in Gram‐negative bacteria is regulated by diffusible signal molecules called N‐acyl‐l ‐homoserine lactones (AHLs). These molecules are degraded by lactonases. In this study, six Bacillus simplex isolates were characterized and identified as a new quorum‐quenching species of Bacillus. An aiiA gene encoding an AHL‐lactonase was identified based on evidence that: (i) it showed high homology with other aiiA genes of Bacillus sp.; (ii) the deduced amino acid sequence contained two conserved regions, ¹⁰⁴SHLHFDH¹¹¹ and ¹⁶⁵TPGHTPGH¹⁷³, characteristic of the metallo‐β‐lactamase superfamily; and (iii) the protein had zinc‐dependent AHL‐degrading activity. Additionally, the expression of the aiiA gene was significantly up‐regulated by 3‐oxo‐AHL. The AHL‐lactonase inhibited multiplication of the 3‐oxo‐C6‐AHL‐producing plant pathogen Erwinia amylovora sy69 both in vitro and in planta. The results provide support for the use of the quorum‐quenching functionality of B. simplex in the integrated control of the devastating fire blight pathogen.