Thlaspi Arvense Research Articles

Biofumigation Potential of Field Pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) Seedmeal

Field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) seedmeal was found to suppress seedling germination/emergence and biomass accumulation when added to a sandy loam soil containing wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), arugula [Eruca vesicaria (L.) Cav. subsp. sativa (Mill.) Thell.] and sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia (L.) H.S. Irwin & Barneby) seeds. Covering the pots with petri dishes containing the soil-seedmeal mixture increased phytotoxicity at the lowest application rate, suggesting that the some of the phytotoxins were volatile. Dichloromethane, methanol and water extracts of the wetted seedmeal were bioassayed against wheat and sicklepod radicle elongation. Only the dichloromethane extract was found to be strongly inhibitory to both species. Fractionation of the dichloromethane extract identified two major phytotoxins, identified by GC-MS and NMR analyses as 2-propen-1-yl (allyl) isothiocyanate (AITC) and allyl thiocyanate (ATC), which constituted 80.9 and 18.8%, respectively, of the active fraction. When seeds of wheat, arugula and sicklepod were exposed to volatilized AITC and ATC, the germination of all three species were completely inhibited by both compounds at concentrations of 5 ppm or less.

Developmental Biology of the Cabbage Seedpod Weevil, <I>Ceutorhynchus obstrictus</I> (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in Spring Canola, <I>Brassica napus</I>, in Western Canada

Abstract Aspects of adult host plant preference and preimaginal development of the cabbage seedpod weevil, Ceutorhynchus obstrictus (Marsham), were investigated in spring canola, Brassica napus L., in the Mixed Grassland Ecoregion of western Canada. In spring, overwintered adults initially occurred in high densities on volunteer canola and other brassicaceous weeds. In a mixed stand of Sinapis arvensis L., Thlaspi arvense L., and Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb, weevil numbers were significantly higher on S. arvensis than the other host plant species. Regardless of host plant species, adults were found more abundantly on inflorescences than on leaves or stems. Little adult migration to spring canola occurred when crops were in the seedling and rosette stages, but migration increased significantly to a maximum in the bud and flowering stages. Most oviposition occurred when plants were still flowering but pods on lower racemes were elongating. First instars were most abundant when seeds in lower pods were begi...

Conventional- and conservation-tillage systems influence emergence periodicity of annual weed species in canola

Variation in spring emergence periodicity (both before and after crop seeding) of summer annual weeds is a potentially exploitable attribute that may be applied to weed management in canola. Tillage intensity, which is decreasing in the Great Plains of North America, may influence emergence periodicity of summer annual weeds. Emergence periodicity of common lambsquarters, field pennycress, green foxtail, redroot pigweed, wild buckwheat, wild mustard, and wild oat were monitored during the spring of 2000 in 17 producers' canola fields across southern Manitoba, Canada. The fields represented a region of approximately 2 million ha and included a broad range of soil types, agronomic practices, environmental conditions, and seedbank distributions. Fields were grouped into one of two broad tillage classifications (conventional or conservation). For most species, except redroot pigweed and wild mustard, conservation tillage promoted earlier emergence than conventional tillage in terms of both thermal and chronological time. The differences were significant even though there was only a limited range of tillage intensity for the two tillage classes within this region. Onset of canola crop emergence preceded that of all but one weed species in the conservation-tillage fields and five weed species in the conventional-tillage fields. This suggests that canola seeded in conservation- vs. conventional-tillage systems may have a competitive advantage by way of an earlier relative time of crop emergence. The influence of tillage system on weed emergence periodicity is likely due to the influence of tillage on the vertical origin of weed seedling recruitment because measurements of soil temperature and soil moisture did not help to fully explain the differences in emergence periodicity between tillage systems. The results from this study will facilitate weed control timing decisions in canola and provide validation data for weed emergence models.

Method and time of alfalfa termination affects cereal growth and weed populations

Experiments were established on irrigated land at Lethbridge, Alberta, to determine the effect of timing and method of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) termination on weed abundance, soil moisture and N content, cereal yield and colonization of roots by vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi. Alfalfa growth was terminated using no, minimum, and conventional tillage in either late summer, early fall, or spring. Herbicide was applied or tillage was used to control volunteer alfalfa, dandelion (Taraxacum officinale Weber), stinkweed (Thlaspi arvense L.), and kochia [Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrader] before seeding cereals. Dandelion and volunteer alfalfa density tended to be greatest after no-tillage treatments, and poor in-crop alfalfa control likely reduced cereal yields in no-tillage plots. In contrast, the major in-crop broadleaf weed, redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.), was most dense (7 plants m-2) in tilled plots. Both wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) yields were reduced 9 to 12% after alfalfa termination with no-tillage treatments compared with minimum or conventional tillage. In spring, after seeding, available soil N content averaged 138, 101 and 79 kg ha-1 for conventional-, minimum-and no-tillage plots, respectively; however, fall no-tillage treatments seemed to supply sufficient N for wheat and barley. Soil moisture content tended to be similar after all termination treatments. Wheat and barley responded differently to time and method of termination in terms of seedling root length and colonization by VAM fungi. The percentage of root colonized by VAM fungi was greater on both barley and wheat in no-tillage compared to cultivated treatments. It may be possible to have similar wheat and barley yields after no tillage and tilled alfalfa termination if no-tillage termination is initiated in fall and effective incrop herbicides are used for volunteer alfalfa and dandelion control. Key words: Alfalfa termination, no-tillage, N, vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, weed density

The effects of depth and fluctuating soil moisture on the emergence of eight annual and six perennial plant species

Abstract Weed seedling emergence is partially dependent on biotic and abiotic conditions directly surrounding the seed. When environmental conditions are appropriate, seed germination and emergence occurs. We studied the impact of seeding depth (surface, 1 to 2, 3 to 4, and 6 to 7 cm) and fluctuating soil moisture regimes (field capacity [FC]–1/3FC–FC; FC–1/6FC–FC) on percent weed emergence in a greenhouse. At FC, wild mustard and field pennycress had the greatest percent emergence when seeds were placed on or near the soil surface, whereas percent emergence of barnyardgrass and round-leaved mallow was unaffected by seeding depth. All the perennials tested had the greatest percent emergence at FC when seeds were placed near or on the soil surface, except for common milkweed which only emerged below the soil surface. When soil moisture levels fluctuated, surface seeds of barnyardgrass, catchweed bedstraw, green foxtail, wheat, and wild oat had less emergence than seeds below the soil surface; field pennycr...

Leaf flavonoids of the cruciferous species, Camelina sativa, Crambe spp., Thlaspi arvense and several other genera of the family Brassicaceae

The flavonoid profiles of 22 accessions of Camelina sativa and five other crucifer species, Crambe abyssinica, Crambe hispanica, Thlaspi arvense, Brassica napus, and Sinapis alba, were studied by a combination of liquid, paper and thin layer chromatography. Flavonoids were confirmed by comparison of their characteristics, including colour under UV light, changes to colour under UV with fuming in NH 3 vapour, UV spectra and comparison of RF-values, with those of authentic standards. HPLC-mass spectroscopic data were obtained to confirm identities of several compounds. Flavonoids present in several other crucifer species were identified by TLC only. We report the accumulation of derivatives of the flavonols, quercetin, in C. sativa; quercetin and kaempferol in C. hispanica var. glabrata; quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin in B. napus; and kaempferol and isorhamnetin in S. alba. Derivatives of the flavones, apigenin and luteolin, accumulate in C. abyssinica, C. hispanica var. hispanica and T. arvense leaves.

An in vitro system combined with an in-house quantitation assay for screening hepatitis C virus inhibitors

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a serious global health problem. Interferon-α (IFN-α) and ribavirin have demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of HCV infection; however, these therapies display many side effects. To screen the anti-HCV compounds from plants, we established an in vitro model for inoculation of HCV by centrifugation-facilitated method. The HCV RNA molecules were then quantitated by nested competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (cRT-PCR) using fluorescein-labeled primers, and analyzed by ABI Prism™ 310. The positive and negative strands of HCV RNA were detectable in Vero cells on Day 7 post-infection, suggesting that the HCV RNA was present in the cell model system. The cell culture system was further used to screen the anti-HCV activities of 4 Chinese herbal formulas and 15 formula components. IFN-α showed an antiviral effect. The formulas exhibited no anti-HCV activities, while Arnebia euchroma, Thlaspi arvense, and Poncirus trifoliata displayed anti-HCV activities. Therefore, these results pointed out the possibility by using the cell culture system established in this study to screen the herb extracts for their anti-HCV activities.

Weed hosts of phytoplasmas in the Czech Republic

The research was focused on wild plants that represent possible sources of phytoplasma infection. Thirteen species of wild herbaceous plants with symptoms of shoot proliferation, phyllody, virescence, sterility or yellowing have been collected from different locations of the Czech Republic. To detect and identify phytoplasmas, plants were subjected to electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, PCR, and RFLP analysis. There were phytoplasma positive species: Matricaria chamomilla, Plantago lanceolata, Plantago media, Silene latifolia ssp. alba, Stellaria media, Taraxacum officinale, Thlaspi arvense, Tragopogon pratensis, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens, Trifolium hybridum, Tripleurospermum maritimum, and Verbascum densiflorum. All the phytoplasmas detected were identified as belonging to the aster yellows group (subgroup 16SrI-B and 16SrI-C). With regard to a relatively high incidence of positively tested plants from several locations, Trifolium species are considered to be one of the most important natural reservoirs of aster yellows phytoplasma within the Czech Republic.

The biology of Canadian weeds. 9. Thlaspi arvense L. (updated)

An updated review of biological information is provided for Thlaspi arvense. Native to Eurasia, the species is naturalized and widely spread in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, including all of Canada's provinces and territories, and has recently spread to temperate regions in the southern hemisphere. It is an annual pioneer of disturbed soils and is an important weed of grain, oilseed, and forage crops in Canada, particularly in the prairies. High levels of erucic acid and glucosinolates can contaminate canola. When present in hay or other fodder, its seeds or leaves can be toxic to animals, as well as contaminate milk and meat with unpleasant flavors. It can serve as a host for insect, nematode, fungal and viral pests of canola and mustard crops. A persistent seed bank, high fecundity, and the growth habit of a hardy winter annual with early- (EF) and late-flowering (LF) strains, all contribute to its ability to compete with crops. Effective herbicides include the sulfonylureas, chlorsulfuron and ethametsulphuron, MCPA, tribenuronmethyl, phenocyacetic acid, flurtamone, 2,4-D, 2,4-D + dicamba, and 2,4-D + picloram. A resistant biotype to Group 2 herbicides, which inhibit acetolactate synthase (ALS), has been found at two to five sites in Alberta in 2001. The potential of T. arvense as an industrial oilseed crop is being investigated. Key words: Stinkweed, Thlaspi arvense, weed biology, field pennycress, fanweed, oilseed potential

Tillage intensity and crop rotation affect weed community dynamics in a winter wheat cropping system

Development of improved weed manage ment systems requires more knowledge on how various weed species respond to changing agronomic practices. A long-term study was conducted to determine weed population responses to various tillage intensities and crop rotations in a winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) dominated cropping system. Weed density and species composition differed with tillage, rotation, year, and date of sampling within years. Weed community dynamics were most affected by year-to-year differences in environmental conditions, followed by crop rotation, and then tillage intensity. Russian thistle (Salsola iberica Sennen & Pau) and kochia [Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad.] densities increased in years of low rainfall and above average temperatures. Winter annual weeds such as downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.) and flixweed [Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl], as well as the perennial weed dandelion (Taraxacum officinale Weber in Wiggers), increased in years where higher than average rainfall was received in fall or early spring. Continuous winter wheat facilitated a dense downy brome infestation to develop over time. Trifluralin is not efficacious on stinkweed (Thlaspi arvense L.) or Canada thistle [Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.] and its use in canola resulted in an increase in these species in a winter wheat-canola rotation. Total weed densities were often greater in zero tillage than in either minimum or conventional tillage. Russian thistle, downy brome, kochia, and redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) were associated with zero tillage while wild buckwheat (Polygonum convolvulus L.), lamb’s-quarters (Chenopodium album L.), flixweed, and wild mustard (Sinapis arvensis L.) were associated with conventional tillage. Perennials such as dandelion and perennial sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis L.) were associated with zero tillage but Canada thistle was associated with conventional tillage. Information will be utilized to implement more effective weed management programs in winter wheat production systems. Key words: Conservation tillage, fallow, multivariate analyses, weed populations, weed shifts, zero tillage

Hyperaccumulation of Zn by Thlaspi caerulescens can ameliorate Zn toxicity in the rhizosphere of cocropped Thlaspi arvense.

The metal hyperaccumulating plant Thlaspi caerulescens is effective in depleting plant-available metals from the soil. We hypothesized that this reduction of toxic metals in the rhizosphere of T. caerulescens would increase the growth of less metal-tolerant plants with their roots permitted to intermingle and develop coincident rhizospheres. The extent of rhizosphere interaction between T. caerulescens and a coplanted nonaccumulator species, Thlaspi arvense, was controlled using barriers. Two media with elevated concentrations of water-extractable Zn were prepared by enriching one soil with zinc oxide (ZnO) or zinc sulfide (ZnS). The shoot mass of T. arvense was increased by 30% when its roots were permitted to intermingle with those of T. caerulescens in the ZnO treatment. The concomitant 2-3-fold reduction in shoot Zn concentration in T. arvense confirmed that its improved growth was associated with reduced uptake and phytotoxicity of Zn. Thlaspi arvense also showed increased growth and reduced metal uptake when cocropped with T. caerulescens in the ZnS treatment. We conclude that the strong Zn accumulation by T. caerulescens might enhance the establishment and development of surrounding less-tolerant species on soils that are naturally- or anthropogenically-enriched with metals.

Seedling establishment early on an abandoned field

The effect of sporadic cultivation on seedling establishment on a field abandoned for 1–4 years was investigated in small-plot trials at Prague-Ruzyně in the spring periods 1993–1995. Cultivation included autumn ploughing, spring harrowing and rolling on all plots that were subsequently left to spontaneous weed infestation. Some plots were then mowed or shallowly cultivated in mid-June and late July, others were left without treatment. No significant differences in seedling establishment were found between plots with different treatments. The number of species varied between years, but without a trend to species enrichment or impoverishment. In all years most species were annuals, and species composition did not change in the course of the experiment. The dominant species were Amaranthus retroflexus, Lamium amplexicaule, Echinochloa crus-galli, Chenopodium album, Silene noctiflora and Thlaspi arvense. Species diversity during the experimental years increased due to decreasing dominance of A. retroflexus.

Assessment of Zn mobilization in the rhizosphere of Thlaspi caerulescens by bioassay with non-accumulator plants and soil extraction

This study used co-cultivated plants as a bioassay to test the hypothesis that the roots of the zinc-hyperaccumulating plant Thlaspi caerulescensmobilize Zn from less-available pools in the soil. Thlaspi caerulescens was grown in uncompartmentalised pots, or pots that were divided by solid or mesh barriers to limit the extent of root intermingling (rhizosphere interaction) with co-cultivated Thlaspi arvense or Festuca rubra. Thlaspi caerulescens did not increase the concentration of Zn in either indicator species, suggesting that T. caerulescens does not strongly mobilize Zn in its rhizosphere. The increase in the shoot mass of T. arvense when its roots were permitted to intermingle with those of T. caerulescens was explained by greater intensity of competition of T. arvense compared to T. caerulescens.

Effect of Tillage on Weed Populations in Continuous Barley (Hordeum vulgare)1

The influence of four tillage systems, varying from intensive to zero tillage, on weed populations and the vertical distribution of weed seeds in the soil was determined at Alliance, Hairy Hill, and Wainwright in northeastern Alberta. The soil was sampled at two depths (0 to 5 and 5 to 10 cm) in fall. Weed seedling emergence in the greenhouse over the winter was assumed to represent the type and amount of weed seeds present in the soil seedbank. Emerged weed seedlings were also identified and counted in the field in spring. In the zero-tillage system, most of the weed seeds were close to the soil surface (0 to 5 cm) at Alliance and Wainwright but were deeper (5 to 10 cm) at Hairy Hill. The winter annuals, field pennycress, shepherd's-purse, and flixweed, and the summer annuals, wild buckwheat and common lambsquarters, increased in the soil seedbank as tillage was reduced, but the higher populations in the soil seedbank did not always result in higher spring seedling populations under zero tillage. In contrast to the seedbank, spring seedling populations of common lambsquarters at Alliance and field pennycress and ball mustard at Hairy Hill were lowest in the zero-tillage system, suggesting that the requirement for herbicides for controlling these weeds in the crop may be least under zero tillage. Both soil seedbank and spring seedling populations of shepherd's-purse at Wainwright and Alliance and of flixweed at Alliance were highest in the zero-tillage system. At Alliance, wild buckwheat seedling emergence in the spring tended to be highest in the minimum-tillage system (one tillage operation prior to seeding). Both soil seedbank and spring seedling populations of green foxtail decreased as tillage was reduced, indicating that green foxtail should become less of a problem under reduced tillage.Nomenclature: Ball mustard, Neslia paniculata (L.) Desv. #3 NEAPA; common lambsquarters, Chenopodium album L. CHEAL; field pennycress, Thlaspi arvense L. THLAR; flixweed, Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb. ex Prantl. DESSO; green foxtail, Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv. SETVI; shepherd's-purse, Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik. CAPBP; wild buckwheat, Polygonum convolvulus L. POLCO.Additional index words: Intensive tillage, moderate tillage, minimum tillage, zero tillage.

An assessment of reduced herbicide and fertilizer inputs on cereal grain yield and weed growth

AbstractAlthough crop production and weed growth could change if herbicides and fertilizer inputs were reduced, the short-term impact in an annual cropping system in the Northern Great Plains is not well understood. Data were collected from 14 sites in Saskatchewan, Canada, to investigate the influence of weed control method (cultural vs. herbicides) and N and P fertilizers on crop yield of fall rye, spring wheat, and barley, and the presence and number of weed species. Cultural weed control included 25% greater crop seeding rate, preseeding tillage closer to the time of seeding, and fertilizer N banding in closer proximity to the seed. Four weed species (wild oat, lambsquarters, wild buckwheat, and field penny cress) occurred more frequently in plots with cultural weed control compared with herbicide weed control for all cereal crops. However, straw and grain yields of all crops were unaffected by weed control method at all sites. The addition of fertilizer had a major impact on crop growth and some weed species. Green foxtail occurred more often in unfertilized compared with fertilized plots for all cereal crops. Straw and grain yields of all cereal crops were higher in fertilized compared with unfertilized plots. Crop yield response to fertilizer inputs was not consistent among sites for the three cereal crops. Producers making drastic reductions in fertilizer inputs may experience reductions in crop yields because of limited nutrient levels. However, the results indicate that herbicide inputs could be reduced or eliminated periodically with no short-term yield loss in cereal cropping systems.

Plant succession in perennial grass strips and effects on the diversity of leafhoppers (Homoptera, Auchenorrhyncha)

The biodiversity of agroecosystems may be enhanced by increasing species richness and structural diversity of vegetation by creating perennial strips. Aims of the study were (1) to describe the plant succession of perennial strips in northern conditions; (2) to clarify the difference in insect fauna between cereal fields and perennial strips; (3) to determine the effect of succession on leafhoppers in perennial strips; and (4) to compare the leafhopper fauna of perennial strips with that of other uncultivated biotopes. Three perennial grass strips (12 m wide, 420 m long) were sown in the middle of cereal fields (15 ha) in 1991 with a seed mixture of timothy ( Phleum pratense), meadow fescue ( Festuca pratensis), red clover ( Trifolium pratense) and white clover ( Trifolium repens). The perennial strips were not mown or renewed after the establishment. In 1992 and 1993 barley and in 1994 spring wheat were grown in the surrounding fields. The composition of plant cover in the grass strips changed over four seasons. The total number of plant species decreased from 23 species in 1992 to 10 in 1995. The change resulted from the dramatic decrease of annual weeds after the first year. Furthermore, the total plant cover declined slightly. The cover of P. pratense increased, whereas that of T. pratense and T. repens decreased. The plant species typical of early succession were annual weeds including Tripleurospermum inodorum and Thlaspi arvense. In the last year, perennial weeds such as Cirsium arvense and Elymus repens became common. Leafhopper abundance and species number were higher in perennial grass strips than in cereal fields. Furthermore, the species composition varied between habitats. Year-to-year fluctuations in leafhopper catches were large. Leafhopper abundance and diversity (Shannon index) were highest in 1993 when 192 sweep net samples contained a total 4680 specimens belonging to 37 species. The plant species richness of the grass strips did not correlate with the abundance and species richness of leafhoppers, which seemed to be more dependent on other factors. Although the plant species number in grass strips decreased clearly during succession, changes in species richness of leafhoppers were not so great. Factors affecting the leafhopper community are discussed.

Subcellular localization and speciation of nickel in hyperaccumulator and non-accumulator Thlaspi species.

The ability of Thlaspi goesingense Hálácsy to hyperaccumulate Ni appears to be governed by its extraordinary degree of Ni tolerance. However, the physiological basis of this tolerance mechanism is unknown. We have investigated the role of vacuolar compartmentalization and chelation in this Ni tolerance. A direct comparison of Ni contents of vacuoles from leaves of T. goesingense and from the non-tolerant non-accumulator Thlaspi arvense L. showed that the hyperaccumulator accumulates approximately 2-fold more Ni in the vacuole than the non-accumulator under Ni exposure conditions that were non-toxic to both species. Using x-ray absorption spectroscopy we have been able to determine the likely identity of the compounds involved in chelating Ni within the leaf tissues of the hyperaccumulator and non-accumulator. This revealed that the majority of leaf Ni in the hyperaccumulator was associated with the cell wall, with the remaining Ni being associated with citrate and His, which we interpret as being localized primarily in the vacuolar and cytoplasm, respectively. This distribution of Ni was remarkably similar to that obtained by cell fractionation, supporting the hypothesis that in the hyperaccumulator, intracellular Ni is predominantly localized in the vacuole as a Ni-organic acid complex.

Positive responses to Zn and Cd by roots of the Zn and Cd hyperaccumulator Thlaspi caerulescens

The effects of localized zinc (ZnO) and cadmium (CdS) enrichment on the allocation of root biomass, root length and partitioning of current assimilate within root systems of the Zn hyperaccumulator Thlaspi caerulescens were investigated using a rhizobox system. The rhizoboxes contained either homogeneous soil or juxtaposed control and metal‐enriched soil. In the heterogeneous treatments the Zn‐enriched soil contained 250, 500 or 1000 mg Zn kg−1. The plants consistently allocated c. 70% of their total root biomass and length into the metal‐enriched soil. Moreover, 70% of the current assimilate (14C) allocated to the roots was localized in the Zn‐enriched soil of the heterogeneous treatments. The concentration of Zn (250–1000 mg kg−1) in the enriched soil had no effect on these patterns of root allocation, nor were there significant effects of the Zn treatments on the total root or shoot biomass of the plants. The positive responses to the localized metal treatments were therefore characterized by a concomitant reduction in root allocation into the control soil. In contrast to T. caerulescens, when grown with juxtaposed control and Zn‐enriched soil the non‐accumulator Thlaspi arvense showed reduced root allocation into a patch enriched with 500 mg kg−1 Zn. In a further experiment, two populations of T. caerulescens that differ in their abilities to accumulate Cd were grown with juxtaposed control and Cd‐enriched soil. The plants from a population that accumulated Cd also showed increased root biomass and root length allocation into the Cd‐enriched soil. Plants from the population that did not accumulate Cd showed no such increase. The possibility that T. caerulescens forages for metals, and the precision of its root allocation with respect to localized metal enrichment is highlighted. The significance of these findings for the selection of hyperaccumulator plants for use in the phytoextraction of Zn and Cd from mine spoils (phytomining) and the phytoremediation of heterogeneous contaminated soils are discussed.

Weed Hosts of Soybean Cyst Nematode (Heterodera glycines) in Ohio1

Abstract: In greenhouse experiments, Ohio accessions of 22 weed species representing 13 dicot families were screened as alternative hosts of soybean cyst nematode (SCN, Heterodera glycines). Purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum), henbit (Lamium amplexicaule), field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense), shepherd's-purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris), and a susceptible soybean (Glycine max) cultivar produced SCN population densities of 510, 155, 73, 1, and 366 cysts/450 cm3 soil, respectively, 5 wk after inoculation with eggs from a race 3 SCN population. Purple deadnettle was also a strong host of race 1 SCN and a weak host of race 6 SCN. Average numbers of eggs/cyst among race 3 hosts were highest in purple deadnettle (357), followed by soybean (292), field pennycress (266), henbit (122), and shepherd's-purse (none detected). To our knowledge, henbit is the only SCN host identified here that has been previously identified as a host. The weeds identified as SCN hosts in this study have a winter annual life cycle in Ohi...

Predicting Decreases in Canola (Brassica napus and B. rapa) Oil and Meal Quality Caused by Contamination by Brassicaceae Weed Seeds

Canola (edible rapeseed) crops are often infested by related weed species. This paper addresses effects that seeds from various Brassicaceae weeds may have on canola oil and meal quality. Seeds of common Brassicaceae weeds were collected from canola fields throughout northern Idaho. These were wild mustard, black mustard, birdsrape mustard, shepherd's-purse, flixweed, tumble mustard, and field pennycress. Collected seeds were physically described by weight, size, and shape and were analyzed for oil concentration, fatty acid composition, and glucosinolate concentration. Seed weights ranged from 0.1 to 2 g/1,000 seed. Oil concentration in the weed seeds ranged from 25 to 38%, with erucic acid levels ranging from less than 1 to 47%. Glucosinolate concentration in the mustard weed seeds was over 100 μmol/g oil-free meal, except for shepherd's-purse, which had only 3.4 μmol/g. Using these data, a simple model predicts that both canola oil and seed meal quality can be adversely affected by contamination with weed seeds. Increased erucic acid concentration in modeled admixtures was the most likely oil quality problem associated with weed seed contamination. Glucosinolate concentration in modeled admixtures was higher than acceptable only in those admixtures that also had erucic acid levels that exceeded canola quality standards. Canola-quality oil and seed meal can be maintained with conspicuous weed seed mixtures up to the 2% maximum allowed in U.S. No. 1 canola. However, canola-quality oil and seed meal was not achieved when a 5% weed seed mixture allowed in No. 2 canola was evaluated with the model.