Competition dynamics of Parthenium hysterophorus in direct-seeded aerobic rice fields

Abstract

Parthenium hysterophorus is a prolific invasive weed species, which infests many crops in over 40 countries around the world. A 2-year field study was carried out to quantify the potential impacts of this weed on direct-seeded rice. Parthenium weed was allowed to compete for 2, 4, 6 or 8 weeks after crop emergence, while full season weedy and weed-free plots were maintained as controls. Parthenium weed plants grew taller and attained more biomass as the competition duration prolonged. The yield and yield-related attributes of rice were negatively affected with increasing competition duration. The season-long competition caused the highest reductions in panicle number (28–34%), panicle length (26–27%), grains per panicle (22–23%) and grain yield (33 and 38%) of rice in both years. Weed competition for 2–8 weeks caused 5–34% and 6–33% losses in rice grain yield during both years, respectively. Importantly, Parthenium weed control after 8 weeks of competition did not improve rice yield significantly. The results suggested that Parthenium weed should be controlled in rice fields between 4 and 8 weeks after crop emergence under direct-seeded conditions to avoid over 10% yield losses.

The Host Range of the Stem-Boring Weevil, Listronotus setosipennis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Proposed for the Biological Control of Parthenium hysterophorus (Asteraceae) in Pakistan

“…Parthenium is rapidly spreading in various parts of Punjab, KP and Kashmir, and is becoming a dominant weed in different terrestrial ecosystems. The weed is highly invasive and is reported as a major weed for agro-ecosystems in Pakistan [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ].…”

Herbicide Program to Control Parthenium hysterophorus in Grain Sorghum in an Arid Environment

“…Its robust growth patterns, efficient reproductive biology, rapid resource acquisition, ability to tolerate abiotic stress, allelopathic capacity, and phenotypic plasticity are among the pivotal traits contributing to its invasiveness and competitiveness [4,[10][11][12][13][14]. Notably, parthenium weed infestations have been linked to significant yield losses in major field crops such as sorghum, maize (Zea mays L.), and rice (Oryza sativa L.) [15][16][17][18]. A recent study by Bajwa et al [19] reported a grain yield reduction of up to 81% in sorghum due to competition from parthenium weed in Pakistan.…”

Parthenium hysterophorus Weed Fecundity and Seed Survival at Different Soil pH and Burial Conditions

“…The small sized seed (2 mm in length) are easily dispersed by water and wind, but most of the spread across the regions were mainly through farm vehicles and machinery and as contaminants in the exported animals' feed as well as other crop seed lots (Kaur et al, 2014). The rapid spread of P. hysterophorus can be attributed to its seed production's prolific nature and its high capacity to adapt to a wide range of environmental conditions (Annapurna & Singh, 2003;Bajwa et al, 2020). Nevertheless, some variation may persist from the plant-environment interactions, ultimately influencing weed invasiveness or infestations (Vilà et al, 2021).…”