California's interior grasslands have undergone dramatic changes during the last two centuries. Changes in land-use patterns and plant introductions after European contact and settlement resulted in the conversion of perennial-dominated grasslands to exotic annual grasses. More recently, the annual grasslands have been heavily invaded by the deeply rooted late-maturing forb yellow starthistle. This series of invasions and conversions has changed the community structure and phenology of the grasslands. We hypothesized that these changes have resulted in significant differences in soil water–use patterns in the grasslands. We studied soil water depletion and recharge patterns of three grassland community types dominated by perennial grasses, annual grasses, or yellow starthistle with contrasting phenology and rooting depths for 4 yr. Soil moisture measurements were taken every month from March to December in 1998, 1999, and 2000 and every other month in 2001. Measurements were taken with a neutron probe at depths of 30 to 150 cm at 30-cm intervals. The results indicate that the yellow starthistle community maintained a significantly drier soil profile than the annual grass community. The perennial grass community maintained an intermediate soil water content that was not significantly different from either of the other two communities. Significant time by community and depth by community interactions indicated that the yellow starthistle community continued depleting soil moisture later into the season and at deeper depths than the other grass communities. This study demonstrates the effect of plant invasion on soil water recharge and depletion patterns in California grasslands.

The study objective was to use demographic information to adjust forage production practices to control the invasive weeds golden chervil and yellow-rattle without herbicides by defining the population dynamics traits that are directly involved in weed responses to farming practices. The principal population traits are capacity for dominance, sensitivity and accessibility of targeted developmental stages, and variation in weed population reactions from year to year. On the basis of demographic surveys of these two weed species when subjected experimentally to various cutting regimes (by date and number), we used matrix simulation models to describe each weed in terms of these traits and to construct species-specific management strategies. Management strategies for golden chervil need to prevent new recruitment by focusing on limiting or eliminating seed production and seedling survival because adult mortality is insensitive to cutting. Grazing to a low residual height is proposed in spring, when seedling emergence is maximal, or when adults reach their apex height to prevent the development of reproductive stems. Cutting before flowering may also efficiently limit seed production. The annual life cycle of yellow-rattle allows more flexibility in its management, even when density fluctuates and is unpredictable. If cutting is scheduled to coincide with peak juvenile height, this can drastically reduce population density the next year, and the population can be eradicated within 3 yr.

Previous research has shown that flumioxazin has the potential to cause peanut injury. In response to this concern, laboratory and greenhouse experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of temperature on germination of flumioxazin-treated peanut seed and the effect of interval between flumioxazin application and irrigation on peanut emergence and injury. Laboratory experiments using 14C-flumioxazin were also conducted to investigate differential tolerance exhibited by peanut, ivyleaf morningglory, and sicklepod to flumioxazin. Flumioxazin treatments containing either water-dispersible granular or wettable powder formulation at 1.4 μmol L−1 did not influence germination compared with nontreated peanut across all temperature regimes (15 to 40 C). Peanut treated with either formulations of flumioxazin preemergence and receiving irrigation at emergence and 2 and 4 d after emergence were injured between 40 and 60%. Peanut treated at 8 and 12 d after emergence were injured between 25 and 15%, respectively. Total 14C absorbed by ivyleaf mornigglory was 57% of applied whereas sicklepod absorbed 46%, 72 h after treatment (HAT). Peanut absorbed > 74% of applied 14C 72 HAT. The majority of absorbed 14C remained in roots of sicklepod, ivyleaf morningglory, and peanut at all harvest times. Ivyleaf morningglory contained 41% of the parent herbicide 72 HAT whereas sicklepod and peanut contained only 24 and 11% parent compound, respectively. Regression slopes indicated slower flumioxazin metabolism by ivyleaf morningglory (a susceptible species) compared with sicklepod and peanut (tolerant species).

Experiments were initiated to determine the amount of time required for postemergence herbicides to render yellow nutsedge physiologically noncompetitive. The rate of net CO2 assimilation (A N) was chosen as the response variable to describe competitiveness. Specifically, the time required after herbicide treatment for A N to drop to 50% of that of the untreated control (A N50) was determined. A N50 values for halosulfuron, imazapic, glyphosate, and MSMA were 1.6, 2.1, 3.2, and 3.3 d, respectively. An A N50 value was not calculated for bentazon because A N rapidly decreased below 50% but recovered to > 50% by 9 d after treatment (DAT). Stomatal conductance to water vapor (g s) declined similarly with A N over time for halosulfuron, imazapic, and glyphosate treatments. However, g s of MSMA-treated plants was near 95% of the untreated control, whereas A N declined to 35% 11 DAT. At 11 DAT, all aboveground biomass was removed, and plants were returned to the greenhouse, and regrowth was determined after an additional 14 d. Yellow nutsedge regrowth for halosulfuron, imazapic, glyphosate, and MSMA was below 5% of the untreated control and was not statistically different. However, regrowth from bentazon was 44% of the control. Therefore, bentazon was the least effective herbicide tested, whereas halosulfuron and imazapic were most effective for yellow nutsedge control.

Three herbicides were compared for their ability to reduce both carbon fixation and soil water depletion by yellow nutsedge in a growth chamber study. Whole-plant CO2 exchange and water use were measured for 11 d after herbicide application. MSMA reduced carbon assimilation relative to the untreated control 1 d after treatment, and by 5 d after treatment respiration exceeded carbon assimilation during the photoperiod; however, MSMA had no significant effect on whole-plant water use during the measurement period. Halosulfuron reduced gross carbon assimilation to 30% of the pretreatment rate by the end of the experiment, but in contrast to MSMA it also strongly suppressed water use. Mesotrione never reduced carbon assimilation below 59% of the pretreatment rate and had no measurable effect on water use. Halosulfuron and MSMA reduced shoot regrowth to between 0 and 5% of the control, whereas mesotrione treatment allowed some 58% regrowth. These results indicate that whereas both MSMA and halosulfuron should provide effective control of yellow nutsedge, halosulfuron may be better able to rapidly suppress the weed's ability to compete for available soil water.

Comparing distributions among fields, species, and management practices will help us understand the spatial dynamics of weed seed banks, but analyzing observational data requires nontraditional statistical methods. We used cluster analysis and classification and regression tree analysis (CART) to investigate factors that influence spatial distributions of seed banks. CART is a method for developing predictive models, but it is also used to explain variation in a response variable from a set of possible explanatory variables. With cluster analysis, we identified patterns of variation with direction of the distance over which seed bank density was correlated (range of spatial dependence) with single-species seed banks in corn. Then we predicted patterns of the seed banks with CART using field and species characteristics and seed bank density as explanatory variables. Patterns differed by magnitude of variation in the range of spatial dependence (strength of anisotropy) and direction of the maximum range. Density and type of irrigation explained the most variation in pattern. Long ranges were associated with large seed banks and stronger anisotropy with furrow than center pivot irrigation. Pattern was also explained by seed size and longevity, characteristics for natural dispersal, species, soil texture, and whether the weed was a grass or broadleaf. Significance of these factors depended on density or type of irrigation, and some patterns were predicted for more than one combination of factors. Dispersal was identified as a primary process of spatial dynamics and pattern varied for seed spread by tillage, wind, or natural dispersal. However, demographic characteristics and density were more important in this research than in previous research. Impact of these factors may have been clearer because interactions were modeled. Lack of data will be the greatest obstacle to using comparative studies and CART to understand the spatial dynamics of weed seed banks.

Greenhouse and laboratory studies were conducted to examine the activity and foliar absorption of foramsulfuron in giant foxtail and woolly cupgrass with various adjuvants. Adjuvant selection was important for giant foxtail control. Foramsulfuron provided 90% or greater giant foxtail control with the addition of methylated seed oil (MSO) or MSO plus 28% urea ammonium nitrate (UAN). When a crop oil concentrate (COC) or a nonionic surfactant (NIS) was added to foramsulfuron, giant foxtail control was only 20%. However, when 28% UAN was added to COC or NIS, control was increased to 90 and 85%, respectively. Foramsulfuron absorption and control were closely related in giant foxtail. Foliar absorption of 14C-foramsulfuron in giant foxtail ranged between 35 and 90% 24 h after treatment (HAT) depending on adjuvant selection. The rate of absorption was greatest when MSO plus 28% UAN was added to foramsulfuron and absorption was maximized 4 HAT. Foramsulfuron absorption in woolly cupgrass reached its maximum levels 2 HAT with all adjuvant combinations. Although the rate of foramsulfuron absorption was quicker in woolly cupgrass, absorption trends by adjuvants were similar to those in giant foxtail. Maximum absorption of 14C-foramsulfuron in woolly cupgrass was 84% with the addition of MSO plus 28% UAN. However, even with high levels of absorption, woolly cupgrass control with foramsulfuron was poor and may be related to rapid metabolism to nonphytotoxic compounds.

A field microplot experiment was conducted in 1996 and 1997 to determine the influence of root-knot nematodes on intra- and interspecific interactions between chile pepper (chile) and spurred anoda and between chile and yellow or purple nutsedge (or both) using a substitution design. An additional objective was to determine the influence of London rocket, a winter annual and host plant for root-knot nematodes, on the inter- and intraspecific interactions between chile and spurred anoda. Twelve plant combinations were planted into paired 76-cm-diam microplots at a density of 24 plants per microplot each year. Each pair of microplots had one root-knot nematode–infested and one uninfested plot. One randomly selected plant pair or triplet from each plot was destructively sampled in June, July, August, and September each year. Data included leaf area, plant dry weights (leaf, stem, root or root plus rhizome, chile fruit, and nutsedge tuber), and nematode egg production from the belowground biomass of the different plant species within a 2,355-cm3 sampled soil volume. Chile hosted the highest population of root-knot nematodes, followed by spurred anoda, purple nutsedge, and yellow nutsedge. Few root-knot nematode eggs were recovered from London rocket before incorporation into the microplots each spring. Root-knot nematode populations were higher in 1997 and, as a result, more interactions between nematodes and plant combinations were observed for chile. Spurred anoda and root-knot nematodes reduced chile shoot and root weights to levels not significantly different from zero in 1997. Yellow and purple nutsedge shoots, except for those from the original tuber, were removed throughout the season, and these species interfered less with chile. Spurred anoda was not affected by interspecific interference. Few interactions were observed between the spurred anoda plant combinations and root-knot nematodes. In June 1996, low populations of root-knot nematodes (< 4,000 eggs per gram of root) stimulated spurred anoda growth, but higher populations in June 1997 (> 30,000 eggs per gram of root) reduced spurred anoda growth. Prior presence of London rocket had little consistent influence on spurred anoda or chile. Yellow and purple nutsedge growth variables were affected by interference from chile and the other nutsedge species. Tuber number and tuber weight were higher when plants were infected with root-knot nematodes, particularly early in the season. The enhanced tuber production may increase early-season interference from nutsedge species under production conditions. The results suggest that the presence of root-knot nematodes influences plant interference, but the effect is species specific. Annual plants are affected differently compared with perennial nutsedges, possibly because of the continuous association between the perennials and the parasite.

Experiments were conducted in the North Carolina State University Phytotron greenhouse and field locations in Clayton, Rocky Mount, and Lewiston-Woodville, NC, in 2002 to determine the effect of glyphosate on pollen viability and seed set in glyphosate-resistant (GR) corn. Varieties representing both currently commercial GR corn events, GA21 and NK603, were used in phytotron and field studies. All glyphosate treatments were applied at 1.12 kg ai ha−1 at various growth stages. Regardless of hybrid, pollen viability was reduced in phytotron and field studies with glyphosate treatments applied at the V6 stage or later. Scanning electron microscopy of pollen from affected treatments showed distinct morphological alterations correlating with reduced pollen viability as determined by Alexander stain. Transmission electron microscopy showed pollen anatomy alterations including large vacuoles and lower starch accumulation with these same glyphosate treatments. Although pollen viability and pollen production were reduced in glyphosate treatments after V6, no effect on kernel set or yield was found among any of the reciprocal crosses in the phytotron or field studies. There were also no yield differences among any of the hand self-pollinated (nontreated male × nontreated female, etc.) crosses. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to examine CP4-5-enolpyruvlshikimate-3-phosphate synthase expression in DKC 64-10RR (NK603) at anthesis, we found the highest expression in pollen with progressively less in brace roots, ear leaf, anthers, roots, ovaries, silks, stem, flag leaf, and husk.

Field experiments were conducted to quantify cumulative and annual rates of woolly cupgrass seedling emergence and seed mortality and to characterize woolly cupgrass seedling emergence patterns. Woolly cupgrass seed bank decline was rapid, declining by an average of 73, 96, and 99.5% after 1, 2, and 3 yr, respectively. Woolly cupgrass seed mortality accounted for a much greater portion of seed loss from the seed bank (80%) than germination and emergence (19.5%) during the 3-yr period. Annual rates of emergence ranged from 3 to 17% of the fall seed bank and were similar between seed banks established in different years when compared within the same year. Annual rates of mortality ranged from 50 to 92% and varied between seed banks established in different years when compared within the same year; older seed banks had higher rates of mortality than younger seed banks. For first-year seed banks, 97 to 99% of the total season emergence occurred within the first 3 wk of emergence. However, for second- and third-year seed banks, a greater percentage of the total season emergence occurred later in the season compared with emergence that occurred during the first year. The data suggest that in addition to various environmental and seed-source factors, seed bank age may also play a role in seed mortality rate and seedling emergence pattern.

The advent of site-specific weed management has generated research aimed at predicting weed spatial distributions from existing weed maps or correlations with soil properties and edaphic factors. Forecasting the spatial distribution of annual weeds requires knowledge of fecundity, dispersal, management, and suitable habitat distribution. We hypothesized that wild oat habitat was limited by field-scale heterogeneity in plant-available water. We eliminated seed number and dispersal limitations by seeding wild oat in areas with and without historical wild oat patches in three similarly managed spring wheat fields that differed in soil properties and wild oat infestations and were situated within a 160-km radius of Great Falls, MT. Wild oat habitat was quantified by wild oat leaf area growth rate, mature shoot biomass, seeds produced per plant, biomass water use efficiency, and competitive ratio with spring wheat. Soil texture and plot elevation correlated with existing wild oat patch areas in individual fields, but no site properties consistently correlated with wild oat patch areas in all three fields. Soil water use (SWU) and almost all habitat-defining variables for wild oat were similar between historic patch and nonpatch areas. Wild oat grew and produced seed regardless of existing patch boundaries and field-scale heterogeneity in SWU. This research suggested that (1) wild oat habitat may be unlimited in cereal grain cropping systems of the Northern Great Plains and (2) soil properties are a poor predictor of weed distribution for a generalist such as wild oat.

Downy brome in dryland winter wheat presents a major constraint to the adoption of reduced tillage cropping systems in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Effective suppression of downy brome during fallow periods depletes seed in the soil and reduces infestations in subsequent winter wheat crops. Delayed tillage operations or delayed herbicide applications in the spring increase the risk for production of viable downy brome seed during fallow periods. In a series of studies, downy brome panicles were sequentially sampled at Pendleton, OR, and Pullman, WA, in 1996 and 1997, and at nine locations around the winter wheat growing region of the western United States in 1999 and 2001. Cumulative growing degree days (GDD) were calculated using local, daily maximum, and minimum air temperature data. A simple GDD model based on the formula GDD = (daily maximum temperature [C] + daily minimum temperature [C])/2, with a base temperature of 0 C and a starting point of January 1, was used to calculate cumulative GDD values for panicle sampling dates. Number of seed germinating per collected panicle was recorded in greenhouse germination tests. Estimations of degree days required for production of viable downy brome seed were made using nonlinear regression of germination on GDD. The GDD value at which viable seed can be found on plants (i.e., when seed germination > 0) was of interest. Estimates of the GDD values at which viable seed could be found in the three studies ranged from 582 GDD at Bozeman, MT, to 1,287 GDD at Stillwater, OK, with a group of GDD values for Pendleton and Pullman around 1,000. Variation in seed-set GDD among locations may be attributed to differing climatic conditions that control vernalization at the various locations or to differences in vernalization requirements among downy brome biotypes (or both).

Germination of weed seed and time of emergence are greatly affected by temperature. The effects of temperature on seed germination of tumble pigweed, prostrate pigweed, smooth pigweed, Palmer amaranth, Powell amaranth, spiny amaranth, redroot pigweed, common waterhemp, and tall waterhemp were examined under constant and alternating temperature regimens at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 C. Averaged over all temperatures, alternating temperature regimens increased total germination of all species, except Powell amaranth, which germinated similarly under both constant and alternating temperatures. In addition, Powell amaranth seed exhibited the highest total germination across all temperatures compared with the other amaranth species. Prostrate pigweed seed demonstrated the lowest total germination. Optimal temperatures for maximum germination were greater than 20 C for all species, except prostrate pigweed. The alternating temperature regimen centering at 30 C was used to compare the germination rates of the nine species. Palmer amaranth and smooth pigweed attained complete germination on the first day. The rate of germination for these species was much more rapid than the other Amaranthus spp., which took 3 to 8 d to reach 50% germination.

Yellow starthistle is an invasive plant of canyon grasslands in north-central Idaho. The distribution of yellow starthistle is associated with general landscape characteristics that include land use and specific terrain-related features such as elevation, slope, and aspect. Slope and aspect can be considered as indicators of plant community composition and distribution. Hence, these variables may be incorporated into prediction models to estimate the likelihood of yellow starthistle occurrence because plant communities differ in susceptibility to invasion. An empirically derived nonlinear model based on landscape characteristics has previously been developed to predict the likelihood of yellow starthistle occurrence in north-central Idaho. Although the model was used to predict the invasion potential of yellow starthistle into new areas, it could also be used as auxiliary data for classifying this weed species in remotely sensed imagery. To accomplish this, the predicted values from the model are regarded as prior information on the presence of yellow starthistle. A Bayesian image classification algorithm using this prior information is then applied to a corresponding set of remotely sensed data. This results in a map indicating the posterior probabilities of yellow starthistle occurrence given the landscape characteristics. This technique is demonstrated and is shown to reduce omissional error rates by 50% when the landscape characteristics are incorporated into the classification process.

Laboratory studies were conducted to evaluate variation in germination response of eight annual bluegrass ecotypes (‘Augusta 4’, ‘Augusta 8’, ‘Augusta 14’, ‘Augusta 17’, ‘Auburn’, ‘Birmingham’, ‘Columbia’, and ‘Purchased’) to photoperiod, temperature, and fenarimol, a fungicide–herbicide used for preemergence annual bluegrass. Seed collected from greenhouse-grown plants and stored for > 2 mo were evaluated under 18 environments (three day and night temperatures by six day and night durations). There was a significant ecotype by environment interaction affecting annual bluegrass germination. High temperature markedly restricted germination, with only the Birmingham ecotype exceeding 20% germination at day and night temperatures of 39 and 29 C, respectively. Maximum germination of all ecotypes was observed at a day and night temperature of 19 and 10 C, respectively. Maximum germination for a specific photoperiod was not consistent across ecotypes; however, all ecotypes germinated to some degree in complete darkness, which indicates that maintaining a dense turf canopy to eliminate annual bluegrass germination may not be completely effective. Ecotypes did not differ with respect to root length response to fenarimol but did vary with respect to shoot length response. Purchased and Columbia shoot growth were the most tolerant to increasing fenarimol concentrations. This information will be used to develop improved management strategies for annual bluegrass.

The root-parasitic broomrape species cause severe damage to field and vegetable crops worldwide. This study evaluated the relationship between small broomrape development and temperature with red clover as a host plant. Red clover plants were grown in soil artificially infested with small broomrape seed in temperature-controlled growth chambers. Parasite development was quantified at 48 different accumulated growing degree days (GDD). Small broomrape parasitism and temperature were strongly related. Small broomrape tubercle initiation was delayed by low temperature. Tubercle development initiated at about 750 GDD and peaked at about 1,100 GDD. Small broomrape biomass accumulation correlated with the increase in tubercle number over time. Parasitism stages were divided into lag, log, and maximum phases that were strongly related to GDD. Development of a predictive system for parasitism growth stage is needed to allow precise herbicide application for effective control before small broomrape shoot emergence.

Jubatagrass is one of the most invasive nonnative species along sensitive natural coastal sites of California. This study was designed to understand the biology of reproduction and seed longevity under field conditions. Jubatagrass can produce over 100,000 wind-dispersed seeds from a single inflorescence. Seeds are produced apomictically, and germination is directly related to seed size. Of the total seeds produced, only 20 to 30% were of ample size to readily germinate when exposed to light and under a temperature range similar to coastal environments. Seeds not exposed to light also germinated but at about 30% the level of light-exposed seeds. This suggests that exposed disturbed coastal sites with moderate temperatures have high potential for germination and establishment of jubatagrass. The percentages of germinable and viable seeds were not significantly different, indicating that jubatagrass does not have a primary dormancy. This was supported by field experiments demonstrating that seeds do not persist under natural conditions for more than 6 mo. These results indicate that an intensive 1-yr control program targeting established seedlings and mature plants should sufficiently manage existing populations. However, effective long-term management of jubatagrass must focus on anticipating environments susceptible to invasion, reducing new seed recruitment, and preventing subsequent seed germination and seedling establishment.

Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the potential of hyperspectral reflectance data collected with a hand-held spectroradiometer to discriminate soybean intermixed with pitted morningglory and weed-free soybean in conventional till and no-till plots containing rye, hairy vetch, or no cover crop residue. Pitted morningglory was in the cotyledon to six-leaf growth stage. Seven 50-nm spectral bands (one ultraviolet, two visible, four near-infrared) derived from each hyperspectral reflectance measurement were used as discrimination variables. Pitted morningglory plant size had more influence on discriminant capabilities than tillage or cover crop residue systems. Across all tillage and residue systems, discrimination accuracy was 71 to 95%, depending on the size of pitted morningglory plants at the time of data acquisition. The versatility of the seven 50-nm bands was tested by using a discriminant model developed for one experiment location to test discriminant capabilities for the other experiment, with discrimination accuracy across all tillage and residue systems of 55 to 73%, depending on pitted morningglory plant size.

The introduction of imazamox-tolerant winter wheat has created an interest in jointed goatgrass × winter wheat hybrids because of the potential for transferring resistance to jointed goatgrass. The literature is void of any information about the occurrence of hybrids in Oklahoma. Therefore, jointed goatgrass × winter wheat hybrids were identified and harvested for characterization and spikelet viability from 2000 to 2002. Mature hybrid height varied from 46 to 114 cm, and spike length varied from 5.0 to 13.8 cm. Hybrid spike color at harvest was darker than mature wheat spike color, and mature hybrid spikes disarticulated intact, unlike jointed goatgrass. More hybrid plants were produced when jointed goatgrass was grown with ‘Dominator’ wheat than with other cultivars. Hybrid spikelet germination was 0.42, 0.97, and 1.10% in 2000, 2001, and 2002, respectively.

Knowing the interference potential of common waterhemp in corn could be beneficial in planning waterhemp management strategies. In 2000, 2001, and 2002, field studies were conducted to examine both early- and late-season common waterhemp interference in corn. Early-season interference was determined by removing common waterhemp at the VE (vegetative emergence), V4 (four visible leaf collars), V6, V8, V10, V12, and V14 growth stages of corn for the entire season, and late-season interference was determined by allowing common waterhemp to emerge and compete from the VE, V4, V6, V8, V10, V12, and V14 corn growth stages. The interference potential of common waterhemp varied between the year 2000 and the combined years of 2001–2002. This is probably due to differences in precipitation in May and June in these two environments (297 mm in 2000 compared with 198 mm in 2001–2002). An excess of 590 g m−2 of dry matter and 13,000 and 1,200 seeds per female plant were produced when common waterhemp emerged at V4 and V6 corn, respectively, the 2 yr that corn was drought stressed. When corn was not moisture stressed, common waterhemp that emerged at V4 and V6 corn produced less than 220 g m−2 and less than 500 seeds per female plant. Season-long common waterhemp interference reduced corn yield 74% in 2 yr of the study and 11% in the third. Early-season common waterhemp interference began at V6 corn, with a 4 and 23% yield loss in 2000 and 2001–2002, respectively. Common waterhemp interference from late-season emergence reduced corn yield when emergence occurred before the V8 corn growth stage. Taking into account early- and late-season common waterhemp interference. the critical common waterhemp–free period was around the V6 corn stage to optimize corn yield.