About Book

Weed control is a part of pest control and it is used to control the growth of unwanted injurious and noxious plants called weeds. It is the botanical component of pest control, which attempts to stop weeds, especially noxious or injurious weeds, from competing with domesticated plants and livestock. Weeds compete with crops for space, nutrients, water and light. Insect pests, diseases and weeds are interlinked and complement each other. Individually, each one of these is responsible for a considerable loss by itself but if one remains neglected, it gives rise to the infestation of the other. Weed and pest control plans typically consist of many methods which are divided into biological, chemical, cultural and physical/mechanical control. The aim of this book is to provide an advance overview of weed & pest management with highlights on the areas of major concerns. It provides in-depth detail of weed biology, weed control, genetic diversity, allelopathic weed suppression, alternative control methods, biophoton emissions, biological control agent, herbicide-resistant weeds and cultivars. This book explores all the important aspects of weed and pest control in the present-day scenario. The content coverage in this book should appeal the reader’s concern to upkeep rational decisions about the use of pesticides. It aims to serve as a resource guide for students and experts alike and contribute to the growth of the discipline.

Preface ..................................................................................................................... v

1. Competitive Ability of Rice Cultivars in the Era of Weed Resistance 1

Abstract ........................................................................................................... 1

1. Introduction ................................................................................................... 2

2. Competition between plant species (inter-specific competition) .......... 3

3. Rice traits for weed competitiveness ......................................................... 5

4. Synecology of weeds in rice crops ............................................................. 13

5. Final considerations .................................................................................... 19

2. Biochemical and Molecular Knowledge about Developing

Herbicide-Resistant Weeds ............................................................................... 24

Abstract ......................................................................................................... 24

1. Introduction ................................................................................................. 24

2. Definitions of tolerance and resistance .................................................... 25

3. Herbicide resistance mechanisms............................................................. 26

4. Methods of identify resistance .................................................................. 35

5. Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450S) and evolved

herbicide resistance ..................................................................................... 39

6. Glutathione S-transferases and evolved herbicide resistance ............. 40

7. Taxonomic effects in herbicide-resistant weeds and deployment of

resistant crops .............................................................................................. 41

8. GM crops ....................................................................................................... 42

9. Conclusion .................................................................................................... 45

3. Current and Potential Use of Phytophagous Mites as Biological Control

Agent of Weeds ................................................................................................... 63

1. Introduction ................................................................................................. 63

2. The problem with weeds ............................................................................ 64

3. Weed control techniques ............................................................................. 64

4. Biological control: A weed management approach ................................ 65

5. Classical biological control of weeds: The beginning ............................ 66

6. Mites as biological control agents of weeds ............................................ 66

7. Eriophyoid as biological agents of weed control .................................... 69

8. Aceria lantanae vs. Lantana camara ........................................................ 72

9. Floracarus perrepae vs. Lygodium microphylL-um ............................. 73

10. Could Aceria solstitialis be a prospective biological control agent

versus Centaurea solstitialis? .................................................................... 74

11. Other mite groups used in biological control of weeds ......................... 75

12. Conclusions .................................................................................................. 76

4. Biophoton Emissions in Sulfonylurea-Herbicide-Resistant Weeds .......... 83

1. Introduction ................................................................................................. 83

2. What are biophotons? ................................................................................. 84

3. Biophoton emissions from plants in response to stress ........................ 85

4. How to measure biophotons from plant seg-ments .............................. 88

5. Biophoton emissions in sulfonylurea her-bicide-resistant weeds ...... 90

6. Mechanism for biophoton emission in plants treated with SU

herbicides ...................................................................................................... 94

7. Conclusion .................................................................................................... 96

5. Alternative Weed Control Methods: A Review ........................................... 102

1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 102

2. Allelopathy ................................................................................................. 103

3. Cover crops and living mulches ............................................................. 109

4. Planting arrangement ............................................................................... 114

5. Competitive crop cultivars ...................................................................... 117

6. Nutrient management .............................................................................. 123

7. Biological control ....................................................................................... 128

6. Allelopathy an Environmentally Friendly Method for Weed Control .... 153

Abstract ....................................................................................................... 153

1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 153

2. Allelopathy for Weed Management ........................................................ 154

3. Allelochemicals as natural herbicides ................................................... 156

4. Discussion ................................................................................................... 157

5. Conclusions ................................................................................................ 157

7. Allelopathic Weed Suppression Through the Use of Cover Crops ......... 160

1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 160

2. Production and release of allelopathic compounds ............................. 161

3. Allelopathic compounds ........................................................................... 162

4. Weed control through allelopathy .......................................................... 168

5. Allelopathic potential of cover crops ..................................................... 169

6. Conclusions ................................................................................................ 173

8. Genetic Diversity in Weeds ............................................................................. 180

1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 180

2. Euphorbia heterophylla ........................................................................... 183

3. Euphorbia heterophylla and resistance to herbicides ......................... 185

4. Genetic diversity in Euphorbia heterophylla ....................................... 187

5. Biology and ecophysiology of Conyza spp. ........................................... 195

6. Management and herbicide resistance in Conyza species .................. 197

7. Genetic diversity in Conyza bonariensis and C. canadensis ............. 199

9. Vegetative Response to Weed Control in Forest Restoration ................... 214

1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 214

2. Study sites .................................................................................................. 216

3. Survival of planted seedlings .................................................................. 221

4. Growth of planted seedlings ................................................................... 222

5. Control of competing vegetation ............................................................. 228

6. Comparing growth of crop trees and woody competitors ................. 230

7. Conclusion .................................................................................................. 232

8. Acknowledgement ..................................................................................... 232

10. Weed Biology and Weed Management in Organic Farming ................... 236

1. Introduction ............................................................................................... 236

2. Classification of weed species .................................................................. 238

3. Strategies for weed management ............................................................ 244

4. Weed management strategies under climate change .......................... 262

5. Conclusion .................................................................................................. 263

6. Acknowledgement ..................................................................................... 264

Citation ................................................................................................................ 273

Index .................................................................................................................... 275

About Author

Quan Dolan received his M.Sc. in Plant Science from Public Research University, Idaho. He has authored and edited numerous articles and book chapters in the diverse areas of botany, entomology, plant pathology, nematology and weed science. He serves as a Guest Lecturer in several universities across Europe and teaches courses on plant ecology. His keen research interest areas are pest risk analysis, plant disease control, and plant taxonomy. He has also been an invited speaker at various international conferences.