Experiments with isoproturon for the control of weeds in winter cereal crops

Isoproturon controlled Phalaris spp., Lolium spp., Avena sterilis L. and Papaver rhoeas L. in winter cereal crops, the dosages applied being in accordance with the different texture of the soils on which the herbicide was tested in the province of Toledo (Spain). The competitive effects of the weeds, particularly Avena sterilis were ascertained on a range of cereal parameters, not only those influencing yield, but also the grain weight/straw weight ratio. The influence of climatic and edaphic conditions on the efficiency of the herbicide was also investigated.     

Response of spring cereal crops to soil residues of ethofumesate*

For evaluation of soil residues of ethofumseate [(±)2-ethoxy-2,3-dihydro-3,3-dimethylbenzofuran-5-yl-methylsulphonate], spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were sown in soil planted 11 months previously with sugar-beet (Beta vulgaris L.) and previously treated with band or broad-cast applications of the herbicide at rates of 1.68-4.48 kg/ha. The height of barley and wheat was suppressed only where ethofumesate was applied broadcast and the soil was not ploughed after sugar-beet harvest. Three months after sowing, the 4.48 kg/ha rate suppressed the height of barley 18% and wheat 34%. In another experiment, barley grew normally on soil treated the previous year with pre-planting and post-emergence applications of ethofumesate where ploughing followed sugar-beet harvest. For all treatments, yields of straw and grain were not significantly lower than those of the untreated check plots. The dissipation of ethofumesate 24 weeks after application to sugar-beet was 89–100% when applied on a band compared to 85-95% when applied broadcast.     

小春作物田间杂草种类及生长规律调查研究

农村种植结构的调整、耕作制度的改变以及大面化学除草剂的使用,都使近年来农田杂草优势种群和群落结构发生了相应的变化.为掌握农田杂草种群结构和发生危害情况,给今后综合治理草害提供依据,我们于2000～2001年对本州大理、宾川、洱源和巍山等县的蚕豆、小麦、大蒜田杂草进行了调查,现将结果报道如下.     

A second survey of cereal weeds in central southern England

A survey of grass weeds of cereals in central southern England made in 1981 was repeated in 1982 between 28 June and 23 July. Dicotyledonous weeds were also assessed in 1982. A total of 1021 fields were surveyed, 702 in winter wheat. 198 in winter barley and 121 in spring barley. A total of twenty-four grass weeds were found and their levels of infestation were scored. The most frequently found grass weeds were the same as in 1981. In all cereals combined, these were Elymus (Agropyron) repens in 35% of fields, Avena fatua in 32%, Alopecurus myosuroides in 26% and Poa trivialis in 24%. Sixty-three species of dicotyledonous weeds were recorded and of these, eighteen species occurred in 2% or more of fields. The eight most frequent were Viola arvensis, Galium aparine, Stellaria media, Myosotis arvensis, Polygonum aviculare, Convolvulus arvensis, Bilderdykia (Polygonum) convolvulus and Lamium purpureum. Most species were fairly uniform in distribution, but Galium aparine, Convolvulus arvensis and Cirsium arvense were most frequent in the east while Viola arvensis was least frequent there. The cereals varied in weediness, 32% of winter barley, 23% of spring barley and only 7% of winter wheat fields had no weeds recorded.     

Assessment of competition between crops and weeds

A two-species model was used to summarize results of four experiments with two component mixtures of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), peas (Pisum sativum L.), Chenopodium album L. and Sinapis alba L. grown in pots in greenhouses. The results, covering a wide range of plant densities both in mixtures and pure stands, showed that the model was not always able to describe the relationship between the yield of a species and the densities of itself and its companion species. The deviations from the model were in all instances greatest for the least competitive species. The model that quantifies competition and niche differentiation appeared to be too general because competition between species was not independent of the wide plant density ranges used here. The results are discussed in relation to possible improvements of the model and an analogy between the principles of assessing crop weed competition and the assessment of the relative potency of herbicides in bioassay studies is put forward.     

Post-dispersal seed predation of non-target weeds in arable crops

Field experiments were conducted to quantify the natural levels of post-dispersal seed predation of arable weed species in spring barley and to identify the main groups of seed predators. Four arable weed species were investigated that were of high biodiversity value, yet of low to moderate competitive ability with the crop. These were Chenopodium album, Sinapis arvensis, Stellaria media and Polygonum aviculare. Exclusion treatments were used to allow selective access to dishes of seeds by different predator groups. Seed predation was highest early in the season, followed by a gradual decline in predation over the summer for all species. All species were taken by invertebrates. The activity of two phytophagous carabid genera showed significant correlations with seed predation levels. However, in general carabid activity was not related to seed predation and this is discussed in terms of the mainly polyphagous nature of many Carabid species that utilized the seed resource early in the season, but then switched to carnivory as prey populations increased. The potential relevance of post-dispersal seed predation to the development of weed management systems that maximize biological control through conservation and optimize herbicide use, is discussed.     

Selective control of graminaceous weeds in spring wheat

Infestation of wheat fields in Israel by graminaceous weeds is increasing due to effective control of broad-leaf weeds and lack of crop rotation. The main graminaceous weeds are wild oat (Avena sterilis L.) and wild canarygrass (Phalaris paradoxa L. andPh. brachystachys L.). In eight experiments carried out in wheat fields during 1975–1977, wild oat was effectively controlled by post-emergence applications of barban, isoproturon and difenzoquat, while wild canarygrass was controlled by post-emergence applications of barban, isoproturon and metha-benzthiazuron.     

Mapping rhizoctonia patch in consecutive cereal crops in Western Australia

Rhizoctonia patches in a field were mapped during consecutive seasons of cropping with wheat, oats or barley sown directly without tillage into the previous season's stubble. Distribution, size, shape and number of patches varied considerably between seasons. Less than a quarter of patches were circular and the others tended to be elongated parallel to seed-rows. Barley was most severely affected, followed by wheat and then oats.
It is proposed that changes in patch distribution, configuration and number between seasons is due to shifts in a balance of suppressive or conducive soil factors interacting with Rhizoctonia solani inoculum.     

烟嘧磺隆·莠去津防除春玉米田杂草的效果

防除春玉米田一年生2～3叶期稗草、灰菜、反枝苋,用52％烟嘧磺隆·莠去津WP100—125g／667m。进行茎叶喷雾处理,药后30d对杂草鲜重防效为96．0％～97．8％,好于4％玉农乐SC100g／667m^2和莠去津SC200g／667m^2,可达到一次用药同时防除玉米田单双子叶杂草的目的。     

Rice yield losses by competition with weeds in rainfed paddy fields in north-east Thailand

Economic growth in recent years has induced a labor shortage for agriculture in north-east Thailand. Labor-saving techniques, such as the replacement of transplanting with direct seeding, have become widespread. Direct seeding methods have advantages over transplanting regarding labor savings and reductions in production risks, but may cause weed problems. Therefore, rice yield reduction by competition with weeds becomes a potential problem in this region. In the present research, the extent of weed competition in rice production from the viewpoint of resource level and disturbance intensity was studied. A large number of paddy fields from a wide range of climatic, topographical, soil and hydrological conditions were analyzed. The survey was conducted every 3 weeks, and data on paddy cultivation, weeds and water conditions were recorded. Average yield of direct seeded rice was significantly lower than that of transplanted rice. The yield decreased with resource decreases in both direct seeded (DSF) and transplanted paddy fields (TF). Although the yield was not different under resource-rich conditions, the yield of direct seeded rice was lower than that of transplanted rice under resource-medium and -poor conditions. Competition intensity was not different among resource levels or between DSF and TF. Competition intensity in all fields was between 0.02 and 0.09 on average, indicating 2–9% yield losses caused by competition with weeds regardless of resource level and disturbance intensity. This suggests that low yield of direct seeded rice under resource-medium and -poor conditions was not mainly caused by competition with weeds, whereas yield losses by weeds were observed in all field types. However, from an economical viewpoint, weeding should be applied only to limited parts of this region with stable and relatively high rice yields.     

Testing harrows for mechanical control of annual weeds in agricultural crops

Selectivity, defined as the ratio between weed control and crop burial in soil as a result of harrowing, has been used to test different implements according to their degree of selective operation. For this purpose a concept considering qualitative and quantitative aspects of selectivity has been proposed. This makes it possible to determine whether differences in selective mode of operation were caused by construction or by application of implements. Analysis of covariance was used to make this separation. Only if implements affected parameters in a model describing the relationship between crop soil cover and weed control were they suggested to operate with different selectivities. Crop soil cover was assessed by visual score as percentage of crop leaf area covered by soil as a result of harrowing. Using this method it was shown that none of the five harrows tested could be separated on the basis of their selective mode of operation. Selectivity was shown to be influenced by day of treatment, composition of the weed flora, site characteristics and degree of weed control. Harrowing at late crop growth stages was more selective than expected. Essai de hersage pour lutter mecaniquement contre les mauvaises herbes annuelles dans les cultures La sélectivité, définie comme le ratio entre la destruction des mauvaises herbes et l'en fouissement de la culture dans le sol après un hersage, a été utilisée pour tester différents matériels en regard de leur degré d'opération sélective. Pour cela, un concept prenant en compte les aspects qualitatifs et quantitatifs de la sélectivité a été proposé. Celui-ci permet de déterminer si les différences de sélectivité viennent de la construction ou de la mise en oeuvre des matériels. Une analyse de covar-iance a été utilisée pour opérer cette séparation. Seulement si les matériels affectaient les paramètres dans un modèle décrivant la relation entre la couverture de la culture par le sol et le deshérbage, il était envisagé d'opérer avec différentes sélectivités. La couverture de la culture par le sol a étéévaluée par une estimation visuelle du pourcentage de surface foliaire recouverte par le sol après un hersage. Par cette méthode il a été montré qu'aucun des 5 hersages testés ne pouvait être séparé sur la base de leur mode d'opération sélective. La sélectivité a été montrée comme étant influencée par le jour de traitement, la composition de la flore adventice, les caractéristiques du site et le taux de desherbage. Un hersage aux stades tardifs de la culture a été plus sélectif que ce que l'on attendait. Wirksamkeit verschiedener Eggen zur mechanischen Bekämpfung einjähriger Unkräuter in landwirtschaftlichen Kulturen Es wurden verschiedene Geräte nach ihrer selektiven Wirksamkeit beurteilt, wobei die Selektivität als Verhältnis zwischen der Bekämpfung der Unkräuter und dem Verschütten der Kulturpflanzen definiert wurde. Hierfür wurde ein Konzept vorgeschlagen, das die qualitativen und quantitativen Aspekte der Selektivität berücksichtigt. Dadurch konnte bestimmt werden, ob Selektivitätsunterschiede durch die Konstruktion oder durch die Anwendung eines Geräts bedingt waren. Die Unterscheidung erfolgte mittels Kovarianz Analyse. Nur wenn Geräte die Parameter eines Modells über die Beziehung zwischen dem Verschütten der Kulturpflanzen und der Unkrautbekämpfung beeinflußten, wurden ver-schiedene Selektivität angenommen. Das Verschutten der Kulturpflanzen wurde als prozentuale Bedeckung der Blattflächen mit Boden bonitiert. Danach ergab sich, daß die 5 getesteten Eggen in ihrer selektiven Wirkung nicht unterschieden werden konnten. Die Selektivitität wurde vom Tag der Behandlung, der Zusammensetzung der Unkrautflora, den Eigenschaften des Standorts und dem Grad der Unkrautbekämpfung beeinflußt. Das Eggen in fortgeschrittenen Entwicklungsstadien der Kulturpflanzen war selektiver als erwartet.     

Use of perennial cover crops to suppress weeds in Nicaraguan coffee orchards

Both uncontrolled weed growth and vegetation‐free orchard floors have been shown to affect coffee (Coflea arabica L.) negatively, but using cover crops as a solution has yielded conflicting results in different studies. In this study we tested the establishment success of three cover crop species under different management intensities and planting densities, as well as their long term weed‐controlling abilities and effects on weed community composition. Monthly manual weedings during the first 12 weeks after planting resulted in more rapid and extensive cover crop development compared with less intensive management. Transplanted Commelina diffusa Burm. f. grew most rapidly and controlled weeds by limiting light availability, but disappeared during the dry season and failed to establish at all on one of the farms. Arachis pintoi established and persisted for over 2 years, providing excellent weed control by outcompeting weeds for water and/or nutrient resources. Desmodium ovalifolium Wall required the longest time to establish and controlled weeds by an undetermined competitive mechanism. The sowing method of Desmodium led to intense intraspecific competition which probably decreased its effectiveness. Both Arachis and Desmodium led to lower relative abundances of grassy weeds and more perennial forbs, but total weed biomass was so low that these differences have no practical implications.     

禾谷类作物細菌性褐条病病原菌的鉴定

 禾谷类作物细菌性褐条病是我国局部地区禾谷类作物生产上的一种重要病害。通过对几种有关细菌的致病性,细菌学性状和DNA中G+C含量的比较研究,认为发生在我国的水稻细菌性褐条病是由Pseudomonas avenae Manns引起的,供试的黍、粟和稗细菌性褐条病菌都属于P.avenae;小麦上的细菌性褐条病是由Pseudo-monas syringae的一个致病变种引起的。此外,还从看麦娘上分离到一种国内尚无报道的水稻细菌性鞘褐腐病菌Pseudomonas fuscovaginae Tanil et al.。     

Biological control of weeds in European crops: recent achievements and future work

Approaches to the biological control of weeds in arable crops and integration of biological weed control with other methods of weed management are broadly discussed. Various types of integrative approaches to biological control of weeds in crops have been studied within the framework of a concerted European Research Programme (COST‐816). During the period 1994–99, some 25 institutions from 16 countries have concentrated on five target weed complexes. Some major scientific achievements of COST‐816 are: (i) combination of the pathogen Ascochyta caulina with an isolated phytotoxin produced by this fungus to control Chenopodium album in maize and sugar beet; (ii) the elaboration and preliminary field application of a system management approach using the weed:pathogen system Senecio vulgaris:Puccinia lagenophorae to reduce the competitiveness of the weed by inducing and stimulating a disease epidemic; (iii) combination of underseeded green cover with the application of spores of Stagonospora convolvuli to control Convolvulus species in maize; (iv) assessment of the response of different provenances of Amaranthus spp. to infection by Alternaria alternata and Trematophoma lignicola, the development of formulation and delivery techniques and a field survey of native insect species to control Amaranthus spp. in sugar beet and maize; (v) isolation of strains of different Fusarium spp. that infect all the economically important Orobanche spp. and development of novel, storable formulations using mycelia from liquid culture. Although no practical control has yet been reached for any of the five target weeds, potential solutions have been clearly identified. Two major routes may be followed in future work. The first is a technological approach focusing on a single, highly destructive disease cycle of the control agent and optimizing the efficacy and specificity of the agent. The second is an ecological approach based on a better understanding of the interactions among the crop, the weed, the natural antagonist and the environment, which must be managed in order to maximize the spread and impact of an indigenous antagonist on the weed.     

Studies on metalaxyl-resistant Phytophthora infestans in potato crops in south-west Scotland

In 1981 metalaxyl-resistant Phytophthora infestans was found in 44% of the 63 crops examined in south-west Scotland. In 1982, when fungicides containing acylalanines (metalaxyl or ofurace) were not used in the area, it was detected in 15%. Metalaxyl-resistant strains were found in several crops which had been sprayed only with non-acylalanine fungicides or had received no fungicidal treatment. In neither year was resistance associated with a significant breakdown of disease control.
Metalaxyl-resistant isolates of the blight fungus were obtained from tubers from crops in which resistance was detected on the foliage.
In detached leaf experiments, resistant isolates retained their ability to grow on leaves treated with 100 μg/ml of metalaxyl after 52 weekly transfers on untreated leaves, and produced sporangia on leaves treated with up to 2000 μg/ml of metalaxyl or ofurace. In mixtures with sensitive sporangia the proportions remained stable after nine weekly transfers on untreated leaves. However, at concentrations as low as 50 μg/ml, metalaxyl and ofurace reduced the extent of colonization and the numbers of sporangia produced by resistant isolates by an average of 50%.     

Multilayer feature fusion and attention-based network for crops and weeds segmentation

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Distinguishing weeds from crops is a critical challenge in agriculture, with the existing agriculture semantic segmentation networks simply combining...