Products volatilized from arsenical-treated soil were identified and their rates of formation measured to determine if generation of alkylarsines by soils is part of a natural arsenic cycle. 74As-sodium arsenate, 14C-MSMA (monosodium methanearsonate), or 14C-cacodylic acid (hydroxydimethylarsine oxide), were added at 13.3 μMoles (10 ppmw As) to individual flasks containing 100 g of Mattapeake silt loam. Either air or N2 was used to sweep gases from the flasks and through trapping solutions. Arsenical content in the solutions was monitored by liquid scintillation and assayed for arsenic by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Volatile arsine gases were produced under all conditions. The organo-arsenicals formed volatile compounds most quickly under aerobic conditions. In 160 days, the trapping solutions contained 18.0%, 12.5%, and 1.0% of the activity from soils treated with cacodylic acid, MSMA, or sodium arsenate respectively, when flushed continuously with air, and 7.8%, 0.8%, and 1.8% when flushed with N2. The volatile gases were identified as dimethyl- and trimethylarsine (DMA and TMA) by ion exchange and gas chromatography, and mass spectroscopy. Methylarsine (MA) was not detected. Most of the extractable arsenic remaining in the soil was present as a trimethyl arsenical compound regardless of the treatment. Since arsenic was transferred to air regardless of arsenical treatment, the transfer of arsenic from soil to air is part of the natural arsenic cycle in soils.

A threefold glyphosate tolerance was identified in two Italian ryegrass populations, T1 and T2, from Mississippi. Laboratory experiments were conducted to characterize the mechanism of glyphosate tolerance in these populations. The T1 population absorbed less 14C-glyphosate (43% of applied) compared to the susceptible (S) population (59% of applied) at 48 h after treatment (HAT). The T2 population absorbed 14C-glyphosate at levels (56% of applied at 48 HAT) that were similar to both T1 and S populations, but tended to be more comparable to the S population. The amount of 14C-glyphosate that remained in the treated leaf was significantly higher in both T1 (67% of absorbed) and T2 (65% of absorbed) populations compared to the S population (45% of absorbed) at 48 HAT. The amount of 14C-glyphosate that moved out of treated leaf to shoot and root was lower in both T1 (25% of absorbed in shoot and 9% of absorbed in root) and T2 (25% of absorbed in shoot and 11% of absorbed in root) populations compared to the S population (40% of absorbed in shoot and 16% of absorbed in root) at 48 HAT. There were no differences in epicuticular wax mass among the three populations. Treating a single leaf with glyphosate solution at the field use rate (0.84 kg ae ha−1) as 10 1-µl droplets killed the S plant but not the T1 and T2 plants (33 and 55% shoot fresh-weight reduction, respectively). Shikimic acid accumulated rapidly at higher levels in glyphosate-treated leaf segments of the S population compared to the T1 population up to 100 µM glyphosate. However, above 500 µM glyphosate, the levels of shikimate were similar in both the S and T1 populations. Furthermore, shikimic acid content was three- to sixfold more in whole plants of the S population treated with 0.22 kg ae ha−1 glyphosate compared to the T1 and T2 populations. No degradation of glyphosate to aminomethylphosphonic acid was detected among the tolerant and susceptible populations. These results indicate that tolerance to glyphosate in the T1 population is partly due to reduced absorption and translocation of glyphosate and in the T2 population it is partly due to reduced translocation of glyphosate.

DNA-based molecular markers may provide information about introduced weedy species that would be useful in biological weed control efforts. Chloroplast DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms (cpDNA RFLP) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis are two DNA-based marker techniques that can provide estimates of genetic variation in native and introduced populations of weedy species. Profiles provided by these techniques could furnish the necessary information to determine the geographic origins of introduced species and provide evidence for multiple introductions. Although DNA-based markers would not necessarily identify the genetic basis for host-pest compatibility, they would enable identification of specific host genotypes. Current criteria for selecting a weedy species as a target for biological control are primarily political and economic. The importance of genetic diversity and population structure in determining the vulnerability of plant populations to insects or diseases has not been fully appreciated. Estimates of genetic diversity based on DNA marker analysis could be used as one criteria for determining which plants are targeted for biological control. The success of biological weed control efforts has been limited by the high levels of genetic diversity occurring in target weed specks and the lack of biocontrol agent and target weed compatibilities. DNA-based markers may be used to increase our understanding of these factors and contribute to the success of biological weed control by helping to target the most vulnerable species and provide more realistic expectations of the potential for success given available resources.

Application of 112 to 336 kg/ha N as ammonium nitrate [NH4(NO−3)] failed to affect population numbers of common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.), giant foxtail (Setaria faberi Herrm.), velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medic.), jimsonweed (Datura stramonium L.), or redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.). Common lambsquarters seeds harvested from NO−3-treated plots were less dormant than control seeds. Seed germination in the laboratory increased from 3.0% for control seeds to 34.0% for seeds harvested from plots treated with 280 kg/ha N as NH4(NO−3). Nitrate concentration in common lambsquarters seeds increased as nitrogen fertilization increased. Seeds from nonfertilized plots contained 18.7 μg/g NO−3, while seeds from plots fertilized with 280 kg/ha N contained 126.3 μg/g. Adding exogenous NO−3 to the germination medium brought the germination of most seed lots to a similar level, except for control seeds which germinated at a lower rate. In contrast to common lambsquarters, nitrogen fertilization did not greatly affect dormancy or NO−3 accumulation in velvetleaf seeds. Exogenous NO−3 failed to stimulate velvetleaf germination because dormant velvetleaf seeds did not imbibe.

Mathematical growth analysis techniques were used to evaluate the effects of CO2 concentrations of 350, 600, and 1000 ppm (v/v) on growth and biomass partitioning in corn (Zea mays L. ‘Dekalb XL 395’), itchgrass (Rottboellia exaltata L. f.), soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ‘Tracy’], and velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medic). Controlled environment chambers with day/night temperatures of 28/22 C and photosynthetic photon flux densities (PPFD) of 650 μE (microeinsteins) m-2 s-1 were used. Dry matter production in the two C3 species (soybean and velvetleaf) was increased significantly by raising the CO2 concentration above 350 ppm. In corn (a C4 species), dry matter production was least at 1000 ppm CO2 and did not differ between the 350 and 600 ppm treatments. In itchgrass (also C4), dry matter production was greatest at 600 ppm CO2 and did not differ between the 350 and 1000 ppm treatments. Increasing the CO2 concentration increased the rate of dry matter production per unit leaf area (net assimilation rate or NAR) in soybean and velvetleaf but either decreased or did not alter NAR in corn and itchgrass. At 45 days after planting, the weed/crop ratios for total dry matter production for velvetleaf/corn and itchgrass/corn were significantly greater at both 600 and 1000 ppm than at 350 ppm CO2. The weed/crop ratio for itchgrass/soybean was less at 1000 ppm than at 350 or 600 ppm CO2. Compared to the value at 350 ppm, the weed/crop ratio for velvetleaf/soybean was greater at 600 ppm and less at 1000 ppm CO2. We conclude that atmospheric CO2 enrichment probably will make weeds with the C3 photosynthetic pathway more competitive with crops having the C4 pathway. Weeds with the C4 pathway may become less competitive with crops having the C3 pathway.

Two studies investigated off-target exposure of soybean to plant growth regulator (PGR) herbicides and determined if simultaneous exposure to PGR herbicides and labeled soybean herbicides increase PGR injury. The PGR herbicides, 2,4-D, clopyralid, and dicamba, as well as dicamba plus the auxin transport inhibitor diflufenzopyr, were applied to glyphosate-resistant soybean at the V3, V7, and R2 soybean growth stages. Two rates were chosen from previous and preliminary research to approximate threshold rates that would cause a yield reduction so as to distinguish differences in sensitivity between growth stages. All four PGR herbicides caused significant soybean injury, height reduction, and yield loss at one or more application rates and growth stages. Relative to other PGR herbicides, dicamba reduced soybean yield at the lowest rate (a potential rate from residues remaining in improperly cleaned application equipment), followed by clopyralid, with 2,4-D requiring the highest rate to reduce soybean yield (a potential rate from a high level of spray drift). Dicamba and dicamba plus diflufenzopyr were applied at equal fractions of labeled use rates for corn to compare them directly at equivalent levels of off-target movement. Dicamba plus diflufenzopyr caused less injury and yield loss than dicamba applied alone. In a second study, the highest labeled soybean use rates of glyphosate, imazethapyr, imazamox, and fomesafen were applied alone and in combination with the highest rate of dicamba used in the first study (1% of a labeled use rate for corn) at the V3 and V7 stages. Dicamba demonstrated synergistic interactions with imazamox, imazethapyr, and fomesafen (but not with glyphosate) to further reduce yield under some circumstances, especially when applied at the V7 stage. Several treatments that included dicamba reduced soybean seed weight when applied at either the V3 or V7 stage and reduced the number of seeds per pod at the V7 stage.

Parasitization by Orobanche is a complex process, one that is mediated by host-derived chemical signals that control parasite seed germination and haustorium initiation and one that ultimately results in the union of two plant species. Experiments were conducted to characterize Orobanche parasitization of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and to begin to explore the role of host flavonoid metabolism in the interaction. Arabidopsis thaliana stimulated seed germination and allowed tubercle development of O. aegyptiaca and O. ramosa but did not significantly stimulate seeds of O. crenata, O. minor, or O. cernua. However, if Orobanche seeds were artificially stimulated, O. crenata and O. minor successfully established tubercles on A. thaliana. When compared to the recognized crop hosts, Daucus carota and Nicotiana tabacum, A. thaliana stimulated less O. aegyptiaca germination but allowed for formation of equivalent numbers of tubercles. These findings indicate that A. thaliana is not a large-scale producer of germination stimulant but is highly susceptible to the parasite once Orobanche seeds have germinated. Experiments comparing wild-type A. thaliana plants to mutant lines deficient in flavonoid biosynthesis revealed no differences in the ability to stimulate germination or to allow tubercle formation, indicating that host flavonoid production is not essential for Orobanche parasitization. The results of this work support the use of A. thaliana as a valuable host in understanding Orobanche parasitization.

Pseudomonas fluorescens strain D7 (P. f. D7; NRRL B-18293) is a root-colonizing bacterium that inhibits downy brome (Bromus tectorum L. BROTE) growth. Before commercialization as a biological control agent, strain D7 must be tested for host plant specificity. Agar plate bioassays in the laboratory and plant–soil bioassays in a growth chamber were used to determine the influence of P. f. D7 on germination and root growth of 42 selected weed, cultivated or native plant species common in the western and midwestern United States. In the agar plate bioassay, all accessions of downy brome were inhibited by P. f. D7. Root growth of seven Bromus spp. was inhibited an average of 87% compared with that of controls in the agar plate bioassay. Root growth of non-Bromus monocots was reduced by 0 to 86%, and only 6 out of 17 plant species were inhibited 40% or greater. Among all plant species, only downy brome root growth from two accessions was significantly inhibited by P. f. D7 in plant–soil bioassays (42 and 64%). P. f. D7 inhibited root growth and germination in agar plate bioassays more than in plant–soil bioassays. Inhibition in plant–soil bioassays was limited to downy brome, indicating promise for P. f. D7 as a biocontrol agent that will not harm nontarget species.

In summer, 2011, we investigated suspected glyphosate-resistant (GR) kochia in three chem-fallow fields (designated F1, F2, F3, each farmed by a different grower) in southern Alberta. This study characterizes glyphosate resistance in those populations, based on data from dose–response experiments. In a greenhouse experiment, the three populations exhibited a resistance factor ranging from 4 to 6 based on shoot biomass response (GR50 ratios), or 5 to 7 based on survival response (LD50 ratios). Similar results were found in a field dose–response experiment at Lethbridge, AB, in spring 2012 using the F2 kochia population. In fall 2011, we surveyed 46 fields within a 20-km radius of the three chem-fallow fields for GR kochia. In the greenhouse, populations were screened with glyphosate at 900 g ae ha−1. Seven populations were confirmed as GR, the farthest site located about 13 km from the three originally confirmed populations. An additional GR population more than 100 km away was later confirmed. Populations were screened for acetolactate synthase (ALS)–inhibitor (thifensulfuron : tribenuron) and dicamba resistance in the greenhouse, with molecular characterization of ALS-inhibitor resistance in the F1, F2, and F3 populations. All GR populations were resistant to the ALS-inhibiting herbicide, but susceptible to dicamba. ALS-inhibitor resistance in kochia was conferred by Pro197, Asp376, or Trp574 amino acid substitutions. Based upon a simple empirical model with a parameter for selection pressure, calculated from weed relative abundance and glyphosate efficacy, and a parameter for seedbank longevity, kochia, wild oat, and green foxtail were the top three weeds, respectively, predicted at risk of selection for glyphosate resistance in the semiarid Grassland region of the Canadian prairies; wild oat, green foxtail, and cleavers species were predicted at greatest risk in the subhumid Parkland region. This study confirms the first occurrence of a GR weed in western Canada. Future research on GR kochia will include monitoring, biology and ecology, fitness, mechanism of resistance, and best management practices.

Resistance to aryloxyphenoxypropionate and cyclohexanedione herbicides was identified in four wild oat populations from western Canada. Populations UM1, UM2, and UM3 originated from northwestern Manitoba and UM33 from south-central Saskatchewan. Field histories indicated that these populations were exposed to repeated applications of diclofop-methyl and sethoxydim over the previous 10 yr. The populations differed in their levels and patterns of cross-resistance to these and five other acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibitors (ACCase inhibitors). UM1, UM2, and UM3 were resistant to diclofop-methyl, fenoxaprop-p-ethyl, and sethoxydim. In contrast, UM33 was resistant to the aryloxyphenoxy propionate herbicides but not to sethoxydim. The dose of sethoxydim required to reduce growth of UM1 by 50% was 150 times greater than for a susceptible population (UM5) or UM33 based on shoot dry matter reductions 21 d after treatment. This population differed from UM2 and UM3 that had R/S ratios of less than 10. In the field UM1 also exhibited a very high level of resistance to sethoxydim. In contrast to susceptible plants that were killed at the recommended dosage, shoot dry matter of resistant plants treated at eight times the recommended dosage was reduced by only 27%. In growth chamber experiments none of the four populations was cross-resistant to herbicides from five different chemical families.

These studies were conducted in the laboratory on two soils at two temperatures to define the rate of degradation and the associated rate law for trifluralin (α,α,α-trifluoro-2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-p-toluidine), benefin (N-butyl-N-ethyl-α,α,α-trifluoro-2,6-dinitro-p-toluidine), and 2,6-dinitro-N-(3-pentyl)-α,α,α-trifluoro-p-toluidine (hereafter referred to as Unnamed). Rate of degradation was directly correlated with temperature and moisture content. First order kinetics adequately described the rate of degradation at 15 C, but the simple first order assumption was not sufficient to describe degradation at 30 C. The implication of our interpretation is that at 30 C two rate processes may operate in the soil degradation of these three dinitroaniline herbicides. The data show an initial rapid first order rate of degradation with a subsequent change to a slower first order process. First half lives ranged from 0.4 to 1.8 months at 30 C and were consistently lower in a loam than in a sandy loam soil.

The movement of sulfonylurea herbicide-resistant (R) kochia pollen was investigated in a spring barley field near Moscow, ID, using a Nelder plot design in 1991 and 1992. Each 61 m diameter plot had 16 rays spaced 22.5° apart and contained 211 kochia plants. There were 12 susceptible (S) plants and one R plant along each ray. The R and S plants were 1.5 m and 3.0 to 30.5 m from the center of the plot, respectively. Wind direction and speed in the 16 vectors, air and soil temperature, and rainfall were monitored continuously. Mature kochia seed was collected from individual plants, planted in the greenhouse, and sprayed with chlorsulfuron to test for resistant F1 progeny. Results from the 2-yr study showed outcrossing of R pollen onto S plants at rates up to 13.1% per plant 1.5 m from the R plants and declining to 1.4% per plant or less 29 m from the R plants. At least 35% of the total R x S crosses occurred in the direction of prevailing southeastward winds. Predicted percentages of R x S crosses per plant ranged from 0.16 to 1.29 at 1.5 m, and 0.00 to 0.06% at 29 m. Thus, resistant kochia pollen can spread the sulfonylurea-resistant trait at least 30 m during each growing season.

The activity-density of Amara aenea (DeGeer) and Harpalus pensylvanicus (DeGeer) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) was monitored in an experiment that compared five management treatments representing a range of disturbance frequencies, crops, and aboveground biomass production. In 2004 and 2005, three treatments comprised of multiple summer cover crops were compared to bare fallow and soybean, the latter of which used mechanical cultivation to manage weeds. In 2005 weed seed predation was assessed from June to September in two of the treatments (bare fallow and oat–pea/rye–hairy vetch). Beetle activity-density varied with treatment, time of sampling, and year. In 2004 peak activity-density of A. aenea was highest in the mustard/buckwheat/canola, but there was no difference in H. pensylvanicus activity-density. In 2005 activity-density of H. pensylvanicus was higher in oat–pea/rye–hairy vetch than in soybean treatment. Seed predation rates were relatively consistent across treatments, averaging between 38 and 63%. In fallow and oat–pea/rye–hairy vetch, H. pensylvanicus activity-density accounted for 29 and 33% of the variation in seed predation, respectively. Our findings suggest cover crops have a positive effect on the activity-density of A. aenea and H. pensylvanicus and that disturbance negatively influences their activity-density in the absence of cover crops.

The people of the world required from the dawn of time until 1830 to reach a population of 1 billion. By 1960, we reached 3 billion and by 1980 we had a population of about 4 billion. It is estimated that by the year 2000 there will be 7 billion people in the world. Just 30 yr from now the world's population will have doubled. This means that within the next 30 yr we must produce as much food as we have produced since the beginning of history. Can we feed this many people? Yes, but expanded research to develop improved technology will be required to meet the challenge.

Three herbicidal ionic liquids (HILs)—alkyldi(2-hydroxyethyl)methylammonium (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetate, dialkyldimethylammonium (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetate, and alkyltrimethylammonium (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetate—were synthesized and their activity against broad-leaved weeds was investigated under field conditions. HILs as [cation][2,4-D] used in winter wheat were much more active compared to 2,4-D-dimethylammonium salt and demonstrated efficacy similar to 2,4-D 2-ethylhexyl ester. HILs exhibited desirable surface properties such as low contact angle of droplets and low surface tension. Moreover, the HILs may be safer to operators and neighboring plants due to their nonvolatile nature. HILs at 450 g ha−1 of 2,4-D did not injure wheat.

An isolate of Fusarium moniliforme (Sheldon) (JW #1) was discovered on greenhouse-grown jimsonweed in Mississippi, U.S.A., in 1990. Applications of aqueous suspensions of spores/mycelia (>1 × 107 propagules ml−1) grown on potato-dextrose agar to the potted soil in which 2- to 4-wk-old jimsonweed plants were grown caused local lesions or mosaic-like patterns on the leaves and inhibited growth. Application of lesser doses to the leaves only produced no visual effects. When the fungal suspensions were applied at higher dosages (>1 × 107 propagules ml−1) either by soil drench or subirrigation, symptoms such as local lesions or a mosaic-like pattern on the leaves appeared and plant growth was inhibited. When the fungus was grown on an autoclaved rice medium and the ground mixture applied to jimsonweed plants, the plants wilted within 24 h and died after 48 h. Crude and cell-free filtrates of the fungal-rice culture also killed 1- to 2- and 3- to 4-week-old plants after 24 to 72 h. A major toxin identified was fumonisin B1, isolated from fermented rice at 400 μg g−1. Fumonisin B1 applied in water at 2.5 μg 100 μl−1 to excised jimsonweed leaves caused the same symptomology (i.e., soft rot diffusing along leaf veins) within 24 h as the cell-free extract or the crude culture filtrates. Similar damage occurred to intact plants treated with crude or cell-free filtrates or purified aqueous fumonisin B1 solutions.

The ability of Medicago sativa to suppress weed growth may provide a viable alternative to chemical weed control and allow crop producers to reduce herbicide inputs. Quantitative information regarding the suppressive effect of M. sativa on weed populations in current cropping systems is lacking. A survey was conducted in Manitoba, Canada, in 1993 and 1994 to investigate weed populations in commercial cereal fields that had been preceded by either M. sativa hay or cereal grain crops. A total of 117 fields were surveyed; approximately half from each field type. Principle component analysis indicated that the inclusion of M. sativa in crop rotations resulted in weed communities different from those of continuous cereal fields. Naturally occurring populations of Avena fatua, Cirsium arvense, Brassica kaber, and Galium aparine were lower in cereal fields that had previously contained M. sativa than in cereal fields that had been preceded by a cereal crop. Lower field uniformity values for C. arvense and Avena fatua indicated that these weeds were also more patchy in the M. sativa rotations. Population differences between field types were nonsignificant for Amaranthus retroflexus, Chenopodium album, and Polygonum convolvulus, and although populations of Taraxacum officinale and Thlaspi arvense were greater in M. sativa/cereal fields than in continuous cereal crops. No consistent effect of field type on Setaria viridis populations was observed. These results show that M. sativa effectively suppressed some, but not all, of the weeds found in the study area. Including M. sativa hay crops in crop rotations can be part of an integrated weed management strategy for weeds such as A. fatua, B. kaber, and C. arvense.

The purpose of this study was to quantify hysteresis during adsorption and desorption of atrazine as a function of incubation time for a Sharkey clay soil. Adsorption was carried out using one day batch equilibration and was followed by incubation periods ranging from 1 to 24 d. Incubation was subsequently followed by six consecutive desorption steps where each step represented 1 d. The Freundlich equation (S = K CN where S is the amount of atrazine retained, μg g-1; C is concentration, μg ml-1; K is the distribution coefficient, cm3g-1; and N is a dimensionless parameter) was used to describe batch results. Both adsorption and desorption isotherms were well described by the Freundlich model. Fitted K parameter values for desorption isotherms were consistently higher than those associated with adsorption. The opposite trend was observed for the exponential parameter N. The results revealed that desorption deviated significantly from adsorption data. The deviation, which is commonly referred to as hysteresis, was more pronounced as incubation time increased. Batch equilibration results also indicated that the extent of hysteresis was not influenced by soil sterilization. Attempts to quantify the extent of hysteresis using a simplified approach are presented. We found that, for a given batch data set, hysteresis can be quantified provided that Freundlich N from adsorption and desorption isotherms is known.

Red rice is a major weed in rice production in the southern United States. Red rice and rice intercross because they are the same species. Our objectives were to determine the genetic diversity represented by accessions of red rice and to identify DNA markers that might be useful in identifying hybrids between red and cultivated rice. Red rice accessions were collected from Arkansas and other rice-producing states. Seventy-nine red rice accessions, 10 known or putative hybrid derivatives of red rice and cultivated rice (RC hybrids), and seven rice cultivars were analyzed using microsatellite DNA markers developed for cultivated rice. Microsatellite markers differentiated awned and awnless red rice accessions, six of the seven rice cultivars, and all 10 RC hybrids tested. Thus, these markers were useful in identifying red rice types and RC hybrids.

Field experiments were conducted at the Elora Research Station, Elora, Ontario, in 1988 and 1989 to quantify the inherent competitive ability of three white bean cultivars: OAC Gryphon, OAC Sprint, and OAC Laser growing with a naturally occurring population of annual weeds. An attempt was made to increase the competitive ability of these cultivars by altering row spacing and seeding density. Uncontrolled populations of weeds reduced white bean yields by 70%. OAC Gryphon and OAC Laser reduced weed biomass by 10 to 35% compared to OAC Sprint. The ability of cultivars to reduce weed biomass was further enhanced in medium and narrow rows compared to traditional wide rows. Cultivar, row spacing, and seeding density combinations which maximized leaf area index when grown under weedy conditions also had significantly less weed biomass. However, cultivar selection, row spacing, and seeding density did not reduce weed density. A significant negative correlation was observed between weed biomass accumulation and final yield of white bean. For each kg ha−1 increase in weed biomass the corresponding white bean yield loss averaged 0.380 kg ha−1. Season-long weed competition significantly reduced total number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, and 100-seed weight.