ABSTRACT The goal of this study is to characterize the weed phytosociology in some major erect and prostrate cowpea cultivars in Brazil, in the Northern growing conditions of Minas Gerais state. The test was conducted in Janaúba, Minas Gerais state. The treatments consisted in five erect cultivars (BRS Guariba, BRS Tumucumaque, BRS Novaera, BRS Itaim and BRS Cauamé) and four prostrate ones (BRS Marataoã, BRS Pajeú, BRS Pujante and BRS Xiquexique). The plots were composed of four five meter rows, spaced 0.5 m apart, for erect cultivars and 1.0 m for the prostrated ones. Weed sampling was performed 50 days after sowing by standard Square Method. The species were identified and quantified, and then dried at 65 oC for 72 hours and weighed. The frequency, absolute and relative density and abundance, the importance value index (IVI) and the similarity index were evaluated. In the erect cultivars, the Amaranthaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Asteraceae and Convolvulaceae families stood out with higher IVI’s. In prostrate cultivars, the Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae and Malvaceae families stood out. Portulaca oleracea and Amaranthus spp. were the species with the highest IVI. The similarity index between erect and prostrate cultivars was 72%; nine of the 16 families occurred in both cultivars. BRS Tumucumaque, erect, and BRS Pujante, prostrate had lower weed infestation.

ABSTRACT The initial slow growth and short stature of carrot can allow that weeds settle in crop areas, requiring the management of these plants for productivity not to decrease. Nevertheless, weeds control has been difficult because there are few herbicides available for weeds control in postemergence of carrots. Two experiments in the field were carried out to evaluate selectivity of metribuzin applied in postemergence of carrots. A experimental randomized block design was utilized with four repetitions. Treatments consisted of metribuzin doses (0, 144, 288, 432, 576, 720, 960 and 1,200 g ha-1), applied in postemergence of carrots of the Nantes variety. Roots productivity was evaluated and percentage of commercial roots and no-commercial roots was calculated. Metribuzin has not caused visual symptoms of intoxication in carrots. Doses lower than 432 g ha-1 of metribuzin do not reduce the total productivity of roots, independent of the application period. Any doses of metribuzin changed the percentage of commercial and noncommercial roots. It is concluded that metribuzin is selective for carrots of the Nantes variety in postemergence applications at doses of 432 g ha-1.

ABSTRACT: Euphorbia davidii (Euphorbiaceae) is a summer annual weed present in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The aim of this study was to compare the sensitivity to glyphosate of different populations of Euphorbia davidii. Two techniques were used: a seed bioassay and shikimate determination in glyphosate-treated plants. Germination rates of seeds belonging to the populations from Espartillar, Barrow, Olavarria and Azul exposed to different concentrations of glyphosate were compared. Plants from the same locations treated with glyphosate were evaluated to determine shikimate levels. The most sensitive population was from Espartillar, with a CE50 (average effective concentration) of 4.00 g e.a. L-1. Based on this finding, the resistance index for each population was 1.76, 2.39 and 2.48 for Azul, Olavarria and Barrow respectively. Regarding glyphosate-treated plants in which shikimate levels were determined, a significant increase in the concentration of this metabolite was only observed in the population from Espartillar. Accumulation of shikimate was not detected in the other groups. These results show differential sensitivity to glyphosate of the evaluated populations.

ABSTRACT To test resistance status of Phalaris minor (littleseed canary grass) to fenoxaprop-P-ethyl in Pakistan, a field survey was conducted during 2014. Uncontrolled P. minor plants were selected for seed collection from wheat fields where fenoxaprop-P-ethyl was used to control P. minor. Seeds were collected from eight different locations near Fasialabad, Pakistan. Susceptible plants were also selected near Faisalabad having no history of fenoxaprop-P-ethyluse for comparison. These seeds were grown in pots for resistance confirmation using completely randomized design with factorial arrangement having four replicates. Four doses of fenoxaprop-P-ethylcontrol (0X), 46.9 (0.5X), 93.7 (1X) and 187 (2X) g a.i. ha-1 were sprayed at 3 to 4 leaf stage of P. minor. Three weeks after fenoxaprop-P-ethyl spray, percent mortality and biomass of different biotypes were recorded. Dose killing 50% plants (LD50) and resistance index (RI) were calculated on the basis of percent mortality. Results revealed that out of eight biotypes (PM-FS-1, PM-FS-2, PM-FS-3, PM-FS-4, PM-FS-5, PM-FS-6, PM-FS-7 and PM-FS-8) four biotypes (PM-FS-1, PM-FS-2, PM-FS-6 and PM-FS-7) showed resistance to fenoxaprop-P-ethyl. Percent mortality for the resistant biotypes was 51 to 71% even at 2X. Resistance index of the resistant biotypes was 2.13-6.00. Biomass reductions were also significantly lesser in resistant biotypes. Evolution of P. minor resistance to fenoxaprop-P-ethyl is first case of herbicide resistance in Pakistan. Research is needed to assess the infestation of herbicide resistant P. minor area in other locations and suggest control measures to evolve the effective management strategy to control the future spread of resistant biotypes.

ABSTRACT The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of herbicide ethoxysulfuron on the development of commom bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), to evaluate the impact of the herbicide on the crop grain yield and to determine the mechanism of tolerance of common bean to ethoxysulfuron. Field experiments were carried out with several doses of ethoxysulfuron to determine its effect on the grain yield of two varieties of common bean ("IPR Andorinha", "IPR Tangará"). The mechanism of plant tolerance was evaluated through several methods, including the analysis of the ALS enzyme sensitivity to herbicide and the use of P450 inhibitors (the insecticides malathion + chlorpyrifos) and the use of antidote (mefenpyr-diethyl). When the rate of ethoxysulfuron was 83.2 g ha-1, the grain yield loss reached 25% (IPR Tangará) and 35% (IPR Andorinha). The ALS enzyme activity was severely reduced even at low concentrations ethoxysulfuron (1 μM), indicating that the mechanism of tolerance is not the insensitivity of the herbicide target enzyme. The inhibitors of herbicide detoxification increased the sensitivity of the bean plants to ethoxysulfuron, and the antidote (stimulator of herbicide degradation) mitigated the herbicidal effect. These results strongly support the hypothesis that the mechanism of tolerance of common bean plants to ethoxysulfuron is enhanced herbicide detoxification.

ABSTRACT The commercial mixture of imazethapyr and imazapic herbicides has been used for the control of red rice and several other species of weeds found in rice crops; this system called Clearfield. However, its use may limit the succession of non-tolerant crops for long residual activity. The research objective with this work was to determine the persistence of imazethapyr, imazapic and their mixture in three soils in the Brazilian state of Tocantins. Three experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design with four replications, each corresponding to the evaluated soil (Haplic Plinthosol (FX), red-yellow Latosol (LVA) and Haplic Gleysol (GX)). The treatments were arranged in a split plot design, with the allocated plots herbicides (imazethapyr and imazapic alone and commercial mixture) and the plots allocated the 11 evaluation times (1, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105, 120, 135, 150 days after treatment (DAT)), and a control without application. Contacted up long residual effect of imazethapyr and commercial mixture of imazethapyr and imazapic, regardless of assessed soil. After 150 days of applying herbicides or the commercial mixture, their residues in the soil also inhibited approximately 94% of the mass of the dry matter accumulation of the indicator plants. When imazapic was applied alone, there was a higher dry matter accumulation of the indicator plants, indicating less residual effect of this herbicide in the soil and this was attributed to the lower dose of this herbicide applied. The attributes of the soil pH, texture and iron oxides were what most affected the persistence of the herbicides. It can be concluded that the persistence of imazethapyr and imazapic is too long in the Brazilian state of Tocantins soils and the use of these herbicides in the region should be avoided due to the high risk of the occurrence of carryover,or be well planned, as land use in rotation for susceptible crops.

ABSTRACT The control of morning glory (Ipomoea spp. and Merremia aegyptia) was evaluated in five commercial sugarcane-production fields receiving applications of the herbicides sulfentrazone (0.9 kg ha-1), amicarbazone (1.4 kg ha-1), imazapic (0.147 kg ha-1), and hexazinone + tebuthiuron (0.325 + 0.75 kg ha-1) applied pre-emergence in either the dry season (July and August) or in the semi-wet season (early October); mesotrione alone (0.192 kg ha-1) or in combination (0.12 kg ha-1) with atrazine (1.5 kg ha-1) or diuron + hexazinone (0.491 + 0.139 kg ha-1) applied post-emergence in the wet season (November), and the phytointoxication of the chemical treatments for sugarcane. Five species of morning glory (Ipomoea hederifolia, Ipomoea nil, Ipomoea quamoclit, Ipomoea triloba and Merremia aegyptia) were assessed in the experiments. The applications during the dry, semi-wet, and wet seasons resulted in similar levels of control of I. hederifolia, I. nil, I. quamoclit, and I. triloba. The herbicides imazapic and mesotrione alone resulted in lower levels of control of M. aegyptia. Imazapic and the combination of mesotrione + (diuron + hexazinone) caused greater visible phytotoxicity to sugarcane than other herbicides applied during the dry and semi-wet seasons. However, the greatest loss of production was attributed to amicarbazone.

Weed management is a primary concern in direct seeded rice (DSR) cropping because weed growth becomes a major constraint on crop yield. A two year field study was set up to evaluate the effect of various weed control measures on crop growth, grain yield and grain quality of DSR. The experiment involved five different weed control measures: hand weeding, hoeing, inter-row tine cultivation, inter-row spike hoeing and herbicide treatment (Nominee 100 SC). The extent of weed control (compared to a non-weeded control) ranged from 50-95%. The highest crop yield was obtained using hand weeding. Hand weeding, tine cultivation and herbicide treatment raised the number of fertile rice tillers formed per unit area and the thousand grain weight. Tine cultivation provided an effective and economical level of weed control in the DSR crop.

Conyza spp. are widely responsible for yield losses in agriculture due to its worldwide occurrence, resistance to herbicides and other traits which turn these species into first grade weeds. Since the 1980's, these species started to be cited on books both related to the ecology and the weed science, being usually classified as ruderals. Occurrence of Conyza in crops shows that these species are highly adaptable due to its recent evolutionary origin and occur in environments prone concomitantly to a moderate set of competition, disturbance and stress. There are also limitations in Grime's theory which may lead us to mistakes about the behavior of Conyza. Thus, simple and isolated recommendations certainly will not solve the problem of Conyza. Neither soil tillage nor tolerant crops to 2,4-D will free the agriculture from this weed, being necessary an integrated approach to solve this problem which demands qualified human resources in weed science and planning.

ABSTRACT Understanding the critical period of weed competition is indispensable in the development of an effective weed management program in field crops. Current experiment was planned to evaluate the critical growth period ofSetaria and level of yield losses associated with delay in weeding in rain-fed drip irrigated wheat production system of Saudi Arabia. Field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of weeding interval (07-21, 14-28, 21-35, 28-42 and 35-49 days after sowing) and drought stress (75% and 50% of field capacity) on Setaria growth, wheat yield and water use efficiency. Season long weedy check and wellwatered (100% FC) plots were also maintained for comparison. Weeding interval and drought stress significantly (p ≤ 0.05) affected the growth and yield of Setaria and wheat. Drought stress from 75% to 50% FC resulted in reductions of 29-40% in Setaria height, 14-27% in Setaria density and 11-26% in Setaria dry biomass. All weeding intervals except 35-49 DAS significantly suppressedSetaria growth as compared with control. Delay in weeding increased weed-crop competition interval and reduced wheat yield and yield contributors. Therefore, the lowest yield of 1836 kg ha-1 was attained for weeding interval of 35-49 DAS at 50% FC. Water use efficiency and harvest index increased with decreasing FC levels but reduced with delay in weeding. Correlation analysis predicted negative association ofSetariadensity with wheat yield and yield contributors and the highest negative association was for harvest index (-0.913) and water use efficiency (-0.614). Early management of Setaria is imperative for successful wheat production otherwise yield losses are beyond economical limits.