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Sustainable Management of Weeds and Herbicide Resistance

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 June 2022) | Viewed by 9722

Special Issue Editor

Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (IPSP)-CNR, 35020 Legnaro, PD, Italy
Interests: weed science; herbicide resistance; integrated weed management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Yield variability due to severe weed infestations remains a major concern in crop management. Weeds outsmart less competitive crop seedlings under unmanaged situations. Therefore, chemical weed control is the most popular and practical way of managing weeds in time and selection of appropriate herbicides based on target weeds and stages of weeds/crop along with recommended rates and accurate application techniques can facilitate a viable way of controlling weeds effectively. The inappropriate use of these important tools (i.e., repeated use of herbicides with the site of action (SoA) and/or use of sublethal doses) have led to the evolution of many herbicide-resistant weed populations in many weed species and field crops. Two factors are driving an immediate need to change weed control practices in conventional farming: the rapidly increasing problem of herbicide resistance, exacerbated by the fact that no new herbicide SoAs have been marketed since the early 1980s, and the expectation that many of the currently used herbicides will be withdrawn from the EU market as they do not meet the human and environmental toxicity criteria set out in EU Regulation 1109/2009.

The over-reliance on the chemical control of weeds has highlighted the need for integrated weed management (IWM) strategies that combine non-chemical management options that reduce either weed density or competition with the crop.

In this Special Issue of Sustainability, the aim is to collect a series of contributions that may help stakeholders to find solutions for the sustainable management of crops 1) controlling the onset of the weeds, 2) controlling the infestation of different weeds in order to avoid the evolution of new herbicide-resistant ones, and 3) reversing the infestation of weeds resistant to the herbicides most used for their control.

Dr. Silvia Panozzo
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • chemical control
  • sustainable crop management
  • integrated weed management
  • herbicide resistance

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 457 KiB  
Article
Integrated Use of Herbicides and Mulching for Sustainable Control of Purple Nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus) in a Tomato Crop
by Rouzbeh Zangoueinejad, Behnaz Sirooeinejad, Mohammad Taghi Alebrahim and Ali Ahsan Bajwa
Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12737; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141912737 - 06 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1329
Abstract
Purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus L.) is a problematic weed in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) crops causing significant yield losses. Although several chemical options are available for this weed, the level of control is often unsatisfactory, and the consistent use of herbicides [...] Read more.
Purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus L.) is a problematic weed in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) crops causing significant yield losses. Although several chemical options are available for this weed, the level of control is often unsatisfactory, and the consistent use of herbicides has a risk of resistance evolution. Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy of two herbicide options, halosulfuron and fomesafen + S-metolachlor, alone or integrated with natural and plastic mulches in controlling purple nutsedge in tomato crops in a three-year field study. The use of herbicides or mulches alone did not provide effective weed control (below 65%). However, the combination of natural mulch and fomesafen + S-metolachlor provided the most effective weed control by reducing the density and biomass of purple nutsedge by up to 83% and 81%, respectively, as compared with the season-long untreated control. The use of a natural mulch in combination with the herbicides halosulfuron or fomesafen + S-metolachlor also resulted in the highest tomato yield (ca. 3.3 kg per plant). This integrated treatment improved tomato yield by over 400% as compared with the season-long untreated control. The integrated use of a plastic mulch and two chemical options resulted in a 67–74% weed biomass reduction and a 332–368% yield increase over the season-long untreated control. These findings suggest that the combinations of herbicides and mulches are effective integrated weed management options for purple nutsedge in tomato crops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Weeds and Herbicide Resistance)
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17 pages, 1666 KiB  
Article
Effect of New Pre-Emergence Herbicides on Quality and Yield of Potato and Its Associated Weeds
by Ibrahim S. Abdallah, Mohamed A. M. Atia, Amira K. Nasrallah, Hossam S. El-Beltagi, Farida F. Kabil, Mohamed M. El-Mogy and Emad A. Abdeldaym
Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9796; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13179796 - 31 Aug 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3052
Abstract
Potato is an economically important vegetable crop in Egypt. Weed infestation, especially broad-leafed, during the vegetative growth stage substantially affects both crop yield and tuber quality. In the current study, the impact of new ready-mix pre-emergent herbicides on broadleaf weeds, tuber yield, and [...] Read more.
Potato is an economically important vegetable crop in Egypt. Weed infestation, especially broad-leafed, during the vegetative growth stage substantially affects both crop yield and tuber quality. In the current study, the impact of new ready-mix pre-emergent herbicides on broadleaf weeds, tuber yield, and quality was evaluated. The two-year field experiment comprised the following treatments: (1) Un-weeded control, (2) Hand hoeing, (3) Sencor, (4) Ecopart, (5) Zeus, (6) Kroki, and (7) Flomex. The results showed that weed control treatments significantly reduced the weed density compared to un-weeded control and the herbicides efficacy reached over 90%. The herbicidal treatments also significantly increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes peroxidases (POX) and catalase (CAT) and improved the non-enzymatic antioxidant (carotenoids) compared to un-weeded control. Conversely, the higher content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in potato leaves was obtained for un-weeded control. Moreover, weed control treatments caused significant enhancement in plant growth parameters, yield, and its components in addition to tuber quality of potato. Compared to the un-weeded control, maximum tuber yield was observed in Flomex followed by Ecopart, Kroki, Zeus, and Sencor, respectively. The higher number of tubers and total yield were recorded in plants treated with Flomex plus compared to all the other treatments. Higher content of total soluble sugar, total soluble protein, and total starch content was observed in weed control treatments compared with un-weeded control. Based on Pearson’s correlation and heatmap analysis, the changes in agro-physiological parameters data are linked to the herbicidal treatments. The results indicate that the applied herbicides could be alternative products for Sencor and an option for controlling broadleaved weeds. However, further studies are needed to ensure their efficacy and safety under other conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Weeds and Herbicide Resistance)
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8 pages, 1034 KiB  
Article
Recent Discovery of Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson in Italy: Characterization of ALS-Resistant Populations and Sensitivity to Alternative Herbicides
by Andrea Milani, Silvia Panozzo, Silvia Farinati, Duilio Iamonico, Maurizio Sattin, Donato Loddo and Laura Scarabel
Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7003; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13137003 - 22 Jun 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2009
Abstract
Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson (Amaranthaceae Juss.) is a dioecious noxious weed, native to the Americas, which infests summer crops. It causes high crop losses, and rapidly evolves resistance to herbicides. In Europe, A. palmeri was recorded mostly as a casual alien, but in [...] Read more.
Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson (Amaranthaceae Juss.) is a dioecious noxious weed, native to the Americas, which infests summer crops. It causes high crop losses, and rapidly evolves resistance to herbicides. In Europe, A. palmeri was recorded mostly as a casual alien, but in 2018 it was reported infesting a soybean field in Italy, and the next year two more populations were found in the same area. Experiments were conducted on these three populations to evaluate the resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides, to determine the main resistance mechanisms involved and assess the efficacy of alternative herbicides with different sites of action than ALS. The three populations were confirmed cross-resistant to ALS-inhibiting herbicides (thifensulfuron-methyl and imazamox). Gene sequencing identified a Trp to Leu substitution at position 574 of ALS gene in resistant plants, proving that the main resistance mechanism for the three populations is target-site related. The presence of other resistance mechanisms cannot be excluded. Metobromuron, metribuzin and glyphosate are still effective on these populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Weeds and Herbicide Resistance)
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15 pages, 2326 KiB  
Article
Preliminary Reports on Comparative Weed Competitiveness of Bangladeshi Monsoon and Winter Rice Varieties under Puddled Transplanted Conditions
by A. K. M. Mominul Islam, Mohammad Nasir, Mahmuda Akter Mou, Sabina Yeasmin, Md. Shafiqul Islam, Sharif Ahmed, Md. Parvez Anwar, Adel Hadifa, Alaa Baazeem, Muhammad Aamir Iqbal, Abdul Shukor Juraimi and Ayman EL Sabagh
Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 5091; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13095091 - 01 May 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2334
Abstract
Weed-competitive rice cultivars, a viable tool for integrated weed management of rice-field weeds, may greatly reduce the weed pressure and excessive dependence on herbicide in controlling weeds. Based on this premise, field experiments were conducted in 2018 and 2019 during the monsoon and [...] Read more.
Weed-competitive rice cultivars, a viable tool for integrated weed management of rice-field weeds, may greatly reduce the weed pressure and excessive dependence on herbicide in controlling weeds. Based on this premise, field experiments were conducted in 2018 and 2019 during the monsoon and winter rice-growing seasons at the Agronomy Field Laboratory of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Bangladesh, to evaluate the weed competitiveness of the selected rice varieties. A total of 42 monsoon and 28 winter rice varieties from Bangladesh were evaluated under “weedy” and “weed-free” conditions in the puddled transplanted system of cultivation. The field experiments were designed with three replications in a randomized complete block design. The results revealed that weed competition greatly reduces the yield of rice, and relative yield loss was 15–68% and 20–50% in monsoon and winter season rice, respectively. The lowest relative yield losses were recorded in monsoon rice from the variety BU dhan 1 (18%) and from the winter rice BRRI hybrid dhan5 (23.7%), which exhibited high weed tolerance. The weed competitive index (WCI) greatly varied among the varieties in both seasons and the monsoon season, ranging from 0.4 to 2.8, and the highest value was recorded from the hybrid variety Dhani Gold followed by BU dhan 1. In winter season rice, the WCI varied 0.25 to 2.4 and the highest value was recorded from the variety BRRI hybrid dhan3, followed by hybrid variety Heera 6. In monsoon rice, hybrid Dhani Gold was the most productive, but BU dhan 1 was the most weed competitive variety. Among the winter-grown varieties, the hybrid Heera 6 was the most productive, and the most weed competitive. Our research confirmed a high degree of variability in weed competitiveness among the 70 Bangladeshi rice varieties tested. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Management of Weeds and Herbicide Resistance)
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