Sustainable Weed Management II

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2024 | Viewed by 9285

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario dell’Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
Interests: agronomy; crop production; allelopathy; weed science; weed management; cover crops; fertilization; Cynara cardunculus; potato
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Guest Editor
Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (Di3A), University of Catania, via Valdisavoia, 5, 95123, Catania, Italy
Interests: weeds; soil seedbank; germination ecology; allelopathy; biocontrol; natural compound; environmental and applied botany
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The environmental impact and the increasing phenomena of weed resistance caused by the irrational use of synthetic herbicides have led government institutions and public opinion to a growing interest in eco-friendly and sustainable tools for weed management. The scientific community is therefore called to further improve the efforts in the search for new environmentally based and more efficient approaches.

This Special Issue will focus on the recent advancements in the wide field of sustainable weed management. Research papers, communications, and review articles are welcome. We invite you to share your contributions on the following topics (not an exhaustive list): 1) weed biology; 2) biotic and abiotic factors for plant adaptation strategies; 3) preventive or indirect methods (stale seedbed, crop rotation, increase in crop competitive capacity, etc.); 4) management of the soil seedbank; 5) cover cropping; 6) non-chemical weed control such as physical, mechanical, and biological methods; 7) use of allelopathic mechanisms for weed control (mulching, the use of plant extracts as bioherbicides, intercropping, etc.); 8) application and development of weed thresholds. Particular attention will be given to integrated weed management in agroecosystems and studies involving botanical and ecological aspects (weed emergence models, floristic composition and species diversity, plant associations, and ecosystem services).

Dr. Aurelio Scavo
Dr. Alessia Restuccia
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • weed biology
  • plants adaptation strategies
  • integrated weed management
  • cover crops
  • allelopathy
  • bioherbicides
  • biological methods
  • mechanical methods
  • physical methods
  • cultural methods
  • soil seedbank
  • weed thresholds
  • floristic composition
  • ecosystem services

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2318 KiB  
Article
Post-Emergence Water-Dispersal Application Provides Equal Herbicidal Activity against Echinochloa crus-galli and Rice Safety as Foliar Spraying of Penoxsulam
by Jinqiu Sun, Xiaoyue Yu, Hongxing Xu, Yongjie Yang, Mengjie Liu, Yanchao Zhang, Yongliang Lu and Wei Tang
Plants 2023, 12(23), 4061; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12234061 - 03 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 832
Abstract
Penoxsulam is an acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicide usually applied by post-emergence foliar spraying (PFS) for the control of Echinochloa crus-galli and numerous annual weeds in paddy fields. Herbicides applied by foliar spraying can have negative impacts on the environment, ecosystems, and human health. [...] Read more.
Penoxsulam is an acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicide usually applied by post-emergence foliar spraying (PFS) for the control of Echinochloa crus-galli and numerous annual weeds in paddy fields. Herbicides applied by foliar spraying can have negative impacts on the environment, ecosystems, and human health. In this study, the response of E. crus-galli and rice to the PFS and post-emergence water-dispersal (PWD) applications of penoxsulam, and the differences in the detoxification displayed by them between the two treatment methods were compared. The results showed that the PWD application of penoxsulam provides a similar control efficacy against E. crus-galli as PFS at the 1-, 3-, and 5-leaf stages. Meanwhile, the PWD application had a higher safety for the rice. After being treated with 30 g a.i. ha−1 penoxsulam, residues were not detected in the rice treated by the PWD application method, whereas, with the PFS treatment, there was 59.0 µg/kg penoxsulam remaining. With the PFS application, there were many more residues of penoxsulam in the E. crus-galli than with the PWD method; the amount of residues was 32-fold higher 12 h after treatment. The in vitro enzyme activity assays revealed that the activities of ALS, glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450) were increased in the PWD treatments, and were 1.5-, 1.3-, and 2.3-fold higher than with PFS 72 h after treatment. The real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed that the GST1 and P450 genes, CYP81A14, CYP81A12, CYP81A18, and CYP81A21 were upregulated with the PWD application versus PFS in the E. crus-galli. In summary, these results demonstrate that the herbicidal activity was not affected by the upregulation of target and metabolic enzyme activities with the PWD application of penoxsulam. This research could contribute to application strategies reducing the risk of rice injury and environmental impacts by using water-dispersal formulations of penoxsulam. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Weed Management II)
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14 pages, 522 KiB  
Article
Allelopathic Effect of Aqueous Extracts of Grass Genotypes on Eruca Sativa L.
by Masoud Motalebnejad, Hassan Karimmojeni, Mohammad Mahdi Majidi and Andrea Mastinu
Plants 2023, 12(19), 3358; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12193358 - 22 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1202
Abstract
The aim of the current research is to evaluate the allelopathic activity of fifty grass genotypes from different species and to identify phenolic compounds in the genotypes that have the highest allelopathic activity and inhibitory effect on Eruca sativa L. (Rocket). Aqueous extract [...] Read more.
The aim of the current research is to evaluate the allelopathic activity of fifty grass genotypes from different species and to identify phenolic compounds in the genotypes that have the highest allelopathic activity and inhibitory effect on Eruca sativa L. (Rocket). Aqueous extract was prepared from the leaves of grass genotypes in different concentrations and its effect on germination and growth of E. sativa L. was measured. According to the results, the type of genotype and the concentration of the extract significantly decreased the percentage of germination, hypocotyl length, radicle length, and dry weight of E. sativa L. seedlings. Increasing the concentration of the extract resulted in a decrease in germination and growth of seedlings. The genotypes of Festulolium (Festulolium) (GR 5009, GR 1692, GR 5004) had the most inhibitory effect on the growth of E. sativa L. Also, among the genotypes studied, two genotypes (DG-M) and (DG-P) of Dactylis glomerata L. (orchardgrass) species showed the least allelopathic activity. The results of HPLC-MS indicated nine phenolic compounds including caffeic acid, syringic acid, vanillic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, apigenin acid, chlorogenic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, and gallic acid. The phenolic compound most present in the aqueous extract was caffeic acid. However, phenolic compounds derived from Festulolium genotypes showed the greatest allelopathic action on the growth parameters of E. sativa L. The aqueous extracts of the Festulolium genotypes can be considered valid systems of sustainable weed control thanks to the phytocomplex rich in phenols. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Weed Management II)
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15 pages, 3876 KiB  
Article
Phytochemical Cue for the Fitness Costs of Herbicide-Resistant Weeds
by Hong-Yu Li, Yan Guo, Bo-Yan Jin, Xue-Fang Yang and Chui-Hua Kong
Plants 2023, 12(17), 3158; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12173158 - 02 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 877
Abstract
Despite increasing knowledge of the fitness costs of viability and fecundity involved in the herbicide-resistant weeds, relatively little is known about the linkage between herbicide resistance costs and phytochemical cues in weed species and biotypes. This study demonstrated relative fitness and phytochemical responses [...] Read more.
Despite increasing knowledge of the fitness costs of viability and fecundity involved in the herbicide-resistant weeds, relatively little is known about the linkage between herbicide resistance costs and phytochemical cues in weed species and biotypes. This study demonstrated relative fitness and phytochemical responses in six herbicide-resistant weeds and their susceptible counterparts. There were significant differences in the parameters of viability (growth and photosynthesis), fecundity fitness (flowering and seed biomass) and a ubiquitous phytochemical (–)-loliolide levels between herbicide-resistant weeds and their susceptible counterparts. Fitness costs occurred in herbicide-resistant Digitaria sanguinalis and Leptochloa chinensis but they were not observed in herbicide-resistant Alopecurus japonicas, Eleusine indica, Ammannia arenaria, and Echinochloa crus-galli. Correlation analysis indicated that the morphological characteristics of resistant and susceptible weeds were negatively correlated with (–)-loliolide concentration, but positively correlated with lipid peroxidation malondialdehyde and total phenol contents. Principal component analysis showed that the lower the (–)-loliolide concentration, the stronger the adaptability in E. crus-galli and E. indica. Therefore, not all herbicide-resistant weeds have fitness costs, but the findings showed several examples of resistance leading to improved fitness even in the absence of herbicides. In particular, (–)-loliolide may act as a phytochemical cue to explain the fitness cost of herbicide-resistant weeds by regulating vitality and fecundity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Weed Management II)
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14 pages, 1680 KiB  
Article
Inter-Species Investigation of Biological Traits among Eight Echinochloa Species
by Xuli Hu, Runqiang Liu, Honghao Mao, Yong Xu, Bin Chen, Yongfeng Li and Xia Yang
Plants 2023, 12(17), 3085; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12173085 - 28 Aug 2023
Viewed by 707
Abstract
Due to the diversity of Echinochloa species and the limited understanding of their damage processes in rice fields, clarifying the biological properties of distinct species could help create a foundation for effective control techniques. Pot experiments and field competition trials were conducted using [...] Read more.
Due to the diversity of Echinochloa species and the limited understanding of their damage processes in rice fields, clarifying the biological properties of distinct species could help create a foundation for effective control techniques. Pot experiments and field competition trials were conducted using eight Echinochloa species to elucidate their biological differences and assess their varying levels of negative impact on rice. The survey outcomes showed that E. oryzoides had the highest 1000-grain weight (3.12 g) while E. colona had the lowest (0.90 g). The largest grain number per spikelet found in E. glabrescens (940) was 3.4 times greater than that in E. oryzoides (277). Different species responded variably to changes in temperature and photoperiod. Except for E. caudate, all Echinochloa species exhibited a shortened growth period with the delay of the sowing date. Under field competitive conditions, all Echinochloa species exhibited significantly greater net photosynthetic rates than rice, with E. crusgalli exhibiting the highest photosynthetic capacity. Moreover, in this resource-limited setting, barnyardgrass species had a decrease in tiller formation and panicle initiation but a significant increase in plant height. These findings contribute valuable insights into the biological characteristics of barnyardgrass populations and provide guidance for implementing effective control measures in rice fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Weed Management II)
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12 pages, 893 KiB  
Article
Managing Weed–Crop Interactions Enhances Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Chemical Components
by Imtiaz Khan, Muhammad Ishfaq Khan, Saima Hashim, Muhammad Fawad, Aftab Jamal, Mahmoud F. Seleiman, Haroon Khan, Bakhtiar Gul, Zahid Hussain, Muhammad Farhan Saeed and Aurelio Scavo
Plants 2023, 12(17), 3073; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12173073 - 27 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1109
Abstract
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a major pulse crop worldwide, renowned for its nutritional richness and adaptability. Weeds are the main biotic factor deteriorating chickpea yield and nutritional quality, especially Asphodelus tenuifolius Cav. The present study concerns a two-year (2018–19 and 2019–20) [...] Read more.
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a major pulse crop worldwide, renowned for its nutritional richness and adaptability. Weeds are the main biotic factor deteriorating chickpea yield and nutritional quality, especially Asphodelus tenuifolius Cav. The present study concerns a two-year (2018–19 and 2019–20) field trial aiming at evaluating the effect of weed management on chickpea grain quality. Several weed management practices have been here implemented under a factorial randomized complete block design, including the application of four herbicides [bromoxynil (C7H3Br2NO) + MCPA (Methyl-chlorophenoxyacetic acid) (C9H9ClO3), fluroxypyr + MCPA, fenoxaprop-p-ethyl (C18H16ClNO5), pendimethalin (C13H19N3O4)], the extracts from two allelopathic weeds (Sorghum halepense and Cyperus rotundus), two mulches (wheat straw and eucalyptus leaves), a combination of A. tenuifolius extract and pendimethalin, and an untreated check (control). Chickpea grain quality was measured in terms of nitrogen, crude protein, crude fat, ash, and oil content. The herbicides pendimethalin (Stomp 330 EC (emulsifiable concentrate) in pre-emergence at a rate of 2.5 L ha−1) and fenoxaprop-p-ethyl (Puma Super 7.5 EW (emulsion in water) in post-emergence at a rate of 1.0 L ha−1), thanks to A. tenuifolius control, showed outstanding performance, providing the highest dietary quality of chickpea grain. The herbicides Stomp 330 EC, Buctril Super 40 EC, Starane-M 50 EC, and Puma Super 7.5 EW provided the highest levels of nitrogen. Outstanding increases in crude protein content were observed with all management strategies, particularly with Stomp 330 EC and Puma Super 7.5 EW (+18% on average). Ash content was highly elevated by Stomp 330 EC and Puma Super 7.5 EW, along with wheat straw mulching, reaching levels of 2.96% and 2.94%. Crude fat content experienced consistent elevations across all treatments, with the highest improvements achieved by Stomp 330 EC, Puma Super 7.5 EW, and wheat straw mulching applications. While 2018–19 displayed no significant oil content variations, 2019–20 revealed the highest oil content (5.97% and 5.96%) with herbicides Stomp 330 EC and Puma Super 7.5 EW, respectively, followed by eucalyptus leaves mulching (5.82%). The results here obtained are of key importance in the agricultural and food sector for the sustainable enhancement of chickpea grain’s nutritional quality without impacting the environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Weed Management II)
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10 pages, 1494 KiB  
Communication
Dose-Dependent and Species-Specific Effects of Wood Distillate Addition on the Germination Performance of Threatened Arable Plants
by Riccardo Fedeli, Tiberio Fiaschi, Claudia Angiolini, Simona Maccherini, Stefano Loppi and Emanuele Fanfarillo
Plants 2023, 12(17), 3028; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12173028 - 23 Aug 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1064
Abstract
Wood distillate (WD) is a bio-based product applied to crop plants for its known action in terms of growth promotion and yield enhancement, but studies are lacking on its effects on the germination of arable plants. To test such effects, we applied WD [...] Read more.
Wood distillate (WD) is a bio-based product applied to crop plants for its known action in terms of growth promotion and yield enhancement, but studies are lacking on its effects on the germination of arable plants. To test such effects, we applied WD at six different concentrations on the diaspores of three threatened arable plants: Bromus secalinus, Centaurea cyanus, and Legousia speculum-veneris. For all the studied species, the effect of WD was dose-dependent and species-specific. In B. secalinus, the germination percentage (GP) decreased at 0.125% WD but then remained stable at higher concentrations up to 1%. At 2% WD, almost no germination was observed. Mean germination time (MGT) was not influenced up to 1% WD but significantly increased at 2% WD. The germination rate index (GRI) and germination energy (GE) remained unaffected up to 1% WD but decreased at 2% WD. In C. cyanus, WD had no effects on GP and GE at any concentration. MGT showed no difference with the control up to 1% WD, but significantly increased at 2% WD. GRI increased only at low concentrations (0.125% and 0.25%). The germination performance of L. speculum-veneris was unaffected up to 0.25% WD for all the tested parameters. From 0.5% WD, a reduction in GP, GRI, and GE and an increase in MGT were observed. At 2% WD, germination was totally blocked. Our results suggest that using WD at low concentrations (<0.5%), those commonly used in arable crops, does not affect the germination of the three investigated plant species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Weed Management II)
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14 pages, 4248 KiB  
Article
Biology, Germination Ecology, and Shade Tolerance of Alkaliweed (Cressa truxillensis) and Its Response to Common Postemergence Herbicides
by James Schaeffer, Kurt J. Hembree and Anil Shrestha
Plants 2023, 12(14), 2679; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12142679 - 18 Jul 2023
Viewed by 853
Abstract
Alkaliweed (Cressa truxillensis) is a native perennial plant of the western USA and in California, they are found primarily in saline and alkaline soils. Lately, it has been observed in Central Valley pistachio, olive, and almond orchards as a problematic species. [...] Read more.
Alkaliweed (Cressa truxillensis) is a native perennial plant of the western USA and in California, they are found primarily in saline and alkaline soils. Lately, it has been observed in Central Valley pistachio, olive, and almond orchards as a problematic species. Very little information is available on the effect of environmental factors on germination, shade tolerance, and the response of this species to herbicides. Therefore, studies were conducted to assess the effect of environmental factors (water potential, salinity, and pH) on seed germination, the influence of shade (30% shade 70% shade, and no shade) on aboveground growth, and the response of alkaliweed to common registered post-emergent herbicides. Results showed that the seeds were moderately tolerant to drought but highly adapted to salinity and pH as germination occurred up to an electrical conductivity level of 20 dS m−1 and pH range of 5 to 9. Both shade levels reduced aboveground growth and formation of reproductive structures. None of the postemergence herbicides provided adequate control of the plants. Therefore, an integrated management plan needs to be developed for alkaliweed control in Central Valley orchards. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Weed Management II)
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11 pages, 1195 KiB  
Article
Weed-Hoeing Periods in Cowpea Cultivation under Direct and Conventional Systems
by Eudinete Ribeiro de Sousa, Larissa de Oliveira Fontes, José Hamilton da Costa Filho, Antonio Leandro Chaves Gurgel, Wéverson Lima Fonseca, Alan Mario Zuffo, Daniele Galvão Alencar, Tairon Pannunzio Dias e Silva, Julian Junio de Jesús Lacerda, Jorge González Aguilera, José Antonio Rodríguez García, Renatto Nicolino Motta Zevallos, Luis Morales-Aranibar, Alfredo Modesto Marcavillaca Luna and Hebert Hernán Soto Gonzales
Plants 2023, 12(14), 2668; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12142668 - 17 Jul 2023
Viewed by 909
Abstract
Weed coexistence with an agricultural crop can negatively affect its growth, development, and yield. From this perspective, this study aimed to evaluate weed management strategies and their effect on the agronomic parameters of cowpea cultivation in direct (SPD) and conventional (SPC) planting systems. [...] Read more.
Weed coexistence with an agricultural crop can negatively affect its growth, development, and yield. From this perspective, this study aimed to evaluate weed management strategies and their effect on the agronomic parameters of cowpea cultivation in direct (SPD) and conventional (SPC) planting systems. The experiment was set up in a completely randomized block design with a split-plot arrangement with four replications. The plots received a source of variation referring to the planting systems (direct and conventional planting), and the subplots corresponded to ten weed management strategies (manual hoeing 18 days after planting (DAP); at 36 DAP; at 54 DAP; at 18 and 36 DAP; at 18 and 54 DAP; at 18 and 72 DAP; at 36 and 54 DAP; at 36–72 DAP; at 18, 36, and 54 DAP; and a control with no hoeing). Density and dry mass evaluations of the cowpea plants were performed at harvest (72 DAP) by determining the number of pods per plant, pod length, number of grains per pod, 1000-grain mass, and yield. A total of 28 species distributed in 12 botanical families were identified in the two cultivation systems. The family Poaceae showed the highest frequency, with 25% of the species identified. At the end of the assay, treatment 20 had the highest positive influence and provided significant quantitative gains to the complex of traits related to cowpea production (SPD and hoeing at 18, 36, and 54 DAP). UPGMA cluster analysis and canonical discriminant analysis were performed and allowed a better classification of the evaluated treatments. It was observed that the first two canonical variables explained 90.8% of the total variance contained in the original variables. The use of SPD with weeding at 18, 36, and 54 days after planting provides greater weed control and significant quantitative gains for the complex of characteristics related to cowpea production. The results underscore the importance of choosing the correct cropping system and implementing effective weeding practices to optimize weed control and improve crop performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Weed Management II)
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11 pages, 940 KiB  
Article
Convergent Adaptation of Multiple Herbicide Resistance to Auxin Mimics and ALS- and EPSPS-Inhibitors in Brassica rapa from North and South America
by José Alfredo Dominguez-Valenzuela, Candelario Palma-Bautista, José G. Vazquez-Garcia, Marcos Yanniccari, Ramón Gigón, Ricardo Alcántara-de la Cruz, Rafael De Prado and João Portugal
Plants 2023, 12(11), 2119; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12112119 - 26 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1096
Abstract
Herbicide-resistant weeds have been identified and recorded on every continent where croplands are available. Despite the diversity of weed communities, it is of interest how selection has led to the same consequences in distant regions. Brassica rapa is a widespread naturalized weed that [...] Read more.
Herbicide-resistant weeds have been identified and recorded on every continent where croplands are available. Despite the diversity of weed communities, it is of interest how selection has led to the same consequences in distant regions. Brassica rapa is a widespread naturalized weed that is found throughout temperate North and South America, and it is a frequent weed among winter cereal crops in Argentina and in Mexico. Broadleaf weed control is based on glyphosate that is used prior to sowing and sulfonylureas or mimic auxin herbicides that are used once the weeds have already emerged. This study was aimed at determining whether a convergent phenotypic adaptation to multiple herbicides had occurred in B. rapa populations from Mexico and Argentina by comparing the herbicide sensitivity to inhibitors of the acetolactate synthase (ALS), 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate (EPSPS), and auxin mimics. Five B. rapa populations were analyzed from seeds collected in wheat fields in Argentina (Ar1 and Ar2) and barley fields in Mexico (Mx1, Mx2 and MxS). Mx1, Mx2, and Ar1 populations presented multiple resistance to ALS- and EPSPS-inhibitors and to auxin mimics (2,4-D, MCPA, and fluroxypyr), while the Ar2 population showed resistance only to ALS-inhibitors and glyphosate. Resistance factors ranged from 947 to 4069 for tribenuron-methyl, from 1.5 to 9.4 for 2,4-D, and from 2.7 to 42 for glyphosate. These were consistent with ALS activity, ethylene production, and shikimate accumulation analyses in response to tribenuron-methyl, 2,4-D, and glyphosate, respectively. These results fully support the evolution of the multiple- and cross-herbicide resistance to glyphosate, ALS-inhibitors, and auxinic herbicides in B. rapa populations from Mexico and Argentina. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Weed Management II)
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