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Late watergrass is a competitive weed of rice that is well adapted to both aerobic and anaerobic environments. Cultural controls such as a stale-seedbed and alternating from wet- to dry-seeding have been proposed as management options. However, the effects of these systems on its emergence and early growth are unknown. The objective of this study was to modify a previously developed population-based threshold model (PBTM) to predict emergence and early growth under field conditions. In 2013, a series of experiments were conducted at the California Rice Experiment Station (CRES) in Biggs, CA, to evaluate emergence and early growth of multiple herbicide–resistant and -susceptible late watergrass at four burial depths (0.5, 2, 4, and 6 cm) under three irrigation regimes: continuously flooded (CF), daily flush (DF), and intermittent flush (IF). Resistant plants emerged at a significantly higher rate under the IF treatment (P < 0.05). Both biotypes showed decreasing emergence with increasing depth, and no plants emerged from the 4- or 6-cm depths in the CF treatment. Using the Gompertz growth curve, resistant plants had greater predicted growth rates (k), lower predicted maximum heights (hmax), and a shorter time to predicted maximum growth rate (tm) than susceptible plants under the CF and DF treatments. Under the IF treatment, the susceptible plants had greater k, lower hmax, and shorter time to predicted tm. Information about burial depth and irrigation was incorporated into a previously developed PBTM for late watergrass, and validated at the CRES in a field with a susceptible late watergrass population in 2013 and 2014, under two irrigation systems, CF and IF. Model fit was best in the CF treatments (average Akaike information criteria [AIC] = 199.05) compared to the IF treatments (average AIC = 208.6).

The repetitive use of ALS inhibitors for smallflower umbrella sedge (Cyperus difformis L.) control has selected for herbicide-resistant (R) populations that threaten the sustainability of rice (Oryza sativa L.) production and demand alternative control measures be developed. A better understanding of seedling recruitment patterns at the field level is required to optimize the timing and efficacy of control measures. Therefore, a population-based threshold model was developed for optimizing germination prediction in multiple acetolactate synthase (ALS)-R and ALS-susceptible (ALS-S) C. difformis biotypes and applied to field-level emergence predictions. Estimated base temperatures (Tb) ranged from 16.5 to 17.6 C with no clear pattern between biotypes; such values are higher than Tb values of other important rice weeds, as well as for rice. Germination rates increased linearly from 16 to 33.7 C. ALS-R seeds germinate faster due to smaller median thermal times to germination (θT(50)) while also displaying lower germination synchronicity across water potentials. Interestingly, ALS-R biotypes were capable of germinating under lower moisture availability, as indicated by their lower (more negative) base water potential values (Ψb(50)) for seed germination; Ψb(50) values ranged from −0.24 to −1.13 MPa. In-field soil germination measurements found thermal times to emergence varied across three water regimes (daily water, flooded, or saturated). Seedling emergence under the daily water treatment was fastest; however, total seedling density was lower than for the other water regimes. In order to optimize springtime C. difformis seedling emergence, soil moisture should be kept around field capacity, as germination is hindered at lower moisture contents. By predicting when most of the seed population germinates, the thermal-time model can address issues regarding the optimal timing for herbicide applications, thereby allowing for improved C. difformis management in rice fields.

Author(s): Morran, Sarah; Moretti, Marcelo L; Brunharo, Caio A; Fischer, Albert J; Hanson, Bradley D | Abstract: BACKGROUND:In California specialty cropping systems such as vineyards and orchards, Echinochloa colona is present as a summer annual weed. It is able to germinate throughout the growing season whenever favorable conditions are present, and management relies heavily on glyphosate applications. Glyphosate-resistant (GR) E. colona biotypes are present in the state, but the levels of resistance observed suggest that there may be differences in mechanisms of resistance among populations. RESULTS:Echinochloa colona lines collected from different regions of California's Central Valley presented resistance levels ranging from 1.4 to 4.3-fold compared to susceptible lines. No differences in the absorption and translocation of [14 C]-glyphosate were observed among lines. Resistant lines accumulated eight-fold less shikimic acid after treatment with 435 and 870 g a.e. ha-1 glyphosate compared to the most susceptible line. Sequencing of a region of the EPSPS gene revealed three single nucleotide changes leading to amino acid substitutions at Proline 106, including Pro106Leu, Pro106Thr and Pro106Ser. CONCLUSION:These results indicate that an altered target site in EPSPS is contributing to resistance in these lines and resistance has evolved independently, multiple times in the Central Valley of California. Additional research is needed to further understand the genomic contributions of resistance loci in this polyploid weed species. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Author(s): Kanapeckas, Kimberly L; Tseng, Te-Ming; Vigueira, Cynthia C; Ortiz, Aida; Bridges, William C; Burgos, Nilda R; Fischer, Albert J; Lawton-Rauh, Amy | Abstract: Weed evolution from crops involves changes in key traits, but it is unclear how genetic and phenotypic variation contribute to weed diversification and productivity. Weedy rice is a conspecific weed of rice (Oryza sativa) worldwide. We used principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering to understand how morphologically and evolutionarily distinct US weedy rice populations persist in rice fields in different locations under contrasting management regimes. Further, we used a representative subset of 15 sequence-tagged site fragments of expressed genes from global Oryza to assess genome-wide sequence variation among populations.Crop hull color and crop-overlapping maturity dates plus awns, seed (panicle) shattering (g 50%), pigmented pericarp and stature variation (30.2% of total phenotypic variance) characterize genetically less diverse California weedy rice. By contrast, wild-like hull color, seed shattering (g 50%) and stature differences (55.8% of total phenotypic variance) typify genetically diverse weedy rice ecotypes in Arkansas.Recent de-domestication of weedy speciesn-nsuch as in California weedy ricen-ncan involve trait combinations indistinguishable from the crop. This underscores the need for strict seed certification with genetic monitoring and proactive field inspection to prevent proliferation of weedy plant types. In established populations, tillage practice may affect weed diversity and persistence over time. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Smallflower umbrella sedge is a prolific C3weed commonly found in rice fields in 47 countries. The increasing infestation of herbicide-resistant smallflower umbrella sedge populations threatens rice production. Our objectives for this study were to characterize thermal requirements for germination of smallflower umbrella sedge seeds from rice fields in California and to parameterize a population thermal-time model for smallflower umbrella sedge germination. Because the use of modeling techniques is hampered by the lack of thermal-time model parameters for smallflower umbrella sedge seed germination, trials were carried out by placing field-collected seeds in a thermogradient table set at constant temperatures of 11.7 to 41.7 C. Germination was assessed daily for 30 d, and the whole experiment was repeated a month later. Using probit regression analysis, thermal time to median germination [θT(50)], base temperature for germination (Tb), and SD of thermal times for germination [σθT(50)] were estimated from germination data, and model parameters were derived using the Solver tool in Microsoft Excel®. Germination rates increased linearly below the estimated optimum temperatures of 33.5 to 36 C. EstimatedTbaveraged 16.7 C, whereasθT(50)equaled 17.1 degree-days and σθT(50)was only 0.1 degree-day. The estimatedTbfor smallflower umbrella sedge is remarkably higher than that ofjaponicaandindicatypes of rice, as well asTbof important weeds in theEchinochloacomplex. Relative to the latter, smallflower umbrella sedge has lower thermal-time requirements to germination and greater germination synchronicity. However, it would also initiate germination much later because of its higherTb, given low soil temperatures early in the rice growing season in California. When integrated into weed growth models, these results might help optimize the timing and efficacy of smallflower umbrella sedge control measures.

© Weed Science Society of America, 2016. 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. Nomenclature: bearded sprangletop, Leptochloa fusca (L.) Kunth N. Snow; ducksalad, Heteranthera rotundifolia (Kunth) Griseb.; redstem, Ammannia coccinea Rottb.; ricefield bulrush, Schoenoplectus mucronatus (L.) Palla; smallflower umbrella sedge, Cyperus difformis L.; rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Invasive and endemic weeds pose recurring challenges for California land managers. The evolution of herbicide resistance in several species has imposed new challenges in some cropping systems, and these issues are being addressed by UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors, specialists and faculty. There are currently 24 unique herbicide-resistant weed biotypes in the state, dominated by grasses and sedges in flooded rice systems and, more recently, glyphosate-resistant broadleaf and grass weeds in tree and vine systems, roadsides and glyphosate-tolerant field crops. Weed scientists address these complex issues using approaches ranging from basic physiology and genetics research to applied research and extension efforts in grower fields throughout the state. Although solutions to herbicide resistance are not simple and are affected by many biological, economic, regulatory and social factors, California stakeholders need information, training and solutions to address new weed management problems as they arise. Coordinated efforts conducted under the Endemic and Invasive Pests and Disease Strategic Initiative directly address weed management challenges in California's agricultural industries.

A suspected glyphosate-resistant (R) junglerice population was collected from a glyphosate-R corn field near Durham in northern California where glyphosate had been applied at least twice a year for over 6 yr. Based on the amount of glyphosate required to reduce growth by 50% (ED50), the R population was 6.6 times more R than the susceptible (S) standard population. Based on the glyphosate concentration that inhibits EPSPS by 50% based on shikimate accumulation (I50) in leaf discs, R plants were four times more R than S plants. By 3 d after treatment with 0.42 kg ae ha−1glyphosate, the S population had accumulated approximately five times more shikimate than the R population. No differences in [14C]-glyphosate uptake and translocation were detected between R and S plants. However, partial sequencing of theEPSPSgene revealed a mutation in R plants causing a proline to serine change at EPSPS position 106 (P106S). Our results reveal the first case of a P106S target site mutation associated with glyphosate resistance in junglerice.

Summary 1. Opportunities for diversifying the management of weedy populations may be enhanced through accurate predictions of seedling emergence, because the timing and success of control measures often hinges on the timing of weed emergence. We used population-based threshold models to establish the temperature, moisture and oxygen conditions for optimum germination of herbicide-resistant and -susceptible Echinochloa phyllopogon, a weed of temperate paddy rice, and applied them to predict emergence from field soil. 2. We combined hydrothermal time for germination, accounting for within-population variation in base water potentials (Ψb), with thermal time for early seedling growth to predict the quantity and proportional size of the emergence flushes that constitute final recruitment. 3. Emergence in field soils was reduced by moisture stress and flooding, especially for the resistant population. In all populations, germination rates increased between 9� 5 and 31 °C, Ψb was

Resistance to the thiocarbamates has been selected in early watergrass populations within the rice-growing region of California. To elucidate the processes contributing to the spread of resistance among rice fields, we characterized the genetic diversity and differentiation of thiobencarb-resistant (R) and thiobencarb-susceptible (S) populations across the Central Valley using microsatellite markers. A total of 406 individuals from 22 populations were genotyped using seven nuclear microsatellite primer pairs. Three analytical approaches (unshared allele, Shannon–Weaver, and allelic-phenotype statistics) were used to assess genetic diversity and differentiation in the allohexaploid species. Low levels of genetic variation were detected within populations, consistent with other highly selfing species, with S populations tending to be more diverse than R populations.FSTvalues indicated that populations were genetically differentiated and that genetic differentiation was greater among S populations than R populations. Principal coordinate analysis generated two orthogonal axes that explained 88% of the genetic variance among early watergrass populations and differentiated populations by geographical region, which was associated with resistance phenotype. A Mantel test revealed that genetic distances between R populations were positively correlated with the geographical distances separating populations. Taken together, our results suggest that both short- and long-distance seed dispersal, and multiple local and independent evolutionary events, are involved in the spread of thiobencarb-resistant early watergrass across rice fields in the Sacramento Valley. In contrast, resistance was not detected in early watergrass populations in the San Joaquin Valley.

Weeds are the major biotic constraint to rice production. Field observations have suggested that certain fertilizer regimes could enhance infestations of particular weed species emerging with rice. The study objective was to determine the effect of surface-applied calcium phosphate on weed growth in flooded California rice systems. In field and pot studies, triple superphosphate (TSP) applied to the soil surface increased weed emergence. Surface-applied TSP increased the number of sedge and broadleaf weeds, including smallflower umbrella sedge, blue-flowered ducksalad, redstem, ricefield bulrush, waterhyssop, and California arrowhead. A laboratory study measured germination of smallflower umbrella sedge and ricefield bulrush in response to the application of phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca), which comprise 20 and 15% of TSP, respectively. Calcium stimulated smallflower umbrella sedge germination and had no effect on ricefield bulrush germination. Phosphorus did not stimulate either smallflower umbrella sedge or ricefield bulrush germination. Results indicate that surface applications of calcium phosphate increase the growth of certain weed species and that Ca may stimulate germination of smallflower umbrella sedge. By incorporating preplant applications of calcium phosphate into the soil profile, growers can reduce weed pressure from certain species. Alternatively, surface applications of calcium phosphate may be useful to stimulate weed emergence in stale-seedbed management. Nomenclature: Blue-flowered ducksalad, Heteranthera rotundifolia (Kunth) Griseb.; California arrowhead, Sagittaria montevidensis Cham. & Schlecht.; redstem, Ammannia coccinea Rottb.; ricefield bulrush, Schoenoplectus mucronatus (L.) Palla; waterhyssop, Bacopa spp. L.; smallflower umbrella sedge, Cyperus difformis L.; rice, Oryza sativa L.

Assessing belowground plant competition is complex because it is very difficult to separate weed and crop roots from each other by physical methods. Alternative techniques for separating crop and weed roots from each other are needed. This article introduces a stable isotope method that can quantify the amounts of roots of rice and barnyardgrass intermixed in flooded field soils. It relies on the biological principle that rice, a C3 (photosynthetic pathway) species, discriminates more effectively than barnyardgrass, a C4 species, against a relatively rare isotopic form (13C) of CO2. This results in different 13C: 12C isotope ratios (expressed as δ13C) in root tissues of the two species. δ13C values for monoculture barnyardgrass and rice grown in a standard flood-irrigated system were highly stable over 4 crop-years, averaging −13.12 ± 0.80 (SD) and −28.5 ± 0.11 (SD)‰, respectively, based on analysis by an isotope ratio mass spectrometer. Standard concentration curves relating measured δ13C values to set proportions of rice:barnyardgrass root biomass were described by linear regressions, typically with r2 values of 0.96 or greater. Quantities of intermixed rice and barnyardgrass roots sampled 0 to 5 cm deep from soil between rice rows were estimated by extrapolation from standard curves based on δ13C values. About 50% more barnyardgrass root tissue was detected in plots of Lemont long-grain rice than in weed-suppressive PI 312777 indica rice, demonstrating the feasibility of using this stable carbon isotope method in flooded rice systems.

Echinochloa phyllopogon (late watergrass) is a major weed of California rice (Oryza sativa) that has evolved cytochrome P450-mediated metabolic resistance to different herbicides with multiple modes of action. E. phyllopogon populations from Sacramento Valley rice fields have also recently shown resistance to the herbicide clomazone. Clomazone is a proherbicide that must be metabolized to 5-ketoclomazone, which is the active compound that inhibits deoxyxylulose 5-phosphate synthase, a key enzyme of the nonmevalonate isoprenoid pathway. This study evaluated the differential clomazone metabolism within strains of the same species to investigate whether enhanced oxidative metabolism also confers clomazone resistance in E. phyllopogon. Using reverse-phase liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry techniques in the multireaction monitoring mode, we elucidated that oxidative biotransformations are involved as a mechanism of clomazone resistance in this species. E. phyllopogon plants hydroxylated mostly the isoxazolidinone ring of clomazone, and clomazone hydroxylation activity was greater in resistant than in susceptible plants. The major clomazone metabolites resulted from monohydroxylation and dihydroxylation of the isoxazolidinone ring. Resistant plants accumulated 6- to 12-fold more of the monohydroxylated metabolite than susceptible plants, while susceptible plants accumulated 2.5-fold more of the phytotoxic metabolite of clomazone, 5-ketoclomazone. Our results demonstrate that oxidative metabolism endows multiple-herbicide-resistant E. phyllopogon with cross-resistance to clomazone through enhanced herbicide degradation and lower accumulation of the toxic metabolite in resistant versus susceptible plants.

Basic factors contributing to the rapid evolution and broad distribution of acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicide resistance in smallflower umbrella sedge L. have not yet been investigated. The objectives of this study were to examine patterns of cross-resistance to ALS herbicides and genetic diversity within and among smallflower umbrella sedge populations in California rice fields to provide insight into the processes contributing to resistance spread. Twelve different patterns of herbicide cross-resistance were found across the 56 populations sampled. The frequency of populations with at least one resistant individual in the North, Central and South Sacramento Valley, and the San Joaquin Valley were 76, 86, 67, and 50%, respectively. Analysis of the genetic diversity of 29 populations using 73 sequence-related amplified polymorphism molecular markers revealed little genetic diversity within populations, with estimates of Nei's gene diversity index,h, ranging from 0 to 0.049, and Shannon's information index (I) ranging from 0 to 0.079. Hierarchical analyses of molecular variance indicated that the majority of genetic variation was partitioned among populations, rather than within populations or among regional groups. No isolation by distance was evident. Unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averages analysis indicated that population clustering was not region specific. The results suggest that resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides in smallflower umbrella sedge populations from California rice fields appears to have evolved independently multiple times rather than spread from a single population where resistance originated. Consequently, prevention and management of smallflower umbrella sedge in California rice fields should emphasize in-field strategies that focus on decreasing the selection pressure caused by ALS-inhibiting herbicides.

Field research and grower interviews were used to evaluate the potential of minimum tillage for California rice systems. We found that by tilling only in the fall (instead of both the fall and spring), rice farmers can control herbicide-resistant weeds when combined with a stale rice seedbed, which entails spring flooding to germinate weeds followed by a gly-phosate application to kill them. Our results indicated that yield potentials are comparable between water-seeded minimum- and conventional-till systems. We also found that rice growers can reduce fuel costs and plant early. However, minimum tillage may require more nitrogen fertilizer to achieve these yields.

Echinochloa is a major weed that grows almost everywhere in farmed land. This high prevalence results from its high adaptability to various water conditions, including upland and paddy fields, and its ability to grow in a wide range of climates, ranging from tropical to temperate regions. Three Echinochloa crus-galli accessions (EC-SNU1, EC-SNU2, and EC-SNU3) collected in Korea have shown diversity in their responses to flooding, with EC-SNU1 exhibiting the greatest growth among three accessions. In the search for molecular components underlying adaptive diversity among the three Echinochloa crus-galli accessions, we performed de novo assembly of leaf transcriptomes and investigated the pattern of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Although the overall composition of the three leaf transcriptomes was well-conserved, the gene expression patterns of particular gene ontology (GO) categories were notably different among the three accessions. Under non-submergence growing conditions, five protein categories (serine/threonine kinase, leucine-rich repeat kinase, signaling-related, glycoprotein, and glycosidase) were significantly (FDR, q < 0.05) enriched in up-regulated DEGs from EC-SNU1. These up-regulated DEGs include major components of signal transduction pathways, such as receptor-like kinase (RLK) and calcium-dependent protein kinase (CDPK) genes, as well as previously known abiotic stress-responsive genes. Our results therefore suggest that diversified gene expression regulation of upstream signaling components conferred the molecular basis of adaptive diversity in Echinochloa crus-galli.

Resistance to herbicides in the most important weeds threatens the sustainability of California rice. Weed-competitive rice cultivars could be a low-cost and safe nonchemical addition to an integrated weed management program. Trade-offs between competitiveness and productivity and inconsistent trait expression under weedy and weed-free conditions could complicate the breeding of competitive rice cultivars. A 2-year competition experiment was conducted in the greenhouse involving eight rice cultivars and two weed competition regimes (presence or absence of late watergrass) to examine the effects of rice weed-suppressive ability and tolerance to weed competition (weed tolerance) on rice yield. Competition reduced average rice yield from 32 to 48%, and watergrass biomass from 44 to 77%. Path analysis suggested that enhancing rice weed-suppressive ability and weed tolerance while minimizing possible productivity trade-offs should promote early (12 d after seeding) growth and light-capture traits foll...

A biotype of green foxtail found in Spain exhibited cross-resistance among acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase)–inhibiting herbicides. Field doses that totally inhibited shoot fresh weight in the susceptible (S) biotype were determined for six aryloxyphenoxypropionates (clodinafop, diclofop, fenoxaprop-P, fluazifop-P, haloxyfop-P, and propaquizafop) and six cyclohexanediones (clefoxydim, clethodim, cycloxydim, sethoxydim, tepraloxydim, and tralkoxydim). The resistant (R) biotype showed cross-resistance to all herbicides except fenoxaprop-P, propaquizafop, clefoxydim, and tepraloxydim. There were no differences in the absorption, translocation, and metabolism of [14C]diclofop between the S and R biotypes. On the basis of herbicide dose that inhibited ACCase activity by 50% (I50values), ACCase of the R biotype was 5.8-, 13.9-, 20.0-, 102.4-, 416.7-, and 625.0-fold less sensitive to clethodim, haloxyfop, diclofop, fluazifop, cycloxydim, and sethoxydim, respectively, than that of the S biotype. Two multifunctional ACCase isoforms (ACCase I and ACCase II) were purified partially and separated. ACCase II was highly resistant to diclofop acid in both biotypes, with I50values ranging between 92 and 95 μM. However, the I50values observed for ACCase I revealed that the R biotype was 30.8-fold less sensitive to diclofop than the S biotype. These results suggest the mechanism of resistance in green foxtail to diclofop relates to an altered ACCase I isoform.

The development of optimal weed management strategies that rely, in part, on crop interference will require an understanding of how weeds compensate for limitations in above- and belowground resources. Trade-offs in the leaf morphology and biomass partitioning of rice and late watergrass were investigated under glasshouse conditions in 1999 and 2000. Both species responded to shade with increased height, reduced biomass, greater partitioning of biomass to leaves, and greater leaf area ratios. At the lowest light level (18% sunlight), plants of both species showed little response to nitrogen (N). However, height, tillers, biomass, and leaf area increased for plants grown at 50% and full sunlight as N increased from 0 to 224 kg N ha−1. Late watergrass exhibited more plasticity in specific leaf area and root weight ratio than rice in response to shade. This plasticity contributed to the ability of late watergrass to maintain a higher percent of its tillers and total dry weight than rice when sunlight was reduced by 50%. These results support the hypothesis that except at low light levels, limited N further reduces the growth of shaded late watergrass plants. Thus, weed management strategies that limit the plasticity of late watergrass by manipulating light and N availability are likely to be more effective than strategies that rely on manipulating a single resource.

Genotypic differences between upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties in the resistance to acid soil conditions were investigated in terms of the contents of Ca and Al in the apoplast of root tips. Apoplastic Ca and Al contents are assumed to be directly related to the inhibition of root cell elongation, which is the most typical symptom associated with cultivation in acid soils. The apoplastic content of Al eluted with BaCl2 was significantly different between the tolerant (Oryzica Sabana 6: SB6) and susceptible (Oryzica 1: OZ1) varieties when the Al concentration in the growth solution was in the range of 30 to 100 µM. The apoplastic Al content in SB6 was lower, probably reflecting the lower root CEC. On the other hand, the apoplastic Ca content showed significant genotypic differences when Ca was eluted with chelating solutions (Na-citrate and Na-EDTA) rather than with a BaClz solution. The apoplastic Ca content of OZ1 was much higher than that of SB6 in the absence of Al, but it decreased by ...

Late watergrass is a serious weed of California rice that has evolved resistance to molinate, thiobencarb, fenoxaprop-ethyl, and bispyribac-sodium. To obtain an insight into the origin and spread of resistant (R) late watergrass in California rice fields, we evaluated similarities in morphological traits and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fingerprints among 15 R strains compared with susceptible (S) strains. All strains were derived by inbreeding from accessions collected in rice fields of the Sacramento Valley, CA. In the field, R plants were shorter than S plants; they also had narrower and shorter flag leaves and thinner culms. Spikelets also appeared smaller and more slender in R plants. There was greater morphological similarity among the 15 R strains than among the eight S strains. The mean coefficients of variation for morphological traits were much smaller among R strains, which in a cluster analysis (Ward's method) were grouped morphologically apart at early clustering sta...

Resistance to herbicides and the lack of viable control options have led to an interest in increasing the role of crop competition as a weed management tool in water-seeded rice production. Weed-suppressive rice cultivars have been suggested as a tool that could improve weed control and reduce the reliance of growers on herbicides. Field studies were conducted at Biggs, CA, in 1999 and 2000 with six to eight semidwarf rice cultivars to identify water-seeded rice traits related to the suppression of watergrass growth. Cultivars S-201 and M-302 were the most suppressive in both years. The dry weight (DW) of watergrass grown with the most suppressive cultivar was only 16% in 1999 and 57% in 2000 of the DW of watergrass grown with the least suppressive cultivar. Rice leaf area and root DW in weed-free plots were linearly related to watergrass DW in both years. Weed-suppressive traits were not inversely correlated with rice yields in monoculture; competitive cultivars also had high yields. This study ...

Echinochloa oryzoides and E. phyllopogon have become the most serious weeds in California Oryza sativa since continuous flooding was used to suppress E. crus-galli. Continuous use of a limited number of available graminicides and an increasing number of control failures led to the investigation of herbicide resistance in E. oryzoides and E. phyllopogon. Greenhouse dose-response studies with postemergence (POST) applications of molinate, thiobencarb, fenoxaprop-ethyl, and bispyribac-sodium estimating GR50 (herbicide dose to inhibit growth by 50%) values suggested resistance to all herbicides in two E. phyllopogon accessions and to molinate and thiobencarb in one E. oryzoides accession when compared with susceptible E. phyllopogon and E. oryzoides controls, respectively. No resistance was detected in dose-response studies with propanil. Minimum and maximum ratios (R/S) of the GR50 values of resistant to susceptible E. phyllopogon plants (in two experiments involving two resistant accessions) were 7...

Monoculture of irrigated rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Latin America has led to serious weed problems and intensive herbicide use. Yield loss prediction enables the economic analysis of weed control, providing a basis for strategic use of herbicides and diversified weed management, but site differences restrict predictions to the environments for which the models are calibrated. We developed an algorithm for predicting rice yield losses based on early assessments of multispecies weed infestations emerging in successive flushes within variable crop stands. Rice was drill-seeded near Palmira, Colombia, at 75, 150. 200, 250, and 300 kg ha 1 , and grown under nonflood intermittent irrigation for two growing seasons. Five common weeds were allowed to emerge at 15, 24, and 30 days after rice emergence (DAE), when farmers usually decide about early, intermediate, and late herbicide applications. Yield losses were predicted using hyperbolic models with independent variables deseribing the mixed-weed infestations in terms of density (no, of plants m -2 ), leaf area index, dry matter m -2 , relative density [weed/(weed + rice)], relative leaf area (RLA), and a visual estimate of relative ground cover (RC,). With early weed emergence (15 DAE), weed density accounted poorly (r 2 = 0.77) for yield loss. Regression fits improved when RLA (r 2 = 0.86) and RC, (r 2 = 0.90) were used as independent variables to describe weed infestations in terms of the light apportionment between rice and weed canopies. Measured in terms of RC, late-emerging (24 and 30 DAE) weeds had lower effects on yield loss variability (r 2 = 0.69 and 0.59, respectively). Although subjective, RC, is easier to estimate than RLA, and was the best single variable to describe the competitiveness of a mixed-weed infestation. An additional variable was needed only when yield losses were predicted from weed density. Predictions based on RLA were further improved (by 36%) when each species' RI was measured separately and the model was extended for additive effects of all species. Yield loss predictions using empirical equations cannot be extrapolated widely across different locations; however, these data suggest that meaningful independent variables can strengthen the usefulness of hyperbolic equations for predicting rice yield losses over a range of situations, such as mixtures of weed species at various densities and times of emergence, and different rice seeding rates.

Author(s): Hanson, Brad; Fischer, Albert; Shrestha, Anil; Jasieniuk, Marie; Peachey, Ed; Boydston, Rick; Miller, Tim; Al-Khatib, Kassim | Abstract: A good herbicide will control the current population of weeds, but also create a powerful “selection pressure”: any weeds that survive its effects will go on to thrive, immune to any further applications. Learn how to keep selection pressure in check.

© 2016 Kanapeckas et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Domestication is the hallmark of evolution and civilization and harnesses biodiversity through selection for specific traits. In regions where domesticated lines are grown near wild relatives, congeneric sources of aggressive weedy genotypes cause major economic losses. Thus, the origins of weedy genotypes where no congeneric species occur raise questions regarding management effectiveness and evolutionary mechanisms responsible for weedy population success. Since eradication in the 1970s, California growers avoided weedy rice through continuous flood culture and zero-tolerance guidelines, preventing the import, presence, and movement of weedy seeds. In 2003, after decades of no reported presence in California, a weedy rice population was confirmed in dry-seeded fields. Our objectives were to identify the origins and establishment of this population and pinpoint possible phenotypes involved. We show that California weedy rice is derived from a different genetic source among a broad range of AA genome Oryzas and is most recently diverged from O. sativa temperate japonica cultivated in California. In contrast, other weedy rice ecotypes in North America (Southern US) originate from weedy genotypes from China near wild Oryza, and are derived through existing crop-wild relative crosses. Analyses of morphological data show that California weedy rice subgroups have phenotypes like mediumgrain or gourmet cultivars, but have colored pericarp, seed shattering, and awns like wild relatives, suggesting that reversion to non-domestic or wild-like traits can occur following domestication, despite apparent fixation of domestication alleles. Additionally, these results indicate that preventive methods focused on incoming weed sources through contamination may miss burgeoning weedy genotypes that rapidly adapt, establish, and proliferate. Investigating the common and unique evolutionary mechanisms underlying global weed origins and subsequent interactions with crop relatives sheds light on how weeds evolve and addresses broader questions regarding the stability of selection during domestication and crop improvement.

Living mulches are vegetative covers that can be grown in association with row crops to reduce soil erosion, improve trafficability and suppress weeds. Interference by the living mulch can reduce yields of an associated crop. The interference between a white clover (Trifolium repensL. ‘New Zealand’) living mulch and sweet corn (Zea maysL. ‘Golden Jubilee’) was studied using an established clover sward that was mowed and then sprayed with 1 to 1.5 kg ai/ha of atrazine. Corn was planted at different densities and planting arrangements into a narrow band tilled in the clover. Interference by clover reduced corn yields by 12 to 39%. However, when corn row width was reduced from 0.76 to 0.38 m, competition among corn plants declined; they became more vigorous and clover- suppress ive and reached even higher yields than conventional (no mulch) corn in 0.76 m rows. Similarly, sweet corn planted at a range of densities into a clover mulch killed by atrazine yielded more in equidistant planting than in wide (0.76 m) rows. A near equidistant corn planting arrangement can be a low-input alternative to achieve season-long clover suppression and thus minimize clover's competition with the intercropped corn.

Dose-response studies estimating GR40 values indicated different levels of propanil resistance in jun- glerice populations from fields previously treated with propanil, compared to a check population collected where this herbicide had never been used. The GR40 for susceptible populations ranged from 0.36 to 0.50 kg ai ha-1 and for resistant populations ranged from 1.10 to 3.10 kg ai ha-1. Considerable variability in growth and morphology existed among populations. Variability in cumulative leaf area, aboveground biomass, mean relative growth rate, mean net assimilation rate, and mean leaf area ratio could not be related to propanil resistance. Competitiveness was not related to propanil resistance either. Of several vegetative and reproductive parameters measured at maturity, only grain weight per plant and number of grains per plant were correlated with GR40 (r = -0.73, P = 0.06). This trend towards lower reproductive fitness in propanil-resistant junglerice plants may reduce its ecological success when growing with propanil- susceptible plants in the absence of this herbicide. Nomenclature: Propanil, N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl) propana- mide; junglerice, Echinochloa colona (L.) Link #3 ECHCO; rice, Oryza sativa L.

Weed control in Latin America is costly and heavily dependent upon herbicides. Often irrigated rice farmers spray herbicides in late post‐emergence at 30–44 days after emergence (d.a.e.). The economic benefits from such late applications are often unclear. Two experimental approaches involving density series of Eclipta alba, Leptochloa filiformis, Eleusine indica a 1:1 mixture of Echinochloa colona and E. crus‐galli and a range of rice densities were used to estimate crop losses for late weed infestations, and the benefit of increasing rice densities to reduce weed competition. The experiments were conducted in Colombia, and current values of rice and fanning inputs were used for economic analysis. With farmers obtaining average yields (5600 kg/ha) only weed densities larger than about 20 plants/m2would justify herbicide applications after 30 d.a.e. Opportunities to reduce herbicide use are even greater in low‐yielding farms (3500 kg/ha), where herbicides would pay off only at weed densities larg...

The critical period of rice‐weed competition was studied for the rice varieties Oryzica 1 and CICA 8, in 1989 and 1990. Weed species were Eleusine indca, Echinochloa crus‐galli, Echinochloa colonum, Cyperus difformis, Cyperus esculentus, Cyperus iria, Leptochloa filiformis and Eclipta alba. Competition effects were similar for both varieties. Weeds emerging with the crop were the most damaging ones. Rice yields increased with longer weed‐free periods up to 70 days after emergence (d.a.e.). Weed emergence and growth after 70 d.a.e. was suppressed by the crop. Both rice cultivars required a critical height of 44–50 cm to suppress weed growth at 70 d.a.e. Though both varieties were equally weed suppressive by 70 d.a.e., leaf area index of CICA 8 was much larger than that of Oryzica 1 when rice grew weed‐free after emergence. Economic analysis showed that under heavy weed infestations, in a system where rice cannot be early and continuously flooded, three post‐emergent herbicide applications at 9, 18...

O atual conhecimento sobre os efeitos da qualidade da luz representa uma nova era da compreensão dos processos envolvidos na percepção e ajuste das plantas em função dos recursos disponíveis no ambiente. As consequências mais importantes da diminuição da qualidade de luz, que se relaciona principalmente com a diminuição da relação vermelho/ vermelho-extremo, que ocorrem nas interações entre culturas e plantas daninhas são o aumento da estatura e da relação parte aérea/raiz. Essas alterações são tentativas de antecipar os efeitos da concorrência futura por quantidade de luz, água ou nutrientes. Embora vários conhecimentos básicos relacionados com a qualidade da luz tenham sido desenvolvidos há muito tempo, poucas aplicações da sinalização fotomorfogênica têm sido implementadas em processos relacionados com a agricultura e, principalmente, com o manejo de plantas daninhas. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram: descrever a diminuição da qualidade da luz como um fator desencadeante da competição interespecífica; analisar como a qualidade da luz pode ser usada para predizer o início da interferência das plantas daninhas; reavaliar os períodos críticos de interferência; e discutir o potencial de desenvolvimento de cultivares mais competitivas com as plantas daninhas. O conhecimento dos fatores envolvidos na qualidade da luz pode ser utilizado para identificação de uma relação da radiação vermelho/ vermelho-distante que indique o início da competição interespecífica e possa ser usada com um nível de dano referencial, indicando quando o controle das plantas daninhas deve ser iniciado. Os efeitos da baixa qualidade de luz podem limitar o desenvolvimento das culturas, sobretudo em situações de lavouras com elevados níveis potenciais de rendimento de grãos. Nessas situações, o período crítico para controle de plantas daninhas deve ser considerado antes de se iniciarem os efeitos da limitação dos recursos de água, nutrientes e quantidade de luz, que representa o tradicional período crítico de competição. A existência de variabilidade de genótipos das culturas à qualidade da luz e a identificação de mutantes insensíveis aos efeitos da baixa qualidade da luz indicam que essa característica pode ser selecionada ou transformada para o desenvolvimento de cultivares com maior capacidade de competição com as plantas daninhas. Os conhecimentos relacionados com a qualidade da luz representam uma nova possibilidade de compreender a biologia da competição interespecífica e poderão ser utilizados no desenvolvimento de novas tecnologias para o manejo de plantas daninhas. The current knowledge of light quality effects on plant morphogenesis and development represents a new era of understanding on how plant communities perceive and adjust to available resources. The most important consequences of light quality cues, often mediated by decreasing in red far-red ratios with respect to the spectral composition of incident sunlight radiation, affecting weed-crop interaction are the increased plant height and shoot to root ratio in anticipation of competition by light quantity, water or nutrients. Although the concepts related to light quality have been extensively studied and several basic process of this phenomenon are well known, little applications of photomorphogenic signaling currently are related to agricultural problems or weed management. The objectives of this review are to describe how light quality change can be a triggering factor of interspecific interference responses, to analyze how this phenomenon can be used to predict weed interference, to reevaluate the critical periods of interference concept, and to discuss its potential contribution towards developing more weed competitive crop varieties. Knowledge on light quality responses involved in plant sensing of interspecific competition could be used to identify red/far-red threshold values, indicating when weed control should be started. Light quality alterations by weeds can affect grain crop development mainly in high yielding fields. Unlike the traditional concept or the critical period of competition, light quality mediated interference implies that the critical period for weed control could start before the effects of direct resource (water, nutrients and available light) limitation actually occur. The variability in light quality responses among crop genotypes and the identification of mutants insensitive to light quality effects indicate that this characteristic can be selected or modified to develop cultivars with enhanced interspecific interference ability. Knowledge on light quality-elicited responses represents a new possibility to understand the underlying biology of interspecific interference, and could be used in the development of new weed management technologies.

Bensulfuron-methyl (BSM) has been one of the most widely used herbicides in Chilean rice fields because it controls a wide spectrum of weeds and does not require field drainage for application. However, failures of BSM to control water plantain in rice fields have been noted since 2002. We assessed BSM effects on suspected resistant (CU1 and CU2) and susceptible (AN1) water plantain accessions collected in Chilean rice fields during 2004 and 2005. BSM rates resulting in 50% growth reduction (GR50) of CU2 and CU1 plants were 12- and 33-fold higher than for AN1 plants, respectively. Acetolactate synthase (ALS) activity assays in vitro suggested resistance in CU1 and CU2 was due to an ALS enzyme with reduced BSM sensitivity compared to the AN1 biotype. Resistance indices (RI), or ratios of the resistant to susceptibleI50values (BSM rate to inhibit ALS-enzyme activity by 50%), were 266 (CU2/AN1) and > 38,462 (CU1/AN1). This agreed with in vivo ALS activity assays whereRIwere 224 (CU2/AN1) and > 8,533 (CU1/AN1). Resistance levels detected in whole-plant or in vivo ALS activity assays were orders of magnitude lower than those detected in in vitro ALS activity studies suggesting nontarget site mechanisms may have mitigated BSM toxicity. However, a consistent ranking of BSM sensitivity levels (AN1 > CU2 > CU1) throughout all three types of assays suggests resistance is primarily endowed by low target site sensitivity. We conclude that susceptible and resistant water plantain biotypes coexist in Chilean paddies, and the use of integrated weed management involving herbicides with a different mode of action would be imperative to prevent further evolution of resistance to BSM and possibly cross-resistance to other ALS inhibitors. In vitro ALS-enzyme assays provided the best discrimination of resistance levels between biotypes.

Barnyardgrass [Echinochloa crus-galli(L.) Beauv. #4ECHCG] and pigweeds (mixture ofAmaranthus retroflexusL. # AMARE andA. powelliiS. Wats. # AMAPO) seeded separately with alfalfa (Medicago sativaL.) in mid-August suppressed alfalfa severely before frost killed them in October and November. Some alfalfa was killed, and yield of alfalfa forage was reduced in each of three harvests the following year. These weeds did not harm alfalfa seeded in mid-September. Downy brome (Bromus tectorumL. # BROTE) and tumble mustard (Sisymbrium altissimumL. # SSYAL) suppressed alfalfa seeded in August and September. They reduced alfalfa stands and reduced yield of alfalfa forage in each of three harvests the following year. Alfalfa seeded August 27 and allowed to compete with a mixture of these species for various periods was injured most by weeds that emerged with the alfalfa and remained uncontrolled until forage harvest in May. These weeds did not reduce alfalfa yields if removed by 36 days after alfalfa emergence. Thereafter, yield decreased as the period of weed interference increased. Interference was most damaging in early spring, when growth of winter annual weeds was rapid and vigorous. Weeds seeded 65 or more days after alfalfa emergence did not reduce alfalfa yields but sometimes produced enough biomass to reduce the quality of the first-cutting alfalfa hay.