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The application of minimal doses of herbicides is very popular due to concerns about the negative impacts of herbicides on the environment and public health. Studies were conducted to estimate the possibility of using quick and non- destructive methods to investigate Chenopodium album L. and Abutilon theophrasti Medik. response to mesotrione. The studies were conducted in a controlled environment to determine the response of C. album and A. theophrasti to mesotrione using dose-response curves created based on plant dry weight, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and chlorophyll content. The obtained effective dose values showed that the studied weeds were susceptible to reduced doses of mesotrione. ED 95 values estimated for both species for dry weight and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were lower than the recommended dose rate (120 g a.i. ha -1 ), with less than 85 g a.i. ha -1 needed to achieve a reduction of 95%, compared with untreated plants, while ED 95 value ( A. theophrasti : 182 g a.i. ha -1 and C. album : 180 g a.i. ha -1 ) for chlorophyll content for both species was above the recommended dose rates. Consequently, dry weight and the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters are suitable for estimating the plant response to mesotrione, while chlorophyll content is not.

The effects of field dodder on physiological and anatomical processes in untreated sugar beet plants and the effects of propyzamide on field dodder were examined under controlled conditions. The experiment included the following variants: N-noninfested sugar beet plants (control); I - infested sugar beet plants (untreated), and infested plants treated with propyzamide (1500 g a.i. ha -1 (T 1 ) and 2000 g a.i. ha -1 (T 2 )). The following parameters were checked: physiological-pigment contents (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total carotenoids); anatomical -leaf parameters: thickness of epidermis, parenchyma and spongy tissue, mesophyll and underside leaf epidermis, and diameter of bundle sheath cells; petiole parameters: diameter of tracheid, petiole hydraulic conductance, xylem surface, phloem cell diameter and phloem area in sugar beet plants. A conventional paraffin wax method was used to prepare the samples for microscopy. Pigment contents were measured spectrophotometrically after methanol extraction. All parameters were measured: prior to herbicide application (0 assessment), then 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 days after application (DAA). Field dodder was found to affect the pigment contents in untreated sugar beet plants, causing significant reductions. Conversely, reduction in the treated plants decreased 27% to 4% for chlorophyll a, from 21% to 5% for chlorophyll b, and from 28% to 5% for carotenoids (T 1 ). Also, in treatment T 2, reduction decreased in infested and treated plants from 19% to 2% for chlorophyll a, from 21% to 2% for chlorophyll b, from 23% to 3% for carotenoids and stimulation of 1% and 2% was observed 28 and 35 DAA, respectively. Plants infested (untreated) by field dodder had lower values of most anatomical parameters, compared to noninfested plants. The measured anatomical parameters of sugar beet leaves and petiole had significantly higher values in noninfested plants and plants treated with propyzamide than in untreated plants. Also, the results showed that propyzamide is an adequate herbicide for control of field dodder at the stage of early infestation.

Background: A Chenopodium album L. biotype surviving in atrazine-treated Serbian corn fields (VC) was compared against atrazine-susceptible (S) and atrazine-resistant (R) standards., Results: Atrazine (2 kg ha(-1)) killed S and VC shoot biomass 15 days after treatment (DAT), but R was only suppressed by 42% and survived 8 kg ha(-1). Atrazine at 2 kg ha(-1) only inhibited VC height by 60% as against 100 and 0% for S and R respectively. Chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm) and transpiration were insensitive to atrazine in R, but were inhibited by 90 and 100% in S and by 50 and 60% in VC respectively. Decline of Fv/Fm after 2 kg ha(-1) atrazine was stabilized at 3 DAT for the VC biotype., Conclusion: A toxicity mitigation mechanism could have facilitated VC survival in an atrazine-treated field. Further knowledge on this mechanism is needed to establish if surviving VC plants are indicators of atrazine resistance evolution in these Serbian corn fields. Variables related to foliar function provided better detection of weed mechanisms to survive herbicide action than the usual shoot biomass measurements.

Field dodder (Cuscuta campestris Yunck.) is a very harmful parasitic weed species worldwide which infests many crops, including alfalfa as a foremost forage crop. Glyphosate has been an effective herbicide for field dodder control even though side effects occasionally occur in alfalfa plants. To find out and quantify the effects of glyphosate (288 and 360 g a.i. ha-1) on field dodder control, alfalfa forage yield, and physiological and anatomical features of alfalfa plants under controlled conditions were aims of the study. Physiologic (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total carotenoids); and anatomic parameters were measured. Leaf anatomic parameters were thicknesses of upper epidermis, palisade and spongy tissues, mesophyll and underside leaf epidermis, and diameter of bundle sheath cells. Stem anatomic parameters were thicknesses of epidermis and cortex, and diameters of stem and central cylinder (pith). Both rates of glyphosate caused recovery of the harmful effects of field dodder on alfalfa, which shows that glyphosate can control field dodder at early stages of infestation on alfalfa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The response of two populations (CC1, 43.59°N & 20.40°E; CC2, 44.46°N & 20.17°E) of common cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium L.) to nicosulfuron was investigated both in field experiments and in the laboratory. Population CC1 had no history of treatment with any herbicide, while population CC2 was treated with ALS inhibitor herbicides for six consecutive years. In the field, plants were treated post-emergence with nicosulfuron (0, 10, 20, 40, 60 and 80 g ai ha-1) at four true leaves. Visual injury estimation and vegetative parameters (plant height, fresh weight, leaf area) were recorded about month after herbicide application. The acetolactate synthase (ALS) enzyme activity in response to herbicide concentrations of 0, 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, 100 µM was determined in vitro. GR50 values for vegetative parameters and I50 values for ALS activity were slightly greater for the CC2 than for the CC1 population, but the results confirmed that neither population was susceptible to nicosulfuron. Namely, based on results for fresh weight, the population CC1 was about 3.9 and 2.6-fold more susceptible to nicosulfuron than population CC2 in two consecutive years, but differences were not so prominent for other parameters (plant height, leaf area and ALS activity), ranging from 1.18 to 1.8-fold. The differences between population CC1 and CC2 could be attributed to inter-population variability in susceptibility to nicosulfuron or could be the consequence of repeated application of ALS herbicides to the CC2 population during the six previous years. Future investigations are necessary in order to clarify this dilemma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of different temperatures (20 °C, 25 °C, 30 °C, 35 °C and photoperiod 26 °C/21 °C), types of soil (sand and loam) and soil herbicides (oxyfluorfen, terbuthylazine and mesotrione) on seed germination percentage, germination rate, as well as seedling length and weight of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.) were examined. Over a period of ten days, germinated seeds were counted daily, and seedling length and weight were measured on the final day and germination rate calculated. The results indicated that temperature was the factor that significantly affected the percentage of germinated seeds of common milkweed, seedling length and germination rate, while it had less influence on seedling weight. The results showed that the alternating day/night temperature of 26 °C/21 °C also had a significant impact as the percentage of germinated seeds was the highest at that temperature on both soil types (sand: 71.3%; loam: 61.3%). Data regarding the herbicides tested (oxyfluorfen, terbuthylazine and mesotrione) showed decreasing germination percentage and seedling length with increasing herbicide concentrations on both soil types. Their effect was weakest on seedling weight. Tested herbicides are usable in control of common milkweed at the stages of germination and early establishment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]