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New Methods and Innovative Strategies for Weed Management
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New Methods and Innovative Strategies for Weed Management

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2023) | Viewed by 13587

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jordi Recasens

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Guest Editor
Dept. Horticulture, Botany and Landscaping, Agrotecnio Center, Universitat de Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Spain
Interests: weed ecology; invasive exotic weeds; integrated weed management; alternative weed control methods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Bàrbara Baraibar Padró

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Guest Editor
Department Horticulture, Botany and Landscaping, Agrotecnio Center, Universitat de Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Spain
Interests: weed seed predation; cover crops; ecological weed management; organic farming

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Despite decades of research, weeds are still one of the major challenges facing crop production worldwide. Chemical weed control has been one of the most cost-effective strategies to manage weeds in the last few decades, but has also come at the cost of new challenges, such as the appearance and large spread of herbicide resistant plants, greater carbon foot print, ground water contamination and loss of diversity, both in crops and in weed species. Moving forward, we must find new weed management strategies, techniques and methods that reconcile crop production and sustainability.

Farmers and land managers have to deal with the complexity of the whole agroecosystems when making decisions. Therefore, weed management cannot be isolated from other agronomic decisions at the field and at the landscape level any longer, but must be framed within the overall management of the system.

In this Special Issue, we welcome the submission of scientific articles focused on new weed management strategies, methods or techniques that move us toward more productive, sustainable and resilient agroecosystems. We encourage research dealing with cover crops, biological weed management, innovative mechanical and chemical strategies, allelopathy, polycultures, new rotations, integration of livestock and the interface of weed management with other agronomic management decisions (e.g., fertilization, seeding rates, species selection, and circular economy).

Prof. Dr. Jordi Recasens
Dr. Bàrbara Baraibar Padró
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • weed management
  • alternative methods
  • inovative strategies
  • cover crops
  • allelopathy
  • sustainability

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 1902 KiB  
Article
Overwintering Camelina and Canola/Rapeseed Show Promise for Improving Integrated Weed Management Approaches in the Upper Midwestern U.S.
by Wun S. Chao, James V. Anderson, Xuehui Li, Russ W. Gesch, Marisol T. Berti and David P. Horvath
Plants 2023, 12(6), 1329; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12061329 - 15 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1355
Abstract
Winter oilseed cash cover crops are gaining popularity in integrated weed management programs for suppressing weeds. A study was conducted at two field sites (Fargo, North Dakota, and Morris, Minnesota) to determine the freezing tolerance and weed-suppressing traits of winter canola/rapeseed (Brassica [...] Read more.
Winter oilseed cash cover crops are gaining popularity in integrated weed management programs for suppressing weeds. A study was conducted at two field sites (Fargo, North Dakota, and Morris, Minnesota) to determine the freezing tolerance and weed-suppressing traits of winter canola/rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) and winter camelina [Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz] in the Upper Midwestern USA. The top 10 freezing tolerant accessions from a phenotyped population of winter canola/rapeseed were bulked and planted at both locations along with winter camelina (cv. Joelle) as a check. To phenotype our entire winter B. napus population (621 accessions) for freezing tolerance, seeds were also bulked and planted at both locations. All B. napus and camelina were no-till seeded at Fargo and Morris at two planting dates, late August (PD1) and mid-September (PD2) 2019. Data for winter survival of oilseed crops (plants m−2) and their corresponding weed suppression (plants m−2 and dry matter m−2) were collected on two sampling dates (SD) in May and June 2020. Crop and SD were significant (p < 0.05) for crop plant density at both locations, and PD in Fargo and crop x PD interaction in Morris were significant for weed dry matter. At Morris and Fargo, PD1 produced greater winter B. napus survival (28% and 5%, respectively) and PD2 produced higher camelina survival (79% and 72%, respectively). Based on coefficient of determination (r2), ~50% of weed density was explained by camelina density, whereas ≤20% was explained by B. napus density at both locations. Camelina from PD2 suppressed weed dry matter by >90% of fallow at both locations, whereas weed dry matter in B. napus was not significantly different from fallow at either PD. Genotyping of overwintering canola/rapeseed under field conditions identified nine accessions that survived at both locations, which also had excellent freezing tolerance under controlled conditions. These accessions are good candidates for improving freezing tolerance in commercial canola cultivars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Methods and Innovative Strategies for Weed Management)
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15 pages, 1831 KiB  
Article
Organic Mulches as an Alternative to Conventional Under-Vine Weed Management in Mediterranean Irrigated Vineyards
by Carlos Cabrera-Pérez, Francisco Valencia-Gredilla, Aritz Royo-Esnal and Jordi Recasens
Plants 2022, 11(20), 2785; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11202785 - 20 Oct 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1795
Abstract
Vineyard growth and grape yield can be significantly reduced by weeds, especially when these are located in the under-vine zone. Traditional weed management consists of recurrent tillage, which is associated with soil erosion and high fuel consumption, or herbicide applications, associated with damage [...] Read more.
Vineyard growth and grape yield can be significantly reduced by weeds, especially when these are located in the under-vine zone. Traditional weed management consists of recurrent tillage, which is associated with soil erosion and high fuel consumption, or herbicide applications, associated with damage to the environment and human health. In order to find alternative weed management methods, three field trials were carried out in Raimat (Lleida, NE Spain) with the aim of evaluating the suppressive effect of four mulches against weeds. Treatments included (1) straw mulch of Medicago sativa L., (2) straw mulch of Festuca arundinacea (L.) Schreb, (3) straw mulch of Hordeum vulgare L., (4) chopped pine wood mulch of Pinus sylvestris L., (5) mechanical cultivation and (6) herbicide application. The results showed that all mulches were efficient at controlling weeds (<20% of weed coverage) in the first year, compared with the two traditional methods, as long as the percentage of soil covered by mulches was high (>75%). In this way, pine mulch stood out above the straw mulches, as it achieved high soil cover during the three growing seasons of the study (>80%), with weed coverage values under 18%. This, together with the multiple benefits of mulches (improvements in the water balance and increases in soil organic matter, among others), make them a sustainable tool to be considered as an alternative to traditional under-vine weed management in vineyards. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Methods and Innovative Strategies for Weed Management)
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14 pages, 1274 KiB  
Article
Rapid On-Farm Testing of Resistance in Lolium rigidum to Key Pre- and Post-Emergence Herbicides
by Martina Badano Perez, Hugh J. Beckie, Gregory R. Cawthray, Danica E. Goggin and Roberto Busi
Plants 2021, 10(9), 1879; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10091879 - 10 Sep 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1836
Abstract
Overreliance on herbicides for weed control is conducive to the evolution of herbicide resistance. Lolium rigidum (annual ryegrass) is a species that is prone to evolve resistance to a wide range of herbicide modes of action. Rapid detection of herbicide-resistant weed populations in [...] Read more.
Overreliance on herbicides for weed control is conducive to the evolution of herbicide resistance. Lolium rigidum (annual ryegrass) is a species that is prone to evolve resistance to a wide range of herbicide modes of action. Rapid detection of herbicide-resistant weed populations in the field can aid farmers to optimize the use of effective herbicides for their control. The feasibility and utility of a rapid 7-d agar-based assay to reliably detect L. rigidum resistant to key pre- and post-emergence herbicides including clethodim, glyphosate, pyroxasulfone and trifluralin were investigated in three phases: correlation with traditional pot-based dose-response assays, effect of seed dormancy, and stability of herbicides in agar. Easy-to-interpret results were obtained using non-dormant seeds from susceptible and resistant populations, and resistance was detected similarly as pot-based assays. However, the test is not suitable for trifluralin because of instability in agar as measured over a 10-d period, as well as freshly-harvested seeds due to primary dormancy. This study demonstrates the utility of a portable and rapid assay that allows for on-farm testing of clethodim, glyphosate, and pyroxasulfone resistance in L. rigidum, thereby aiding the identification and implementation of effective herbicide control options. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Methods and Innovative Strategies for Weed Management)
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Graphical abstract

12 pages, 1459 KiB  
Article
Selective Inhibition of Wild Sunflower Reproduction with Mugwort Aqueous Extract, Tested on Cytosolic Ca2+ and Germination of the Pollen Grains
by Alberto Marco Del Pino, Euro Pannacci, Alessandro Di Michele, Elisabetta Bravi, Ombretta Marconi, Francesco Tei and Carlo Alberto Palmerini
Plants 2021, 10(7), 1364; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10071364 - 03 Jul 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2007
Abstract
Wild sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an invasive species widely distributed in several regions of the world, where it shares a large area with domesticated sunflower. The imidazolinone-tolerant sunflower enables the control of problematic weeds (such as Xanthium spp., Brassica spp., wild [...] Read more.
Wild sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an invasive species widely distributed in several regions of the world, where it shares a large area with domesticated sunflower. The imidazolinone-tolerant sunflower enables the control of problematic weeds (such as Xanthium spp., Brassica spp., wild sunflower) with imidazolinone herbicides (Clearfield® production system) in cultivated sunflower crops, but could facilitate the gene transfer of herbicide resistance, from cultivated sunflower to wild sunflower, generating hard-to-control weed biotypes or herbicide-resistant populations. The development of new practices that involve the selective inhibition of reproduction structures, such as pollen granules, could be an innovative strategy to minimize outcrossing and the origin of weed–crop hybrids in Clearfield® production systems. In this study, the effects of mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris L.) aqueous extract on cytosolic Ca2+ and the germination of pollen grains collected from conventional, wild and IMI-tolerant sunflower were tested. The results showed that mugwort deregulated Ca2+ homeostasis and markedly reduced the germination of conventional and wild sunflower pollen, but not IMI-tolerant pollen. The HPLC analysis revealed the presence of phenolic acids belonging to the hydroxycinnamic and benzoic classes in the mugwort extract. Hydroxycinnamic acids (caffeic and ferulic) deregulated the cytosolic Ca2+ of conventional and wild sunflower pollen, but not those which were IMI-tolerant, similar to mugwort extract. Selective inhibition of wild sunflower pollen in the Clearfield® sunflower crop contributes to a possible new weed management strategy, reducing the wild sunflower reproduction by seed, minimizing the potential risks of outcrossing with the formation of weed–crop hybrids. The Ca2+ selective chelating activity of caffeic or ferulic acids provides elements to be investigated for their possible use as an alternative to mugwort extract. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Methods and Innovative Strategies for Weed Management)
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Review

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14 pages, 713 KiB  
Review
The Potential of Cover Crops for Weed Management: A Sole Tool or Component of an Integrated Weed Management System?
by Margaret Fernando and Anil Shrestha
Plants 2023, 12(4), 752; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12040752 - 08 Feb 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3508
Abstract
Cover crops are an important component of integrated weed management programs in annual and perennial cropping systems because of their weed suppressive abilities. They influence weed populations using different mechanisms of plant interaction which can be facilitative or suppressive. However, the question often [...] Read more.
Cover crops are an important component of integrated weed management programs in annual and perennial cropping systems because of their weed suppressive abilities. They influence weed populations using different mechanisms of plant interaction which can be facilitative or suppressive. However, the question often arises if cover crops can be solely relied upon for weed management or not. In this review we have tried to provide examples to answer this question. The most common methods of weed suppression by an actively growing cover crop include competition for limited plant growth resources that result in reduced weed biomass, seed production, and hence reductions in the addition of seeds to the soil seedbank. Cover crop mulches suppress weeds by reducing weed seedling emergence through allelopathic effects or physical effects of shading. However, there is a great degree of variability in the success or failure of cover crops in suppressing weeds that are influenced by the cover crop species, time of planting, cover crop densities and biomass, time of cover crop termination, the cash crop following in the rotation, and the season associated with several climatic variables. Several studies demonstrated that planting date was important to achieve maximum cover crop biomass, and a mixture of cover crop species was better than single cover crop species to achieve good weed suppression. Most of the studies that have demonstrated success in weed suppression have only shown partial success and not total success in weed suppression. Therefore, cover crops as a sole tool may not be sufficient to reduce weeds and need to be supplemented with other weed management tools. Nevertheless, cover crops are an important component of the toolbox for integrated weed management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Methods and Innovative Strategies for Weed Management)
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10 pages, 285 KiB  
Review
Herbicide Resistance Is Increasing in Spain: Concomitant Management and Prevention
by José María Montull and Joel Torra
Plants 2023, 12(3), 469; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12030469 - 19 Jan 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1898
Abstract
Herbicide-resistant weeds currently challenge sustainable food production in almost all cropping systems in Europe. Herbicide resistance is increasing, and some European countries are among the most affected globally, such as Spain and France. This situation is worsening not only due to herbicide use [...] Read more.
Herbicide-resistant weeds currently challenge sustainable food production in almost all cropping systems in Europe. Herbicide resistance is increasing, and some European countries are among the most affected globally, such as Spain and France. This situation is worsening not only due to herbicide use restrictions but also due to climate change, rendering Mediterranean countries such as Spain particularly susceptible. Therefore, focus should be aimed at preventive measures, which include those not only based on integrated weed management strategies but also based on a very good knowledge of the biology and ecology of each weed species. The main objective of this review is to provide an overview of potential future herbicide-resistant cases that can evolve in the near future in Europe. We use Spain as the case study, as it is the most affected country in Europe and because it is at risk due to global warming. For different resistant cases detailed on a crop basis, adequate prevention and management measures will be provided in order to avoid resistance evolution relative to the sites of action that are most likely to generate resistant biotypes due to expected high selection pressures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Methods and Innovative Strategies for Weed Management)
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