African mustard (Brassica tournefortii Gouan), turnipweed [Rapistrum rugosum (L.) All.], and African turnipweed (Sisymbrium thellungii O.E. Schulz) are common broadleaf weeds in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) crops, particularly under dryland region conditions in eastern Australia. Information on crop yield losses and the seed production potential for these weeds in chickpea are limited. Field studies were conducted in the winter seasons of 2020 and 2021 in eastern Australia with different densities of the three weeds (B. tournefortii, R. rugosum, and S. thellungii) in chickpea. Based on the sigmoidal model, chickpea yield was reduced by 50% at 11 plants m−2 of B. tournefortii. Based on hyperbolic models, a 50% yield reduction of chickpea occurred at 5 and 25 plants m−2 of R. rugosum and S. thellungii, respectively. Based on the linear model, B. tournefortii, R. rugosum, and S. thellungii produced a maximum of 448,000, 206,700, and 869,400, seeds m−2, respectively. At chickpea harvest, the low seed retention (<55%) of B. tournefortii and S. thellungii suggests limited opportunities for harvest weed seed control, and the seed rain of these weeds may enrich the weed seedbank in the soil. At crop harvest, the seed retention of R. rugosum was found to be greater than 90%, suggesting that it is a suitable candidate for harvest weed seed control. This study demonstrated that R. rugosum could cause a greater reduction in chickpea yield compared with B. tournefortii and S. thellungii. Furthermore, restricting seed rain of B. tournefortii and S. thellungii by not allowing the plants to produce seeds is recommended to reduce their weed seedbanks in the soil. The information generated from this study could aid in strengthening integrated weed management in chickpea.

Italian ryegrass is a major weed in winter cereals in the south-central United States. Harvest weed seed control (HWSC) tactics that aim to remove weed seed from crop fields are a potential avenue to reduce Italian ryegrass seedbank inputs. To this effect, a 4-yr, large-plot field study was conducted in College Station, Texas, and Newport, Arkansas, from 2016 to 2019. The treatments were arranged in a split-plot design. The main-plot treatments were (1) no narrow-windrow burning (a HWSC strategy) + disk tillage immediately after harvest, (2) HWSC + disk tillage immediately after harvest, and (3) HWSC + disk tillage 1 mo after harvest. The subplot treatments were (1) pendimethalin (1,065 g ai ha−1; Prowl H2O®) as a delayed preemergence application (herbicide program #1), and (2) a premix of flufenacet (305 g ai ha−1) + metribuzin (76 g ai ha−1; Axiom®) mixed with pyroxasulfone (89 g ai ha−1; Zidua® WG) as an early postemergence application followed by pinoxaden (59 g ai ha−1; Axial® XL) in spring (herbicide program #2). After 4 yr, HWSC alone was significantly better than no HWSC. Herbicide program #2 was superior to herbicide program #1. Herbicide program #2 combined with HWSC was the most effective treatment. The combination of herbicide program #1 and standard harvest practice (no HWSC; check) led to an increase in fall Italian ryegrass densities from 4 plants m−2 in 2017 to 58 plants m−2 in 2019 at College Station. At wheat harvest, Italian ryegrass densities were 58 and 59 shoots m−2 in check plots at College Station and Newport, respectively, whereas the densities were near zero in plots with herbicide program #2 and HWSC at both locations. These results will be useful for developing an improved Italian ryegrass management strategy in this region.

Growth and development of three wild-proso millet biotypes (Cambridge, LeSueur, and Morris) and one cultivated proso millet (‘Crown’) were compared under noncompetitive conditions in field studies. LeSueur and Cambridge were taller than Crown and Morris at maturity. All wild types had greater leaf area and dry weight at maturity than Crown. Crown headed earlier than the wild types, and among the wild types, Cambridge was slowest to mature. Seed production was 1.4 to 2 times greater for wild than cultivated proso millet, and averaged 48 000, 69 000, 83 000, and 94 000 seeds/plant for Crown, Cambridge, LeSueur, and Morris, respectively. Mean seed weight was 4.0 and 3.8 mg/seed for LeSueur and Morris, respectively, and 5.8 and 5.9 mg/seed for Crown and Cambridge, respectively. LeSueur and Morris seed shattered readily, but Cambridge seed shattered relatively little. Seed dormancy was greater in LeSueur and Morris than in Cambridge. Based on reproductive potential, shattering, and dormancy characteristics, LeSueur and Morris appeared to have more weedy characteristics than Cambridge.