Woolly distaff thistle is a long-lived winter annual that threatens the ranching and dairy industries within the North Coast counties of California, particularly the organic producers. No peer-reviewed publications have documented effective control options or integrated management approaches for this species. We conducted two experiments, each replicated, in Marin County, California. The first compared several conventional herbicides at two timings and rates, while the second compared a conventional herbicide treatment with organic and integrated organic control methods, including an organic herbicide (mixture of capric and caprylic acids). Results of the conventional herbicide treatments showed most spring applications (March or April) of aminopyralid, aminocyclopyrachlor, clopyralid, and combinations of aminopyralid + triclopyr, or aminocyclopyrachlor + chlorsulfuron had greater than 99% control of woolly distaff thistle with fewer than 1.5 seedlings per 27-m2 plot by the end of the growing season. Higher rates were generally necessary to achieve the same level of control with winter (January) applications. In the organic herbicide treatments, the most consistent treatment was a combination of mowing followed by 9% (v/v) or the organic herbicide. This treatment was slightly less effective compared with aminopyralid but did have better than 95% control of woolly distaff thistle. The results of this study provide control options for both conventional and organic ranching practices where woolly distaff thistle is a problem.

Partial seed retention line #23(‘PSR23’) cuphea is a hybrid of Cuphea viscosissima × C. lanceolata. It is a new, spring-planted, annual, potential oilseed crop that is highly susceptible to interference by weeds because of its slow growth during spring and early summer. Grass weeds are controlled easily in this broadleaf crop, but broadleaf weeds are an appreciable problem. Consequently, several broadleaf herbicides were screened for tolerance by ‘PSR23’ cuphea. Broadleaf herbicides to which cuphea showed tolerance in a spray cabinet and a greenhouse were tested in a field setting for 2 yr. Field tolerance was considered as absence of negative impact (P > 0.05) both years to any of four measured traits: overall vigor, dry weight, stand density, and time to anthesis. Cuphea showed tolerance in the field to three soil-applied herbicides (ethalfluralin, isoxaflutole, and trifluralin) and one postemergence herbicide (mesotrione). A few combinations of soil-applied and postemergence herbicides did not damage cuphea. These combinations were ethalfluralin followed by (fb) mesotrione, isoxaflutole fb imazethapyr, and isoxaflutole fb mesotrione. Availability of these herbicides for use in cuphea production may facilitate the domestication and acceptance of this new crop.

The present study evaluated the effect of mustard oil enriched in capric acid, a medium-chain fatty acid, on antioxidant enzyme activities in liver and brain and on the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver, brain and plasma in rats; the effect of adding cholesterol to the diet was also investigated. Charles Foster male albino rats weighing 80–100 g were fed one of four diets for 30 d (six rats per group). In the absence of added dietary cholesterol, the addition of capric acid to the diet resulted in lower plasma total cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol and TAG concentrations, higher HDL-cholesterol concentrations, higher antioxidant enzyme activities in liver and brain and lower MDA concentrations in liver, brain and plasma. Adding cholesterol to the diet increased plasma total cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol and TAG concentrations, decreased HDL-cholesterol concentration, decreased the activities of antioxidant enzymes and increased tissue and plasma MDA concentrations. Including capric acid in the diet of rats receiving cholesterol at least partly prevented the effects of the increased cholesterol. It is concluded that compared with native mustard oil, capric acid-enriched mustard oil improves blood lipids, enhances antioxidant protection and reduces lipid peroxidation.

Capric acid (C10:0), a medium chain fatty acid, was evaluated for its anti-methanogenic activity and its potential to modify the rumen biohydrogenation of linoleic (C18:2n-6) and α-linolenic acids (C18:3n-3). A standard dairy concentrate (0.5 g), supplemented with sunflower oil (10 mg) and linseed oil (10 mg) and increasing doses of capric acid (0, 10, 20 and 30 mg), was incubated with mixed rumen contents and buffer (1 : 4 v/v) for 24 h. The methane inhibitory effect of capric acid was more pronounced at the highest (30 mg) dose compared to the medium (20 mg) (−85% v. −34%), whereas the lower dose (10 mg) did not reduce rumen methanogenesis. A 23% decrease in total short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production was observed, accompanied by shifts towards increased butyrate at 20 mg and increased propionate at 30 mg of capric acid (P < 0.001). Capric acid linearly decreased the extent of biohydrogenation of C18:2n-6 and C18:3n-3, by up to 60% and 86%, respectively. This reduction was partially due to a lower extent of lipolysis when capric acid was supplemented. Capric acid at 20 and 30 mg completely inhibited the production of C18:0 (P < 0.001), resulting in an accumulation of biohydrogenation intermediates, mainly C18:1t10 + t11 and C18:2t11c15. In contrast to effects on rumen fermentation (methane production and proportions of SCFA), 30 mg of capric acid did not induce major changes in rumen biohydrogenation as compared to the medium (20 mg) dose. This study revealed the dual action of capric acid, being inhibitory to both methane production and biohydrogenation of C18:2n-6 and C18:3n-3.