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Rattail fescue (Vulpia myuros (L.) C.C. Gmel.) is a self-pollinating winter annual grassy weed of winter annual crops. The problems with V. myuros are mostly associated with no-till cropping systems where glyphosate application before sowing or emergence of the crop is the most important control measure. Ineffective V. myuros control has been reported following glyphosate applications. Experiments were performed to study the effectiveness of glyphosate on V. myuros, and determine the causes of the lower performance of glyphosate on V. myuros compared to other grass weeds. Estimated GR50 values demonstrated that V. myuros was less susceptible to glyphosate than Apera spica-venti regardless of the growth stage. Within each species, glyphosate efficacy at different growth stages was closely related to spray retention. However, the low susceptibility to glyphosate in V. myuros was not caused by lower retention as previously suggested. A significantly lower shikimic acid accumulation in V. myuros compared to A. spica-venti was associated with a higher activity of the EPSPS enzyme in V. myuros. Nevertheless, the relative responses in EPSPS activity to different glyphosate concentrations were similar in the two grass species, which indicate that EPSPS from V. myuros is as susceptible to glyphosate as EPSPS from A. spica-venti suggesting no alternation in the binding site of EPSPS. The results from the current study indicate that V. myuros is less susceptible to glyphosate compared to A. spica-venti, and the low susceptibility of V. myuros is caused by an increased EPSPS enzyme activity.

Due to natural tolerance to most widely used herbicides for grass weed control, prosulfocarb as pre-emergence or early post-emergence herbicide and mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron as post-emergence herbicide are the mainstays of any chemical control program for Vulpia myuros in Denmark. However, farmers often report variable efficacy of these herbicides on V. myuros compared to other grass weeds. Dose–response experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of prosulfocarb and mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron on V. myuros. Prosulfocarb was sprayed at different plant growth stages to study the influence of plant growth stage on the performance of prosulfocarb on V. myuros in comparison with the more susceptible grass weed species Apera spica-venti. Doses causing 50% reduction in response variable (ED50) were estimated from the dose–response analysis. The ED50 values revealed a higher tolerance of V. myuros to prosulfocarb and mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron than A. spica-venti. The relative difference in the effectiveness of prosulfocarb between V. myuros and A. spica-venti was constant among plant growth stages studied. The highest levels of V. myuros control were achieved when prosulfocarb was sprayed pre-emergence (BBCH 00), while the control substantially declined at later growth stages. The results from the current study document the tolerance of V. myuros to prosulfocarb and mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron and highlight the importance of optimization of prosulfocarb spray timing for achieving maximum control of V. myuros.

Field experiments were conducted in the growing seasons of 2017 to 2018 and 2018 to 2019 to evaluate the competitive effects of rattail fescue [Vulpia myuros (L.) C.C. Gmel.] in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and to assess whether delayed crop sowing and increased crop density influence the emergence, competitiveness, and fecundity of V. myuros. Cumulative emergence showed the potential of V. myuros to emerge rapidly and under a wide range of climatic conditions with no effect of crop density and variable effects of sowing time between the two experiments. Grain yield and yield components were negatively affected by increasing V. myuros density. The relationship between grain yield and V. myuros density was not influenced by sowing time or by crop density, but crop–weed competition was strongly influenced by growing conditions. Due to very different weather conditions, grain yield reductions were lower in the growing season of 2017 to 2018 than in 2018 to 2019, with maximum grain yield losses of 22% and 50% in the two growing seasons, respectively. The yield components, number of crop ears per square meter, and 1,000-kernel weight were affected almost equally, reflecting that V. myuros’s competition with winter wheat occurred both early and late in the growing season. Seed production of V. myuros was suppressed by delaying sowing and increasing crop density. The impacts of delayed sowing and increasing crop density on seed production of V. myuros highlight the potential of these cultural weed control tactics in the long-term management programs of this species.

Vulpia myuros has become an increasing weed problem in winter cereals in Northern Europe. However, the information about V. myuros and its behavior as an arable weed is limited. Field and greenhouse experiments were conducted in 2017/18 and 2018/19, at the Department of Agroecology in Flakkebjerg, Denmark to investigate the emergence, phenological development and growth characteristics of V. myuros in monoculture and in mixture with winter wheat, in comparison to Apera spica-venti, Alopecurus myosuroides and Lolium multiflorum. V. myuros emerged earlier than A. myosuroides and A. spica-venti but later than L. multiflorum. Significant differences in phenological development were recorded among the species. Overall phenology of V. myuros was more similar to that of L. multiflorum than to A. myosuroides and A. spica-venti. V. myuros started seed shedding earlier than A. spica-venti and L. multiflorum but later than A. myosuroides. V. myuros was more sensitive to winter wheat competition in terms of biomass production and fecundity than the other species. Using a target-neighborhood design, responses of V. myuros and A. spica-venti to the increasing density of winter wheat were quantified. At early growth stages &ldquo, BBCH 26&ndash, 29&rdquo, V. myuros was suppressed less than A. spica-venti by winter wheat, while opposite responses were seen at later growth stages &ldquo, BBCH 39&ndash, 47&rdquo, and &ldquo, BBCH 81&ndash, 90&rdquo, No significant differences in fecundity characteristics were observed between the two species in response to increasing winter wheat density. The information on the behavior of V. myuros gathered by the current study can support the development of effective integrated weed management strategies for V. myuros.

Alopecurus myosuroides Huds. is the most abundant herbicide-resistant weed species in Western Europe. Herbicide resistance management programs may rely, amongst other things, on information about fitness of resistant sub-population i.e. the number of offspring a genotype produces and contributes to next generation. Growth and phenological development of susceptible (S) and fenoxaprop-P resistant (R) A. myosuroides sub-populations from a non-target site resistant (NTSR) Danish population was studied for two years, while the primary seed dormancy of the populations was evaluated for three years. The genetic background of the S and R sub-populations was controlled using a plant cloning technique. No statistically significant differences were observed in the development of vegetative growth stages between the R and S sub-populations. In contrast, the R sub-population required more thermal time (at least c. 40 °C d) compared with the S sub-population to reach the reproductive phenological stages including booting and flowering. There were no vegetative (biomass) and reproductive (seed production) fitness costs in the R sub-population, however, the harvest index of the R sub-population was significantly lower than of the S sub-population. Moreover, the R sub-population had a lower primary dormancy than the S sub-population. The lower primary dormancy of the R sub-population can be considered as agronomical fitness costs of the NTSR to fenoxaprop-P, if pre-sowing seedbed preparation are implemented. The results can be implemented in models simulating phenological development and in models predicting the proportion of resistant individuals in a population.

Crop management practices such as tillage can influence the dissipation of herbicides in soil. This study aimed to determine the effects of tillage systems on soil dissipation of prosulfocarb (PSC) using two assessment methods: bioassay and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. PSC was applied on plots cultivated under three tillage systems (moldboard plowing, tine tillage at 8- to 10-cm soil depth, and direct drilling) at different rates (0, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 4,000 and 8,000 g ai ha−1) and two spraying times, representing early and late sowing time of winter cereals in Denmark. The experiment was conducted over 2 yr. The soil was analyzed for PSC residues by HPLC and a bioassay, using silky windgrass as the indicator plant. Neither technique revealed an effect of tillage systems on PSC dissipation, but the LD50values estimated based on the bioassays were generally lower under direct drilling (11.7 d) than with plowing (17.5 d). Moreover, LD50estimates based on bioassay results were generally lower than those estimated with HPLC analyses. Half-life values estimated with HPLC were low and not within the range of values reported in the literature (ca. 20 d), suggesting enhanced degradation of PSC. In addition to influencing the performance of PSC against problematic weed species, an enhanced dissipation rate could also hamper the benefits of PSC in an antiresistance strategy.

Summary Annual grass weeds such as Apera spica-venti and Vulpia myuros are promoted in non-inversion tillage systems and winter cereal-based crop rotations. Unsatisfactory weed control in these conditions is often associated with a poor understanding of the emergence pattern of these weed species. The aim of this study was to investigate, understand and model the cumulative emergence patterns of A. spica-venti, V. myuros and Poa annua in winter cereals grown in three primary tillage regimes: (i) mouldboard ploughing, (ii) pre-sowing tine cultivation to 8–10 cm soil depth and (iii) direct drilling. Direct drilling delayed the cumulative emergence of A. spica-venti and V. myuros (counted together) in contrast with ploughing, while the emergence pattern of P. annua was unaffected by the type of tillage system. The total density of emerged weed seedlings varied between the tillage systems and years with a higher total emergence seen under direct drilling, followed by pre-sowing tine cultivation and ploughing. The emergence patterns of all species were differently influenced by the tillage systems, suggesting that under direct drilling, in which these species occur simultaneously, management interventions should first and foremost consider that A. spica-venti and V. myuros emerge over a longer period to avoid control failures.

Silky windgrass is a serious weed in central and northern Europe. Its importance has escalated in recent years because of its growing resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides. This study investigated the resistance level for three herbicide sites of action in eight silky windgrass populations, collected in fields neighboring a field where iodosulfuron sodium salt–resistant silky windgrass had previously been found. Target site resistance (TSR) and non–target site resistance (NTSR) mechanisms were identified, and a spatial gradient distribution hypothesis of ALS resistance was tested. Populations showed large variations in ED50values to iodosulfuron, with resistance indices (RIs) ranging from 0.1 to 372. No cross-resistance was found to other herbicide groups with the same site of action as iodosulfuron. In contrast, resistance was observed to the acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibitor, fenoxaprop ethyl ester (RI from 0.7 to 776), while the activity of prosulfocarb, an inhibitor of long-chain fatty-acid synthesis, was unaffected. Iodosulfuron-resistant phenotypes were associated with NTSR, while fenoxaprop ethyl ester resistance was caused by both NTSR and TSR (Ile-1781-Leu mutation). A large-scale trend in the spatial distribution of resistance to ALS indicated a decreasing resistance with increased distance from an epicenter. After finer-scale analysis, less than 0.05% of the residual variation could be attributed to spatial autocorrelation. The spatial resistance pattern was not correlated with the dominant wind direction, while there was a correlation between the resistant phenotype and type of crop. This study underlines that NTSR mechanisms do not always confer broad resistance to different herbicide subclasses and site of action, hence the complex relationship to resistant phenotype. NTSR mechanisms, in particular detoxification, were present at different levels for the herbicides tested in the silky windgrass populations of this study. The factors contributing to the spatial distribution of resistance remain elusive.

Pesticides are widely used in European crop production to stabilize yields and mitigate losses from weeds, diseases and insects. Detailed spray records reported per farm and crop have for the first time been collected and analyzed for a whole country, providing good and reliable information on specific spraying patterns in arable crops. Dividing farmers into farm types provided a clear picture on how crops and crop rotations influence pesticide use patterns. On sandy soils, dairy farmers represent the farm type with the least use of pesticides while potato growers had the highest use. On clay soil, mixed crop farms had the lowest and sugar beet growers the highest use of pesticides. Across all farm types, the input of pesticides in winter wheat varies significantly, indicating a differentiated approach to pest control. While all farmers use herbicides and fungicides in winter wheat, the dairy farmers use significantly fewer insecticides and plant growth regulators in winter wheat. Farmers cultivating more than 150 ha had a higher pesticide intensity than farmers with small farms, which was observed for both sandy and clay soil farmers.

Integrated and more sustainable weed management practices are in great demand all around the globe. The adoption of more weed-suppressive cereal cultivars could be part of an integrated weed management strategy. Recently, a study was published analysing the relative contribution of above-ground competition and allelopathy to weed suppression of Scandinavian winter cereals at the field level. The present study used the same approach with Canadian spring wheat and triticale cultivars, and confirmed the results of the previous study. The competitive traits such as leaf area index, crop height and early vigour, and the allelochemicals belonging to the chemical group of benzoxazinoids measured in the root zone were of equal importance to explain the variance of weed biomass at the field level. In addition, a dendogram showed large genetic variability for competitive and allelopathic traits in the Canadian spring cereals, providing the genetic basis for the initiation of breeding programmes for more weed-suppressive cultivars.

Tillage methods and crop rotation are probably the two most important cropping factors affecting weed communities, particularly when herbicide use is restricted. This study examined weed dynamics following eleven years of different tillage and crop rotation treatments. The aboveground grass weed flora was recorded each year and the content and vertical location of individual weed seeds within the plough layer (0–20 cm) were determined after 11 years of continuous mouldboard ploughing (P), pre-sowing tine cultivation to 8–10 cm soil depth (H 8-10 ) and direct drilling (D). The content of weed seeds, especially grass weeds, was determined for three distinct soil layers (0–5, 5–10 and 10–20 cm), reflecting the cultivation depths of the tillage treatments. The annual grass weeds, Apera spica-venti and Vulpia myuros , were promoted by non-inversion tillage and in the case of V. myuros also by frequent cropping of winter cereals. The two non-inversion tillage treatments caused a strong stratification of weed seeds within the plough layer, with the majority of the seeds being accumulated in the upper soil layers, at 0–5 and 5–10 cm, and markedly less so in the 10–20 cm layer. Ploughing resulted in a more even distribution between the three layers. It is suggested that in cases where severe grass weed problems have built up in a non-inversion tillage system and where changes in crop rotation are ineffective or undesirable, inversion of the upper soil layer with the lower one could be considered a management option.

Weed suppressive potential of 33 winter wheat, 24 winter rye and 11 winter triticale cultivars recently introduced to the Scandinavian market was investigated. Competitive traits recorded were early vigor, leaf area index and crop height. Allelopathic potential was assessed by analyzing plant root and shoot material by LC-MS/MS for their content of 12 phytotoxic metabolites of the chemical group of benzoxazinoids (BX). Total BX content was highest in rye, followed by triticale and wheat. Benzoxazinoid composition varied between species with non-methoxy substituted BX dominating in rye and methoxy substituted BX dominating in wheat and triticale. Principal component analysis exhibited a clear relationship of allelopathic and competitive traits, together explaining 62% of the variance in the data set. This result underlines the need for further investigations of the relative contribution of allelopathy and competition to weed suppression in future studies.

There is an urgent need for more integrated weed management in commercial cereal production. However, there is gap in the general understanding of crop–weed interactions and the traits contributing to weed suppression by winter cereals. In this research, we measured the above-ground competitive traits crop height, leaf area index and early ground cover and below-ground allelopathic traits by quantification of benzoxazinoid (BX) content in the root zone by HPLC–MS/MS. A partial least squares regression was applied to identify the relative contribution of each trait to explaining the observed variance in weed biomass. The use of three winter cereals, wheat, triticale, and rye enabled us to cover a broad range of weed suppression strategies. For the first time, we were able to demonstrate a positive correlation between BX in plant material and phenoxazinoids in the soil. The highest concentration of BX in the rhizosphere was found at 3–10 cm. Furthermore, differences in crop weed interactions between wheat, rye, and dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous weeds were identified. Interestingly, there was no significant difference between the contribution of any single competitive or allelopathic trait to explain weed biomass. This is valuable information for the establishment of breeding programs for enhanced weed suppression by the cereal crops examined and suggests that an improvement of any of the competitive or allelopathic traits will lead to increased weed suppression. Furthermore, the transfer of traits from rye to wheat via triticale is promising as it may broaden the weed suppressive abilities of wheat.

International audience; Minor crops include mostly vegetables, fruits, nursery stock and ornamentals. These crops account for an EU production value of over (sic) 60 billion per year, representing more than 20% of the value of EU's total agricultural production. The sustainable production of such crops, from an economic point of view, is vital for both human health and European economies. For minor crops, this sustainability can only be realized by the continued availability of crop protection solutions for pest control. The number of minor crops in Europe without viable solutions for plant protection has increased in recent years. This is mainly due to the lack of pesticides in certain crops, as a number of previously authorized pesticides has not been re-authorized due to a stricter regulation. Also the introduction of tropical or sub-tropical crops and their pests into Europe has contributed to the problem of minor crops without any crop protection solutions as pesticides used elsewhere to protect these crops are not allowed in Europe. The limited range of pesticides available to farmers has increased the risk of resistance development since, in absence of a sufficient number of pesticides with various modes of action, farmers apply repetitively only a narrow spectrum of molecules. The direct economic impact due to the absence of viable plant protection solutions for minor crops has been estimated over a billion Euros per year, impacting 9 million hectares throughout Europe. In light of this, here we discuss the current state of the art of minor crops in Europe and elucidate ongoing efforts to address such problems through Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The information reported is expected to provide relevance of minor crops in Europe and encourage the development and implementation of effective IPM solutions.

Herbicide resistance is an example of plant evolution caused by an increased reliance on herbicides with few sites of action (SoA) to manage weed populations. This micro-evolutionary process depends on fitness, therefore the assessment of fitness differences between susceptible and resistant populations are pivotal to establish management strategies. Loose silky bentgrass (Apera spica-venti) is a serious weed in Eastern, Northern and Central Europe with an increasing number of herbicide resistant populations. This study examined the fitness and growth characteristics of an ALS resistant biotype. Fitness and growth characteristics were estimated by comparing seed germination, biomass, seed yield and time to key growth stages at four crop densities of winter wheat (0, 48, 96 and 192 plants m-2) in a target-neighbourhood design. The resistant population germinated 9 to 20 growing degree days (GDD) earlier than the susceptible population at 10, 16 and 22°C. No differences were observed between resistant and susceptible populations in tiller number, biomass, time to stem elongation, time to first visible inflorescence and seed production. The resistant population reached the inflorescence emergence and flowering stages in less time by 383 and 196 GDD, respectively, at a crop density of 96 winter wheat plants m-2 with no differences registered at other densities. This study did not observe a fitness cost to herbicide resistance, as often hypothesized. Inversely, a correlation between non-target site resistance (NTSR), earlier germination and earlier flowering time which could be interpreted as fitness benefits as these plant characteristics could be exploited by modifying the timing and site of action of herbicide application to better control ALS NTSR populations of A. spica-venti.

Silky windgrass and annual bluegrass are among the most troublesome weeds in northern European winter crops, while problems with rattail fescue have been especially linked to direct-drilling practices. This study investigated the germination patterns of silky windgrass, annual bluegrass, and rattail fescue in multiple water potentials and temperature regimes. Temperature and water potential effects were similar between silky windgrass and rattail fescue, but differed from annual bluegrass. The three grass weeds were able to germinate under low water potential (-1.0 MPa), although water potentials ≤-0.25 MPa strongly delayed their germination. Silky windgrass and rattail fescue seeds were able to germinate at 1 C, while the minimum temperature for annual bluegrass germination was 5 C. Germination of silky windgrass and rattail fescue was very similar across temperature and water potentials, which implies similar emergence flushes under field conditions, allowing management interventions to follow the same scheme.Nomenclature: Annual bluegrass, Poa annua L. POAAN; rattail fescue, Vulpia myuros (L.) K. C. Gmel. VLPMY; silky windgrass, Apera spica-venti L. APESV.

Wheat is among the most important cereal and food crops of world and is grown in almost all parts of the world. It is a staple for a large part of the world population. Any decline in wheat yield by biotic or abiotic factors may affect global food security adversely. Weeds are the most damaging pest of wheat causing in total 24% losses in wheat grain yield. In this chapter, we discuss the (i) weed flora in different wheat growing regions of world; (ii) the yield losses caused by weeds in wheat; (iii) the preventive and cultural options for weed management; (iv) physical weed control;(v) chemical weed control; and (vi) integrated weed management strategy in wheat. A critical analysis of recent literature indicated that broadleaved weeds are the most common group of weeds in wheat fields followed by grass weeds, while sedges were rarely noted in wheat fields. Across the globe, the most important weeds in wheat fields were Avena fatua L., Chenopodium album L., Phalaris minor Retz., Galium aparine L., Stellaria media (L.) Vill., and Veronica persica Poir., respectively. Adoption of wise weed management strategies may help control weeds and avoid yield losses. Both preventive measures and cultural practices have proved their significance for improving weed control in wheat; physical and chemical tools are the other options. Moreover, site-specific herbicide application may help to make weed control economical and reduce the herbicide input. Nonetheless, integrated strategies should be opted for effective and ecofriendly weed management in wheat.

Seedling emergence traits of susceptible (S) and resistant (R) blackgrass subpopulations isolated from a single non—target-site resistant (NTSR) population were studied in controlled conditions. The seedling emergence of the R subpopulation was lower and slower than that of the S subpopulation, especially at low temperature and deep burial. The burial depth inhibiting final emergence by 50% for the R subpopulation was significantly lower than that of the S subpopulation at low temperature. The present study revealed that under suboptimal conditions the NTSR loci conferring herbicide resistance were correlated with a fitness cost in relation to seedling emergence traits. The results suggest that deep soil cultivation and delayed sowing of autumn-sown crops can hamper germination of the R more than of the S subpopulation and thus potentially reduce the prevalence of the R subpopulation in the blackgrass population.Nomenclature: Blackgrass, Alopecurus myosuroides Huds. ALOMY.

Site-specific application of pesticides has so far focused mainly on herbicides. The purpose of precision farming technologies in relation to herbicide use is to reduce herbicide cost and environmental impact from spraying, but at the same time to achieve acceptable weed control. Another purpose is to increase the spraying capacity, to reduce the number of sprayer refills, and finally to minimize time spent on weed monitoring. In this chapter the relevance and profitability of four precision herbicide application technologies, two weed detection technologies and a low dose decision support system (DSS) is analysed. With a low dose herbicide, cost can be reduced by 20–50%. It requires, however, proper monitoring of weeds, which can be a time-consuming task that again requires that the farmer is able to identify the dominant weed species. The current development of high-speed camera and software systems can help to detect and map individual weeds, and some systems have proved to be cost effective for certain weeds.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) aims to promote physical and biological regulation strategies that help farmers contain populations of pests (pathogens, animal pests and weeds) and to finally reduce the reliance on pesticides. It is based on the holistic combination of multiple management measures rather than on the sum of single methods, each of them having only small effects on pests reduction. Thus, to analyse the interactions between IPM measures and to evaluate the sustainability of their implementation, we require an approach considering the whole cropping system (CS), i.e. a functional entity whose complexity is more than the sum of its parts. A network of European experiments at the CS level was set up recently, and aimed at sharing data and expertise to enhance knowledge of IPM. Comparison of existing methodologies highlighted a diversity of CS designs and experimental layouts. We deduced that the concept of CS itself was viewed differently among scientists, and this affected experimental protocols. Other differences were related to the research context and objectives. Some experiments aimed to explore very innovative strategies and generated knowledge on both their effects on the agroecosystem and their ability to satisfy a set of performance targets, while others aimed to provide quickly adoptable solutions for local farmers in line with the current socio-economic constraints. In some research programmes, the experiment was part of the CS design process — and tested CS were regularly revised based on an continuous improvement loop — while in other cases CS were kept stable across years so as to enable the evaluation of their long-term cumulative effects. A critical aspect contributing to the diversity among CS experiments was the distinction between a factorial design of experimental CS and systemic approaches: factorial experiments allowed quantification of the effects of each IPM component regardless of the consistency between components defining the CS. In contrast, systemic approaches focused on the overall evaluation of CS designed with consideration of their consistency, hence maximising their ability to meet the objectives. Because CS experiments represent a huge investment in terms of economics and time, preliminary reflections of the relevance of the experimental strategy is of critical importance.

There is strong social and political pressure to reduce pesticide use in European agriculture. Evaluating the sustainability of cropping systems is a complex task due to the conflicting objectives underlying its economic, social and environmental dimensions. Multi-criteria assessment of different Integrated Pest Management (IPM) scenarios and evaluation of the most sustainable options at regional, national and European level is essential. Within the EU Network of Excellence ENDURE, two expert-based surveys were conducted (i.e. interviews), where experts from four European regions (northern region, Denmark and The Netherlands; central-eastern, Tolna and Bekes counties in Hungary; south-western, Ebro Valley in Spain; southern, Po Valley in Italy) determined which are the main current maize-based cropping systems (MBCSs) in their region and proposed innovative IPM-based systems. The DEXiPM® (DEXi Pest Management) model for arable cropping systems was used to evaluate and compare the economic and environmental sustainability of these systems. The social sustainability was evaluated by adapting indicators of this model to the specificities of maize systems. The assessments showed that all innovative rotated MBCSs proposed in the four regions can have a higher environmental sustainability than and maintain the same economic sustainability as current rotated systems. These cropping systems are thus acceptable for testing under “real” field conditions. Only the innovative continuous maize system proposed in the central-eastern region was both economically and environmentally more sustainable than the current system. All innovative systems had a positive impact on work safety but according to local expert opinion producers and consumers are not ready to implement them or to accept their higher-priced products, with the exception of consumers in the northern region. These results suggest the need for European and regional policies to encourage the adoption of innovative rotated MBCSs that have positive agronomic and environmental impact through IPM implementation. The major constraints that inhibit this adoption were predominantly relating to (1) the lack of access that farmers have to the practical knowledge needed to effectively manage these systems and (2) the insufficient consumer awareness and acceptance of product improvements associated with IPM. To overcome these constraints supportive policy environments, well-functioning knowledge management systems (including good farmer support networks) and effective marketing is required.

SA¸nderskov M, Swanton CJ & Kudsk P (2012). Influence of nitrogen rate on the efficacy of herbicides with different modes of action. Weed Research 52, 169–177. SUMMARY: Outdoor pot experiments and field experiments were conducted to examine the influence of nitrogen rate on herbicide efficacy. Growth of unsprayed Tripleurospermum inodorum increased with increasing nitrogen rate in pot experiments; increasing nitrogen also increased the susceptibility to tribenuron‐methyl. An increased susceptibility at high nitrogen rate was also observed for Anagallis arvensis, but in contrast to T. inodorum, growth of unsprayed A. arvensis was unaffected by nitrogen rate. Growth of unsprayed Chenopodium album was also promoted by nitrogen supply. However, no influence of nitrogen rate on herbicide efficacy was evident for C. album with tribenuron‐methyl or ioxynil+bromoxynil in pot experiments. Field experiments with tribenuron‐methyl were conducted on natural populations of C. album in spring barley grown at different nitrogen rates showed similar results. In conclusion, nitrogen rate affected herbicide efficacy for some but not all combinations of weed species and herbicide. Decreased herbicide efficacy was only observed at very low nitrogen rates. The results suggest that the effect of nitrogen rates on herbicide efficacy will be marginal in intensive farming systems with high nitrogen supply, but in low intensity systems, weed patchiness might increase.

In order to study the combined effect of nitrogen and glyphosate on biodiversity in agricultural areas, a replicated long-time field experiment with glyphosate and nitrogen treated plots was set-up. The experiment allowed a quantitative estimation of the effect of glyphosate and nitrogen on competitive growth, survival and establishment of the dominating species during and between growing seasons. It was found that the observed ecological success of Festuca ovina relative to Agrostis capillaris in glyphosate treated plots was primarily due to altered competitive plant growth during the growing season rather than an immediate die back following spraying. Overall, interaction of herbicide and fertilizer on plant competitive growth, survival and establishment were demonstrated, and it was suggested that positive interactions between glyphosate and nitrogen may be important for the ecological success of A. capillaris in field margins. The used method of combining pin-point data and Bayesian state-space competition models may be applied in other ecological studies. For example, the method may be used in predicting the effects of altered weed control strategies on the botanical composition of the agro-ecosystem.

Wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum) is one of the most troublesome weed species in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) in Iran. Two bioassay experiments were conducted in order to study the response of wild barley and wheat to different herbicides and to study the efficacy of pre-emergence (PRE), postemergence (POST), and PRE followed by POST applications of sulfosulfuron on wild barely. Moreover, the degradation of sulfosulfuron was studied by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The results showed that wild barley was highly tolerant to clodinafop-propargyl and its dry weight was reduced by only 15%, compared to the control, at the recommended dose (64 g ai ha⁻¹). Sulfosulfuron reduced the wild barley biomass by ≤50% at the highest dose (90 g ai ha⁻¹) in the first bioassay but by not more than 20% and 12% at the recommended dose (22 g ai ha⁻¹) in the first and second bioassay, respectively. Significant differences were found among the application methods of sulfosulfuron, with the POST application being the least effective method. In contrast to the POST application, wild barley was severely injured by the PRE application of sulfosulfuron, with an ED₅₀ dose of 7.3 g ai ha⁻¹. The degradation study showed that wild barley can metabolize sulfosulfuron that is applied POST, but at a lower rate than wheat. By 4 h after application, wild barley had metabolized 26% of the sulfosulfuron, compared to 46% by wheat. In conclusion, wild barley can metabolize the recommended dose of sulfosulfuron that is applied POST; thus, the PRE application of sulfosulfuron or other integrated methods should be considered for the effective control of wild barley in wheat.

The influence of a non-ionic surfactant (20% isodecyl alcohol ethoxylate plus 0.7% silicone surfactants), an anionic surfactant (25.5% alkylethersulfate sodium salt), and a vegetable oil (95% natural rapeseed oil with 5% compound emulsifiers) on the performance and rainfastness of a new commercial formulation of tribenuron-methyl was assessed on four broad-leaved weeds:wild mustard (Sinapis arvensis),scentless mayweed (Tripleurospermum inodorum),common poppy (Papaver rhoeas), and common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album). In one experiment, six doses of tribenuron-methyl alone or in a mixture with each of the three adjuvants were applied to each weed species at two different leaf stages. In another experiment, the plants of T. inodorum were sprayed and subsequently subjected to 3 mm of rain at 1, 2, and 4 h after treatment (HAT). The activity of tribenuron-methyl was significantly enhanced by all the adjuvants on all the weed species and only minor differences were observed among the tested adjuvants.The impact of the adjuvants varied among the weed species and growth stages.The highest response to the inclusion of adjuvants in the spray liquid was found at the late growth stage and on C.album,followed by P.rhoeas and T.inodorum,while S.arvensis was less responsive to the adjuvants.All the adjuvants significantly improved the rainfastness of tribenuron-methyl on T. inodorum, with differences among the adjuvants being more pronounced when rain occurred shortly after herbicide application.The effect of the vegetable oil on tribenuronmethyl’s rainfastness was significantly lower than that of the surfactants with rain at 1 HAT, while no significant differences among the three adjuvants were observed when rain occurred at 2 and 4 HAT.

Alopecurus myosuroides Huds is one of the most important grass-weeds in North-western Europe and is also the most important herbicide-resistant weed species in European agricultural systems. Fifty-three Danish A. myosuroides populations, previously confirmed to be fenoxaprop-P resistant, were evaluatedfor five and two known mutation points within the ACCase and ALS genes, respectively. The resistance pattern of 28 out of the 53 populations was investigated to four herbicides using a seed bioassay technique. A whole plant dose response experiment was conducted on seven populations in 2012 and2013 to evaluate the accuracy of the seed bioassay results. Two resistant populations from the UK and a susceptible population from Denmark were included as reference populations in all experiments. Of the 53 populations, nine (17%) populations were ACCase target site resistant (TSR), all with a mutation at the Ile-1781 position. No mutations conferring TSR to ALS inhibitors were detected in the 53 populations. The seed bioassay results showed that all populations had varying degrees of resistance to fenoxaprop-P. In contrast, all populations were susceptible to cycloxydim suggesting that non-target site resistance (NTSR) was present in all populations including the ones where TSR were found. The seed bioassay was not a suitable method for detecting resistance to the residual herbicides pendimethalin and prosulfocarb. The whole plant dose response experiment results confirmed the results of the seed bioassay for fenoxaprop-P and cycloxydim. Three and two out of seven populations were also resistant to flupyrsulfuron and pendimethalin, respectively, while all resistant populations were susceptible to mesosulfuron þ iodosulfuron. The widespread occurrence of particularly NTSR is a severe challenge to the effective management of A. myosuroides. In Denmark this challenge is even more prominent due to few modes of action being available for A. myosuroides control mainly due to national regulation on groundwater protection.

Winter sowing of lentil results in higher yields than a spring-sown crop. However, when lentil is winter-sown, the critical period of weed control is extended and might require sequential herbicide management strategies to obtain maximum yields. The efficacy of POST alone or soil applied followed by (fb) POST herbicides or hand weeding were evaluated in 2002 and 2003. Trifluralin (PPI) or pendimethalin (PRE) were applied at planting, and pyridate or oxyfluorfen were applied POST at the three- to four-leaf stage of lentil. The lowest level of weed biomass was recorded with all treatments, except pyridate alone in both years, pendimethalin PRE fb pyridate in 2002, and oxyfluorfen in 2003. Application of pyridate or oxyfluorfen POST alone resulted in lower yields. In 2002, trifluralin PPI or pendimethalin PRE fb one hand weeding or pendimethalin fb pyridate resulted in yields similar to the weed-free treatment. In 2003, yields were similar to the weed-free treatment, except pyridate or oxyfluorfen alone and trifluralin PPI fb oxyfluorfen. Weed species observed in the present study required sequential management to achieve both effective control and maximum lentil yield.

Summary The joint action of binary mixtures of the amino acid biosynthesis-inhibiting herbicides glyphosate, glufosinate-ammonium, metsulfuron-methyl and imazapyr was assessed in pot experiments applying the Additive Dose Model (ADM). Plants of Sinapis arvensis or S. alba were sprayed with seven doses of the herbicides alone and binary fixed-ratio mixtures of the four herbicides. In total, 73 binary mixtures were studied in six separate experiments. Mixtures of glyphosate and glufosinate-ammonium were less phytotoxic than predicted by ADM whether commercial formulations or technical grade products were applied. In contrast, mixtures of glyphosate and metsulfuron-methyl, glyphosate and imazapyr, glufosinate-ammonium and metsulfuron-methyl, glufosinate-ammonium and imazapyr, and metsulfuron-methyl and imazapyr either followed ADM or were synergistic. Synergism was observed most frequently for mixtures of glyphosate or glufosinate-ammonium with metsulfuron-methyl. Synergism was also more pronounced for commercial formulations of glyphosate and glufosinate-ammonium than for the corresponding technical grade formulations, implying that synergism was caused by the presence of the formulation constituents of the commercial glyphosate and glufosinate-ammonium formulations in the spray solution.

Crop Protection Online (CPO) is a decision support system, which integrates decision algorithms quantifying the requirement for weed control and a herbicide dose model. CPO was designed to be used by advisors and farmers to optimize the choice of herbicide and dose. The recommendations from CPO for herbicide application in spring barley in Denmark were validated through field experiments targeting three levels of weed control requirement. Satisfactory weed control levels at harvest were achieved by a medium control level requirement generating substantial herbicide reductions ( 60% measured as the Treatment Frequency Index (TFI)) compared to a high level of required weed control. The observations indicated that the current level of weed control required is robust for a range of weed scenarios. Weed plant numbers 3 wk after spraying indicated that the growth of the weed species were inhibited by the applied doses, but not necessarily killed, and that an adequate level of control was reached later in the season through crop competition. Crop Protection Online (CPO) is a decision support system, which integrates decision algorithms quantifying the requirement for weed control and a herbicide dose model. CPO was designed to be used by advisors and farmers to optimize the choice of herbicide and dose. The recommendations from CPO for herbicide application in spring barley in Denmark were validated through field experiments targeting three levels of weed control requirement. Satisfactory weed control levels at harvest were achieved by a medium control level requirement generating substantial herbicide reductions ( 60% measured as the Treatment Frequency Index (TFI)) compared to a high level of required weed control. The observations indicated that the current level of weed control required is robust for a range of weed scenarios. Weed plant numbers 3 wk after spraying indicated that the growth of the weed species were inhibited by the applied doses, but not necessarily killed, and that an adequate level of control was reached later in the season through crop competition.

The ecological success of a plant species is typically described by the observed change in plant abundance or cover, but in order to more fully understand the fundamental plant ecological processes, it is necessary to inspect the underlying processes of survival and colonization and how they are affected by environmental conditions. A general ecological hypothesis on the effect of environmental gradients on demographic parameters is proposed and tested. The hypothesis is that decreasing fitness or competitive ability along an environmental gradient is associated with an increasing importance of survival for regulating the abundance of the species. The tested hypothesis is related to both the stress gradient hypothesis and whether the importance of competition increases along productivity gradients. The combined effect of nitrogen and glyphosate on the survival and colonization probability of two perennial grass species, Festuca ovina and Agrostis capillaris, which are known to differ in their responses to both glyphosate and nitrogen treatments, is calculated using pin-point cover data in permanent frames. We found that the relative importance of survival increased with the level of glyphosate for the glyphosate sensitive A. capillaris and decreased for the glyphosate tolerant F. ovina. Likewise, increasing levels of nitrogen increased the importance of survival for the relative nitrophobic F. ovina. Consequently, the proposed hypothesis was corroborated in this specific study. The proposed method will enable predictions of the effects of agricultural practices on community dynamics in a relatively simple setup eliminating the need to quantify all the interaction among the species in the plant community. The method will be immediately useful for the regulation of non-cultivated buffer strips between agricultural fields and semi-natural and natural biotopes such as hedgerows and waterways.

Field studies were conducted from 2008 to 2010 to evaluate the control of Amaranthus retroflexus and Chenopodium album and tolerance of potato (Solanum tuberosum cv. Agria) to ethalfluralin, trifluralin, pendimethalin, rimsulfuron, EPTC and oxadiargyl applied pre-emergence (PRE) and post-emergence (POST) at seven rates. The experiments showed that trifluralin applied PRE, rimsulfuron applied PRE or POST and oxadiargyl applied POST provided the best control of A. retroflexus. Rimsulfuron and oxadiargyl applied POST and pendimethalin applied PRE were the best control options for C. album. Except for trifluralin and pendimethalin the susceptibility of the two weed species to the herbicides was similar. Trifluralin was more effective against A. retroflexus than C. album while the opposite was true for pendimethalin. Applied POST oxadiargyl was more effective than applied PRE. In contrast no differences were observed between PRE and POST applications for metribuzin, rimsulfuron and EPTC. Crop injury to rimsulfuron applied PRE or POST, trifluralin and pendimethalin was negligible while the other herbicides injured the potato crop. Metribuzin, oxadiargyl and ethalfluralin tended to cause more damage than EPTC. The results suggest that rimsulfuron and trifluralin would be the best options for weed control of A. retroflexus and C. album in Iranian potato fields. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Field studies were conducted from 2008 to 2010 to evaluate the control of Amaranthus retroflexus and Chenopodium album and tolerance of potato (Solanum tuberosum cv. Agria) to ethalfluralin, trifluralin, pendimethalin, rimsulfuron, EPTC and oxadiargyl applied pre-emergence (PRE) and post-emergence (POST) at seven rates. The experiments showed that trifluralin applied PRE, rimsulfuron applied PRE or POST and oxadiargyl applied POST provided the best control of A. retroflexus. Rimsulfuron and oxadiargyl applied POST and pendimethalin applied PRE were the best control options for C. album. Except for trifluralin and pendimethalin the susceptibility of the two weed species to the herbicides was similar. Trifluralin was more effective against A. retroflexus than C. album while the opposite was true for pendimethalin. Applied POST oxadiargyl was more effective than applied PRE. In contrast no differences were observed between PRE and POST applications for metribuzin, rimsulfuron and EPTC. Crop injury to rimsulfuron applied PRE or POST, trifluralin and pendimethalin was negligible while the other herbicides injured the potato crop. Metribuzin, oxadiargyl and ethalfluralin tended to cause more damage than EPTC. The results suggest that rimsulfuron and trifluralin would be the best options for weed control of A. retroflexus and C. album in Iranian potato fields.

The rainfastness of the residual fungicides maneb and mancozeb was assessed on pot-grown pea (Pisum sativum L) and potato (Solanum tuberosum) plants using a rain simulator. Suspension concentrate formulations were generally retained better than wettable powder formulations. The rainfastness of the fungicides was found to be inversely related to particle size and this partly explained the differences observed between the formulations. Three mm rain applied at a high intensity (27 mm h−1) washed-off more fungicide than 3 mm applied at a low intensity (3 mm h−1). Addition of various adjuvants significantly improved the rainfastness of the fungicides on both plant species. Oil adjuvants, however, only increased the rainfastness on pea. Furthermore, addition of a latex-based adjuvant was found to reduce the redistribution of mancozeb on potato leaves.

Herbicides may drift onto road verges or natural areas adjacent to arable fields and affect nontarget plants. The effect of low doses of mecoprop-P on the competitive interactions and plant community dynamics was investigated in a model system using Capsella bursa-pastoris and Geranium dissectum as test plants. Dose–response experiments on single species showed that compared to G. dissectum, C. bursa-pastoris was more affected by mecoprop-P. Consequently, we expected that G. dissectum would outcompete C. bursa-pastoris when mecoprop-P was applied at a low dose in the competition experiment. Indeed, mecoprop-P had a significant effect on the interspecific competitive ability of both C. bursa-pastoris and G. dissectum. Our previous expectation, however, was not met: The interspecific competitive ability of both species increased significantly with the dose of the herbicide, and it was predicted that C. bursa-pastoris and G. dissectum are more likely to coexist in natural habitats with low concentrations of the herbicide compared to natural habitats with relatively high concentrations. The results from the dose–response experiments on the single species and the more laborious competition experiment approach, which is assumed to mimic the dynamics of plant communities more closely, show considerable discrepancies even though the experiments were performed at the same time and in the same greenhouse. This finding generally reduces the credibility of using single-species tests in ecological risk assessment of herbicide use.

Public concern of possible effects of pesticides on human health and the environment has lead to an increased pressure on farmers to optimise their use of pesticides. Reducing pesticide doses below the recommended doses whenever possible is a straightforward approach to reduce the risk of adverse side effects. To adopt this approach decision-making has to be improved. The parameters to consider optimising herbicide doses are: weed flora and growth stage, crop competitiveness, climatic conditions, application technique, formulation/adjuvant and combination with other pesticides. In Denmark this information is provided to farmers through the decision support system ‹Plant Protection Online’. Based on input on weed species and densities, climatic conditions, soil type, crop cultivar and expected yield ‹Plant Protection Online’ will provide farmers with optimum herbicide solution usually with doses lower than standard recommended doses.

Three varieties of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) were grown in both conventional and organic farming systems. The contents of the benzoxazinone derivatives 2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one (DIMBOA), 2-beta-d-glucopyranosyloxy-4-hydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one (DIMBOA-Glc), 6-methoxybenzoxazolin-2-one (MBOA), 2-hydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one (HMBOA), benzoxazolin-2-one (BOA), and 2-hydroxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one (HBOA) were analyzed at five growth stages (BBCH 9-10, 12, 21, 31, and 53). Major differences were found between the varieties, with Stakado exhibiting the highest contents. In contrast, only minor and erratic differences were found between the two farming systems, suggesting that the inherent differences in the content of benzoxazinone derivatives of the varieties were not significantly affected by the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. The concentration of benzoxazinone derivatives in the foliage was considerably higher at the early growth stages than later in the growing season, with DIMBOA being the most abundant of the benzoxazinone derivatives. An increase in the concentration was observed in early spring compared to late autumn, suggesting that plants synthesized benzoxazinone derivatives at the commencement of growth in early spring. The concentrations in the roots were considerably lower than in the foliage at the early growth stages but remained relatively constant over time, resulting in a higher concentration than in the foliage at the late growth stages. The results are discussed in relation to previous findings that predominantly originate from experiments done under controlled conditions in either growth cabinets or greenhouses.

A laser beam directed towards weeds can be an efficient weed control method as an alternative to herbicides. Lasers may deliver high-density energy to selected plant material, raising the temperature of the water in the plant cells and thereby stop or delay the growth. A commercial use of lasers for weed control, however, require a systematic investigation of the relationship between energy density and the biological effect on different weed species, growth stages, etc. This paper investigates the effect of laser treatment directed towards the apical meristems of selected weed species at the cotyledon stage. Experiments were carried out under controlled conditions, using pot-grown weeds. Two lasers and two spot sizes were tested and different energy doses were applied by varying the exposure time. The biological efficacy was examined on three different weed species: Stellaria media (common chickweed), Tripleurospermum inodorum (scentless mayweed) and Brassica napus (oilseed rape). The experiment showed that laser treatment of the apical meristems caused significant growth reduction and in some cases had lethal effects on the weed species. The biological efficacy of the laser control method was related to wavelength, exposure time, spot size and laser power. The efficacy also varied between the weed species. The results indicate that the efficacy of laser treatments can be improved by a more precise pointing of the laser beam towards the apical meristems and optimisation of the energy density (exposure time and spot size of the laser beam). The experiment also showed a significant difference between two wavelengths. In order to improve the performance and to validate the efficacy on a broader spectrum of weed species, further research and development is needed.

In a 2 year experiment, residues in field-grown strawberries were investigated from the fungicides fenhexamid, pyrimethanil, tolylfluanid, and kresoxim-methyl resulting from different strategies, as regards the dose, number, and time of fungicide applications. Kresoxim-methyl was only used the first year and in full or no dose to control powdery mildew. In the first year, the highest concentrations analyzed were 0.66 mg kg(-1) for pyrimethanil and 0.63 mg kg(-1) for fenhexamid resulting from the use of recommended dose rates and a preharvest interval (PHI) of 10 days, thus not exceeding the Danish maximum residue limit (MRL) of 1 mg kg(-1). Tolylfluanid was used no later than 21 days before harvest, which left residue contents in the berries of 0.48 mg kg(-1), a value well below the MRL of 5 mg kg(-1). In the second year, fungicide residues found in the samples were generally lower, 0.39 and 0.03 mg kg(-1) for pyrimethanil and fenhexamid, respectively. No residues of kresoxim-methyl were found in any of the samples from the field trials, indicating that kresoxim-methyl residues had declined to a level well below the detection limit within the 28 day period between the last application and the harvest.

The hydroxamic acid 2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one (DIMBOA) and the benzoxazolinones benzoxazolin-2-one (BOA) and 6-methoxybenzoxazolin-2-one (MBOA) have been identified as important allelochemicals in wheat. This study examines the possibility of exploiting the allelopathic properties of wheat as a weed control strategy by cultivating wheat as a precrop and incorporating plant residues into the soil before the next crop is sown. Different wheat varieties were cultivated in field plots during two seasons in both conventional and organic farming systems. Plants were sampled at various growth stages, and their contents of DIMBOA, MBOA, and BOA were determined by chemical analyses. The wheat samples were incorporated into soil, and the effect on germination and growth of 12 different weed species was examined in pot experiments under controlled conditions. In some cases significant effects were obtained, but the results were inconsistent and the effects were not correlated to the content of DIMBOA, MBOA, and BOA in the incorporated wheat plants. ED50 doses of the pure compounds were estimated in dose-response experiments in Petri dishes, and these turned out to be much higher than the predicted maximum concentrations of DIMBOA, MBOA, and BOA in the soil water following incorporation. The study shows that a prerequisite for exploiting the incorporation of wheat residues as a weed control strategy is the development of wheat varieties with an increased content of allelochemicals.