Biology and management of Avena fatua and Avena ludoviciana: two noxious weed species of agro-ecosystems

Abstract

Avena fatua and Avena ludoviciana are closely related grass weed species infesting a large number of crops around the world. These species are widely distributed in diverse agro-ecosystems from temperate to sub-tropical regions due to their unique seed traits, successful germination ecology, high competitive ability, and allelopathic potential. A. fatua is more widespread, adaptable, and problematic than A. ludoviciana. Both these species infest major winter and spring crops, including wheat, oat, barley, canola, maize, alfalfa, and sunflower, causing up to 70% yield losses depending on crop species and weed density. Chemical control has been challenged by large-scale herbicide resistance evolution in these weed species. A. fatua is the most widespread herbicide-resistant weed in the world, infesting about 5 million hectares in 13 countries. The use of alternative herbicides with different modes of action has proved effective. Several cultural practices, including diverse crop rotations, cover crops, improved crop competition (using competitive cultivars, high seed rates, narrow row spacing, altered crop geometry), and allelopathic suppression, have shown promise for controlling A. fatua and A. ludoviciana. The integrated use of these cultural methods can reduce the herbicide dose required, and lower dependency on herbicides to control these grasses. Moreover, integrated management may successfully control herbicide-resistant populations of these weed species. The use of integrated approaches based on the knowledge of biology and ecology of A. fatua and A. ludoviciana may help to manage them sustainably in the future.

Automated phenotyping for early vigour of field pea seedlings in controlled environment by colour imaging technology

“…Field pea is a very poor competitor against weeds compared to other crops due to its weak early vigour at the seedling stage [ 8 , 9 ]. Globally, herbicides are widely used for weed control during pea cultivation, and although instantly effective, overuse of herbicides with similar active ingredients and modes of action is resulting in herbicide resistant weed biotypes [ 10 ] and increased production costs [ 11 ]. Herbicides can also potentially affect rhizobium and symbiotic nitrogen fixation with field pea, causing smaller positive impacts on subsequent crop rotations [ 12 ].…”

Modeling emergence of sterile oat (Avena sterilis ssp. ludoviciana) under semiarid conditions

“…Avena fatua infests wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crops in the mountainous areas of northern Spain where winters are cold, while A. sterilis is more abundant in the warm central and southern regions of the Iberian Peninsula (Fernández-Quintanilla et al 1997;García Baudín 1982). These tall grasses are considered especially worrisome due to their strong competitive ability, reducing cereal crop yields between 10% and 60% (Bajwa et al 2017;Fernández-Quintanilla et al 1997). This success of A. sterilis as a weedy species is explained, in part, by its high seed production, earlier shedding of seeds (Barroso et al 2006), and the capacity of its seeds to remain dormant in the seedbank for several years (Bajwa et al 2017).…”

Is Every Wild Species a Rich Source of Disease Resistance? Avena fatua L.—Potential Donor of Resistance to Powdery Mildew

“…It is a wild oat that is widespread all over the world, growing in various climatic zones from the tropics to the polar circle. A. fatua is considered to be one of the worst annual weeds in temperate zone cereals [ 28 , 29 ], causing enormous problems in agriculture [ 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ]. Loskutov and Rines [ 1 ] have concluded that this species is a source of resistance to various oat diseases.…”