Summary1. Opportunities for diversifying the management of weedy populations may be enhanced through accurate predictions of seedling emergence, because the timing and success of control measures often hinges on the timing of weed emergence. We used population-based threshold models to establish the temperature, moisture and oxygen conditions for optimum germination of herbicide-resistant and -susceptible Echinochloa phyllopogon, a weed of temperate paddy rice, and applied them to predict emergence from field soil. 2. We combined hydrothermal time for germination, accounting for within-population variation in base water potentials (Ψ b ), with thermal time for early seedling growth to predict the quantity and proportional size of the emergence flushes that constitute final recruitment. 3. Emergence in field soils was reduced by moisture stress and flooding, especially for the resistant population. In all populations, germination rates increased between 9Á5 and 31°C, Ψ b was <À1Á0 MPa, and there was no sensitivity to oxygen supply. 4. Synthesis and applications. Population-based threshold models produced physiologically meaningful germination parameters, which are useful in defining the environmental constraints to germination, and predicting Echinochloa phyllopogon germination and emergence in field soils. By exploring the effects of temperature, water stress and flooding on germination and emergence, we predict irrigation regimes for optimising recruitment and the timing of weed control.

Sarmentine, 1-(1-pyrrolidinyl)-(2E,4E)-2,4-decadien-1-one, is a natural amide isolated from the fruits of Piper species. The compound has a number of interesting biological properties, including its broad-spectrum activity on weeds as a contact herbicide. Initial studies highlighted a similarity in response between plants treated with sarmentine and herbicidal soaps such as pelargonic acid (nonanoic acid). However, little was known about the mechanism of action leading to the rapid desiccation of foliage treated by sarmentine. In cucumber cotyledon disc-assays, sarmentine induced rapid light-independent loss of membrane integrity at 100 μM or higher concentration, whereas 3 mM pelargonic acid was required for a similar effect. Sarmentine was between 10 and 30 times more active than pelargonic acid on wild mustard, velvetleaf, redroot pigweed and crabgrass. Additionally, the potency of 30 μM sarmentine was greatly stimulated by light, suggesting that this natural product may also interfere with photosynthetic processes. This was confirmed by observing a complete inhibition of photosynthetic electron transport at that concentration. Sarmentine also acted as an inhibitor of photosystem II (PSII) on isolated thylakoid membranes by competing for the binding site of plastoquinone. This can be attributed in part to structural similarities between herbicides like sarmentine and diuron. While this mechanism of action accounts for the light stimulation of the activity of sarmentine, it does not account for its ability to destabilize membranes in darkness. In this respect, sarmentine has some structural similarity to crotonoyl-CoA, the substrate of enoyl-ACP reductase, a key enzyme in the early steps of fatty acid synthesis. Inhibitors of this enzyme, such as triclosan, cause rapid loss of membrane integrity in the dark. Sarmentine inhibited the activity of enoyl-ACP reductase, with an I50app of 18.3 μM. Therefore, the herbicidal activity of sarmentine appears to be a complex process associated with multiple mechanisms of action.

Echinochloa phyllopogonis a serious weed of California rice that has evolved resistance to most grass herbicides. We assessed differences in growth, interference, and fecundity between multiple resistant (R) and susceptible (S)E. phyllopogon. Interference with rice by R and S plants was similar, although R plants were shorter and had less leaf area and shoot biomass than S plants. Interference by one S or RE. phyllopogonplant with rice was 2.31 or 2.45 times greater than intraspecific interference by one rice plant, respectively. Interference was mostly driven by root interactions andE. phyllopogonon average produced seven times more root dry weight than rice. DeeperE. phyllopogonroot placement compared with rice may explain niche differentiation between the two species. On average, R plants produced 55% less seeds than S plants. Lower fecundity could compromise fitness of R plants in the absence of herbicide selection, but partial avoidance of seed removal during rice harvest through earlier seed shattering may allow greater soil seed bank replenishment by R plants compared with S plants.E. phyllopogoncontrol is needed to prevent high rice yield losses, and suppressing survivors of initial herbicide treatments is essential to limit seed bank replenishment by R plants. The potential benefits of taller rice varieties with enhanced root competitiveness, and that may be harvested earlier, should be considered.

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Echinochloaoryzicola(syn.E. phyllopogon) is an exotic weed of California rice paddies that has evolved resistance to multiple herbicides. Elimination of seedlingsthroughcertain weed control methods can limit the spread of this weed, but is contingent on accurate predictions of germination and emergence timing, which are influenced by seed dormancy levels.In summer annuals, dormancy can often be relieved through stratification, a period of prolonged exposure to cold and moist conditions.We used population-based threshold models to quantify the effects of stratification on seed germination of four E. Oryzicola populations at a range of water potential (Ψ) and oxygen levels. We also determined how stratification temperatures, moisture levels and durations contributed to dormancy release. Stratification released dormancy by decreasing base Ψ and hydrotimerequired for germination and by eliminating any germination sensitivity to oxygen. Stratification also increased average germination rates (GR), which were used as a proxy for relative dormancy levels. Alternating temperatures nearly doubled GR in all populations, indicating that seeds could be partially dormant despite achieving high final germination percentages. Stratification at Ψ = 0 MPa increased GR compared to stratification at lower water potentials, demonstrating that Ψ contributed to regulating dormancy release. Maximum GR occurred after 2-4 weeks of stratification at 0 MPa; GR were often more rapid for herbicide-resistant than for herbicide-susceptible seeds, implying greater dormancy in the latter. Manipulation of field conditions to promote dormancy alleviation of E. oryzicola seeds might improve the rate and uniformity of germination for seed bank depletion through seedling weed control. Our results suggest field soil saturation in winter would contribute towards E. oryzicola dormancy release and decrease the time to seedling emergence.