STUDIES ON THE TRANSLOCATION IN AGROPYRON REPENS OF 14C-LABELLED 2,2-DICHLOROPROPIONIC ACID

Summary. Previous findings suggested that the translocation in Agropyron repens of 2,2-dichloropropionic acid (dalapon) may be considerably affected by the transpiration rate. This relationship has been studied further in the present investigation using ¹⁴C-labelled material and autoradiography.
It was found that when dalapon was applied to the leaves and the treated plants were placed in darkness a reduction in the transpiration rate of ca. 90% was associated with a marked increase in the amount of dalapon translocation into the roots and tillers. The evidence provided by the autoradiographs was confirmed by a quantitative assay of the ¹⁴C present in the roots. It was also found, however, that translocation was not appreciably affected either by a 50% reduction in the light intensity or when the transpiration rate was reduced by placing the plaints under conditions of high humidity in the light or by the application of white petroleum jelly to the leaves. An alternative hypothesis, namely that the effect of darkness on the movement of the herbicide might be due to changes induced in the normal pattern of assimilate translocation was also investigated but was not supported by the results obtained. Further experimentss, in which various parts of the treated shoot were placed in the dark, suggested that the effect of darkness on the translocation of dalapon is exerted primarily on the treated leaf itself.
Etudes sur to migration dans Agropyron repens de l'acide 2,2-dichloropropionique marqué avec ¹⁴C     

A PRELIMINARY STUDY OF THE COMPETITION BETWEEN KALE AND THREE WEED SPECIES OF THE GENUS POLYGONUM

Summary. The results of a pot experiment on the mutual interference between kale and three weed species are reported. The puts were sunk in soil and surrounded by kale plants so as to provide illumination conditions similar to those likely to be found in a field crop of kale. Of the three weed species, Polygonum lapathifolium appeared to be the most, and P. aviculare the least, competitive towards kale. P. persicaria was slightly less competitive than P. lapathifolium . The two latter species were much higher in dry-matter production than P. aviculare and showed greater responses to changes in the number of kale or weed plants per pot.     

Pathogenicity of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Cepae and its interaction with Pyrenochaeta terrestris on onion

Onion breeding lines known to be resistant to Pyrenochaeta terrestris showed, in several locations, root-pruning symptoms that have been usually associated with only the action of P. terrestris. Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae was invariably isolated from affected roots and the stem-plate area of these pink-root-resistant lines. Symptoms not commonly associated with the action of Fusarium, including darkening of dry scales of yellow bulbs and a reddening of scales of white bulbs, were noted. Controlled tests were conducted to establish (a) the pathogenicity of four isolates of F. oxysporum f. sp. cepae, (b) the reaction of onion breeding lines to inoculation at various temperatures with both the pink root and the Fusarium bulb rot organism, and (c) the pathogenic interaction of F. oxysporum f. sp. cepae with P. terrestris. The Fusarium isolates were pathogenic over a wide range of temperatures (20 to 38°C.). Host reaction to the organisms in combination depended on the level of susceptibility that was the greater to one or the other organism. Resistance to one did not markedly modify susceptibility to the other when both were present. Resistance to F. oxysporum f. sp. cepae was found in several onion lines.Horticulturist, Pathologist, and Horticulturist, respectively, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland, U.S.A.     

THE USE OF HERBICIDES IN ALTERNATE HUSBANDRY AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR PLOUGHING

Summary. It is practicable to use herbicides as an alternative to ploughing grass swards for the preparation of a seedbed for the sowing of cereals and kale. The yields of spring barley and kale following a glaass/clover sward killed with 10 lb/ac amitrole-T were similar to those obtained following ploughing. Yields of tip to 40 cwt/ac of winter wheat were obtained following grass swards killed with amitrole-T compared with up to 45 cwt/ac after ploughing.
The ideal herbicide must kill all plants in a sward and have no residual toxicity to the subsequent crop. At 10 lb/ac, amitrole-T killed most plants in the sword, but it was considered necessary to delay sowing for at least 3 weeks after spraying to minimize the danger of residual toxicity. Ploughing gave the lowest incidence of grasses persisting from the sward. Paraquat did not control clover and Agropyron repens , while broad-leaved weeds were more common on the ploughed than on the sprayed land.
There were differences in the amount of nitrogen mineralized in ploughed and In undisturbed soil, but these were insufficient to affect crop yields materially. When a lower yield followed herbicidal destruction of the sward, this was not accompanied by a reduced percentage nitrogen content.
L'emploi des déherbants pour la rénovation des prairies     

CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF TWO NEW HERBICIDES—IOXYNIL AND BROMOXYNIL

Summary. The preparation of ioxynil, bromoxynil, and their salts is described, and information on solubilities and stability to storage is summarized. Although the toxicology of the herbicides is to be reported in greater detail, a preliminary statement is made here. Evidence of herbicidat activity under glasshouse conditions is indicated briefly, and supports the conclusion that both compounds are effective when applied to the foliage of a wide range of dicotyledon weed species. Seedlings of some weed species resistant to the phenoxy alkanoic acids are controlled under glasshouse conditions at doses as low as 0.125 lb/ac, and ioxynil has a wider range of activity than bromoxynil at these low doses. Graminaceous species tolerate 4–8 lb/ac of both herbicides without injury, and certain leguminous crops tolerate one or other herbicide at doses of 0.5–0.75 lb/ac. The contact action of the herbicides is rapid, there are also slower systemic effects, and seed germination is inhibited. In susceptible species the level of post-emergence activity is shown to be influenced by the growth stage of the weed, the distribution of herbicide on the foliage, and environmental factors of which light intensity appears to be most important.
Propriétés chimiques et biologiques de deux nouveaux herbicides: ioxynil et bromoxynil