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Processing-tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) cultivation in California has transitioned to the use of transplants, subsurface drip irrigation (SDI), and shallow tillage from direct-seeded, flood-...

Resistance to glyphosate in hairy fleabane and horseweed is a problem in orchards and vineyards in California. Population genetic analyses suggest that glyphosate resistance evolved multiple times in both species, but it is unknown if resistance to other herbicides is also present. Two approaches of research were undertaken to further evaluate herbicide resistance in Conyza sp. in the perennial crop systems of California. In the initial study, the distribution of Conyza sp. in the Central Valley, using a semistructured field survey, was coupled with evaluation of the presence and level of glyphosate resistance in plants grown from field-collected seed. In a subsequent study, single-seed descendants representing distinct genetic groups were self-pollinated in the greenhouse and these accessions were evaluated for response to glyphosate and paraquat. Conyza sp. were commonly found throughout the Central Valley and glyphosate-resistant individuals were confirmed in all field collections of both species. The level of glyphosate resistance among field collections varied from 5- to 21-fold compared with 50% glyphosate resistance (GR50) of the susceptible, with exception of one region with a GR50 similar to the susceptible. When self-pollinated accessions from different genetic groups were screened, the level of glyphosate resistance, on the basis of GR50 values, ranged from 1.7- to 42.5-fold in hairy fleabane, and 5.9- to 40.3-fold in horseweed. Three accessions of hairy fleabane from different genetic groups were also resistant to paraquat (40.1- to 352.5-fold). One glyphosate-resistant horseweed accession was resistant to paraquat (322.8-fold), which is the first confirmed case in California. All paraquat-resistant accessions of Conyza sp. identified so far have also been resistant to glyphosate, probably because glyphosate resistance is already widespread in the state. Because glyphosate and paraquat resistances are found across a wide geographical range and in accessions from distinct genetic groups, multiple resistant Conyza sp. likely developed independently several times in California.

The growth and phenological development of spring- and fall-planted Conyza canadensis and C. bonariensis were studied in Fresno, CA, USA. A glyphosate-resistant (GR) and a glyphosate-susceptible (GS) population of each species were used. Time taken by each plant to reach the rosette, bolting, appearance of first bud, appearance of first open flower, and initial seed set were converted to growing degree days (GDDs). The fall- and spring-planted C. canadensis required similar GDDs to complete their life cycles but the GR type required fewer GDDs than the GS type. In C. bonariensis, the GDDs required to complete its life cycle differed between the fall- and spring-plantings but not between the GR and GS types. The total aboveground biomass of both fall- and spring-planted Conyzas at initial seed set was similar but the spring-planted GS C. canadensis produced more biomass than the GR type, whereas the fall-planted GS C. bonariensis produced more biomass than the GR type. Plant development based on GD...

Conyza bonariensis (L.) Cronq. is a problematic weed in crop and non-crop areas of California. This problem has been further aggravated by the discovery of herbicide-resistant biotypes. Experiments were conducted in 2012 and 2013 in fall and spring, respectively, to determine the efficacy of glyphosate, saflufenacil, and a tank-mixture of saflufenacil + glyphosate on glyphosate-susceptible (GS), glyphosate-resistant (GR), and glyphosate-paraquat-resistant (GPR) biotypes of C. bonariensis. Efficacy of the herbicides were evaluated at three growth stages (5- to 8-leaf seedling, rosette, and bolting); and three day/night temperature regimes (15/10 °C, 25/20 °C, 35/30 °C). Results differed between experiments conducted in the fall and spring. Saflufenacil-alone was more effective in the fall than in spring. All the GS, GR and GPR plants were controlled by saflufenacil-alone at the 5-to 8-leaf stage and rosette stage, but level of control declined at the bolting stage. Better control with saflufenacil-alone and glyphosate-alone was obtained at the 15/10 °C and 25/20 °C than at the 35/30 °C temperature regime. However, a tank-mixture of saflufenacil + glyphosate provided good control of the plants at 35/30 °C. Efficacy of saflufenacil-alone was inconsistent in spring and varied between the biotypes, but the control with saflufenacil + glyphosate was excellent and consistent between seasons. Glyphosate-alone provided good control of all three biotypes at the 5- to 8-leaf stage in the fall, but the control was poor in spring. Therefore, saflufenacil-alone can provide excellent control of C. bonariensis plants prior to the bolting stage in the fall; but in spring, it will be more effective when applied with glyphosate.

Hairy fleabane is an important weed in orchards and vineyards of California. Populations of glyphosate-resistant (GR) and glyphosate-paraquat-resistant (GPR) hairy fleabane have been documented in California but very little information is available on the efficacy of other POST herbicides on these populations. Greenhouse and field experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of several POST herbicides registered in almond orchards on GPR, GR, and glyphosate/paraquat-susceptible (GPS) hairy fleabane plants. Plants were treated at the 8- to 12-leaf stage in greenhouse experiments, and at the bolting to flowering stage in field experiments. A sequential application of glyphosate (1,100 g ae ha−1) followed by paraquat (500 g ai ha−1) 14 d later did not control the GPR plants in any of the studies, but was effective in controlling the GR and GPS plants. Glufosinate at 1,050 g ai ha−1or saflufenacil at 48.8 g ai ha−1resulted in 90% or greater control of all populations in all studies, whereas glyphosate (1,100 g ae ha−1) + 2,4-D (1,090 g ae ha−1) resulted in inconsistent control (58 to 100%). The GPR population was not resistant to other common POST herbicide modes of action used in California tree nut orchards, and glufosinate and saflufenacil can provide growers effective management options for hairy fleabane in these crops.

Summary Glyphosate-resistant weeds are an increasing problem in perennial cropping systems in the Central Valley of California, USA. To elucidate the evolutionary origins and spatial spread of resistance, we investigated the geographical distribution of glyphosate resistance and the population genetic diversity and structure of Conyza bonariensis and compared the results with previously studied C. canadensis. Thirty-five populations from orchards and vineyards across the Central Valley were sampled. Population genetic structure was assessed using microsatellite markers. Population-level resistance was assessed in glasshouse screening of plants grown from field-collected seed. Bayesian clustering and analyses of multilocus genotypes indicated multiple origins of resistance, as observed in C. canadensis. Pairwise FST analysis detected spatial spread of resistance in the south of the Central Valley, also similar to C. canadensis. The results strongly indicate that the southern valley was an environment markedly more suitable than the northern valley for resistance spread and that spread in Conyza species was driven by increased uniformity of strong selection in the southern valley, due to recent regulation on herbicides other than glyphosate. Accordingly, resistant C. canadensis individuals occurred at high frequencies only in the southern valley, but interestingly resistant C. bonariensis occurred at high frequencies throughout the valley. Expression of resistance showed varying degrees of plasticity in C. bonariensis. The lower selfing rate and substantially greater genotypic diversity in C. bonariensis, relative to C. canadensis, indicate greater evolutionary potential over shorter time periods. Interspecific hybridisation was detected, but its role in resistance evolution remains unclear.

Despite the worldwide importance of overhead, mechanized irrigation for crop production, the potential of this technology has been poorly studied in California. Field studies were conducted at Five Points, CA, in 2010 and 2012 to compare the effects of overhead irrigation (OH) and drip irrigation (DR) on transplanted tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) crop growth and yield. Similar amounts of water were applied to both systems in each year to match crop evapotranspiration demands. Crop growth measured by percent canopy coverage and aboveground biomass accumulation were similar between the OH and DR systems early in the growing season in both years but were lower in the OH system during the second half of each season. Tomato yield was 38% greater in 2012 than in 2010 and averaged over the 2 years, 48% higher in the DR than in the OH systems, respectively, due presumably to the higher soil water evaporation losses of the OH system relative to the DR system and also, we propose, to the ability of the drip system to very precisely apply in-season fertigations directly to the crop root zone while OH fertigations were applied at the soil surface and over a greater area. Soluble solids concentration of fruit in 2010 was 5.99% for the DR system and 6.65% for the OH system providing further evidence of water stress in the OH tomatoes. Production costs associated with transitioning from a subsurface drip tomato crop to a sprinkler or surface drip-irrigated crop such as onion (Allium cepa) or garlic (Allium sativum) could be $130 to $420 per acre lower with the OH system compared with the drip system, if yields were maintained. Because operation and labor costs of OH systems are typically lower than those of DR systems, further research on OH irrigation of tomato is warranted to address the shortcomings of OH management that this study has identified.

Onion (Allium cepa) production in California’s San Joaquin Valley (SJV) typically involves intensive tillage and sprinklers for crop establishment followed by drip irrigation (DR). Studies were conducted at Five Points, California, in 2011 and 2013 to compare minimum tillage (MT) practices under overhead irrigation (OH) and DR relative to crop growth, yield, and costs. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications of each irrigation treatment. Crop growth in both systems was similar; however, there was a year X irrigation system interaction for crop yields. In 2011, yields were not affected by irrigation, but in 2013, irrigation type affected yield with the OH system having 15.4 t/ha higher production than the DR system (78.6 t/ha vs. 63.4 t/ha). Onion size was not affected by irrigation system. Cost estimates indicated that onion production could be $564 per hectare lower with the OH system compared with the DR system, if yields were maintained. Because of cost savings fr...

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.

Reduced control of some glyphosate-resistant hairy fleabane populations with paraquat has raised concerns about evolved multiple resistance to both glyphosate and paraquat. The objective of this study was to confirm the presence of multiple-resistant (glyphosate and paraquat) hairy fleabane populations in California. A series of dose-response experiments was conducted to evaluate the effect of glyphosate and paraquat in a known susceptible (S) and putative multiple-resistant (R) population of hairy fleabane. The greenhouse experiments were conducted during summer, fall, and winter under controlled temperature and natural light conditions. Multiple-resistant hairy fleabane was identified; however, the level of resistance to glyphosate varied substantially among seasons. During the summer, the glyphosate rate required to reduce growth by 50% (GR50) for the R population was 0.94 kg ae ha−1, 5.2-fold more than for the S population. In the fall and winter experiments, however, the R population response to glyphosate was similar to the S population with a GR50of 0.22 kg ae ha−1or less. Multiple-resistant plants were controlled in the fall and winter at rates that did not control the same population during summer. GR50of paraquat varied among seasons (0.94, 0.24, and 0.07 kg ai ha−1during summer, fall, and winter, respectively); however, plant mortality was more consistent. This is the first reported case of glyphosate–paraquat resistance in hairy fleabane and the multiple-resistant population could pose a significant challenge to annual no-till and perennial cropping systems in California. Further research on the mechanisms of resistance and the physiological factors underlying the seasonally variable response to glyphosate is needed.

Glyphosate-resistant (GR) hairy fleabane was first documented in California in 2007. A preliminary study comparing plants from this population to a glyphosate-susceptible (GS) population determined that they developed more rapidly than the GS plants. However, it was not known if this was a general characteristic of all GR populations. Therefore, seeds of hairy fleabane were collected from 122 locations in central California. Plants from each location were grown and tested for resistance using a shikimate enzyme assay. Seeds from 90 locations germinated of which 27 % were determined as GR, 21 % as GS, and 52 % as intermediate/mixed. Plants from five GR and five GS populations, as determined by the assay, were randomly selected for comparisons and were grown in 2010/2011. Time taken by each plant to reach key phenological stages was recorded and converted into growing degree day (GDD) using a base temperature of 4.2 °C. The biomass of each plant was recorded at seed set. The five GR and GS plants had similar phenological development rates and biomass. Therefore, the differences previously identified between the two populations were not present in the additionally tested populations. The phenological development was hence described by a common GDD model with the plants requiring 374, 711, 970, 1289, and 1551 GDD, to reach the rosette, bolting, first bud, first flower, and first seed stages, respectively. This study shows widespread distribution of GR hairy fleabane in central California, provides useful information on biology of this weed for management, and suggests possible label changes to herbicide manufacturers.

Recent increases in glyphosate use in perennial crops of California, USA, are hypothesized to have led to an increase in selection and evolution of resistance to the herbicide in Conyza canadensis populations. To gain insight into the evolutionary origins and spread of resistance and to inform glyphosate resistance management strategies, we investigated the geographical distribution of glyphosate resistance in C. canadensis across and surrounding the Central Valley, its spatial relationship to groundwater protection areas (GWPA), and the genetic diversity and population structure and history using microsatellite markers. Frequencies of resistant individuals in 42 sampled populations were positively correlated with the size of GWPA within counties. Analyses of population genetic structure also supported spread of resistance in these areas. Bayesian clustering and approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) analyses revealed multiple independent origins of resistance within the Central Valley. Based on parameter estimation in the ABC analyses, resistant genotypes underwent expansion after glyphosate use began in agriculture, but many years before it was detected. Thus, diversity in weed control practices prior to herbicide regulation in GWPA probably kept resistance frequencies low. Regionally coordinated efforts to reduce seed dispersal and selection pressure are needed to manage glyphosate resistance in C. canadensis.

Weed management in tree and vine cropping systems is a major factor in the establishment, production, and harvest of these important fruit and nut crops. Factors that influence weed control methods in orchards and vineyards include weed species and density, crop age, planting arrangement, and irrigation systems, as well as the grower's time, equipment, available labor, and economic resources. Weed management techniques commonly include mechanical methods such as mowing or cultivation; chemical methods including preemergence or postemergence herbicide applications; and cultural methods such as cover cropping. Most managers will use several methods in an integrated approach to address weed management challenges and may alter their techniques in response to changing needs during the life of the orchard or vineyard.

Traditional processing tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) production in California’s Central Valley relies heavily on tillage to produce high yields. However, recent research and farm innovation have produced a variety of conservation tillage (CT) management alternatives that cut costs, reduce soil disturbance, and produce fewer emissions. A 12-year study in Five Points, CA, demonstrated that CT methods reduced tractor passes by 40%, lowered tillage costs by ≈$80 per acre in 2011 dollars, and achieved comparable yields as standard tillage (ST) methods. As comparable yield performance and net profitability are further demonstrated, an array of CT systems will become increasingly attractive to producers and more common in Central Valley tomato growing areas.

In recent years, growers and pest consultants have reported poor control of the weed hairy fleabane in some areas of the Central Valley. Hairy fleabane seeds were collected from Esparto, Fresno and Reedley, Calif., and greenhouse-grown seedlings were treated at several different glyphosate rates and compared with an untreated control. None of the Esparto or Fresno plants survived glyphosate rates greater than 0.78 pounds acid equivalent per acre (lb ae/ac), while some of the plants from Reedley survived even the highest rate of glyphosate tested (12.4 lb ae/ac). The dose required to reduce plant dry weights by 50% (GR50) of the Esparto plants ranged from 0.28 to 0.30 lb ae/ac, whereas the GR50 of the Fresno and Reedley plants ranged from 0.26 to 0.61 and 0.92 to 2.88 lb ae/ac, respectively. This study showed that the hairy fleabane plants from Reedley were much more tolerant of glyphosate than either of the other two biotypes and, based on the GR50, the level of resistance ranged from 3-to 10-fold greater.

We compared standard tillage (ST) and conservation tillage (CT) for tomato and cotton production systems, with winter cover crops (CC) and without (NO), in Five Points, Calif., from 1999 to 2003. Conservation tillage reduced tractor trips across the field by 50% for tomatoes and 40% for cotton compared to standard tillage. When averaged over the 2001 to 2003 period (when the conservation tillage systems were established), tomato yields in CTNO were 6 to 8 tons per acre higher than the other treatments. In cotton, the STNO cotton yields during this period were the highest of all treatments and were 276 pounds per acre higher than the CTNO system. In-field dust concentrations were also significantly reduced by conservation tillage. Our results suggest that conservation tillage may be a viable alternative for managing tomato and cotton crops in the San Joaquin Valley, but that fine-tuning of the systems is needed.

While glyphosate-resistant horseweed has not previously been reported in California, we suspected that it might exist, especially in noncrop areas. We collected horseweed seeds from two locations in the San Joaquin Valley and treated greenhouse-grown plants at different stages with different amounts of glyphosate. This study showed that a glyphosate-resistant biotype of horseweed exists in the noncrop areas of Dinuba, in Tulare County, and that the level of resistance may be influenced by the plant's growth stage at the time of glyphosate application.

Field experiments were conducted in 1998 and 1999 at Five Points, CA, in the San Joaquin Valley under irrigated conditions to study competition between four commonly grown tomato cultivars and velvetleaf and to identify cultivar characteristics associated with greater tolerance to velvetleaf. The effect of velvetleaf competition varied with both year and tomato cultivar. When grown with 5 velvetleaf plants m−1 of row, marketable yield of tomato was reduced 8% in 1998 and 60% in 1999 for cultivar H8892 and 58% in 1998 and 80% in 1999 for cultivar H9661, compared to cultivars grown in monoculture. Across velvetleaf densities, height of tomato cultivars was not reduced compared to that of cultivars grown in monoculture. However in 1999, canopy width of tomato cultivars grown with velvetleaf was less than that of cultivars grown in monoculture. At early stages of growth, the leaf area index of tomato cultivars grown with velvetleaf was less than that of cultivars grown in monoculture. Crop growth rat...

Author(s): Mitchell, J P; Pettygrove, G S; Upadhyaya, S; Shrestha, A; Fry, R; Roy, R; Hogan, P; Vargas, R; Hembree, K | Abstract: Tillage has been practiced for nearly as long as there has been agriculture. New techniques in use now can reduce erosion and soil damage.

Rising fuel and labor costs and stagnant commodity prices encourage tomato growers to minimize production costs whenever possible. Reducing tillage in crop rotations typically associated with bed-preparation operations may be a means to cut costs in tomato production systems. During the past several decades, a wide range of crop production systems have been developed that minimize or eliminate tillage from crops such as corn, cotton, beans, and wheat (MWPS 2000). By reducing soil disturbance, these systems preserve surface residues, reduce soil erosion, conserve water, and may enable more diverse and intensive crop rotations in areas of limited rainfall. Collectively, these practices have been called conservation tillage (CT) systems. Historically they have been based on various production practices that maintain 30 percent or more of the soil covered by residue at the time of planting (CTIC 2004), the minimum threshold for soil erosion mitigation.In California’s Central Valley, CT approaches are receiving interest as a means to cut costs and reduce dust and diesel fuel emissions from production fields. However, very little information currently exists on using CT for processing tomato production, most likely because of the recognized need for clean bed conditions for planting, harvesting, and incorporating herbicides, as well as the lack of effective CT tomato equipment. This publication summarizes recent advances in the development of CT tomato production and describes what CT tomato systems might look like.In CT tomato systems, planting beds are not disturbed or reworked following harvest of the crop preceding tomatoes. Two common forms of CT are no-till and strip-till. In no-till, no tillage is done from the harvest of one crop until the next crop is planted; the no-till crop is seeded or transplanted directly into the unworked soil of the previous crop. In strip-till, a narrow zone of soil is cleared, and subsoil layers are loosened prior to planting. This tillage zone is typically 8 to 12 inches wide and 2 to 14 inches deep. Compared with standard tillage (ST), also known as broadcast tillage, in which the entire field is tilled, strip-till decreases both the volume of soil that is disturbed and the amount of dust that is typically generated, and it also reduces fuel, labor, and equipment costs. It provides opportunities for band application of surface-incorporated herbicides and fertilizers at different depths prior to seeding. Because only a relatively small volume of soil is tilled using strip-till, it is often also called zone or vertical tillage. To be successful, strip-till and no-till systems require special implements as well as several other key changes in a cropping system.

Author(s): Shrestha, Anil; Hembree, Kurt; Wright, Steven | Abstract: Horseweed and hairy fleabane are showing increased resistance to chemical controls, including glyphosate. By learning about their biology and other control alternatives, you can do a better job of keeping on top of this pest problem.

Author(s): van Deynze, Allen; Putnam, Daniel H; Orloff, Steve; Lanini, Tom; Canevari, Mick; Vargas, Ron; Hembree, Kurt; Mueller, Shannon; Teuber, Larry | Abstract: Find out how glyphosate-resistant alfalfa promises to make weed control much simpler and alfalfa production cheaper.

Eliminating tillage passes is a means to reduce production costs and dust emissions in California's San Joaquin Valley tomato production region. Inserting winter cover crops between summer crops may be a way to add organic matter to the soil and thereby improve soil quality. From 1999, we evaluated conservation tillage (CT) and cover cropping (CC) in a tomato/cotton rotation in Five Points, Calif. During the course of the study, tillage operations were reduced an average of 50% in the CT system relative to the standard tillage (ST) approach. Yields in the CT no cover crop (NO) system matched or exceeded yields in the STNO system in each year. Tomato yields in the CTCC and STCC systems were comparable to the STNO except in the first year, when stand establishment and early season vigor were problems. Weed management and machine harvest efficiency in high surface residue systems are issues requiring additional work in order to make CT adoption more widespread.

The West Side On-Farm Demonstration Project is a large-scale extension program consisting of farmers, researchers, extension advisors from the Univ. of California, and other private and public agency consultants who are evaluating biologically integrated soil-building and pest management practices within a participatory and on-farm demonstration context. Modeled after the Biologically Integrated Orchard Systems (BIOS) Projects that were originally sponsored by the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, the goals of this project are to facilitate information exchange among West Side farmers, consultants and researchers on soil-building practices and options for reduced reliance on agrichemical inputs, to monitor and evaluate on-farm demonstrations of soil-building practices, including cover cropping and organic soil amendments, and to determine the extent to which IPM practices are utilized in row crops on the West Side and identify constraints preventing further adoption of biologially intensive pest management practices. The Project has generated several adjunct research activities and considerable regional attention. A summary of ongoing impact assessment efforts will be presented.

In Fall 1995, 12 row crop farmers in conjunction with Univ. of California, NRCS and private agency advisors established the West Side On-Farm Demonstration Project to conduct demonstrations of soil and pest management options aimed at sustained profitability and environmental stewardship in the western San Joaquin Valley of California. Monitoring of soil physical, chemical, and biological properties is done in side-by-side on-farm comparisons of plots amended with organic inputs and unamended plots. Intensive monitoring of beneficial and pest insects is carried out within each comparison block, and the data generated is used to guide pest management decision-making at each site. Yields and soil characteristics of the amended plots did not differ from those of unamended plots after the first year. The on-farm context and the cooperative farmer–scientist interactions of this project facilitate the development of timely and relevant research directions to be pursued beyond the core set of monitoring activities.