Pigweed is an increasingly aggressive weed in semiarid environments such as Mediterranean areas, and in general the control of all Amaranthus species is becoming more and more difficult. Increasing pigweed aggressiveness could be a result of its ability to keep a high water use efficiency under drought conditions. An experiment was conducted to study the effect of water stress on the photosynthetic capacity, growth, and leaf water potential of pigweed at the field level and assess if this species, as a model for C4 weeds, is CO2-saturated at the current level of atmospheric CO2 in a Mediterranean area. Pigweed was studied within a naturally occurring weed population in a bell pepper field in southern Italy where a rain-fed treatment (V0) was compared to a fully irrigated one (V100) corresponding to the restoration of 100% of the maximum crop water evapotranspiration. Soil water content was measured periodically, and net assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and intercellular CO2 concentration were determined on pigweed leaves. Photosynthetic rates of 37.6 µmol m−2 s−1 in V100 and 13.9 µmol m−2 s−1 in V0 were recorded, with higher transpiration rates in V100; consequently stomatal conductance was significantly lower in rain-fed conditions (0.08 mol m−2 s−1)) compared to the irrigated treatment (0.30 mol m−2 s−1). Photosynthesis in pigweed is not completely CO2-saturated at the current atmospheric CO2 level in the Mediterranean area and this could affect competition and increase of aggressiveness toward crops at the actual CO2 atmospheric concentration in agro-ecosystems. This occurs because unlike other C4 crops already saturated for CO2, weeds that are not CO2-saturated will remain CO2-sensitive to higher ambient CO2 levels. Thus, when they are grown in mixed stands where competition occurs, they can still suppress the slower-growing species.

Atrazine [2-chloro-4-(ethylamino)-6-(isopropylamino)-s-triazine] and 2-(ethylamino)-4-(isopropylamino)-6-(methylthio)-s-triazine (ametryne) were tested for growth regulatorlike effects. In the presence of 10 μg/ml of kinetin, atrazine had no effect on the growth of callus tissue of soybean (Glycine max Merr. ‘Lee’), but ametryne at 10−14M concentration stimulated callus growth and the production of roots. High concentrations of both atrazine and ametryne inhibited the growth of excised roots of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Miller ‘Atkinson’). Ametryne, and to a lesser extent atrazine, increased percent germination of seed of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. ‘Grand Rapids’) and tobacco (Nicotiana tobaccum L. ‘Sansum’) exposed to only 4 min of red light. Both atrazine and ametryne stimulated adventitious root formation by excised hypocotyls of mung beans (Phaseolus aureus Roxb.) in the absence of 10 ppm of exogenous indoleacetic acid (IAA) but not in its presence. A high concentration of atrazine (10−6M) in the presence of IAA decreased root initiation in comparison with the IAA-treated controls.

Field studies were carried out at two sites in 2005 using common lambsquarters seed collected from long-term research plots near Scottsbluff, NE; Fort Collins, CO; and Torrington, WY, to determine the effect of herbicide selection pressure on glyphosate susceptibility. Parental herbicide exposure influenced the level of glyphosate susceptibility exhibited by a subsequent generation. Common lambsquarters selected from historical plots receiving continuous and exclusive use of glyphosate exhibited lower mortality in response to 420 g ae ha−1 glyphosate compared with selections from nonglyphosate treatment histories. Selections from rotating glyphosate treatment histories demonstrated an intermediate tolerance response. Differences in response were also influenced by environmental conditions.

Greenhouse studies were conducted to determine the effect of phosphorus (P) fertility on intra- and interspecific competition between lettuce and spiny amaranth for 4 wk after emergence. Total lettuce shoot biomass per pot and weight per plant increased 39 and 44% in response to increased P fertility, respectively. P fertility had no impact on growth of spiny amaranth. Total shoot biomass of spiny amaranth increased with increasing density from four to eight plants, however, lettuce did not. Total shoot biomass of both species increased as density increased from 4 to 16 plants. Spiny amaranth, but not lettuce, weight per plant decreased in response to intraspecific competition. Reciprocal yield analysis showed that spiny amaranth produced 2.4 times more biomass than lettuce when competing intraspecifically and four times more biomass under interspecific competition. Lettuce weight per plant was not affected. Relative yield analysis indicated that spiny amaranth was more competitive than lettuce regardless of P fertility. However, increased P fertility increased competitiveness of lettuce. Relative crowding coefficients indicated that spiny amaranth at the low density with low P fertility was 33 times more competitive than lettuce. Addition of P caused lettuce and spiny amaranth to be equally competitive at the lowest density; however, at the highest density, spiny amaranth was 4 tunes more competitive than lettuce regardless of additional P.

Annual bluegrass resistance to inhibitors of acetolactate synthase (ALS) and photosystem II (PSII) in managed turf has been confirmed in the southeastern United States. A biotype of annual bluegrass that had developed resistance (R) to the PSII inhibitor simazine was not controlled by POST applications of foramsulfuron or trifloxysulfuron in 2011 or 2012. In whole plant dose-response experiments, trifloxysulfuron, simazine, and indaziflam controlled a susceptible (S) population of annual bluegrass > 91% when applied POST to nontillering plants. However, trifloxysulfuron applications at 3.5 to 223 g ai ha−1 only controlled R annual bluegrass ≤ 40%. Similarly, simazine at 140 to 9,000 g ai ha−1 only controlled R annual bluegrass ≤ 20%. R annual bluegrass plants were more tolerant to indaziflam applied POST to leaf stage plants prior to tillering, as rates > 100 g ai ha−1 were needed to control R annual bluegrass ≥ 96%. No differences in the activity of ALS in R and S plants exposed to increasing foramsulfuron concentrations from 0 to 100 µM were detected suggesting that nontarget mechanisms could explain reduced efficacy of POST herbicide applications in whole plant dose-response experiments. Applications of indaziflam (35 to 70 g ha−1) and oxadiazon (2,240 to 4,500 g ai ha−1) effectively controlled R annual bluegrass when applied PRE. This biotype of R annual bluegrass is the first reported instance of a weed developing resistance to multiple modes of action in managed turf. Education is needed among turf managers regarding the consequences of exclusive use of the same herbicides for annual bluegrass control leading to the onset of herbicide resistance.

The phytotoxicity of 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (diuron), 1,1-dimethyl-3-(α,α,α-trifluoro-m-tolyl)urea (fluometuron), 3-(hexahydro-4,7-,methanoindan-5-yl)-1,1-dimethylurea (norea), and 2,4-bis(isopropylamino)-6-(methylthio)-s-triazine (prometryne) to cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L., var. Acala 4-42) was compared. Warburg experiments indicated that fluometuron and norea inhibited photosynthesis in isolated leaf disks to a much smaller extent than did diuron and prometryne. When the plants were grown in solution culture, diuron and prometryne were much more phytotoxic to cotton than fluometuron and norea, whereas when grown in soil, prometryne was the least phytotoxic, followed by norea, fluometuron, and diuron. Results of experiments on root vs. shoot uptake showed that all four herbicides entered the cotton seedlings through the roots, and no injury occurred to cotton when the compounds were applied to the shoot zone only. Norea and fluometuron were much more leachable than prometryne and diuron. These results indicate that depth protection in the soil, in addition to translocation and metabolism, might account partially for the tolerance of cotton to preemergence application of the tested herbicides.

Itchgrass biotypes from 34 countries or territories were evaluated under controlled and natural day length at Houma, LA. They could be placed in five broad groups based primarily on the effect of day length on flowering but also on general morphology and pattern of growth. The Group 1 biotypes (Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Cuba-1, Ecuador-1, Florida, Guadeloupe, Honduras-1, Louisiana-1, North Carolina, Papua New Guinea-1, Panama, Peru, Philippines-1, and Venezuela) were not affected by day lengths of 12 and 14 h (day length neutral) and flowered 35 to 57 d after germination. The Group 2 biotypes (Australia, Kenya-1, Reunion, South Africa, and Zimbabwe) also were not greatly affected by photoperiod and flowered 54 to 67 d after germination, and were taller with fewer and larger diameter culms than the Group 1 biotypes. The Group 3 biotypes (Brazil, Colombia, Jamaica, and Philippines-2) were moderately sensitive to photoperiod. They took longer to flower at 14 h than at 12 h and flowered in 63 to 95 d. The Group 4 biotypes (Cuba-2, Dominican Republic, Ecuador-2, Honduras-2, India, Louisiana-2, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea-2, Puerto Rico, Taiwan, and Thailand) were short-day plants that did not flower in the screenhouse until August or September (130 to 163 d), after the natural photoperiod had decreased to 13 h. The Group 5 biotypes (Indonesia, Kenya-2, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, and Trinidad) were strict short-day plants that flowered only in September to November (167 to 226 d), after the day length had decreased to about 12 h. Most biotypes were diploids with 2n = 20 chromosomes, but some were polyploids (2n = 40 or 2n = 60). The shape of the glume tip on the pedicellate spikelet was found to be acuminate, acute, or obtuse for the biotypes with 2n = 20, 40, and 60 chromosomes, respectively, and was a reliable marker to distinguish diploids from polyploids.

Field experiments were conducted on a Moody silty clay loam (pH 6.5) and a Crofton silt loam (pH 7.9) to evaluate the influence of soil texture and pH on metribuzin [4-amino-6-tert-butyl-3-(methylthio)-as-triazin-5(4H)-one] toxicity to soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ‘Amsoy 71’] as influenced by trifluralin [α,α,α-trifluoro-2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-p-toluidine]. One Crofton silt loam site contained atrazine [2-chloro-4-(ethylamino)-6-(isopropylamino)-s-triazine] residue. Soybean growth and yield was not significantly affected by metribuzin and trifluralin applications on the Moody silty clay loam. On the Crofton silt loam without atrazine residue, substantial early season soybean injury from metribuzin did not result in significantly reduced soybean yield. Atrazine residue from previous row banding on corn (Zea mays L.) on the Crofton silt loam reduced soybean tolerance to metribuzin but normal use rates of 0.4 kg/ha metribuzin did not significantly reduce soybean yield. Trifluralin reduced early season soybean injury from metribuzin but this effect was not reflected in soybean yield. Metribuzin injury to soybeans was greater in years when more rainfall and cooler temperatures occurred following herbicide application. Metribuzin applied either preplant incorporated with or as an overlay on trifluralin resulted in equal soybean injury and yield.

Density of seed of three species of locoweed, salt milkvetch [Astragalus lentiginosus var. salinas (Howell) Barneby], Lambert locoweed (Oxytropis lambertii Pursh. # OXRLA), and white locoweed (O. sericea Nutt ex. T.&G. # OXRMA) in the soil was determined at four locations in New Mexico, Wyoming, and Utah. Seed density ranged from 50 to 2820/m2. Greater than 77% of the seed were viable as determined by tetrazolium tests. Longevity of white locoweed seed was determined by sewing seed into nylon mesh packets and returning them to the site of origin in northwestern Utah. Greater than 50% of seed buried 1 cm deep in the soil were still present after 6 yr, but only 33% of seed placed on the surface remained. Germinability of the buried seed was less than 5%, but an average of 14% of seed placed on the soil surface germinated each year. Viability of retrieved seed ranged from 89 to 99%.

Efficacy of atrazine [2-chloro-4-(ethylamino-6-(isopropylamino)-s-triazine] applied preemergence to no-tillage and conventional-tillage corn (Zea mays L.) was studied in the field for 2 yr at two locations. Other variables examined were lime treatments, atrazine rates, and acid-forming (NH4NO3) vs. nonacid-forming (NaNO3) nitrogen fertilizers. Mean surface soil pH levels during the growing season were higher with no-tillage than conventional tillage, because of the retention of lime in the surface in no-tillage vs. mixing it with the soil in conventional tillage, but there was no consistent increase in atrazine efficacy or longevity in one system over the other. Liming significantly increased atrazine efficacy and longevity in both no-tillage and conventional-tillage systems. Increased rates of atrazine increased weed control and longevity of the herbicide. Use of NaNO3 as a nitrogen source resulted in increased atrazine efficacy and longevity as compared with use of NH4NO3 during the first year, which was relatively dry, but had no effect during the second year, which was relatively wet.

Giant foxtail (Setaria faberi Herrm. # SETFA) seed germination was about 55% in water but increased to >90% after pretreatment in polyethyleneglycol 8000 (PEG) at water potentials of −0.3 MPa or less. Pretreatment at 20 C required about 24 h exposure to PEG for maximum effect, but at 35 C shorter times (4 to 8 h) gave a partial effect. Treatment with PEG can begin at the time of seed wetting or after the seeds have imbibed water for 24 h. Continuous exposure to a water potential of −0.5 MPa PEG (or less) imhibited germination. Other methods of applying temporary water stress to the seeds, such as slow hydration in a humid atmosphere, or drying after partial hydration, increased germination in a manner similar to PEG treatment. The relatively slow response kinetics with PEG suggest that increased germination was caused by physiological adaptation to water stress, possibly by observed adjustments in seed water potential. It is suggested the water stress mechanism could operate under field conditions where wetting-drying cycles are common.

Certain sulfonylurea (SU) herbicides are used to remove overseeded cool-season species from bermudagrass. The effects of nitrogen (N) on the efficacy of a new SU herbicide, flazasulfuron, have not been determined. Field and laboratory studies were conducted in 2008 and 2009 evaluating the efficacy of flazasulfuron for control of overseeded perennial ryegrass contaminated with annual bluegrass. Flazasulfuron was applied at rates of 4.4, 8.8, and 17.5 g ha−1 alone, and in between sequential applications of N fertilizer at 73 kg N ha−1. N was granularly applied immediately prior to herbicide treatment and 4 wk later. In both years, the level of annual bluegrass control with flazasulfuron and two applications of N at 73 kg N ha−1 was significantly greater than following treatment with flazasulfuron alone. This response was observed for all application rates of flazasulfuron on every rating date. The level of annual bluegrass control with flazasulfuron at 4.4 g ha−1 and two applications of N at 73 kg ha−1 was greater than flazasulfuron at 17.5 g ha−1 alone each year. No significant differences in perennial ryegrass control were observed for flazasulfuron with and without N fertility. In laboratory studies with annual bluegrass, treatment with N fertilizer at 73 kg N ha−1 increased translocation of 14C flazasulfuron (and any potential metabolites) from treated annual bluegrass leaves to other shoot tissues by 18% at 1 h after treatment and 22% at 4 h after treatment compared to plants not treated with N fertilizer. This increase in translocation may explain the increased level of annual bluegrass control observed in the field.

Field studies were conducted for 4 yr to investigate the effects of tillage and herbicide programs on weed control and wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ‘Potomac’ in 1981 and ‘Wheeler’ from 1982 to 1984) grain yields in a wheat-soy bean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] double-crop rotation. Predominant weed species were common chickweed [Stellaria media (L.) Vill. # STEME], corn chamomile (Anthemis arvensis L. # ANTAR), and annual bluegrass (Poa annua L. # POAAN) at the onset of research and cheat (Bromus secalinus L. # BROSE) and soft brome (Bromus mollis L. # BROMO) at the conclusion of the study. Control of all species was excellent with conventional tillage and no-till plus nonselective herbicides but was significantly less with no-till without nonselective herbicides and with minimum tillage. After 4 yr, maximum wheat grain yields were significantly higher in conventional- than in minimum- or no-till systems.

Laboratory and field experiments were conducted to determine the effects of several environmental factors on seed germination and seedling emergence of the invasive weed, apple of Peru. The anatomy of the seed was also investigated in this study. The anatomy of the seed is similar to that of an eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) seed. The seed is albuminous, and consists of a seed coat, endosperm, and an embryo. The seed coat, which consists of both outer and inner integuments, is relatively thick. Fresh and dry stored seeds exhibited strong dormancy. Hot water treatment did not affect the seed germination in the light, but significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the germination rate in the dark. Dry-heat treatment had no significant effect on seed germination in the dark, but it significantly (P < 0.05) increased the germination rate in the light. Cold stratification alone did not influence seed germination under constant temperature (25 C) but affected it under alternating temperature (25–15 C). However, a combination of warm and cold stratification produced significant (P < 0.05) germination in the dark as well as in the light. In addition, the effect of warm stratification followed by cold stratification was more pronounced in the dark than in the light. Gibberellin A3 (GA3) (10–3 and 10–4 M) treatments significantly (P < 0.05) increased the seed germination rate compared with that of the control. Emergence rate was maximum for seeds placed on the soil surfaces; no seedling emergence occurred when seeds were placed at a depth of 5 cm.

Shin oak is a deciduous shrub that forms dense stands of brush on sandy soils in rangeland areas of the Rolling and High Plains of Texas. Plant canopy reflectance measurements made on shin oak showed that it had both low visible (0.63- to 0.69-μm waveband) and nearinfrared (0.76- to 0.90-μm waveband) reflectance values, a characteristic generally not shared by associated plant species or mixtures of species. The low reflectance values of shin oak caused it to have dark-red, reddish-brown, or brown image tones on color-infrared photographic, videographic, and SPOT satellite images that made it distinguishable from associated vegetation and other land use features. The optimum time to remotely distinguish this noxious shrub is during the mature phenological stage from June to September. Computer-based image analyses of video and satellite images showed that shin oak populations could be quantified. This technique can permit “percent land area” estimates of shin oak on rangelands. The aerial imagery is useful for detecting shin oak on smaller rangeland areas, whereas the satellite imagery is applicable in mapping large areas of shin oak distribution.

Over the last 10 yr, California has experienced a series of ever-worsening droughts. Rice, traditionally a flooded crop, has come under increasing scrutiny with respect to its water use, leading to proposals to evaluate alternative irrigation systems. For growers, weed competition is one of the most limiting factors to maintaining high yields, so understanding the shifts among species in weed communities under the proposed alternative irrigation systems is vital. A field study was conducted from 2012 to 2014 to compare weed population and growth dynamics with three irrigation systems: (1) a conventional water-seeded control system (WS-Control), with a permanent flood of 10 to 15 cm from planting until 1 mo prior to harvest; (2) a water-seeded alternate wet and dry system (WS-AWD), with the field flooded from planting until canopy closure, after which floodwater was allowed to subside and the field was reflooded when the soil volumetric water content reached 35%; and (3) a drill-seeded alternate wet and dry system (DS-AWD), with rice drill seeded and then flush irrigated to establish the crop, after which the field was flooded until canopy closure and then underwent an alternate wet and dry (AWD) treatment similar to WS-AWD. In the AWD treatments, there were two drying periods, neither of which occurred after the heading stage. The dynamics of major weed species were evaluated using plant density counts (2012) and relative cover and biomass (2013 and 2014). Grasses (sprangletop and watergrass species) dominated the DS-AWD system; sedges, broadleaves, and grasses dominated both WS systems. The WS-AWD system increased smallflower umbrella sedge relative cover at canopy closure, relative dry weight at harvest, and percent frequency when compared with the WS-Control system. Yields did not differ across treatments when weeds were controlled (P>0.05); in the absence of herbicides, yields in the WS-AWD were equivalent to the WS-Control (ranging from 40 to 65% of the herbicide-treated yields) and zero in the DS-AWD due to weed pressure.

The implementation of site-specific weed management requires information about weed cover and decision support systems to determine weed cover thresholds and concomitant herbicide rates. Although it is possible to create accurate weed cover maps over large areas, weed cover thresholds have generally been evaluated using tedious weed density counts. To bridge this gap between weed cover obtained by machine vision and the concept of economic threshold, crop advisers specializing in weed scouting were asked to evaluate over 2,500 weed cover images (2 m by 3 m) and determine if a given image would require herbicide application or not. Using the area under the “receiver operating characteristic” curve method, an optimal weed cover threshold was established. The derived economic thresholds ranged from 0.06 to 0.31% weed cover contingent on the level of tolerance of the expert adviser. Although this threshold seems low, it is comparable with economic threshold values based on weed density.

The adsorption of nitrofen (2,4-dichlorophenyl-p-nitrophenyl ether) and oxyfluorfen [2-cholor-1-(3-ethoxy-4-nitrophenoxy)-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzene] from aqueous solution by muck soil, and by kaolinite and bentonite saturated with hydrogen or calcium ions, was studied using 14C-labeled herbicides. Both compounds were readily adsorbed from solution by muck soil and Ca- and H-Al-bentonite but only slightly by Ca- and H-Al-kaolinite. Very little of the adsorbed compounds was desorbed after four extractions with distilled water. A bioactivity study using sorghum seedlings (Sorghum bicolor L. ‘RS610′) was conducted with the herbicides in a silica sand medium amended with 1% (w/w) of the various adsorbents. The herbicides were strongly inactivated by muck soil but there was very little inactivation by the clays. There was essentially no movement of either herbicide through 5-cm columns of a silt loam soil and a fine sand soil.

The wild oat (Avena fatua L.) is one of the most common annual weed species in the northern portion of the great plains region of North America. It has been estimated that up to 70 bushels per acre of wild oat seeds occur in the soil of seriously infested fields. As an impurity in threshed grain it frequently amounts to 10 per cent or more as dockage. To become a serious problem under the climatic conditions and cropping practices of this region, the seed of an annual weed such as wild oats must undergo a period of dormancy and require exacting conditions for its germination. Therefore, investigations to study the factors affecting dormancy and the optimum conditions under which weed seeds will germinate have received considerable attention.

An experiment involving six winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars, an early-April herbicide application on wheat and on four dates after wheat harvest, and the growth of a subsequently planted corn (Zea mays L.) crop was conducted at North Platte, NE. ‘Centurk 78’ suppressed barnyardgrass [Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. # ECHCG] more than ‘Bennett’ and ‘Eagle’ in the growing wheat and after wheat harvest in July, but there were no differences in weed yield among cultivars in corn planted 11 months later. Herbicides applied to the tillering wheat in early April improved weed control in wheat and the subsequent corn crop. Also, herbicides were applied 5, 25, 45, and 300 days after wheat harvest. Weed growth increased and soil water decreased as spraying dates were delayed. Herbicides applied 5 days after harvest did not maintain adequate weed control in the corn planted 11 months after wheat harvest and low corn yield resulted. Plots receiving herbicides 300 days after wheat harvest had the least soil water in the fall after wheat harvest but the best weed control in corn and highest corn yields because of better weed control in corn.