Purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus L.) is a globally distributed noxious weed that poses a significant challenge for control due to its fast and efficient propagation through the tuber, which is the primary reproductive organ. Gibberellic acid (GA3) has proven to be crucial for tuberization in tuberous plants. Therefore, understanding the relationship between GA3 and tuber development and propagation of C. rotundus will provide valuable information for controlling this weed. This study shows that the GA3 content decreases with tuber development, which corresponds to lower expression of bioactive GA3 synthesis genes (CrGA20ox, two CrGA3ox genes) and two upregulated GA3 catabolism genes (CrGA2ox genes), indicating that GA3 is involved in tuber development. Simultaneously, the expression of two CrDELLA genes and CrGID1 declines with tuber growth and decreased GA3, and yeast two-hybrid assays confirm that the GA3 signaling is DELLA-dependent. Furthermore, exogenous application of GA3 markedly reduces the number and the width of tubers and represses the growth of the tuber chain, further confirming the negative impact that GA3 has on tuber development and propagation. Taken together, these results demonstrate that GA3 is involved in tuber development and regulated by the DELLA-dependent pathway in C. rotundus and plays a negative role in tuber development and propagation.

Small-seeded vegetable crop production is challenged by poor emergence, stand establishment and canopy development, as well as a lack of effective weed control options. The potential use of plant growth regulators such as gibberellic acid (GA) could enhance early emergence and growth rates while potentially synchronizing weed germination with control tactics. In response, a controlled environment study was conducted to investigate the effects of GA on garden beet, cabbage, carrot, and onion. At 7 d after seeding (DAS) carrot emergence was greater when carrot seeds were treated with 2, 4, 8, 16, or 64 ppm GA compared with nontreated seeds. Total carrot emergence over the study period was 14% greater when seeds were treated with 4 ppm GA compared with nontreated seeds. Treatment of cabbage with as low as 2 to 4 ppm GA increased cabbage emergence rate and total plant emergence over the study period relative to nontreated seeds. Onion response to GA treatment was variable and unremarkable and was hypothesized to be influenced by seed dormancy because emergence was also low with the nontreated seeds. The GA rates that stimulated vegetable crop seed germination and emergence were then explored with three common weed species to determine whether a similar response was observed. If so, GA could be used to stimulate weed emergence in synchrony with management tactics. Palmer amaranth emergence was strongly affected by GA treatment, whereby the total number of emerged plants was 48% greater when 4 ppm GA was applied than in the nontreated check. Velvetleaf emergence at 3 DAS with the 4 and 8 ppm GA was 2.9 and 3.0 plants pot−1, respectively, compared to no emergence in the nontreated pots. Redroot pigweed emergence was not affected by GA treatment at any rate.

Acquisition and germination of seeds are the most desired targets for the improvement of vegetatively propagated crops. In the present study, we developed a potential embryo germination protocol for the Red Globe grape cultivar having a low seed germination rate. Three grape berries at different developmental stages, viz. 50, 60 and 70 days after flowering (DAF), were selected for in-vitro embryo germination. Three growth media, namely Emershad and Ramming (ER), Nitsch and Nitsch (NN) and Murashige and Skoog (MS), and plant growth regulators (benzyl amino purine (BA), 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9 mg/l; indole butyric acid (IBA), 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 mg/l; and gibberellic acid (GA), 0.1, 0.3 and 0.9 mg/l) were screened individually in different combinations with three amino acids, namely cysteine, glutamine and proline (2.0 μmol/l each). The maximum embryos germination percentage recorded at 70 DAF was 63.33, 47.78 and 45.56% in ER, NN and MS media, respectively, supplemented with 0.9 mg/l BA, 2.0 mg/l IBA, 0.9 mg/l GA and 2.0 μmol glutamine. Glutamine was found to have the most significant impact, and it improved the rescued embryos germination. The present study provides a potential recipe for a medium that can facilitate efficient germination of grape embryos.

Timely results from whole-plant, herbicide-resistant weed screenings are crucial to heighten grower awareness. However, the high degree of physiological dormancy of giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida L.) seed exacerbates this process. The most effective methods for alleviating dormancy, to date, are either labor-intensive (embryo excision) or require several weeks (soil stratification). This research describes a conditioning process involving clipping and aeration of seed in water that is highly effective at alleviating dormancy and requires less skill and time compared with previous techniques. Ambrosia trifida seeds were collected over 2 yr at two different collection timings (September 25, “early”; October 25, “late”), subjected to various treatments intended to release dormancy, and evaluated for emergence over 18 d in the greenhouse. The use of germination-promoting chemicals (ethephon, gibberellic acid, and thiourea) generally provided no increase in emergence compared with water and occasionally produced seedlings with abnormal growth unsuitable for further experimentation. Conditioning yielded between 30% and 33% emergence for both early and late collections of seeds with no afterripening period compared with 0% emergence for seeds imbibed in water. Following an 8-wk period of dry storage at 4 C, conditioning yielded nearly 80% emergence for both collection timings, while emergence of seeds imbibed in water was 10% and 27% for early and late collections, respectively. Soil stratification in moist soil for 8 wk at 4 C was the second most effective treatment, yielding 46% to 49% emergence across both collections. Parameters of the Weibull function further indicated the conditioning treatment had the fastest rate of emergence and shortest lag phase between planting and first emergence. Methods to germinate A. trifida without an afterripening period have previously been unsuccessful. Therefore, the seed-conditioning method outlined in this work will be useful in expediting the confirmation of herbicide-resistant A. trifida incidences.

Leafy spurge viable seed production and germination were reduced by 2,4-D applied during flower development and seed formation, in the field. Viable seed production was reduced when 2,4-D was applied at all growth stages after the start of flower bud development. The number of viable seed from untreated plants was 173, while, the number of viable seed from plants treated 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, or 35 d after the start of flower bud development was <1, 4, 7, 31, 53, and 62; respectively. Leafy spurge seed germination was higher in gibberellic acid than in water for seed collected from untreated plants and from plants treated with 2,4-D 7, 14, and 21 d after bud initiation. This research shows that 2,4-D must be applied prior to flower bud development to prevent seed production.

Mechanical wounding broke dormancy and promoted germination of primary dormant pure-line wild oat (Avena fatua L. # AVEFA) caryopses that were in the first physiological stage of dormancy. Caryopses incubated in petri dishes responded to wounding by germinating more rapidly than wounded caryopses incubated in soil. There was no difference in germination between wounded and lanolin-covered wounded caryopses when incubated in soil. The less dormant AN265 caryopses responded to the wounding treatment more rapidly than the more dormant caryopses of M73 in both petri dish and soil incubation systems. Chlorocholine chloride (CCC), an inhibitor of gibberellic acid (GA) biosynthesis, reduced the germination rate of wounded AN265 and M73 caryopses above and at 1 mM, respectively. Application of 25 mM CCC to wounded dormant AN265 caryopses decreased the level of hexose in the embryo to 47% of the control level. There was no significant effect of CCC on the endosperm hexose, embryo and endosperm imbibed fresh weight, and sucrose and starch content. The results suggest GA or GA biosynthesis is the limiting factor to germination.

Greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine effects of AC 94,377, seed depth, and commercially applied seed protectants on emergence and early growth of grain sorghum. Mean height of grain sorghum was increased by 500 to 2000 ppmw AC 94,377 but not by 250 ppmw. Emergence and fresh weight of grain sorghum was not affected. Plants arising from seeds without protectants were taller and heavier than those with protectants intact. Soybean sown in soil containing AC 94,377 at 0.6 to 2.5 kg ai/ha was injured; however, soybean grew normally if seeds were not sown until at least 1 week after applying AC 94,377. Cotton was not injured by AC 94,377.

Four synthetic multiring analogs of strigol (0.1 mM) were effective as germination stimulants of dormant, unchilled seeds of shepherdspurse (Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik. # CAPBP). The effect was concentration dependent and exceeded that produced by 0.1 mM gibberellic acid (GA). The analog treatments resulted in normal, unpigmented seedlings after 7 days, whereas GA treatment led to distorted, nongeotropic, yellow seedlings. The strigol analogs were also more effective in inducing shepherdspurse germination than 10 mM nitrate or 5.0 mM thiourea (ineffective in the dark) and 5.0 mM thiourea plus 4.5 mM ascorbate (germination stimulated, but seedling growth, inhibited). Chilling at 4 C for 11 days reduced the effectiveness of the strigol analogs, but not that of gibberellic acid and thiourea plus ascorbate. Ascorbate acts synergistically with thiourea in promoting shepherdspurse germination. Strigol and epistrigol had no effect on either chilled or unchilled shepherdspurse seeds. The stimulation of dormant shepherdspurse seeds by the synthetic strigol analogs is the first demonstration that these compounds have bioregulatory activity in dormant seeds of genera other than Striga.

Mayweed (Anthemis cotula L. # ANTCO) achenes and seed were germinated in the laboratory at constant temperatures ranging from 5 to 30 C. Maximum percent germination occurred at 20 C for both achenes and seed. Under all conditions tested, achene germination was less than seed germination. Both acid scarification for 15 min and soaking in 14 mM gibberellic acid (GA3) more than doubled achene germination. Pericarp leachate inhibited achene and seed germination only at high concentrations, indicating that inhibitors in the pericarp are not a primary cause of low germination in achenes. Optimum germination of achenes and seed occurred at pH 4.5 and over a range from pH 3 to pH 6. Achene germination was inhibited to a greater degree by moisture stress than was seed germination. It appears that structural integrity of the pericarp is the predominant factor affecting mayweed germination.

Field and greenhouse studies were conducted to evaluate the following growth regulators: ABG-3034, a cytokinin, benzylaminopurine (BAP); alkanolamine salt of 2,4-D; gibberellic acid (GA); isopropylamine salt of glyphosate; kinetin; napthaleneacetic acid (NAA); and PP333, an experimental antigibberellin compound, and the herbicides: dimethylamine salt of dicamba and potassium salt of picloram alone and combined on the growth and control of leafy spurge. The results of greenhouse and field studies show that growth regulators did not enhance the performance of herbicides in controlling leafy spurge.

This research was conducted to determine the environmental conditions necessary for development and expression of very low fluence (VLFR) germination sensitivity, and to determine the roles of type I phytochrome, gibberellic acid (GA) biosynthesis, and nitrate in this process. Redroot pigweed seed was subjected to pregermination incubation regimes of 5, 12, and 23 C for up to 21 d in a −1.2 MPa polyethylene glycol solution in the dark. Development of VLFR sensitivity was most pronounced at 23 C, and induction of germination by the lowest fluence tested (3 μmol m–2) was greater at a germination temperature of 30 than 20 C. In dormant smooth pigweed seed, development of VLFR sensitivity occurred only when seed was subjected to a prechilling treatment to overcome primary dormancy. The instability of the fluence response of seed subjected to pregermination conditions favorable for development of VLFR was consistent with type I phytochrome accumulation and degradation after photoconversion. In redroot pigweed seed, inhibition of GA biosynthesis during pregermination incubation resulted in the partial attenuation of VLFR sensitivity. The addition of 75 ppm nitrate to pregermination and germination media enhanced VLFR sensitivity. Our results suggest that development of VLFR sensitivity is due to cooperative action between type I phytochrome and phytochrome-independent GA biosynthesis. In the soil seedbank, this sensitivity may be augmented in elevated soil nitrate environments.

Earlier studies on the source of signals controlling correlative inhibition of root buds (underground adventitious buds located on the lateral roots) in Euphorbia esula indicated that either growing meristems (apical or axillary buds) or fully expanded leaves could prevent root buds from breaking quiescence. An investigation of the production and transport requirements of the leaf-derived signal is described. As few as three leaves remaining on budless stems greatly reduced the growth of (but not the number of growing) root buds. Also, light and CO2 fixation were necessary for the leaf effects on root bud growth, but not necessary for correlative inhibition imposed by growing axillary buds. Treatment of plants with Ametryn induced root bud growth on budless plants but not on plants with intact axillary buds. The polar auxin transport inhibitor N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid prevented transmission or the signal from growing axillary buds, but it had only a minor effect on the transmission of the leaf-derived signal. Treatment of plants with gibberellic acid (GA) induced growth of root buds under otherwise noninducing conditions to some extent in all plants. However, the greatest effects of GA were on plants with intact leaves (meristemless/budless and meristemless). GA had no significant effect on root bud quiescence under conditions that induced root bud growth.

Goatweed seeds require light for germination, with optimum germination occurring at 25/20 or 30/25 C day/night temperatures. Germination was 8.5% 7 days after incubation at 20/15 C. At 15/10 C, no germination occurred, irrespective of the light treatment. Chilling at 4 C for 10 days prior to incubation at 30/25 C did not induce germination of dark-incubated seeds and had no effect on germination of light-incubated seeds. A photoperiod of at least 1 h daily was required to induce germination. Maximum germination, however, occurred with a 9-h photoperiod. Light intensity as low as 25 μE·m–2·s–1 induced germination of goatweed seeds. Germination percentage increased with an increase in light intensity. Treatment with 1 mM gibberellic acid or 10 or 100 mM sodium nitrate or ammonium nitrate solution was effective in enhancing germination of light-incubated seeds, but not in inducing germination of dark-incubated seeds. Ammonium nitrate at 10 and 100 mM was more effective than sodium nitrate at the same concentrations in enhancing germination of goatweed seeds in the light. Ammonium chloride did not increase percent germination over that of seeds incubated in distilled water in the light. Germination percentage was maximum at pH 10 and at osmotic potentials 0.0 MPa.

Dark germination of light-requiring lettuce seeds (Lactuca sativa L. ‘Grand Rapids’) was stimulated by SAN 9789 [4-chloro-5-(methylamino-2-(α,α,α-trifluoro-m-tolyl)-3(2H)-pyridazinone] and to a minor degree by BASF 13761 [4-chloro-5-methoxy-2-phenyl-3(2H)-pyridazinone] and BASF 44521 [4-chloro-5-methoxy-2-(α,α,α-trifluoro-m-tolyl)-3(2H)-pyridazinone], but not by’ pyrazon [5-amino-4-chloro-2-phenyl-3(2H)-pyridazinone], SAN 9785 [4-chloro-5-(dimethylamino)-2-phenyl-3 (2H)-pyridazinone], SAN 9774 [5-amino-4-chloro-2-(α,α,α-trifluoro-m-tolyl)-3(2H)-pyridazinone], or SAN 6706 [4-chloro-5-(dimethylamino)-2-(α,α,α-trifluoro-m-tolyl)-3(2H)-pyridazinone]. SAN 9789 stimulation was inhibited by cis-4-cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboximide (CHDC), and abscisic acid (ABA) at 1 × 10-4 M. Red light nullified the inhibitory effect of CHDC (1 × 10-4 M) but not the inhibitory effect of ABA (1 × 10-4 M) on SAN 9789 stimulated germination. Gibberellic acid (GA3) and kinetin (6-furfurylaminopurine) increased the germination stimulatory effect of SAN 9789 in darkness. Temperatures above 25 C decreased the effect of SAN 9789, with a temperature of 35 C completely inhibiting germination. The inhibitory effect of CHDC was strongly decreased at temperatures below 20 C. SAN 9789-induced germination in darkness was always the same (25 to 26% units increase in germination) even though the red light-stimulated germination differed with the seed batch.

Experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of shading on and location of the mother plant on germination and hormone content of Palmer amaranth seed. Increasing the shading from 0 to 87% decreased germination of fresh, viable seeds in dark from 25 to 12%. Abscisic acid (ABA) content of seeds from plants in 0% shade increased from 13.3 ng g−1 dry seed to 19.1 ng g−1 dry seed with 87% shade. Shading of the mother plant did not influence the 1,000-seed weight of Palmer amaranth. Seeds that matured in the top and middle third of the mother plant had 67 to 78% greater germination than those that matured in the bottom third of the mother plant. Endogenous gibberellic acid (GA) content of seeds did not differ between locations on the mother plant; however, the ABA content of seeds produced on the bottom third of the plant was 46 and 59% higher than the ABA content of seeds produced at the middle and top third of the plant, respectively. Endogenous ABA or GA content of seeds and 1,000-seed weight had no relationship with seed germination over and above the treatment effects. This research suggests that shading and plant location can influence germination of fresh, viable seeds of Palmer amaranth, which will be a dormancy strategy for seed dispersal over time.

Microarray analysis was used to follow changes in gene expression coinciding with seasonal changes in the dormancy status of crown buds of field-grown leafy spurge. Known cold-regulated genes were induced, and numerous gibberellic acid–responsive genes were down-regulated during the transition from paradormancy to endodormancy. Genes involved in photomorphogenesis were induced during endodormancy. Also, ethylene signaling responses were observed during ecodormancy rather than endodormancy. These results provide additional insights into the signals regulating expression of several genes previously associated with transition from paradormancy to growth in root buds.

Concern has been raised that herbicides often used to control perennial ryegrass in warm-season turf could move laterally or “track” and injure neighboring cool-season grasses. Rimsulfuron was applied at 17.5 or 35 g ai/ha to perennial ryegrass in the afternoon. The following morning, while dew was still present, a greens mower was driven through the perennial ryegrass and across the adjacent creeping bentgrass. When evaluated 5, 10, and 25 d after treatment, visible track length and creeping bentgrass injury were greatly reduced by irrigating perennial ryegrass 2 h after treatment or by irrigating both perennial ryegrass and creeping bentgrass prior to simulated mowing. Visible injury of tracked turfgrass persisted for 36 d after treatment when irrigation was not applied and for as few as 5 d when both perennial ryegrass and creeping bentgrass were irrigated. Irrigation had no effect on perennial ryegrass control. Gibberellic acid at 0.12 kg ai/ha and foliar iron at 1.3 kg ai/ha, applied when tracks first appeared, did not improve the recovery of injured creeping bentgrass. Our results suggest that when applying rimsulfuron near susceptible bentgrass, the lowest effective rate should be applied and that the bentgrass should be irrigated at least 2 h after treatment to prevent nontarget injury.

Ripgut brome is a difficult weed to manage in cereal crops of southern Australia because only a few herbicides can provide effective control in cereals. Knowledge of seed-dormancy mechanisms, germination ecology, and emergence behavior in the field could facilitate development of effective weed control programs for this weed species. Ripgut brome populations from cropping fields were found to possess much longer seed dormancy than that reported previously in the literature. Furthermore, some ripgut brome populations from cropping fields showed longer seed dormancy than those collected from adjacent noncropped fence lines. For example, all seeds of one of the populations from the fence line (SA-1F) germinated at 3 mo after maturity, whereas seeds from the cropping field at the same site (SA-1C) showed little germination (< 3%) even at 8 mo after maturity. These highly dormant ripgut brome populations from cropping fields were responsive to cold stratification, with germination increasing significantly after 2 to 14 d of exposure. Germination of dormant ripgut brome populations increased with addition of gibberellic acid (0.001 M GA3), particularly when lemma and palea had been removed. Ripgut brome populations from cropping fields (VIC-2C and SA-1C) showed strong inhibition of seed germination when exposed to light. These differences in seed dormancy among ripgut brome populations were also expressed in seedling emergence pattern in the field. The nondormant populations collected from fence lines showed high seedling establishment (> 80%) during autumn, which coincided with the planting time of winter crops in southern Australia. In contrast, five populations from cropping fields showed much lower seedling establishment (3 to 17%) before the time of crop planting. Delayed seedling establishment in populations from cropping fields could lead to less effective preseeding weed control and higher weed infestations in field crops. Results of this study also showed that the seedbank of these highly dormant ripgut brome populations can readily persist from one year to the next. Effective management of ripgut brome populations with long seed dormancy and increased seedbank persistence would require a major change in cropping systems used by the growers in southern Australia.

Glyphosate treatments to glyphosate-resistant (GR) cotton can cause increased fruit loss compared with untreated plants, likely due to reductions in pollen viability and alterations in floral morphology that may reduce pollination efficiency. This study was conducted to determine whether both stamen and pistil are affected by glyphosate treatments by measuring seed set from reciprocal reproductive crosses made between glyphosate-treated GR, untreated GR, and conventional nontransgenic cotton. Pollen viability was 51 and 38% lower for the first and second week of flowering, respectively, in GR plants treated with a four-leaf postemergence (POST) treatment and an eight-leaf POST-directed treatment of glyphosate than in GR plants that were not treated. Seed set per boll was significantly reduced when the pollen donor parent was glyphosate treated vs. untreated for the first 2 wk of flowering. There were no significant differences between treatments applied to male parents as measured by seed set at Weeks 3 and 4 of flowering. Seed set was not influenced by glyphosate treatments applied to female parents at any time. Retention of bolls resulting from crosses was reduced by glyphosate treatment of male parents during the first and third week of flowering but was not affected by glyphosate treatment of female parents. The application of gibberellic acid (GA), which has been shown to reverse male sterility in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) and to enhance boll retention in cotton, was investigated for similar effects in glyphosate-treated GR cotton. The GA treatments to glyphosate-treated plants increased the anther–stigma distance 12-fold, stigma height, and pollen viability in the second week of flowering but decreased the number of seeds in second-position bolls on Fruiting branches 1 through 3, decreased the number of first-position bolls per plant, and increased the number of squares in comparison with glyphosate-treated GR plants not receiving GA. Although GA applications to glyphosate-treated GR cotton have some remedial effect on pollen viability, the GA-induced increase in the anther–stigma difference exacerbates the increase in anther–stigma distance caused by glyphosate, resulting in low pollination.