Control of Solatium karsensis in grain sorghum

Solatium karsensis Symon, an Australian native perennial, has become an important weed in irrigated summer crops in far western New South Wales. A screening trial of 14 herbicides showed that atrazine was the most effective treatment, though 2,4-D also suppressed S. karsensis in grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. cv. Rico) for the duration of the crop. Grain sorghum yields were higher in plots treated with atrazine at 2–5 kg (a.i.) ha^?1 than for any other herbicide treatment or the untreated control. Because the root system remained viable annual herbicide application would be necessary for the continued control of 5. karsensis.     

Comparative ecophysiology of grain sorghum and Abutilon theophrasti in monoculture and in mixture

Selection of crop genotypes that are more competitive with weeds for light interception may improve crop yield stability in the presence of weeds. The effects of interference on ecophysiological characteristics of Abutilon theophrasti Medic. and three morphologically diverse grain sorghum hybrids was evaluated to determine the relative tolerance and suppressive ability of the three hybrids and specific traits that may contribute to those differences. A tall hybrid was more tolerant to A. theophrasti interference than two medium stature hybrids. Early leaf area growth of two medium-stature sorghum hybrids was reduced by A. theophrasti interference, whereas early growth of a tall hybrid was unaffected. The height of A. theophrasti was greater than two moderate-stature hybrids but lower than the tall hybrid. Greatest leaf area density (L_D) of the tall sorghum hybrid was above that of A. theophrasti , whereas greatest L_D of medium-stature hybrids was below that of the weed. In monoculture, the partitioning of new biomass to various plant organs was similar among sorghum hybrids, whereas the tall sorghum hybrid partitioned less biomass to leaves and more to stems than medium hybrids in mixture. The results indicate that the three hybrids differ in their susceptibility to A. theophrasti competition. Crop traits that may contribute to greater crop competitiveness include greater maximum height and its growth rate and greater height of maximum leaf area distribution.     

乙草胺农药厂周围土壤和农作物污染分布特征及风险评价

通过对农药厂周围土壤和农作物中乙草胺含量的测定,研究了乙草胺农药厂对其周边环境的污染情况。从距离农药厂100 m以内15个点共取得73份样品,采用气相色谱法测定了土壤及农作物样品中乙草胺的残留量。结果显示:农药厂南面土壤及农作物中乙草胺的平均检出量分别为38.2~45.3 μg/kg和39.5~46.0 μg/kg,东面分别为15.4~22.9 μg/kg和21.6~30.1 μg/kg;耕作区土壤污染状况在垂直方向及不同距离上均未表现出明显的差异性;东面及南面土壤与农作物中污染情况分别存在对应关系。农作物样品中乙草胺的平均检出量为21.6~46.0 μg/kg,表明该区域生产的农产品存在一定的安全风险。     

Dissipation of acetochlor and its distribution in surface and sub-surface soil fractions during laboratory incubations

Pesticides in soil are subject to a number of processes that result in transformation and biodegradation, sorption to and desorption from soil components, and diffusion and leaching. Pesticides leaching through a soil profile will be exposed to changing environmental conditions as different horizons with distinct physical, chemical and biological properties are encountered. The many ways in which soil properties influence pesticide retention and degradation need to be addressed to allow accurate predictions of environmental fate and the potential for groundwater pollution. Degradation and sorption processes were investigated in a long-term (100 days) study of the chloroacetanilide herbicide, acetochlor. Soil cores were collected from a clay soil profile and samples taken from 0-30 cm (surface), 1.0-1.3 m (mid) and 2.7-3.0 m (deep) and treated with acetochlor (2.5, 1.25, 0.67 microg acetochlor g(-1) dry wt soil, respectively). In sterile and non-sterile conditions, acetochlor concentration in the aqueous phase declined rapidly from the surface and subsoil layers, predominantly through nonextractable residue (NER) formation on soil surfaces, but also through biodegradation and biotic transformation. Abiotic transformation was also evident in the sterile soils. Several metabolites were produced, including acetochlor-ethane sulphonic acid and acetochlor-oxanilic acid. Transformation was principally microbial in origin, as shown by the differences between non-sterile and sterile soils. NER formation increased rapidly over the first 21 days in all soils and was mainly associated with the macroaggregate (>2000 microm diameter) size fractions. It is likely that acetochlor is incorporated into the macroaggregates through oxidative coupling, as humification of particulate organic matter progresses. The dissipation (ie total loss of acetochlor) half-life values were 9.3 (surface), 12.3 (mid) and 12.6 days (deep) in the non-sterile soils, compared with 20.9 [surface], 23.5 [mid], and 24 days [deep] in the sterile soils, demonstrating the importance of microbially driven processes in the rapid dissipation of acetochlor in soil.     

Effects of weather variables on grain mould of sorghum in South Africa

Effects of weather variables of mould development on sorghum grain were studied over three consecutive seasons in South Africa. Five sorghum hybrids planted at different dates ensured developing seeds were exposed to different weather conditions. Incidence of grain mould fungi was determined at harvest by incubating seeds on 2% malt extract agar. Averages of different weather variables (maximum and minimum temperatures, maximum relative humidity, total precipitation and frequency of precipitation) were determined for all permutations of weekly time intervals for a 2-month postflowering period to identify when these variables and pathogen incidence were significantly correlated. Significant correlations were used to develop models to quantify relationships between variables. Significant positive correlations were observed between the incidence of mould fungi and weather 4–6 weeks after flowering in the shorter season hybrid cv. Buster, and 5–8 weeks after flowering in the remaining hybrids. In most hybrids, correlations between the incidence of grain mould pathogens, including Alternaria alternata , Curvularia spp. ( C. lunata and C. clavata ), Fusarium spp. ( F. proliferatum and F. graminearum ), and Drechslera sorghicola , and average minimum temperature, total rainfall and frequency of rainfall were significant ( P =  0·05). In four hybrids, models showing a linear relationship between the logarithm of pathogen incidence and minimum temperature, and in one hybrid, between pathogen incidence and rainfall frequency, were developed. Depending on the hybrid, models that used minimum temperature as predictor described 60–82% of variation in the incidence of pathogens. Frequency of rainfall explained 93% of the variation in pathogen incidence in one sorghum hybrid genotype. Evaluation of the models using an independent data set yielded average prediction errors near zero, indicating that the models were acceptable.     

Organophosphorus and synergised synthetic pyrethroid insecticides as grain protectants for stored sorghum

A field experiment was carried out on bulk sorghum stored for 26 weeks in concrete silos in South Queensland. No natural infestation occurred. Laboratory bioassays of treated grain, in which malathion-resistant strains of insects were added to grain samples, indicated that all the treatments were generally effective. Deltamethrin (2mg kg⁻¹)+piperonyl butoxide (8mg kg⁻¹), fenitrothion (12mg kg⁻¹)+fenvalerate (1 mg kg⁻¹)+piperonyl butoxide (8mg kg⁻¹), and fenitrothion (12mg kg⁻¹)+phenothrin (2mg kg⁻¹)+piperonyl butoxide (8mg kg⁻¹) controlled typical malathion-resistant strains of Sitophilus oryzae (L.), Rhyzopertha dominica (F.), Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) and Ephestia cautella (Walker). Pirimiphos-methyl (6mg kg⁻¹)+permethrin (1mg kg⁻¹)+piperonyl butoxide (8mg kg⁻¹) allowed some survival of adults and progeny production by S. oryzae after 12 weeks, and by one strain of R. dominica throughout. Chemical assays established that the residues and rates of breakdown of these grain protectants on sorghum conformed to the general pattern on other cereal grains. Residues at the conclusion of the experiment were below the individual Maximum Residue Limits recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.     

Fungal invasion and mycotoxin contamination of stored sorghum grain as influenced by threshing methods

Sanitation from harvest to storage is a key factor in eliminating sources of infection and reducing levels of mycotoxigenic fungal invasion, and thereby mycotoxin contamination. This study was conducted at Haramaya University, Eastern Ethiopia to investigate the effects of threshing methods on fungal invasion and mycotoxin contamination of sorghum grain. The methods included threshing on bare ground, cow-dung-painted ground, concrete asphalt and canvas. The threshed grain was kept separately in bags in three replications in a completely randomized design and stored for five months. The results revealed that all the sorghum grain samples taken from different threshing methods were contaminated with both Aspergillus and Fusarium species. There were variations in fungal invasion between samples taken immediately after threshing and stored samples. The level of Aspergillus spp. invasion was much higher in the latter in sorghum grain threshed on bare ground. The concentration of aflatoxin B₁ was gradually increased, whereas the total fumonisin concentration was decreased with the storage duration both in 2013 and 2014. On stored sorghum grain, the highest (1.97 µg kg^?1) and the lowest (0.70 µg kg^?1) mean aflatoxin B₁ concentrations were recorded from sorghum grains threshed on bare ground and on canvas, respectively. Sorghum grain obtained from canvas threshing method had significantly lower mean total fumonisin content (142.5, 54.9 µg kg^?1) than grain from the other methods at threshing. The current work clearly demonstrated the effect that threshing might have on fungal invasion and mycotoxin contamination of sorghum grains. .     

Absorption and distribution of intubated insecticides in fasted mice

Radioactive solutions of ¹⁴C-labeled insecticides were administered by stomach needle to fasted female mice (1 mg/kg, Dublin strain). They were killed at different time intervals and the amount of radioactivity determined in the gastrointestinal tract (unabsorbed) and in selected organs. T_0.5 values of penetration (min) ranged from 8 to 17 for the carbamates tested, 24 to 78 for the organophosphorus compounds, and 15 to 62 for the chlorinated hydrocarbons. Among other insecticide groups, nicotine penetrated rapidly whereas permethrin was the least rapid of all compounds under study. The insecticides were rapidly distributed to various organs. No consistent correlations between absorption and physicochemical properties of the compounds were noted.     

Studies on the sorghum grain midge,Contarinia sorghicola Coquillet,in relation to environmental influence

Abstract

Biology, ecology and damage potential of the sorghum midge, Contarinia sorghicola Coquillet, were studied at Coimbatore, India. The life cycle of the midge was shorter in summer than winter: Johnson grass, Sorghum halepense and pearl millet, Pennisetum americanum served as alternate hosts for the sorghum midge. Seasonal incidence studies revealed that four peak infestations occurred in crops sown in April, June, August and October. Midge developmental stages were quite active all through the year with no diapause, Peak adult midge attraction to the light trap was recorded at 21.00 hours. However, adult midges were found to be quite active only in the daytime in the field. There was no relationship between adult midge catches from the light trap and the population recorded in the field. Morning relative humidity and wind velocity were negatively associated with the population of midge attracted to the light trap. An increased percentage of midge population was recorded in the light trap during the new moon and second quarter phases of moon. Sticky traps were not efficient in trapping adult midges. One pair of adult midge per earhead caused 16–9% grain damage.     

乙草胺和异丙草胺对映异构体的拆分

利用Chiralpak AS-H手性色谱柱,以正己烷为流动相,以有机醇为极性改性剂,采用正相高效液相色谱法分别对乙草胺和异丙草胺的对映体进行了手性拆分,并结合紫外-可见、圆二色、旋光检测器和八区律规则对其对映体的绝对构型进行了判定。结果表明:乙草胺和异丙草胺的第一洗脱峰在220 nm检测波长下均具有负的康顿(Cotton)效应和旋光(ORD)信号,根据八区律判定其构型为aR-型,具有相反信号的第二洗脱峰为aS-型。以正己烷-异丙醇(97∶3,体积比)为流动相时,乙草胺和异丙草胺分离度分别为2.23和1.52。其手性拆分过程均受焓驱动,且分子中的N-烷氧取代基在对映体与手性固定相作用过程中具有重要作用。     

Fusarium species associated with stalk rot and head blight of grain sorghum in Queensland and New South Wales,Australia

Historical records report Fusarium moniliforme sensu lato as the pathogen responsible for Fusarium diseases of sorghum; however, recent phylogenetic analysis has separated this complex into more than 25 species. During this study, surveys were undertaken in three major sorghum‐producing regions in eastern Australia to assess the diversity and frequency of Fusarium species associated with stalk rot‐ and head blight‐infected plants. A total of 523 isolates were collected from northern New South Wales, southern Queensland and central Queensland. Nine Fusarium species were isolated from diseased plants. Pathogenicity tests confirmed F. andiyazi and F. thapsinum were the dominant stalk rot pathogens, whilst F. thapsinum and species within the F. incarnatum–F. equiseti species complex were most frequently associated with head blight.     

Photosynthesis and growth responses of grapevine to acetochlor and fluoroglycofen

Acetochlor and fluoroglycofen are herbicides used in vineyards to eradicate weeds. This present study characterized the effects of these chemicals on photosynthetic characteristics and the antioxidant enzyme system in non-target grape leaves. The results showed that acetochlor and fluoroglycofen reduced net photosynthetic rate in a dose-dependent manner, but also reduced or increased pigment contents, respectively. According to chlorophyll fluorescence measurements, acetochlor and fluoroglycofen decreased the photochemical efficiency of photosystem II in the light and increased non-photochemical quenching. These herbicides enhanced malondialdehyde contents and accelerated the superoxide anion production rate in dose-dependent manners, which might be associated with lower antioxidant enzyme activities, especially at higher concentrations of the herbicides. Acetochlor and fluoroglycofen inhibited grapevine growth in the growth season one-year after herbicide treatment, and stem height was inhibited by up to 55.4% and 88.0%, respectively. Taken together, these results suggest that both herbicides are detrimental for grape photosynthesis and this might be associated with increased oxidative stress in the first year, while growth inhibition in the second year might be due to after effects of herbicide treatment.     

Evaluation of screening protocols to determine genetic variability of grain sorghum germplasm to Sporisorium sorghi under field and greenhouse conditions

Covered kernel smut caused by Sporisorium sorghi is a serious problem in grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor)-growing areas in the world, particularly where seed dressings are unavailable or too expensive. In a screening protocol designed to eliminate the possibility of escapes, seed subjected to a teliospore suspension coupled with a partial vacuum, and seeds directly infested with dried teliospores, were equal in development of smutted sorghum panicles. Inoculation with sporidia from teliospores was ineffective when plants were inoculated at the boot stage of growth and was minimally effective when plants were inoculated at the 10-12 leaf stage of growth. Environmental conditions were more conducive to disease incidence when sorghum was grown under greenhouse conditions or planted late in the field. Sorghum planted in warm (>20C) soil had the greatest incidence of covered kernel smutted panicles.     

Interference by the weed Parthenium hysterophorus L. with grain sorghum: Influence of weed density and duration of competition

Two sets of field experiments were conducted at two sites (lowland and intermediate altitude) for 2 years in eastern Ethiopia to determine the influence of parthenium weed ( Parthenium hysterophorus ) density and duration of competition on grain yield of sorghum. In the first set of experiments, target weed densities of 0, 3, 7, 13, 27, 53 and 100 plants m -2 were used. Yield loss was severely affected by parthenium weed density, peaking at 97% at the lowland site in 2000. At this site, even very low density (e.g. three plants m -2 ) resulted in a high yield loss (69%). Owing to differences between sites and years, however, it was not possible to specify meaningfully the threshold densities for weeding. In the critical weed-free period experiments, four parthenium weed-infested and four weed-free periods from emergence to harvesting of sorghum were maintained by hand hoeing. The critical periods for weed control, i.e. the period over which weeding had the greatest benefit on yield, were 19 - 69 and 40 - 57 days from emergence of sorghum in 1999 and 2000, respectively, at the intermediate altitude (assuming an acceptable loss of 10%). In the lowland, however, it ranged directly from emergence to 61 and 66 days, indicating more severe competition at this site. The substantial variation in yield and yield loss between sites and years illustrates the problems of attempting to give well-established, accurate recommendations for threshold densities and critical periods in small-scale, rain-fed agriculture.     

黄腐酸对乙草胺生物活性及持效期的影响

采用玉米根长法或芽长法研究了黄腐酸对乙草胺的生物活性、持效期和除草效果的影响.结果显示:乙草胺浓度和玉米根芽生长呈明显负线性关系,乙草胺浓度与根芽的线性方程为Y1=0.098x1+9.449和Y2=0.079x2+22.255,相关系数R1=-0.9916、R2=-0.9809;黄腐酸能够提高乙草胺的生物活性和除草效果,并延长乙草胺的持效期,添加0.25%～4.00%黄腐酸,乙草胺抑制玉米芽长和根长的活性分别提高7.12%～14.27%和6.32%～11.65%,其持效期延长0.46～12.17天:施药后28天,添加0.5%～2.0%的黄腐酸使乙草胺防除稗草的鲜重抑制率提高11.93%～16.88%.     

禾耐斯防除甘薯地杂草的效果

禾耐斯防除甘薯地杂草具有广谱、高效，对甘薯安全等特点。90％禾耐斯50mg／亩、45ml/亩、40ml／亩防效分别达到97．90％、93．20％、85．76％。     

广佳安乳油防除花生田杂草试验报告

四川省是全国花生主产区之一，每年种植面积在67万hm^2以上。由于四川各地种植方式、耕作制度和栽培措施的差异，从而在花生田形成了繁多的杂草群落。杂草与花生争夺养分、水分和空间，造成花生生长不良、植株矮小、叶色发黄、根系不发达，严重影响花生的产量和品质。花生田因草害一般减产5％～10％，严重的田块减产可达15％～20％，甚至更多。     

阔草清与乙草胺混用防除大豆、玉米田杂草药效试验

为了明确阔草清与乙草胺混用的剂量、配伍量、防除效果、安全性及残留对后茬作物的影响，特安排本试验，现将试验结果报告如下：