Experiments were conducted on the seed of turnipweed collected from southern Australia. Seed germinated over a range of temperatures (25/15, 20/12, and 15/9 C) under both light/dark and dark conditions. Regardless of the light condition, germination of naked seed (63 to 88%) was greater than the seed in intact silique (0 to 13%). Seed germination was relatively unaffected (greater than 60%) at a low level of salinity (80 mM NaCl), and some germination occurred even at 160 mM NaCl (11%). Seed germination decreased as osmotic potential decreased from 0 to −1.0 MPa; however, some germination occurred even at an osmotic potential of −1.0 MPa (22%). Seed germination was greater than 76% over a pH range of 4 to 10. Seedling emergence of turnipweed was greater (60%) for seed buried at 1 cm than on the soil surface (23%). No seedlings emerged from seed buried at 5 cm. Information gained in this study will be important in developing a better understanding of the requirements for turnipweed germination and emergence.

Continuous use of herbicides has triggered a phenomenon called herbicide resistance. Nowadays, herbicide resistance is a worldwide problem that threatens sustainable agriculture. A study of over a decade on herbicides in Iran has revealed that herbicide resistance has been occurring since 2004 in some weed species. Almost all the results of these studies have been published in national scientific journals and in conference proceedings on the subject. In the current review, studies on herbicide resistance in Iran were included to provide a perspective of developing weed resistance to herbicides for international scientists. More than 70% of arable land in Iran is given over to cultivation of wheat, barley, and rice; wheat alone covers nearly 52%. Within the past 40 years, 108 herbicides from different groups of modes of action have been registered in Iran, of which 28 are for the selective control of weeds in wheat and barley. Major resistance to ACCase-inhibiting herbicides has been shown in some weed species, such as winter wild oat, wild oat, littleseed canarygrass, hood canarygrass, and rigid ryegrass. With respect to the broad area of wheat crop production and continuous use of herbicides with the sole mechanism of action of ACCase inhibition, the provinces of West Azerbaijan, Tehran, Khorasan, Isfahan, Markazi, and Semnan are at risk of resistance development. In addition, because of continuous long-term use of tribenuron-methyl, resistance in broadleaf species is also being developed. Evidence has recently shown resistance of turnipweed and wild mustard populations to this herbicide. Stable monitoring of fields in doubtful areas and providing good education and training for technicians and farmers to practice integrated methods would help to prevent or delay the development of resistance to herbicides.

During 2004 to 2008, weed surveys were conducted in 373 wheat fields of two different cropped areas (southwest [SW] and southeast [SE]) of the southern region of Buenos Aires Province of Argentina where different weed communities were expected because of changes in cropping practices over time, including tillage, crop sequence, fertilizers, and herbicides applied. Weed communities differed between regions, with greater numbers of native species for the SW. Weed community diversity was also greater for the SW region, probably due to the more diverse land use that resulted in greater landscape heterogeneity. Rush skeletonweed, sand rocket, yellow starthistle and turnipseed occurred at higher constancy (proportion of fields in which a given species is present) in the SW region, whereas common chickweed, false bishop's weed, corn speedwell, and common lambsquarters were present more frequently in the SE region. Compared with the 1982 survey, constancy of weeds increased, but those species with high constancy in 1982 were also with high constancy in the recent surveys. Diversity (species richness) was greater in conventional than in a no-tillage system. The constancy of Italian ryegrass, sand rocket, and yellow starthistle was lower under no-till than conventional tillage. Surveys allow identification of changes in weed community related to different agricultural systems. Rotation of crops and livestock avoid the homogenization of the environment at the landscape level. Management strategies will be necessary to prevent the increase of weeds populations' size, preserving plant diversity and the properties of the agroecosystem.