Exotic invasive species are nonnative species that thrive outside of theirnative habitat, and while it is difficult to determine which exotic plantswill become invasive, successful invaders often share a wide range of traitsincluding high growth rate and reproductive output, vegetative reproduction,high population growth rates, early reproductive age, phenotypic andphysiological plasticity, and high resource use efficiency. Here we reporton the response of pampasgrass, an important exotic invasive plant of thewestern United States, to experimental variations in soil nitrogen (N) andwater availability. Given its ability to invade a wide variety of ecosystemsin southern California, we hypothesized that pampasgrass would have higherwater and N use efficiency under conditions of low water and N availabilitybut rapid growth and resource use under conditions of high water and Navailability. Our data support this hypothesis and indicate that pampasgrassexhibited large variations in growth, carbon allocation, morphology, and Nand phosphorus (P) nutrition to variations in N availability and water tabledepth. Many of these traits are highly correlated with invasive performance,and the high N and P use efficiency observed under low soil N (control) andwater table, coupled with the large increase in physiological performanceand resource use under high N and water table, indicate that pampasgrass ishighly flexible to soil resource levels that are typical for coastal sagescrub and riparian ecosystems of southern California. Such flexibility inresource use could allow pampasgrass to persist in low-resource environmentsand expand as resource levels increase.

Field experiments were used to assess how distance mediates the nontarget effect on crepe myrtle by two chrysomelid beetles that were introduced to the United States in 1992 for biological control of purple loosestrife. Previous laboratory tests in Germany and concurrent tests in Oregon showed that although the control organisms can feed on crepe myrtle, they cannot complete development. Therefore, we predicted that negative effects on crepe myrtle would decrease with distance from the purple loosestrife stand. To test this prediction, cohorts of both plant species were transplanted at increasing distances (0, 5, 15, 30, and 50 m) from the colonization source. We found that leaf damage inflicted by the beetles was negatively correlated with increasing distance. Damage was significantly lower at each distance for crepe myrtle plants than for purple loosestrife plants, with a mean difference of 22% and a 95% confidence interval ranging from 12 to 31%. Extensive defoliation of crepe myrtle was limited to within 30 m of the edge of the loosestrife stand. Plant yield was negatively correlated with damage: the closer plants were to the purple loosestrife stand, the greater the suppression of biomass in both plant species. However, loosestrife biomass decreased significantly more quickly than crepe myrtle biomass, with a mean difference in slopes of 0.035 and a 95% confidence interval ranging from 0.022 to 0.048. Our results suggest that release of the Galerucella beetles in North America poses little risk to crepe myrtle. Beetles can feed but cannot complete their life cycle on crepe myrtle, and damage to crepe myrtle approaches zero approximately 50 m from the beetle colonization source.

Ninety-seven inbred lines of sunflower were screened in the field by treatment with a combination of imazamox and malathion, an inhibitor of cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s), to identify sunflower lines with natural tolerance to the herbicide reversed by malathion. One tolerant line, named TolP450-1, was selected and characterized in the field and in the greenhouse to evaluate its response to the herbicides imazamox, prosulfuron, and atrazine at different plant development stages (germination, emergence, and third difoliate) with and without malathion. For all herbicides and all development stages analyzed, TolP450-1 showed significantly higher tolerance compared with the susceptible line RHA266. In all cases, the tolerance was reversed by malathion. This sunflower line, tolerant to multiple herbicides, may be useful in helping to manage herbicide-resistant weeds by allowing additional herbicides to be used in this oilseed crop.

The impact of weed density and weed distribution on irrigated corn yield was investigated in Colorado. Weed densities examined were 0,33,50, or 100% of the indigenous weed population. A series of weed distribution treatments were achieved by varying the length of the weed-free and weedy zones within the corn row while maintaining a constant weed population of 33 or 50% of the indigenous weed level. Grain yield was affected by weed density, but not by weed distribution. Each additional weed reduced corn yield 8.5 and 2.3 kg ha−1 in 1991 and 1992, respectively. When corn yields were estimated with a computer weed/corn management model, weed densities 5 to 8 wk after planting provided a better yield reduction estimate than weed densities immediately before harvest.

The effects of rainfall and temperature upon herbicidal activity of 2-chloro-N,N-diallylacetamide (CDAA), 2-chloro-4,6-bis-(ethylamino)-s-triazine (simazine), and 2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine (atrazine), for the control of foxtail (Setaria spp.) were determined. CDAA spray was effective if applied to warm soil and if ½ inch of rain fell during the first week after application, unless a heavy rain fell immediately after application. The effectiveness of granules was not impaired by a heavy rain immediately after treatment or by a delay of 2 weeks before receiving ½ inch of rain. Simazine and atrazine sprays and granules were effective if 1 inch of rain fell within 15 days after application of simazine or if ½ to 1 inch fell within 15 to 20 days afterwards for atrazine. Mechanical incorporation aided in activation of simazine when rainfall was slightly below minimum required for activation.

Experiments were conducted from 1973 through 1975 on Lucedale sandy loam to determine the influence of in-row cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. ‘Stoneville 213’) densities on the competitiveness of low-level infestations of sicklepod (Cassia obtusifolia L.) and pigweed (Amaranthus spp.). Weeds were established at densities of 0, 4, 12, and 32 weeds per 15 m of row and allowed to compete the entire season with cotton grown at densities of 5, 10, or 20 plants/m of row corresponding to 47000, 94000 and 187000 cotton plants/ha. Conventional cultural practices were employed in these experiments. Cotton yields were inversely related to weed density; however, the density of cotton did not influence the competitive effect of sicklepod or pigweed. Pigweed or sicklepod dry weed weight was reduced when competing with 187000 cotton plants/ha.

Aryloxyphenoxypropanoate (APP) herbicides, such as diclofop, depolarize membranes in parenchyma cells of coleoptiles and root tips, and isolated tonoplast or plasma membrane vesicles from a variety of plant species. Some APP-resistant biotypes of rigid ryegrass and wild oat repolarize membranes after removal of herbicide from a bathing medium. The repolarization ability does not require presence of either APP-insensitive acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase or an increased capacity for herbicide detoxification. The kinetics of depolarization and repolarization depend upon the herbicide, the herbicide concentration, the biotype, and the pH of the bathing solution. For rigid ryegrass, depolarization in the presence of diclofop acid is more rapid than in the presence of diclofop-methyl, and 50% depolarization required about 4 μM diclofop acid. Both the nonherbicidal S(–) and the herbicidal R(+) enantiomers of diclofop acid depolarized membranes in susceptible and resistant ryegrass. Susceptible biotypes regenerated transmembrane potentials following removal of the S(–) but not the R(+) enantiomer, whereas resistant biotypes repolarized following exposure to either enantiomer or a mixture of the two. The herbicide 2,4-D affected, in a complex manner, the ability of both susceptible and resistant ryegrass biotypes to depolarize and repolarize. It is postulated that the intracellular concentration of diclofop acid in susceptible and resistant plants is not the same due to differences in the partitioning of diclofop acid between the extracellular spaces and the cytoplasm. The mechanism producing the postulated difference is unknown, but observations on the proton extrusion capacity of both ryegrass and wild oats, the responses of ryegrass to [K+] and PCMBS, and the single-gene inheritance pattern of resistance in wild oats indicate that changes in the diclofop sensitivity of a plasma membrane protein involved in the generation of proton or ion gradients may be involved.

Near isolines of ‘Nugaines’ winter Triticum aestivum that differed in height were planted with and without Aegilops cylindrica to determine the effect of plant height on competition against A. cylindrica. The isolines had either reduced height gene Rht 1, Rht 2, Rht 1 plus Rht 2, or neither Rht genes and averaged 79, 77, 51, and 101 cm tall, respectively, when grown with or without competition from A. cylindrica. Plants with fewer reduced height genes had the faster rates of height and weight gain, which are important traits for enhanced competitiveness. When growing in competition with A. cylindrica, the shortest isoline allowed the greatest amount of A. cylindrica seed production but did not have the lowest T. aestivum yield. However, when compared to the A. cylindrica-free control, the shortest isoline had the greatest percent yield loss. The tallest isoline reduced A. cylindrica seed production the most, and T. aestivum yield reduction due to A. cylindrica on a percent basis was the least when averaged over 2 yr. When competing against A. cylindrica, the tallest isoline did not always have the largest yield and yield parameters, and the shortest isoline did not always have the smallest yield and yield parameters. There is a cost to the T. aestivum plant to produce extra stem biomass that may reduce yield potential of taller plants and reduce the advantage gained by being taller than the surrounding weeds.

The development of weed management systems requires accurate prediction of weed-crop competition. In this paper, simple regression models of crop yield losses based on weed density and weed leaf area are compared. In weed leaf area models, variations in the relative damage coefficient (q) were also analyzed. Finally, three simple methods to assess weed cover were compared: visual, photographic, and optic device assessment. Leaf area models were at least as accurate as weed density models. However, the generality of the leaf area models was restricted by changes in q, according to the date of leaf area evaluation and the year. Although all methods to assess weed cover correlated adequately with weed leaf area, visual estimates were the best to predict crop yield losses perhaps because very low levels of weed leaf area could be distinguished visually better than by other methods.

The effect of mono-and dichlorophenyl analogs of N-phenyl-2-methylpentanamide (PMP) and N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-alkylamides on the photolytic activity (Hill reaction) of chloroplasts isolated from turnip greens (Brassica spp.) was studied. Photochemical activity was measured potentiometrically with ferricyanide as the electron acceptor. PMP inhibited the Hill reaction by 50 percent (I50) at 4.5 × 10-5 M. Monochlorination in the meta and para ring positions enhanced the inhibitory activity whereas chlorination in the ortho position negated inhibitory activity of the parent chemical (PMP). N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-methylpentanamide (3,4-DCPMP) was the most inhibitory of the 6 dichlorinated isomers (I50 = 5.8 × 10-7 M). Replacement of the imino hydrogen of 3,4-DCPMP with a methyl group reduced inhibitory activity below that of the unsubstituted parent compound (PMP). Of the straight-chain N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)alkylamides studied, the propanamide expressed maximum inhibition. 2-Methylalkylamides were more inhibitory than the corresponding straight-chain alkylamides. Maximum inhibition in the branched series was obtained with 3,4-DCPMP. Kinetic studies performed with 3,4-DCPMP at different light intensities indicated that both light and dark reactions were inhibited. However, the light reaction was more sensitive to the effects of the chemical.

It has been suggested that soil treated with a herbicide and subsequently carried by wind and deposited on plant foliage can cause crop injury. This study compared foliar uptake and translocation of herbicides applied to plants as an aqueous solution or in herbicide-treated soil. Leaves of 3-wk-old seedling alfalfa, grape, and pea were treated with 14C-labeled thifensulfuron, chlorsulfuron, glyphosate, 2,4-D, and bromoxynil. Significant amounts of all herbicides were absorbed by pea, alfalfa, and grape from the aqueous solutions, whereas very limited absorption occurred from herbicide-treated soil. Prolonged and multiple exposure to herbicide-treated soil did not increase herbicide uptake. High relative humidity enhanced herbicide absorption from aqueous solutions but not from herbicide-treated soil. All herbicides except bromoxynil were readily translocated in alfalfa, grape, and pea. Limited quantities of herbicides were absorbed from herbicide-treated soil by plant foliage, and this small amount is unlikely to cause crop damage.

Seed of johnsongrass [Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers.] were planted during 1976 and 1977 at monthly intervals from March through October to study the growth and reproductive habits of this weed at Shafter, California. Plants were grown for 12 weeks and harvested at 3-week intervals. Emergence and development of plants increased with temperature. April through August plantings yielded 10-to 20-fold as much total fresh weight as March and September plantings. After planting, rhizome production normally began in 3 to 6 weeks and seed production in 6 to 9 weeks. From the April through August plantings, rhizomes accounted for averages of 13, 25, and 40% of the total fresh weight of plants 6, 9, and 12 weeks after planting, respectively. This compared, respectively, with 16, 9, and 6% for roots and 70, 66, and 54% for shoots. Seedlings emerging in March produced rhizomes in early June and viable seed in late June. Seedlings emerging as late as September produced rhizomes and some viable seed before killing frosts in November.

Translocation of 14C-haloxyfop {2-[4-[[3-chloro-5-(trifluoromethyl)-2-pyridinyl] oxy] phenoxy] propanoic acid} in quackgrass [Agropyron repens (L.) Beauv. # AGRRE] from the treated area (the middle 2.5 cm of the second of three leaves) to the lower leaves was reduced in plants in which 0.56 kg/ha of acifluorfen {5-[2-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]-2-nitrobenzoic acid} or bentazon [3-1-methylethyl)-(1H)-2,1,3-benzothiadiazin-4(3H)-one-2,2-dioxide] was added in tank mixture to a 0.07 kg ai/ha application of haloxyfop. Reduced translocation did not occur when haloxyfop rates were increased to 0.28 and 1.1 kg/ha. Bentazon reduced absorption of 14C-DPX-Y6202 {2-[4-[(6-chloro-2-quinoxalinyl)oxy] phenoxy] propionic acid} when applied in tank mixtures with 0.28 and 1.1 kg ai/ha DPX-Y6202. There was less 14C-DPX-Y6202 in the leaf tips of plants treated with 0.07 kg/ha DPX-Y6202 plus 0.56 kg/ha acifluorfen in tank mixture. Relatively small amounts of both 14C-haloxyfop and DPX-Y6202 accumulated in the rhizome and adjacent shoots and acifluorfen did not influence translocation to these plant parts. Considerably more 14C-haloxyfop than 14C-DPX-Y6202 was absorbed by quackgrass. Treatment of quackgrass with acifluorfen or bentazon 24 h prior to application of 14C-haloxyfop or 14C-DPX-Y6202 did not influence absorption or translocation.

Growth response of five species of soil algae to 4-amino-6-tert-butyl-3-(methylthio)-as-triazin-5 (4H)one (metribuzin) and its 6-isopropyl and 6-cyclohexyl analogs were studied in vitro. Species of Chlorella, Chlorococcum, Chlamydomonas, and Anabaena were exposed to 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 ppm (w/v) of the herbicides in liquid nutrient, while a species of Schizothrix was studied at the same levels in soil culture. With one exception, the growth and numbers of all of the algae were significantly reduced by increasing herbicide concentrations. Anabaena was not affected by 0.05 ppm of the cyclohexyl analog. No growth was permitted by any of the herbicides at 1.0 ppm. Chlorella and Chlamydomonas could not grow in the presence of 0.5 ppm of metribuzin or the cyclohexyl analog. Differences in response to the triazinones were noted between species. Chlamydomonas was the most sensitive and Anabaena and Chlorella the most resistant.

Field experiments were conducted to determine the effects of various densities of four fall-seeded small grain mulches and diphenamid (N,N-dimethyl-α-phenyl benzeneacetamide) on weed control, yield, and quality in no-till flue-cured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. ‘McNair 944’). A greenhouse study investigated the effects of non-soil-incorporated mulch from the same small grains plus alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) on various growth parameters of tobacco (‘Speight G-70’). None of the mulches used in the greenhouse study adversely affected growth of the tobacco. Mulch from rye (Secale cereale L. ‘Abruzzi’) killed about 2 weeks before transplanting plus diphenamid provided better annual broadleaf weed control (85%) than wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ‘McNair’), barley (Hordeum vulgare L. ‘Keowee’), and no mulch. Oat (Avena sativa L. ‘Brooks’) mulch resulted in 80% broadleaf weed control. There were no differences in annual grass control (which was short lived) among mulches but control was lower in the no-mulch treatment. Rye mulch resulted in a 22% increase in the control of broadleaf weeds compared to no-mulch. Yield of the no-till tobacco did not differ among mulches and averaged 82% of that conventionally grown. The quality was not affected. The rye mulch did not affect the yield or quality of tobacco when compared to a nonmulch, noncultivated treatment. The 18% decrease in the no-till yield was apparently the result of the lack of tillage and increased weed interference and was not due to adverse effects from the rye.

Formation of 14C-atrazine degradation products and their distribution in the top 90 cm of soil was determined over 16 mo in a Webster clay loam in the field. After 16 mo, 64% of the applied 14C could still be accounted for in the 90-cm soil profile. At 1 mo after treatment (MAT), 14C moved to the 70- to 80-cm depth. Rapid movement of radioactivity could be attributed in part to preferential movement through vertical macropores. Atrazine accounted for 32% of the 14C applied 16 MAT and was the predominant 14C-compound in soil below 10 cm through 12 MAT. Hydroxyatrazine (HA) was the major degradation product in the top 10 cm of soil accounting for 9% of the 14C present 1 MAT and increasing to 24% within 6 MAT. Deethylatrazine (BEA) was the predominant degradation product at depths greater than 10 cm, accounting for 26% of the 14C in the 10- to 20-cm depth 16 MAT. Deisopropylatrazine (DIA) accounted for less than 10% of the 14C recovered at any soil depth. Deethyldeisopropylatrazine (DEDIA) and an unidentified product were detected in soil extracts 1 MAT indicating further degradation past primary metabolites. The proportion of DEA and DIA increased while the proportion of HA decreased as soil depth increased indicating that DEA and DIA are more mobile in soil than HA. The large amount of radioactivity remaining in the soil 16 MAT suggests that a large pool of atrazine and its degradation products are present in the soil for a long period of time, having the potential to move deeper in the soil and ultimately contaminate ground water.

Fluometuron adsorption and degradation were determined in soil collected at three depths from no-till + no cover, conventional-till + no cover, no-till + vetch cover, and conventional-till + vetch cover in continuous cotton. These combinations of tillage + cover crop + soil depth imparted a range of organic matter and pH to the soil. Soil organic matter and pH ranged from 0.9 to 2.5% and from 4.7 to 6.5, respectively. Fluometuron adsorption was affected by soil depth, tillage, and cover crop. In surface soils (0 to 4 cm), fluometuron adsorption was greater in no-till + vetch plots than in conventional-tilled + no cover plots. Soil adsorption of fluometuron was positively correlated with organic matter content and cation exchange capacity. Fluometuron degradation was not affected by adsorption, and degradation empirically fit a first-order model. Soil organic matter content had no apparent effect on fluometuron degradation rate. Fluometuron degradation was more rapid at soil pH > 6 than at pH ≤ 5, indicating a potential shift in microbial activity or population due to lower soil pH. Fluometuron half-life ranged from 49 to 90 d. These data indicate that tillage and cover crop may affect soil dissipation of fluometuron by altering soil physical and chemical properties that affect fluometuron degrading microorganisms or bioavailability.

Periodic surveys were conducted to seek potential indigenous fungal agents for development as mycoherbicides against horse purslane, a major weed of agricultural fields in India. Pathogenic fungal species were isolated and identified from naturally infected horse purslane. The biocontrol potential of these pathogens for horse purslane was evaluated by studying their host range and virulence under growth chamber and greenhouse conditions. Three candidates, Alternaria alternata, Fusarium oxysporum, and Phoma herbarum, were identified as potential candidates for biological control of horse purslane. Preliminary host-range tests and pathogenicity studies, conducted using 45 crop and weed plants belonging to 18 families, demonstrated that P. herbarum provided effective weed control and was safe to most of the plant species tested. Further mycoherbicidal application of P. herbarum as plant spray under field condition caused mortality of horse purslane 60 d after application of the inoculums. Phoma herbarum is a good mycoherbicide candidate against horse purslane.

A linear programming model was used to determine which crop rotations and weed management systems result in the highest net farm income for each of three farm sizes (120, 240, and 480 hectares) under alternative tillage systems. Test plot data for the years 1981 through 1988 from the Purdue University Agronomy Farm, which has highly productive, well-drained soils, were analyzed. Net incomes for no-till tillage systems on all farms in the model were consistently and significantly lower than incomes for moldboard and chisel plow tillage systems due to slightly lower yields and substantially higher herbicide costs. Generally, net farm incomes were slightly higher with a moldboard plow versus chisel plow tillage system. Also, as farm size increased, per hectare net incomes increased. About 80% of the time under moldboard or chisel plow tillage systems, the model chose as optimal the lowest of three herbicide application rates. A corn/soybean rotation was chosen as optimal on 56% of the farm area analyzed, versus 25% for continuous corn and 13% for a corn/soybean/wheat rotation.

We evaluated 214 lines of wild oat (Avena fatua L.) for response to S-2,3-dichloroallyl N,N-diisopropylthiolcarbamate (diallate), S-2,3,3-trichloroaHyl N,N-diisopropylthiolcarbamate (triallate), and 4-chloro-2-butynl m-chlorocarbanilate (barban). We found large differences among the lines in response to these herbicides and some lines that might not be controlled by recommended rates of these herbicides. Frequency distributions of response to herbicides suggest that reaction to these three herbicides is quantitatively inherited. We were unable to establish a relationship between morphological characteristics and plant response to these herbicides.