The Weed's News Digest

Abstract: Natural and anthropogenic site characteristics play a role in determining the current distribution of invasive plant species. An understanding of these characteristics can be used to prioritize areas for monitoring and control efforts and to determine appropriate management actions to lower site invasion risk. We used species distribution models to look for attributes associated with invasion and to determine the extent to which these attributes varied across a suite of species. We modeled the presence-absence of 11 invasive plant species along riparian areas in the northwestern United States using the model Random Forests. We found that climate variables were most important for predicting species distributions across the large study area and factors related to nutrients, land cover, and disturbance had moderate importance. We also found that there was a general pattern related to invasion for almost all species. Invasion was more likely to occur at hotter, drier sites near roads in unforested areas. In addition, high nutrient levels and proximity to streams with lower baseflow values also generally increased the likelihood that at least one invasive species would be present. Examining patterns across a broad range of regions can help suggest general mechanisms of invasion as well as provide region-specific management recommendations. [ Menuz, D.R. & Kettenring, K. R. (2013). The importance of roads, nutrients, and climate for invasive plant establishment in riparian areas in the northwestern United States. Biological Invasions, 15 (7):1601-1612]

Abstract: Alopecurus myosuroides is the most important herbicide-resistant weed in Europe, occurring in at least 10 countries (Moss et al., 2007). This study reviews 52 field experiments, mostly from the UK, studying the effects of cultivation techniques, sowing date, crop density and cultivar choice on Alopecurus myosuroides infestations in cereal crops. Where possible, a statistical meta-analysis has been used to calculate average responses to the various cultural practices and to estimate their variability. In 25 experiments, mouldboard ploughing prior to sowing winter cereals reduced A. myosuroides populations by an average of 69%, compared with non-inversion tillage. Delaying drilling from September to the end of October decreased weed plant densities by approximately 50%. Sowing wheat in spring achieved an 88% reduction in A. myosuroides plant densities compared with autumn sowing. Increasing winter wheat crop density above 100 plants m−2 had no effect on weed plant numbers, but reduced the number of heads m−2 by 15% for every additional increase in 100 crop plants, up to the highest density tested (350 wheat plants m−2). Choosing more competitive cultivars could decrease A. myosuroidesheads m−2 by 22%. With all cultural practices, outcomes were highly variable and effects inconsistent. Farmers are more likely to adopt cultural measures and so reduce their reliance on herbicides, if there were better predictions of likely outcomes at the individual field level. [Lutman PJW, Moss SR, Cook S & Welham SJ (2013). A review of the effects of crop agronomy on the management of Alopecurus myosuroides. Weed Research, online 03 June 2013.] Comment

Abstract:The effects of farming system on plant density and flowering of dicotyledonous herbs of high value for bees were investigated in 14 organic and 14 conventional winter wheat fields and adjacent road verges. The organic and conventional winter wheat fields/road verges were paired based on the percentage of semi-natural habitats in the surrounding landscape at 1-km scale. Mean density of high value bee plants per Raunkiaer circle was significantly higher in organic winter wheat fields and their adjacent road verges than in their conventionally farmed counterparts. The effect of organic farming was even more pronounced on the flowering stage of high value bee plants, with 10-fold higher mean density of flowering plants in organic fields than in conventional fields and 1.9-fold higher in road verges bordering organic fields than in those bordering conventional fields. In summary, organic farming had a strong positive effect in both road verges and wheat fields on the density of high value bee plants. This was due to the absence of herbicides and to practices inherent to organic farming systems, such as the use of clover (a high value bee plant) as a green manure and fodder crop. [Henriksen, C. I. & Langer, V. (2013). Road verges and winter wheat fields as resources for wild bees in agricultural landscapes. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 173 (1):66–71] Comment

Abstract: Phragmites australis (common reed) is widespread in North America, with native and nonnative haplotypes. Many ecologists and wetland managers have considered P. australis a weed with little value to the native biota or human society. I document important ecosystem services of Phragmites including support for many common and rare species of plants and animals. This paper is based on an extensive review of the ecology and natural history literature, discussions with field workers, and observations in 13 U.S. states and one Canadian province during the past 40 years. Phragmites sequesters nutrients, heavy metals, and carbon, builds and stabilizes soils, and creates self-maintaining vegetation in urban and industrial areas where many plants do not thrive. These non-habitat ecosystem services are proportional to biomass and productivity. Phragmites was widely used by Native Americans for many purposes; the most important current direct use is for treatment of wastes. Most knowledge of non-habitat ecosystem services is based on studies of Phragmites australis haplotype M (an Old World haplotype). Phragmites also has habitat functions for many organisms. These functions depend on characteristics of the landscape, habitat, Phragmites stand, species using Phragmites, and life history element. The functions that Phragmites provides for many species are optimal at lower levels of Phragmites biomass and extent of stands. Old World Phragmites, contrary to many published statements, as well as North American native Phragmites, provide valuable ecosystem services including products for human use andhabitat functions for other organisms. Phragmites stands may need management (e.g., thinning, fragmentation, containment, or removal) to create or maintain suitable habitat for desired species of animals and plants. [Erik Kiviat (2013). Ecosystem services of Phragmites in North America with emphasis on habitat functions. AoB Plants, on-line 18 Feb 2013.] [Photo: Creek bordered by common reed (Phragmites australis), Empire Tract, Hackensack Meadowlands, New Jersey. Creeks like this are used by ducks in bad weather, muskrat, dragonflies, and several species of fishes. Photograph by Erik Kiviat.] Comment

[Roads & Bridges April 2013] -- For the past 50 years or more, mowing and herbicides have been the predominant methods used to manage USA's nationwide roadside vegetation. New environmental laws, reduced budgets and increased public interests necessitate finding more environmentally sensitive methods, incorporating new technologies, incurring lower maintenance costs and finding cost-effective alternatives to today’s methods of management of roadside vegetation. The Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) is committed to reducing pesticide use in their transportation rights-of-way and therefore funded a study to look at various options for controlling vegetation under guardrails while maintaining functionality. The area adjacent to the guardrail must be kept clear of vegetation to allow clear visibility of the barrier. Robert Moosmann of Maine DOT explained that control of vegetation under and behind guardrails would restrict the buildup of debris, which includes sand and sediment that prevent proper sheet flow of water off the road surface. With unmanaged vegetation, rills develop behind the guardrail as water channels to points of least resistance and results in erosion. But low-growing grasses planted under guardrails can increase biofiltration of storm-water runoff. Some states use mowing and hand trimming (mechanical control) as their primary management tool. Mowing, while evaluated as the most cost efficient currently available option in a California study, is often not feasible because of mower size and the inability to maneuver the mowing head around and under the guardrails. Hand trimming is time consuming and labor intensive as well as dangerous because of operator exposure working between traffic and the barriers. With cultural control, a plant species is established that will compete with and suppress growth of the unwanted brush. A dense stand of low-growing plants is referred to as living mulch. White clover was tested as living mulch but did not establish successfully enough to compete with weeds. Where maintenance with residual herbicides has been practiced over a number of years, the lingering presence of residual herbicides may limit desirable plant growth, favoring the most aggressive and often undesirable species. Creating and encouraging stable, low-maintenance vegetation is a more permanent vegetation-management strategy and should be the goal for all rights-of-way. [Photo: The study revealed that zoysiagrass sod provided a competitive, low maintenance vegetative cover under guardrail.] Comment

[On Pasture by Cathy Voth May 27 2013] -- One of the common questions I get from folks who hear me talk about training livestock to eat weeds is whether or not it is a good way to control weeds. For the answer, I’ll share what was in my head when I started trying to figure out the process for teaching animals to try a new food. 1. Using herbicides is expensive. Not only is there the cost of the chemical itself, but there’s the cost of the equipment to apply it, along with labor for learning about how to use it, sometimes getting certified to use it, then applying it. And it’s not a one time cost, but something that is repeated over and over again. 2. Herbicides don’t appear to be working. In spite of our best efforts, weed populations continue to expand at about 14% per year. So it seems like we’re pouring good money after bad. 3. Producers are often low on forage, particularly in arid areas or during drought. But weeds are always there, even in drought, AND they’re often higher in nutritional value than traditional grass-based forage. 4. Margins are pretty low in agriculture and the producers who can reduce costs are the ones who are going to be successful. 5. SO – If I can figure out how to get a cow to eat a weed, producers can eliminate the expense for weed control, they’ll have more feed at no additional cost, cows gain weight more rapidly when they eat higher protein foods, so farmers will be able to raise more, fatter cows more cheaply and they’ll make more money doing it. [Photo: This calf is eating musk thistle, just like her mom taught her to do.] Continue reading …

Abstract: Rice-duck cultivation is the essence of Chinese traditional agriculture. A scientific assessment of the mechanism and its capacity is of theoretical significance and practical value in improving modern agricultural technology. The duck's secretions, excreta and their treading, pecking and predation decrease the occurrence of plant diseases, pests and weeds, enrich the species diversity and improve the field environment. Rice-duck intergrowth system effectively prevents rice planthoppers and rice leafhoppers, the control effects can be up to 98.47% and 100% respectively; also has effects on the control of chilo suppressalis ,tryporyza incertulas, and the rice leafrollers. Notable control results are found on the sheath blight, while the effects on other diseases are about 50%. It puts the harm of weeds under primary control, the prevention on weeds is sequenced by broad-leaf weeds > sedge weeds > gramineae weeds. Contents of SOM, N, P and K are improved by the system, nutrients utilization is accelerated resulting in decreased fertilizer application. Greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by 1% to 2% and duck fodder is saved in this system. Besides, there is obvious economic benefit. Compared to conventional rice cultivation, rice-duck cultivation shows great benefits on ecologic cost and economic income. [Pan Long, Huang Huang, Xiaolan Liao, Zhiqiang Fu, Huabin Zheng, Aiwu Chen& Can Chen (2013). Mechanism and capacities of reducing ecological cost through rice-duck cultivation. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, online 22 May, DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.6223] Comment

Abstract: During extensive surveys in fields heavily infested by broomrape in the Trakya Region-Turkey, a different new fungus, Aspergillus alliaceus, was isolated from the infected broomrape. It is aimed to investigate whether or not it is really a pathogen for Orobanche. The fungi was exposed to a greenhouse environment in order to assess its pathogenicity and virulence against Orobanche cernua. In addition, infection tests on Orobanche seeds were also performed under laboratory conditions. The fungus was subjected using two different methods, exposure to a liquid culture with conidial solution and a sclerotial solid culture with fungal mycelia. Cytological studies were carried out at light, TEM and SEM levels. The results show that the sclerotial solid culture with fungal mycelia quickly caused necrosis and was more effective than the other type. It also greatly diminished attachments, tubercles, and caused the emergence of shoots and an increase in the total shoot number of Orobanche. In addition, both when the fungi was exposed to both soil and used to contaminate sunflower seeds, its pathogenicity was more effective. Consequently, it was determined that A. alliaceus was an effective potential biological control of broomrape throughout its life cycle from dormant seed to mature plant. [Aybeke, M., Şen, B. and Ökten, S. (2013). Aspergillus alliaceus, a new potential biological control of the root parasitic weed Orobanche. Journal of Basic Microbiology, online 20 May 2013. doi: 10.1002/jobm.201300080] Comment

[TriplePundit 15 May 2013 by Tina Casey] -- Chicago’s Department of Aviation announced that O’Hare International Airport is getting its own herd of goats to help manage vegetation, so even though the pilot project hasn’t even gotten off the ground yet it’s already a whopping success. That’s because, although the airport does expect to realize some concrete bottom line benefits from goat-powered landscaping, one goal of the project was to raise public awareness about environmental stewardship. That might seem to be a curious message for a massive, sprawling, energy-sucking facility like an airport to promote, but take a look at O’Hare’s other activities and you can see how just about any business can seize the initiative and transition its operations to a more sustainable future. The goat contract for “sustainable management grazing services” was awarded to a Chicago company called Central Commissary Holdings, LLC, which already has a grazing herd of about 25 goats at the ready near the city. Once enough spring foliage fills out at the airport, the goats will be moved there. For now, the pilot project consists of just 120 acres (the airport covers more than 7,000 acres in all), but these are key acres. They include creeks, streams and roadways where hilly areas create obstacles for motorized equipment. The goats are tasked with trimming down densely growing scrub, including poison ivy and other noxious or invasive species, while helping the airport to save fuel, cut down on herbicides and greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the potential for soil erosion, and of course, “naturally recycle nutrients as fertilizer.”

Abstract: Though European policies recommend pesticide reduction, most farmers still manage their crops with a high level of chemical inputs, notably in arable crop-based systems. Factors influencing farmers’ practices and the reasons why they do not adopt alternative techniques are not well-known. Actual reports on that topic are based on monodisciplinary analyses either in agronomy, sociology, or economics, whereas farmers’ motives are most probably manifold. Therefore, we surveyed winter wheat agricultural practices to understand the factors influencing the choice of crop management plans implemented by farmers. We interviewed 71 farmers in the French Department of Eure-et-Loir. Results revealed three main types of practices depending on inputs and wheat yield: (1) 29 % of farmers use low levels of inputs and get low yield, (2) 38 % of farmers use medium levels of inputs and get high yield, (3) 33 % of farmers use high levels of inputs and get medium yield. We found that the medium-input type is the most efficient with better economic results whatever the wheat price. On the other hand, the high-input type has a lower economic performance. We showed that farm profile, individual motives, and social commitments explain the level of input use. High-input practices are often implemented by farmers who have less family labor availability and who rarely join extension groups, whereas low-input practices are conducted by farmers bearing civic responsibilities and showing environmental awareness. The novelty of our study is to use a multidisciplinary analysis to take into account agronomic, social, and economic factors. [Stéfanie Nave, Florence Jacquet & Marie-Hélène Jeuffroy (2013). Why wheat farmers could reduce chemical inputs: evidence from social, economic, and agronomic analysis. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, ]

[PR Newswire 14 May 2013] WASHINGTON-- Speaking to member-attendees of the Organic Trade Association's (OTA's) recent policy conference, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack officially recognised the unique production system covering U.S. organic agriculture, and announced guidance to remove agency obstacles to its continued growth. "Organic is not the 'same as.' It is its own separate commodity and needs to be treated as such. I'm committed to that," Secretary Vilsack told policy attendees. (See USDA's press release). He added that USDA will be providing new guidance and direction on organic production to all USDA agencies directing them to recognise the distinct nature of USDA certified organic production and organic goods, and to take into account the documentation and inspection required for organic certification when considering organic operations' eligibility for USDA programs and policies. The landmark guidance document Vilsack alluded to points out that through the National Organic Program (NOP), USDA has helped farmers and other operations create an industry now encompassing over 17,000 organic businesses in the United States and achieving $35 billion in U.S. retail sales. In fact, organic ranks fourth in U.S. food and feed crop production at farm-gate values when viewed as a distinct category. "Organic production models may provide alternative solutions to current agricultural challenges, and it is the agency's responsibility to develop diversity in research and alternatives for all producers," the guidance points out. Importantly, the guidance also establishes that agency administrators review their goals and report on actions taken towards achieving the USDA strategic goals related to organic agriculture. Organic production and commerce are bright spots in the American marketplace of innovation and entrepreneurship, and particularly can contribute to USDA's goals for rural economic development. In recognition of its potential, the 2010 USDA Strategic Plan called for an increase of 25 percent in U.S. certified organic businesses by 2015.

Abstract: Composts were prepared from the weeds viz. Cassia tora L., Ipomoea muricata L. and Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit, and incorporated into the top soil by disking. Fodder maize (Zea mays L.) var. ‘African Tall’ (Mahalaxmi) was cultivated on the manure amended soils, and their effect on growth of maize was studied and compared with recommended dose of chemical fertilizers and control (no fertilizer application). The compost prepared from Ipomoea was found suitable for higher productivity of fodder maize. Highest dry matter yield was recorded due to the treatment of mixed compost prepared from the mixture of three weeds.[Sanap S.B. & Jadhav Bharati (2013). Evaluation of weed composts on yield and quality of fodder maize. Bioinfolet - A Quarterly Journal of Life Sciences, 10(2), 543-546. ]

Abstract: African olive (Olea europaea ssp. cuspidata) is a small evergreen tree which has become highly invasive at a landscape scale in the western Sydney and Hunter Valley regions of New South Wales, Australia. African olive invasion results in the formation of a dense and permanent mid-canopy in grassy woodland vegetation. We investigated the relationship between African olive and native species establishment, abundance and diversity, using field surveys and a manipulative shading experiment. There were 78% fewer native species beneath African olive canopy in the field compared to uninvaded woodland sites. The shading experiment showed that simulated dense African olive shade levels produced the lowest dry weight for the three native species studied, with simulated canopy edge light providing optimal conditions for the native shrub Bursaria spinosa and African olive. Dense African olive shade levels produced the highest mortality rate for native species; however, African olive was able to maintain an 88% survival rate under dense canopy shade. This study confirms the adaptability of African olive and its capacity to decrease native plant diversity and substantially modify native vegetation at the community level. [CUNEO, P. and LEISHMAN, M. R. (2013). Ecological impacts of invasive African olive (Olea europaea ssp. cuspidata) in Cumberland Plain Woodland, Sydney, Australia. Austral Ecology, 38: 103–110. doi: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2012.02382.x]

Abstract: To suppress weeds in an apple (Malus sp.) orchard, we placed spruce (Picea spp.) bark mulch and cocoa (Theobroma cacao) husk mulch for 3 months in thicknesses of 0, 2.5, 5, 10 and 15 cm. To assess the development of weed cover, an innovative use of log-logistic dose–response models was applied, with mulch thickness as the independent variable. Weed cover was measured by non-destructive image analysis by estimating the relationship between the number of green pixels and the total number of pixels in each experimental plot. The thickness of mulch layer required to attain a 50 and 90% weed suppression (ED50 and ED90) differed significantly within and between mulch types. In all except one instance, the cocoa mulch was superior in suppressing weeds. This method was useful for the evaluation, but further research is needed to give a more general conclusion about the suppression ability of the two mulches under other climatic and growing conditions.[Arentoft BW, Ali A, Streibig JC, Andreasen C. (2013). A new method to evaluate the weed-suppressing effect of mulches: a comparison between spruce bark and cocoa husk mulches. Weed Research, 53(3), 169–175]

Abstract: A major problem in flower bulb cultivation is weed control. Synthetic herbicides are mainly used, although they cause a range of problems, and integrated weed control through application of naturally occurring allelochemicals would be highly desirable. Flower bulb production creates large amounts of leftover biomass. Utilizing this source for weed control may provide new applications of the bulb crops. We therefore screened 33 flower bulb extracts for allelochemical activity against weeds. Several methanol and chloroform extracts were observed to inhibit germination and growth of Senecio vulgaris L. and Lolium perenne L., as representatives of di- and mono-cotyledonous weeds, respectively. Narciclasine was identified as the bioactive compound in Narcissus. The extract of Amaryllis belladonna L. was equally active, but did not contain any narciclasine. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the A. belladonna extract resulted in the identification of lycorine as the bio-active compound. The IC50 measured for radicle growth inhibition was 0.10 μM for narciclasine and 0.93 μM for lycorine, compared to 0.11 mM of chlorpropham, a synthetic herbicide. Therefore, the leftover biomass from the spring bulb industry represents an interesting potential source for promising allelochemicals for further studies on weed growth inhibition. [Dinar S. C. Wahyuni , Frank van der Kooy, Peter G. L. Klinkhamer, Rob Verpoorte & Kirsten Leiss (2013). The use of bio-guided fractionation to explore the use of leftover biomass in Dutch flower bulb production as allelochemicals against weeds. Molecules, 18, 4510-4525] [Daffodil fields in Holland/Photo by Deb Wiley] Comment

Abstract: To investigate the impacts of long term targeted invasive plant stewardship projects on students' subsequent stewardship attitudes , a pre-post test control experiment for program effects and a post-test control experiment for school effects was conducted. The resulting scores from two science classes that participated in year long invasive plant and restoration activities were compared with those from three comparable classes at a linked school that did not participate in any of these activities. Students in the experimental classes showed overall significantly higher scores compared with the control classes. These attitude scores were then divided into two indexes; sense of personal effectiveness, and attitudes of caring for particular places. Students in the experimental group showed increases in both, as compared with the controls. Parent and student focus groups were conducted at the end of the academic year. The resulting comments provide evidence for actual behavior change outside of the school environment. Analysis showed that any student, especially those in the control classes in the traditional middle school, indicating they had prior exposure to nature stewardship projects showed significantly higher scores than students who did not. The results underscore the value of having students involved in real world stewardship projects, especially those of a long term nature. [Marion Dresner and Kelly A. Fischer (2013). Environmental stewardship outcomes from year-long invasive species restoration projects in middle school. Invasive Plant Science and Management, 12 March 2013] Comment

Abstract: Apple producers are eager to grow fruit using fewer chemical inputs that can harm the environment. Finding cost effective and sustainable methods of weed control that encourage high yields of quality fruit is a goal amongst fruit producers. Due to improved recycling programs, organic mulch (made from any-thing that can decay, including grain, wood, paper, etc.) is increasingly available. It is considered effective at controlling weeds and improving soil health, but is seen as more costly than traditional chemical pesticides because of the labour-intensive method of application. However, if mulch could be sprayed onto orchards, it would be less expensive than traditional mulching. Previous research has shown that spray-on-mulch (SOM) can reduce the growth of most weeds. The goal of this research was to develop and evaluate a new way to apply SOM to make it more convenient and less costly to apply. The experiment involved 4 different apple species, grown in separate orchards. SOM (a combination of waste newsprint, chopped straw, non-coloured shredded paper, and water) was sprayed adjacent to trees using a mechanical sprayer. For each apple species, up to nine different methods of application were used. Standard levels of irrigation and fertilizers were used in all treatments. Researchers measured soil moisture and temperature, tree growth, amount of fruit produced and the number and types of weeds. The use of SOM increased soil moisture and made seasonal soil temperatures less extreme. When SOM was included in treatments, trees grew very well except when a residual herbicide was added to SOM. All trees with SOM treatments produced more fruit than trees with glyphosate treatments, except when SOM was sprayed on top of plastic sheeting. All SOM treatments outperformed glyphosate in controlling weeds. Adding a sticky substance to SOM provided only slightly improved weed control. SOM treatments also increased levels of potassium in leaves more effectively than glyphosate. Fruit nutrients were equivalent across treatments. [Cline, J., Neilsen, G., Hogue, E., Kuchta, S., Neilsen, D. (2011). Spray-on-mulch technology for intensively grown irrigated apple orchards: Influence on tree establishment, early yields, and soil physical properties. Journal of HortTechnology, 21(4) 398-411] Comment

Abstract: While public funding of invasive species management has increased substantially in the past decade, there have been few cross-institutional assessments of management programs. We assessed management of Phragmites australis, a problematic invader of coastal habitats, through a cross-institutional economic survey of 285 land managers from US public and private conservation organizations. We found that from 2005 to 2009, these organizations spent >$4.6 million per year on P. australis management, and that 94% used herbicide to treat a total area of ∼80,000 ha. Despite these high expenditures, few organizations accomplished their management objectives. There was no relationship between resources invested in management and management success, and those organizations that endorsed a particular objective were no more likely to achieve it. Our results question the efficacy of current P. australis management strategies and call for future monitoring of biological management outcomes. [Laura J. Martin & Bernd Blossey (2013). The runaway weed: costs and failures of Phragmites australis management in the USA. Estuaries and Coasts, 36(3), 626-632] Comment

Abstract: Desiccation following prolonged air exposure challenges survival of aquatic plants during droughts, water drawdowns, and overland dispersal. To improve predictions of plant response to air exposure, we observed the viability of vegetative fragments of ten aquatic plant species (fanwort, coontail, common elodea, Brazilian elodea, parrotfeather, variable-leaf watermilfoil, Eurasian watermilfoil, curlyleaf pondweed, Richardson's pondweed, and hydrilla) following desiccation. We recorded mass loss, desiccation rate, and plant fragment survival across a range of air exposures. Mass loss accurately predicted viability of aquatic plant fragments upon reintroduction to water. However, similar periods of air exposure differentially affected viability between species. Understanding viability following desiccation can contribute to predicting dispersal, improving eradication protocols, and disposing aquatic plants following removal from invaded lakes or contaminated equipment. [Matthew Barnes, Christopher L. Jerde, Doug Keller, W Lindsay Chadderton, Jennifer G. Howeth, and David M. Lodge (2013). Viability of aquatic plant fragments following desiccation. Invasive Plant Science and Management, on-line 17 Jan.] Comment

Abstract: Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup®, is the most popular herbicide used worldwide. The industry asserts it is minimally toxic to humans, but here we argue otherwise. Residues are found in the main foods of the Western diet, comprised primarily of sugar, corn, soy and wheat. Glyphosate's inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes is an overlooked component of its toxicity to mammals. CYP enzymes play crucial roles in biology, one of which is to detoxify xenobiotics. Thus, glyphosate enhances the damaging effects of other food borne chemical residues and environmental toxins. Negative impact on the body is insidious and manifests slowly over time as inflammation damages cellular systems throughout the body. Here, we show how interference with CYP enzymes acts synergistically with disruption of the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids by gut bacteria, as well as impairment in serum sulfate transport. Consequences are most of the diseases and conditions associated with a Western diet, which include gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, autism, infertility, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. We explain the documented effects of glyphosate and its ability to induce disease, and we show that glyphosate is the “textbook example” of exogenous semiotic entropy: the disruption of homeostasis by environmental toxins. [Anthony Samsel and Stephanie Seneff (2013). Glyphosate’s suppression of cytochrome P450 enzymes and amino acid biosynthesis by the gut microbiome: Pathways to modern diseases. Entropy, 15.] Comment

[UBC APRIL 17, 2013] -- ‘Keep it simple’ is a good rule of thumb when designing biocontrol programs to combat weeds and invasive plants, according to a meta-analysis of studies by UBC biodiversity experts. Biocontrol programs use an invasive plant’s natural enemies (insects and pathogens) to reduce its population. Most biocontrol programs combine many different enemies – typically about three different species, but sometimes as many as 25 – with the hope that at least one will prove effective. But more isn’t necessarily better. Some combinations of enemy species can actually end up competing or interfering with each other, instead of attacking the weed. "It's important to get the right combination of biocontrol agents, as testing species is costly and time-consuming, and no amount of testing can eliminate the risk that something unexpected will occur with the introduction of a new species," says Andrea Stephens, lead author on the paper published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B this week. Until now, biocontrol managers have chosen weed enemies to release based on the individual effect of each species in isolation, with little thought to overall combinations. “Our study suggests that this approach can lead to ineffective biocontrol, because the interactions between the released enemies can reduce the overall effectiveness of biocontrol,” says Diane Srivastava, author on the paper and professor in UBC's Biodiversity Research Centre. Of the 75 combinations the researchers investigated, about a quarter appeared to have a smaller combined impact than expected. The researchers suggest simple species combination rules could improve the effectiveness of biocontrol programs. The study recommends avoiding combinations of species that attack the same part of the plant at the same time, as well as assessing the impact of species attacking reproductive structures. “In most cases damage from different species of insects was independent,” says Judith Myers, Professor Emerita and author on the paper. “But insect species feeding on the seeds of plants tend to compete and so multiple introductions can be detrimental.” One of the studies researchers analyzed focused on three agents (two species of weevils and a fly) that have been released in western North America to control two species of invasive plants, diffuse and spotted knapweed. The weevils consume the fly larvae, nullifying the effectiveness of the fly. [Photo of Larinus minutus, a weevil introduced to combat the invasive diffuse knapweed in western North America. The effectiveness of the weevil and other biological agents may be reduced when species combinations work against each other.] Comment

[CNW April 11, 2013] OTTAWA -- Canada's organic market grew to $3.7 billion in 2012, with national sales of certified organic food and non-alcoholic beverages reaching $3 billion. The value of the Canadian organic food market has tripled since 2006, far outpacing the growth rate of other agri-food sectors. A diverse consumer base is driving the sector, with 58% of all Canadians buying organic products every week. "At the industry's urging, the government implemented strict national standards and label requirements in 2009 to uphold consumer confidence in organic claims" said Matthew Holmes, Executive Director of the Canada Organic Trade Association, "so it's tremendously gratifying to see this result in such strong market growth and continued consumer commitment to organic." In BC, the focus of the first phase of research, two-thirds of consumers—and over three-quarters of Vancouverites—are buying organic groceries weekly. BC generated 23% of the value of the national organic food and beverage market, with strong sales across distribution channels. "We are pleased to see growing consumer demand and impressive sales growth from mainstream retail to direct-to-consumer channels," stated Rebecca Kneen, Co-President of the Certified Organic Associations of BC. Funding for this research has been provided through Loblaw Companies, Taste of Nature, UNFI Canada, Whole Foods Market and the Organic Sector Development Program (OSDP). Funding for the OSDP comes from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program, which is delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation in British Columbia. The full BC report and national highlights are available at www.ota-canada.ca. [Photo credit: Wikipedia] Comment

Abstract: Ox-eye daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare) and scentless chamomile (Matricaria perforata) were intentionally introduced to North America from other continents for aesthetics, agriculture, medicinal use, or culinary pleasure, but have also been labeled as noxious weeds in the USA and Canada. While working to eradicate these plants as part of a mine land restoration project in Colorado, botanist Katherine Darrow contemplates some of the ethical and biological dilemmas inherent to the task of eradicating plants we have been taught to loathe. "With all of their benefits to balance out their proclivity to colonize and reproduce, isn’t there a way we could make peace with daisies, rather than label them as botanical terrorists that must be destroyed? Is this “war on weeds” a battle we can even win? What are some compromises that might dissolve the conflict and allow co-existence based on mutual respect? Can we make agreements to disagree while honoring the basic rights of other living beings…even if they are only plants?" As restoration ecologists, these are some of the questions we may choose to explore if we wish to approach the task of controlling other species with an attitude of non-violent conflict resolution. Because, ultimately, “we will all be pushing up, rather than pulling up daisies.“ Full-text available here. Comment

Abstract: Exposure to herbicide-treated lawns has been associated with significantly higher bladder cancer risk in dogs. This work was performed to further characterize lawn chemical exposures in dogs, and to determine environmental factors associated with chemical residence time on grass. In addition to concern for canine health, a strong justification for the work was that dogs may serve as sentinels for potentially harmful environmental exposures in humans. Experimentally, herbicides [2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxypropionic acid (MCPP), dicamba] were applied to grass plots under different conditions (e.g., green, dry brown, wet, and recently mowed grass). Chemicals in dislodgeable residues were measured by LC-MS at 0.17, 1, 24, 48, 72 h post treatment. In a separate study, 2,4-D, MCPP, and dithiopyr concentrations were measured in the urine of dogs and in dislodgeable grass residues in households that applied or did not apply chemicals in the preceding 48 h. Chemicals were measured at 0, 24, and 48 h post application in treated households and at time 0 in untreated control households. Residence times of 2,4-D, MCPP, and dicamba were significantly prolonged (P < 0.05) on dry brown grass compared to green grass. Chemicals were detected in the urine of dogs in 14 of 25 households before lawn treatment, in 19 of 25 households after lawn treatment, and in 4 of 8 untreated households. Chemicals were commonly detected in grass residues from treated lawns, and from untreated lawns suggesting chemical drift from nearby treated areas. Thus dogs could be exposed to chemicals through contact with their own lawn (treated or contaminated through drift) or through contact with other grassy areas if they travel. The length of time to restrict a dog's access to treated lawns following treatment remains to be defined. Further study is indicated to assess the risks of herbicide exposure in humans and dogs. [Deborah W. Knapp et al. (2013). Detection of herbicides in the urine of pet dogs following home lawn chemical application. Science of The Total Environment, Volumes 456–457, 1 July 2013, Pages 34–41] Comment

Abstract: Many public authorities rely on the use of non-chemical weed control methods, due to stringent restrictions on herbicide use in urban areas. However, these methods usually require more repeated treatments than chemical weed management, resulting in increased costs of weed management. In order to investigate the efficacy of four non-chemical weed control methods and glyphosate treatment, experiments were carried out on traffic islands in the growing seasons 2005 and 2006. Three trial sites were each divided into six treatment areas, which were either treated with glyphosate, flame, steam, hot air/flame, hot water or left untreated. The treatments were carried out at regular, predetermined intervals throughout the growing season in 2004, whereas in 2005 and 2006 how many treatments that were required to keep weed cover below a predetermined acceptance level of 2% were investigated. Percentage weed cover was measured every second week using a 75 cm × 75 cm quadrat divided into 100 squares. On the control areas, a rapid increase in weed cover was observed, whereas weed cover could be kept below 2% by 2–7 treatments per year, depending on control method. On average, the following numbers of treatments per year were required: glyphosate 2.5, hot water 3, flames 5, hot air/flames 5.5 and steam 5.5 treatments. The results demonstrate that the weed control should be adjusted to the prescribed quality for the traffic islands by regularly assessing the need for weed control. They also show that tailored treatments can reduce the number of required non-chemical treatments per year. [Rask A M, Larsen S, Andreasen C & Kristoffersen P (2013). Determining treatment frequency for controlling weeds on traffic islands using chemical and non-chemical weed control. Weed Research, on-line 16 April] Comment

Abstract: This is the first report showing that using honeybee (Apis mellifera) and wild pollinators complementary pollination can enhance soybean productivity (Glycine max). Current industrial production of soybean involves autopollination and high loads of pesticides. Therefore, growers have neglected possible biotic pollination despite suggestions that soybean benefit from insect pollinators. Reports advocating possible biotic pollination are based on experiments where bees are caged with flowering plants and the absence of pesticides, thus not in field conditions. Therefore, here we compared in field conditions soybean yield produced (1) independently of biotic pollinators, (2) with wild pollinators and (3) with honeybee colonies. Results showed an increase of +6.34 % of soybean yield in areas where wild pollinators had free access to flowers. The introduction of honeybee colonies further raised the yield of +18.09 %. Our findings therefore show that, though soybean is autogamous, allowing pollination by wild pollinators leads to higher yields. Moreover, adding honeybee mitigates pollination deficits and improves yield compared to current practices. [Marcelo de O. Milfont, Epifania Emanuela M. Rocha, Afonso Odério N. Lima & Breno M. Freitas (2013). Higher soybean production using honeybee and wild pollinators, a sustainable alternative to pesticides and autopollination. Environmental Chemistry Letters, April 2013] Comment

[Marrone Bio Innovations 04 April 2013 Originally published on Grainews by Lisa Guenther] -- While high costs are still a hurdle to overcome, bioherbicides are in the works and could be a weapon in the struggle against herbicide resistance. Researchers in Canada and the United States are developing bioherbicides that will not only give organic and conventional farmers more weed control options, but also, in some cases, control herbicide-resistant weeds. Bioherbicides are synthetically produced compounds identical to chemicals found in nature. They may be sourced from micro-organisms or plants. Bioherbicides can also include whole microorganisms that infect weeds. Currently there are no bioherbicides registered for use on agricultural crops in Canada, but researchers with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) are working to change that … read more

[connectstoughton.com by Bill Livick 08 April 2013] -- Three local Wisconsin women are spearheading an effort to persuade city officials to abandon a plan to use herbicides in Stoughton parks and athletic fields beginning this spring. After learning of the plan about two weeks ago, Sylvia Lawrence, Gennifer Weaver and Sara Downie – all mothers with young children – contacted friends in the city who share their concerns. They established a grassroots group opposed to using chemicals to control broadleaf plants such as dandelions and clover. They also offered to help maintain park lawns and playing fields and have encouraged the city to adopt alternatives to chemical applications. The three and about two-dozen supporters calling themselves Naturally Stoughton-Cultivating Sustainable Solutions attended a Public Works Committee meeting last Monday to question the new policy. They hope the city can find organic solutions to what some people are considering a significant weed problem. [Photo by Bill Livick: From left, city residents Gennifer Weaver, Sylvia Lawrence with baby Felix, Hannah Lawrence, Eve Downie, Sara Downie and Drew Downie gather at Veterans Park, in which the women hope city officials will not use chemicals to control weeds.] Comment

Abstract: We review chemical ecology literature as it relates to biological control of weeds and discuss how this means of controlling invasive plants could be enhanced by the consideration of several well-established research approaches. The interface between chemical ecology and biological control of weeds presents a rich opportunity to exploit potentially coevolved relationships between agents and plants where chemical factors mediating interactions are important. Five topics seem relevant, which if implemented could improve the predictability of host range determination, agent establishment, and impact on the target weed. (1) The host secondary plant chemistry and a potential biological control agent's response to that chemistry can be exploited to improve predictability of potential agent host range. (2) Evolutionary changes may occur in secondary plant chemistry of invasive weeds that have been introduced to novel environments and exposed to a new set of biotic and abiotic stressors. Further, such a scenario facilitates rapid evolutionary changes in phenotypic traits, which in turn may help explain one mechanism of invasiveness and affect the outcome of biological control and other management options. (3) Herbivores can induce production of secondary plant compounds. (4) Variability of weed secondary chemistry which, either constitutive or inducible, can be an important factor that potentially influences the performance of some biological control agents and their impact on the target weed. (5) Finally, sequestration of secondary plant chemistry may protect herbivores against generalist predators, which might improve establishment of a biological control agent introduced to a new range and eventually impact on the target weed. Recognition of these patterns and processes can help identify the factors that impart success to a biological control program. [Gregory S. Wheeler and Urs Schaffner (2013). Improved understanding of weed biological control safety and impact with chemical ecology: A review. Plant Science and Management, 6(1), 16-29.] Comment

Abstract: The spread of buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) in semi-arid Australia in recent decades has substantially increased ground cover and fuel loads, particularly in open woodland vegetation communities. The resulting alteration of fire regimes may be the most significant impact of buffel invasion on ecological communities in these areas. Broad scale management of buffel grass is currently not an option in Australia but it is becoming increasingly relevant to assess the benefits of restoring areas of native vegetation where preventing buffel grass invasion is no-longer possible. We managed buffel grass in a series of experimental plots from 2008–2012. In June and August 2011, two unplanned fires burnt through the plots providing a unique opportunity to compare the outcome of wildfire, including the spatial pattern of fire, and the effect on ground vegetation and on a long-lived, perennial overstorey species, in replicated managed and unmanaged plots. The area of ground that remained unburnt was much greater in managed plots (with predominantly native vegetation) than unmanaged (predominantly buffel grass) plots and where the managed plots did burn the fire was more patchy. This had direct implications for the richness of ground layer plant taxa following fire and the extent to which overstorey trees were exposed to fire. Fire increased pre-existing differences in the number of taxa in the ground level vegetation, an effect that persisted for the duration of our study, suggesting that fire accelerates direct negative competitive effects between buffel grass and native grasses and forbs. Hakea divaricata(fork-leafed corkwood) trees in unmanaged buffel grass sites suffered higher burn intensities, and their long-term viability at this location is likely to be threatened if fires fuelled by buffel grass continue. Our results demonstrate clear benefits of removing fire-enhancing invasive plants from areas of high conservation value. [Christine Schlesinger, Sarah White & Shane Muldoon (2013). Spatial pattern and severity of fire in areas with and without buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) and effects on native vegetation in central Australia. Austral Ecology, on-line 28 March.] Comment

Abstract: Thirty-five percent of global production from crops including at least 800 cultivated plants depend on animal pollination. The transformation of agriculture in the past half-century has triggered a decline in bees and other insect pollinators. In North America, losses of bee colonies have accelerated since 2004, leaving the continent with fewer managed pollinators than at any time in the past 50 years. A number of factors linked to industrial modes of agriculture affect bee colonies and other pollinators around the world, ranging from habitat degradation due to monocultures with consequent declines in flowering plants and the use of damaging insecticides. Incentives should be offered to farmers to restore pollinator-friendly habitats, including flower provisioning within or around crop fields and elimination of use of insecticides by adopting agroecological production methods. Conventional farmers should be extremely cautious in the choice, timing, and application of insecticides and other chemicals. Here, we review the literature providing mounting evidence that the restoration of plant biodiversity within and around crop fields can improve habitat for domestic and wild bees as well as other insects and thus enhance pollination services in agroecosystems. Main findings are the following: (1) certain weed species within crop fields that provide food resources and refuge should be maintained at tolerable levels within crop fields to aid in the survival of viable populations of pollinators. (2) Careful manipulation strategies need to be defined in order to avoid weed competition with crops and interference with certain cultural practices. Economic thresholds of weed populations, as well as factors affecting crop–weed balance within a crop season, need to be defined for specific cropping systems. (3) More research is warranted to advance knowledge on identifying beneficial weed species and ways to sponsor them to attract pollinators while not reducing yields through interference. (4) In areas of intensive farming, field margins, field edges and paths, headlands, fence-lines, rights of way, and nearby uncultivated patches of land are important refuges for many pollinators. (5) Maintenance and restoration of hedgerows and other vegetation features at field borders is therefore essential for harboring pollinators. (6) Appropriate management of non-cropped areas to encourage wild pollinators may prove to be a cost-effective means of maximizing crop yield. [Nicholls Clara I. & Altieri Miguel A. (2013). Plant biodiversity enhances bees and other insect pollinators in agroecosystems. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 33(2), 257-274] Comment

Abstract: This paper compares three internationally representative regulatory frameworks for pesticides. We look first at the USA, which shifted regulatory powers from the US Department of Agriculture to the Environmental Protection Agency in the early 1970s, during a historical transition from a predominantly economic to a predominantly social regulatory model. The second country is Brazil, currently the world’s largest consumer of pesticides, followed by the USA in second place. In the early 1990s, Brazil’s new regulatory model adopted a troika of decision-making ministries (agriculture, health and environment), with the prevalence of economic over social-environmental interests. The third case is the regulatory framework adopted in 2011 by the EU, where shifts in risk-assessment criteria and corporate financial liability reveal a prevalence of concerns involving social-environmental regulation. [Victor Pelaez, Letícia Rodrigues da Silva & Eduardo Borges Araúj0 (2013). Regulation of pesticides: A comparative analysis. Science & Public Policy, online 04 April.] Comment

Abstract: Plant populations are often adapted to their local conditions, including abiotic factors as well as the biotic communities with which they interact. Soil communities, in particular, have strong effects on both the ecology and evolution of plant populations. Many invasive plant species alter the ecological relationships between native plants and soil communities; however, whether invaders also alter the evolutionary dynamics between native plants and soils is less well known. Here I show that populations of a native annual, Pilea pumila, shift from being maladapted to adapted to their local soil community with increasing history of invasion by Alliaria petiolata, an invader known to alter microbial communities. Additionally, native populations showed a signal of adaptation to soils of particular invasion stages, independent of local coevolutionary dynamics. These results suggest that invasive species affect not only the ecological, but also the evolutionary relationships of native species. [Richard A. Lankau (2013). Species invasion alters local adaptation to soil communities in a native plant.] [Photo: Garlic mustard (Allaria petiolata) via Wikipedia] Comment

Abstract: As Taiwan has a dense population and only limited natural resources, the government began actively establishing a Taiwan’s sustainable development indicators (TSDI) system in 2003 to evaluate the progress towards sustainability. Commonly used pesticides could pose a risk of causing adverse effects to food sanitation, human health and the environment. Thus, the pesticide usage rate per hectare of farmland and the area of organic cultivation have been selected as agricultural sustainability indicators. The objective of this paper was to describe an analysis of current status of pesticide use and regulatory policy for environmental sustainability in Taiwan. Furthermore, it can be connected with the regulatory infrastructure, which has been established by the joint-venture of the central competent authorities (i.e., Council of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Administration, Department of Health, Ministry of Economic Affairs, and Council of Labor Affairs) for controlling and/or preventing pesticide distribution in the environment. The significant progress is that the residual pesticides have notably declined in the past decade, which was in parallel with the pesticide usage rate decreased and organic farming area increased. For example, total area of organically certified cropping in Taiwan has been increased from 900 hectares (ha) in 2001 to about 4,500 ha in 2010. Finally, some recommendations for the pollution prevention and toxicity reduction of pesticide use were also addressed to progress towards a sustainable agriculture in Taiwan. Comment

[The Huffington Post 24 March 2013] -- In the late 1990s while on a visit to the USA I saw my first GM crop - herbicide tolerant soybeans. As a farmer it was of great interest to see the latest agricultural technology being made available to US farmers. I have been a regular visitor to the USA since then and have seen how GM crops have developed over the years, I have also visited other countries who are growing GM crops among them India and South Africa. On that first visit farmers were keen to try out these new crops. The herbicide tolerant crops were going to make weed control so easy with the crops ability to withstand the total herbicide 'Roundup' (Glyphosate) one sprayer pass at the right time with Roundup would mean job done. Much easier than the old system of walking the fields seeing which weeds were growing then deciding which herbicide to use - and often it meant more than one herbicide to kill all the different weeds. All that was needed now was the one herbicide and job done, what was not to like about this new technology? But on my visit in 2002 I started to hear farmers say that it was now taking several passes with Roundup to kill the weeds and that they were using it at higher concentrations in order to kill the weeds. On visits over the next few years I started to hear about weeds which had become resistant to the Round Up which meant that farmers had to add other herbicides to the sprayer tank in order to kill those weeds. Read more …

Abstract: Woody plants have increased in density and extent in rangelands worldwide since the 1800s, and land managers increasingly remove woodland plants in hopes of restoring pre-settlement conditions and/or improved forage for grazing livestock. Because such efforts can be controversial, especially on publicly owned lands, managers often attempt to frame issues in ways they believe can improve public acceptance of proposed actions. Frequently these framing efforts employ conflict metaphors drawn from military or legal lexicons. We surveyed citizens in the Rocky Mountains region, USA, about their beliefs concerning tree-removal as a management strategy. Plants targeted for removal in the region include such iconic tree species as Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine as well as other less-valued species, such as Rocky Mountain juniper, that are common targets for removal nationwide. To test the influence of issue frame on acceptance, recipients were randomly assigned surveys in which the reason for conifer removal was described using one of three terms often employed by invasive biologists and land managers: “invasion”, “expansion”, and “encroachment”. Framing in this instance had little effect on responses. We conclude the use of single-word frames by scientists and managers use to contextualize an issue may not resonate with the public. [Cameron G. Nay & Mark W. Brunson (2013). A War of Words: Do conflict metaphors affect beliefs about managing “unwanted” plants? Societies, 3(2), 158-169] Comment  [Photo: IGI]

[Purdue University 04 April 2013] — An agricultural herbicide alters reproductive and neuroendocrine genes during embryonic development in fish, according to new research. “The exact connection to health outcomes is not defined, but we found gene alterations in our animal model when exposed to the level of atrazine that is deemed safe for drinking water,” says Jennifer Freeman, an Assistant Professor of Toxicology in the School of Health Sciences at Purdue University. “Also of concern was an increase in head length in the study’s young zebrafish when exposed to low doses of this widely used herbicide.” The researchers tested atrazine at three levels, 0.3 ppb, 3 ppb, and 30 ppb, by exposing developing zebrafish embryos. The 3 ppb level is the current safe level in drinking water, and the larger amount of atrazine tested represents what a worker may be exposed to or may be present in surface water. By using the zebrafish model the researchers were able to focus on the 72-hour embryonic development time, which mirrors human prenatal development. The researchers started by evaluating the more than 35,000 genes in the zebrafish’s genome. They found that two genes, CYP17A1 and SAMHD1, were changed in all three treatments. CYP17A1 plays a role in biosynthesis of steroid hormones and the conversion of androgens to estrogen, and SAMHD1 controls immune function. Also of concern was that 42 of the genes, including CYP17A1 and SAMHD1, were affected in the 30 ppb treatments as well as in the 3 ppb treatment. The LH gene, which produces the hormone that triggers ovulation, is another example of an affected gene at both 3 ppb and 30 ppb treatment levels. “There is a connection between the current legal level of atrazine and higher concentrations that need further study,” Freeman says. Freeman says continuing to investigate changes in genes associated with cancer is critical because there needs to be more information before determining if atrazine is a human carcinogen. Comment [Photo credit: Flickr]

[CBC News 26 March 2013] -- Using goats rather than chemicals to control invasive species is more environmentally friendly and about 30 per cent cheaper. The B.C. Ministry of Transportation is piloting two projects in the B.C. Interior that will replace chemical poisons with herds of hungry goats. Donna Olsen, the environmental services coordinator at the Ministry of Transportation, says the pilots at two gravel pits are proving successful. "[There are] very visually stunning results,” she said. The goats actually prefer invasive species to the area's native grasses and they aren’t just greener than chemicals — the goats are also about 30 per cent cheaper. "We'd really like to continue it and there's a lot of interest from other stakeholders,” Olsen said. The animals are also used to control invasive species in the City of Kamloops."A lot of our areas are quite sensitive especially near water, where we can't even use chemicals there,” said Karla Hoffman, the city’s pest management coordinator.“So in most cases, they're one of the best choices."Hoffman says the goats have been successful in tackling invasive species.“They did help to bring the numbers of the plants down and therefore the amount of seed that would cause reproduction,” said Karla Hoffman, the integrated pest management coordinator in Kamloops.“Of course it's not a one-time process and we would need to put them back in there for subsequent years, just like we would for spraying, in order to get better control of the toadflax.” The province first used goats to control pests in 2012 and officials are in the process of gathering data on the treated plots to determine just how well the goats performed. Comment

[ATTRA 26 March 2013] -- To help guide the growing "Farm to Table" movement, PennEnvironment has released a new study that outlines how sustainable farming benefits the environment, economy, and public health--and offers a blueprint of state policies to improve the food system. The report, Healthy Farms, Healthy Environment: State and Local Policies to Improve Pennsylvania's Food System and Protect Our Land and Water (pdf) explains the myriad benefits of sustainable farming and offers policy solutions to take advantage of the growing consumer market for locally grown and organic products. The report identifies successful programs in other states and urges Pennsylvania's legislators to bring their success to the Commonwealth, as well as calling on state officials to renew funding for and expand successful sustainable agriculture programs. Some of the finding of the report include: Organic growing methods have been shown to reduce polluted runoff and energy consumption in agriculture, while boosting the carbon content of soils, according to experiments at the Rodale Institute organic farm laboratory in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Consumption of fresh, local food – as opposed to processed food or produce from halfway around the globe – can reduce the amount of energy used in preserving and transporting food. Farmers can grow and market fresh peas with 60 percent less energy than frozen peas, and 75 percent less energy than packaging peas in an aluminum can. Sustainable farming can also help farmers keep farmland in production, despite development pressure, by increasing farm income – thereby protecting open land and the valuable ecosystem services it provides. Comment

Abstract: Exploiting the complementarities between biological components in agricultural systems is presented as a solution to increase food production and decrease environmental problems. This amounts to maximizing the ecosystem services (i.e., the benefits human obtain from ecosystems) provided by biodiversity at the expense of the disservices (i.e., the nuisances human obtain from ecosystems). In recent years, science has produced significant results supporting this strategy, but their application in the field is dependent on stakeholders’ knowledge. This article therefore addresses two questions: What do stakeholders know about the services and disservices provided by biodiversity? Does this knowledge agree with scientific results? We address these questions by combining a literature review of 39 scientific articles and interviews with 8 farmers and 3 farm advisors in France. Scientific results and stakeholders’ knowledge both indicate that within- and between-field plant biodiversity have a positive effect on the provision of ecosystem services. For instance, it can reduce inputs and give higher and more stable plant production. It may even improve farmers’ management conditions. However, our work revealed two gaps in our scientific knowledge. Only 3 scientific articles connected ecosystem services with plant biodiversity at the farm scale or between fields, while stakeholders did so for 43 % of the services they mentioned. Similarly, management services concerned about one-third of the services mentioned by stakeholders but were addressed in only 3 scientific articles. Stakeholders’ expertise can thus help us to prioritize research options in order to simultaneously fill scientific gaps and produce knowledge relevant to practice. [M. Lugnot & G. Martin (2013). Biodiversity provides ecosystem services: scientific results versus stakeholders’ knowledge. Regional Environmental Change, on-line 03 March 2013. Photo: ENDURE.] Comment

Abstract: Farmland biodiversity and its associated ecosystem services are affected by agricultural activities at multiple spatial scales. Among these services, the regulation of weeds by invertebrate seed predators has received much attention recently but little is known about the relative effect of local management and landscape context of fields on this process. We monitored seed predation on four common weed species and carabid communities in 28 winter-cereals fields during five consecutive weeks in spring 2010. These fields were situated in contrasted landscape contexts and varied in terms of intensity of pesticide treatments and soil tillage regimes. Weed seed predation was strongly and positively related to the Shannon diversity of (strictly) granivorous carabids and to the activity–density of omnivorous carabids but negatively to the richness of omnivorous carabids. Weed seed predation and granivore diversity were positively related to landscape diversity and the proportion cover of temporary grassland within a 1000 m radius around focal fields and were negatively affected by the intensity of local pesticide treatments. No-till systems sheltered higher diversity of granivorous carabids but did not show higher seed predation rates. We showed that landscape composition factors had a higher relative influence than local practices factors on weed seed predation service. Consequently, weed management strategies should not only consider the management of single fields but also the surrounding landscape to preserve carabid biodiversity and enhance weed seed predation service. [Aude Trichard, Audrey Alignier, Luc Biju-Duval & Sandrine Petit (2013). The relative effects of local management and landscape context on weed seed predation and carabid functional groups. Basic and Applied Ecology, online 1 March 2013] [Photo: The granivore, Harpalus rufipes, feeding on weed seed at the soil surface © INRA] Comment

[On Pasture 19 March 2013 By Kathy Voth] -- Forage quantity, quality and cost limit how much livestock a producer can raise, and how much money he/she makes doing it. Our emphasis on pasture grasses has led to decades of research to improve grass varieties, and farmers and ranchers have sprayed, burned, mowed, seeded, and invested in the necessary equipment for all this in an effort to increase the quantity and quality of pastures. There is an alternative. By understanding a little more about what’s growing in our pastures, and how animals choose what to eat, we could reduce expenses and increase the numbers of cattle we can produce. By turning weeds into forage, producers could potentially raise more cattle, and spend less money doing it .... Economist John Morley found that, based on average pasture weed populations, if a producer’s cattle ate just 70% of the weeds available, that producer would have about 43% more forage. This is just an average and your percentage will be different based on your past weed management practices .... Weeds are also high quality forage, maintaining much higher levels of protein through the growing season than typical pasture grasses. Because they have a higher leaf to stem ratio than grasses, they generally have better digestibility numbers as well. A maintenance ration for cattle requires 8% protein, so when grasses dry in mid-summer and drop below 8%, weeds can provide the protein cattle need to maintain, or even to gain weight. Higher levels of protein in weeds can also provide the nutrients rumen microbes need to process lower quality forages, so we can take advantage of forage that might not otherwise have been useful. Comment

[PAN 21 March 2013 by Kristin Schafer] -- Access to information can be a powerful thing. The pesticide industry understands this, which must be why they're fighting tooth and nail to block — for the third time — a commonsense law that would require pesticide use reporting in Maryland. But the people of Maryland are fighting back. A strong coalition has formed around the "Smart on Pesticides" law, which is being considered right now by state legislators. They're making the case that children, communities and the precious Chesapeake Bay will all be better protected if decisionmakers know what pesticides are being used and where. A very simple — and very smart — idea. The Pesticide Reporting and Information Act (SB 675 and HB 775) would require pesticide users and sellers to make information that they are already required to maintain publicly available. This data would help public health and environmental experts identify "hot spots" and determine which pesticides are putting children’s health and waterways at risk. Biologists say, for example, that such data would help them address the growing problem of intersex fish in the bay. In some locations between 50-100% of the male bass examined are producing eggs rather than sperm. The scientists told Washington Postreporters that "lack of data on pesticides running into the bay" is keeping them from understanding and effectively addressing the problem. Comment

[SARE 01 Feb 2013] – North Carolina organic wheat producers who face challenges in controlling stubborn weeds, specifically Italian ryegrass, may soon be able to choose from varieties that suppress those weed populations. North Carolina State University graduate student Margaret Worthington is studying 60 soft red winter wheat cultivars from public and private breeding programs for morphological characteristics and allelopathic traits that would help the wheat plants out-compete Italian ryegrass. “The goal of the project is identify wheat varieties that can out-perform Italian ryegrass in the field while not compromising yields, so that organic and conventional wheat growers have options available to them to control weeds that don’t involve chemical applications,” said Worthington. “Through this work, we can develop improved breeding protocols that will enable public sector wheat breeders across the Southeast to select for lines with enhanced allelopathy and morphological traits conferring weed suppressive ability.” Comment

Summary: The objectives of this paper are to provide a summary scientific review of peer‐reviewed literature on the human health impacts of exposure to pesticides, especially those that may be impacting Australia’s Great Barrier Reef; and to briefly review key international concerns and emerging approaches to pesticide issues. Evidence is provided of the increased risk of some adverse health effects from exposure to pesticides. There is evidence that a number of the pesticides found in the Great Barrier Reef waters and in waterways discharging into the area may cause cancer (e.g. atrazine, 2,4‐D,diuron, simazine), neurological conditions (chlorpyrifos), birth defects (atrazine, 2,4‐D, diuron, endosulfan, MCPA), reduced foetal growth (atrazine, chlorpyrifos, 2,4‐D,metolachlor), and metabolic problems leading to obesity and diabetes (chlorpyrifos). Foetal and early childhood exposures to pesticides are a key concern, with considerable evidence of links between such exposures to a wide variety of pesticides and a range of childhood cancers, especially brain cancer and leukaemia. Prenatal exposure, particularly to organophosphate insecticides, is strongly linked with a range of developmental, cognitive and behaviour deficits, that can result in lasting adverse effects on the brain and leading towhat has been described as a “silent pandemic” of developmental neurotoxicity. Prenatal exposure is also strongly linked with a range of birth defects. More …

[Planet Natural 07 Dec 2012 by Bill Kohlhaase] -- When the State of California required Los Angeles to reduce its landfill waste, the city had the perfect solution. Compost! A large percentage of what went into the dumps came from lawns, gardens and parks. By collecting green waste, composting it and marketing it back to the public, the City not only reduced its waste by half, it made money to boot. The commercial compost was sold by the yard to large growers and landscape services as well as in attractive bags at select home, garden and grocery stores. The program more than paid for itself. Win-win! Then the reports started coming in. Growers of tomatoes, peas and other vegetables noticed they were losing crops. Sunflowers and daisies died. The culprit was found to be Clopyralid, a widely-used dandelion herbicide, found to be present in the City-manufactured compost. Suddenly compost programs in Los Angeles, Spokane and other parts of the country came to a halt as the “contaminated compost” scandal spread. Clopyralid isn’t the only contaminant that buyers of commercial compost have had to worry about. There’s a wide array of herbicides, pesticides, heavy metals and other chemicals as well as bacterial pathogens that can make their way into commercial compost. Compounding the problem are persistent toxins from sprays used on forests (forest products make up a large share of commercial compost). The addition of sewage sediments and sludge — once freely labeled as such, now more stealthily named — as well as other waste water by-products harboring everything from heavy metals to prescription drugs show up in compost. As the often-heard saying goes, garbage in, garbage out. Comment

Abstract: Nonpoint source pollution control and stormwater management are two objectives in managing mixed land use watersheds like those in New Jersey. Various best management practices (BMPs) have been developed and implemented to achieve both objectives. This study assesses the cost-effectiveness of selected BMPs for agricultural nonpoint source pollution control and stormwater management in the Neshanic River watershed, a typical mixed land use watershed in central New Jersey, USA. The selected BMPs for nonpoint source pollution control include cover crops, prescribed grazing, livestock access control, contour farming, nutrient management, and conservation buffers. The selected BMPs for stormwater management are rain gardens, roadside ditch retrofitting, and detention basin retrofitting. Cost-effectiveness is measured by the reduction in pollutant loads in total suspended solids and total phosphorus relative to the total costs of implementing the selected BMPs. The pollution load reductions for these BMPs are based on the total pollutant loads in the watershed simulated by the Soil and Water Assessment Tool and achievable pollutant reduction rates. The total implementation cost includes BMP installation and maintenance costs. The assessment results indicate that the BMPs for the nonpoint source pollution control are generally much more cost-effective in improving water quality than the BMPs for stormwater management. [Qiu, Zeyuan (2013). Comparative assessment of stormwater and nonpoint source pollution best management practices in suburban watershed management. Water, 5(1), 280-291.] [Photo credit: USDA] Comment

[Environmental Health News 22 Feb. 2013 by Brett Israel] -- With an estimated $8-billion global market in 2005, industry experts now predict $21 billionworth of fungicides will be sold annually by 2017. Spraying of soybean crops quadrupled between 2002 and 2006 in an effort to fight Asian Soybean Rust, according to the latest data available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Fungicides were routinely applied on up to 30 percent of USA's 220 million acres of corn, soybean and wheat, according to a 2009 estimate. University of Kentucky plant pathologist Paul Vincelli estimates that 10 to 15 percent of all U.S. crops are treated with fungicide. "It's concerning," said Jason Belden, an environmental toxicologist at Oklahoma State University. "We have limited toxicological data for a lot of these compounds." Fungicides are contaminating the majority of water bodies tested in states where there is heavy use, such as in Maine, Idaho and Wisconsin. Some are known to be highly toxic to aquatic creatures, but little is known about whether they are actually harming frogs or other animals in the environment. The potential threats to people are unknown, with new research on lab mice linking them to obesity. Farmers have historically sprayed fungicides to stop disease. But over the past decade, in an effort to squeeze extra bushels from their crops, they have been spraying more kinds of fungicides on more acres. Farmers around USA are doing the same, causing an unprecedented surge in fungicide use. But as widespread contamination of waterways near these farms emerges, experts warn that there is inadequate environmental monitoring and information on the chemicals' safety. "It's concerning," said Jason Belden, an environmental toxicologist at Oklahoma State University. "We have limited toxicological data for a lot of these compounds." Comment

Summary: Current pesticide policy focuses on reducing dietary and other risks to meet safety standards, rather than weighing risks and benefits, and mitigating impacts by finding “safer” alternatives. This paper discusses U.S. agricultural pesticide use trends from 1964 to 2010 based on estimates developed from USDA surveys, and the influence of economic factors, agricultural policy, and pesticide regulation on aggregate quantities and mix of pesticides used. Synthetic organic pesticide use grew dramatically from the 1960's to the early 1980's, as farmers treated more and more acreage. Use then stabilized, with herbicides applied to about 95 percent of corn, cotton, and soybean acres, annually. Subsequently, major factors affecting trends were: 1) changes in crop acreage and other economic factors, 2) use of new pesticides that reduced per-acre application rates and/or met more rigorous health and environmental standards, and 3) adoption of genetically engineered insect-resistant and herbicide-tolerant crops. The use of pesticides and other control practices responded to economic factors such as input and output markets and agricultural policies. Changing societal values toward pesticide risks and benefits profoundly affected pesticide policy, influencing the pesticides available for use, but only indirectly affecting aggregate quantities used. While the current pesticide regulatory process might have economic inefficiencies, it might be consistent with policy preferences held by much of the public -- to reduce pesticide hazards rather than minimize regulatory costs. [Craig D. Osteen & Jorge Fernandez-Cornejo (2013). Economic and policy issues of U.S agricultural pesticide use trends. Pest Management Science, online 08 March 2013] Comment

Abstract: Aquatic ecosystems throughout the world are threatened by the presence of invasive aquatic plants, both floating and submerged. Some of the aquatic species, such as water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes [Mart.] Solms), alligator weed, Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.), giant salvinia, Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitchell and water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes L.), Griseb. despite being relatively minor problems in their native range, have become major invaders of aquatic habitats in other parts of the world after having escaped from their natural enemies. Unchecked growth of aquatic vegetation is generally undesirable and reduces the value of the water resource. Despite adopting all control options including manual, mechanical, chemical and classical biological, the problem persists. The current weed management is oriented towards finding approaches that are effective in controlling the weed and reducing environmental contamination from herbicides. Plant pathogens have been gaining increasing attention and interest among those concerned with developing environmentally friendly, effective and compatible approaches for integrated management of the noxious weeds. This paper discusses some of the major microbial agents associated with aquatic weeds and their increasing role in integrated weed management. [Ray, P. & Hill, M. P. (2013). Microbial agents for control of aquatic weeds and their role in integrated management. CAB Reviews, 8, 014, 1-9] Comment

[IFOAM 13 Feb 2013] -- The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) reports that organic food and beverage sales have now top 60 billion US dollars for the first t time. Nearly two million farmers in 162 countries now grow organically on more than 37 million hectares of agricultural land worldwide. The global market for organic food reached 62.9 billion US dollars in 2011, which is 4 billion more than reported for 2010. "200.000 new organic farmers, this is good news for the environment and for the social and economic development of rural areas", says IFOAM president and Australian organic farmer Andre Leu. In fact, the results of the latest annual global survey on organic agriculture conducted by FiBL and IFOAM show evidence of continued growth. Past investments have clearly paid off and three new initiatives are now paving the way for investments in future growth and expansion. These figures show that in countries where organic agriculture is institutionally well embedded, there is constant market growth and expansion of the area under organic management. This is impressively shown in the case of Europe, where many countries provide a wide range of support measures such as direct payments, advisory services, relevant research and marketing measures. This underpins the importance of National Action Plan development, as promoted by FiBL and IFOAM. Comment

Abstract: We studied the eco-toxic and carcinogenic effects of a commonly used 2,4-D acid iso-octylester herbicide on rat liver and pancreas. The rats in Group 1 were fed a standard feed and the rats in Group 2 were fed with standard feed to which was added 200 mg/kg/day 2,4-D acid iso-octylester for 16 weeks. Azaserine, 30 mg/kg/body weight, was injected into rats of Groups 3 and 4 to investigate the effects of 2,4-D acid iso-octylester on the development of neoplasms. After feeding the rats with neoplasms in Group 4 with food including 200 mg/kg/day 2,4-D acid iso-octylester for 16 weeks, an autopsy was carried out on all animals. We found that 2,4-D acid iso-octylester caused the formation of atypical cell foci (ACF) in the pancreata and livers of rats. ACF that were formed experimentally by exposure to azaserine had increased diameter, volume and number of atypical cell foci/mm² and mm³after exposure to 2,4-D acid iso-octylester. Our observations indicated that this herbicide potentially is a cancer initiator. [C Ozdemir & H Oztas (2013). Assessing eco-toxicological effects of industrial 2,4-D acid iso-octylester herbicide on rat pancreas and liver. Biotechnic & Histochemistry, online on February 11, 2013: doi:10.3109/10520295.2012.758312] Comment

[AllAboutFeed 1 March 2013] -- In San Juan County, Washing State, the population of 16,000 voted in favour of banning the “propagation, cultivation or growing of genetically modified organisms” in the county. The initiative 2012-4 was won by a 1.5 to 1 majority. According to the Washington State Department of Agriculture, the county has 291 farms producing US$4 million in crops annually. The first violation is a Class 1 civil infraction carrying a $250 penalty plus statutory assessments. The second violation is a criminal misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, 90 days in jail, or both. A third or subsequent violation is a gross misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $5,000, 365 days in jail, or both. According to the initiative, criminal charges will be brought only when civil remedies have failed to ensure compliance. The initiative does allow for the growth of hybrid organisms and GMOs to be grown by health-care providers and researchers in secure environments. It will not affect GMO products sold in local grocery stores. Comment

Abstract: The allelopathic potential of rye (Secale cereale L.) is mainly due to phytotoxic benzoxazinones, compounds that are produced and accumulated in young tissues to different degrees depending on cultivar and environmental influences. Living rye plants exude low levels of benzoxazinones, while cover crop residues can release from 12 to 20 kg ha–1. This paper summarizes the results obtained from several experiments performed in both controlled and field environments, in which rye was used as a cover crop to control summer weeds in a following maize crop. Significant differences in benzoxazinoid content were detected between rye cultivars. In controlled environments, rye mulches significantly reduced germination of some broadleaf weeds. Germination and seedling growth of Amaranthus retroflexus and Portulaca oleracea were particularly affected by the application of rye mulches, while Chenopodium album was hardly influenced and Abutilon theophrasti was advantaged by the presence of the mulch. With reference to the influence of agronomic factors on the production of benzoxazinoids, nitrogen fertilization increased the content of allelochemicals, although proportionally less than dry matter. The field trial established on no-till maize confirmed the significant weed suppressiveness of rye mulch, both for grass and broadleaf weeds. A significant positive interaction between N fertilization and no-tillage resulting in the suppression of broadleaf weeds was observed. The different behavior of the weeds in the presence of allelochemicals was explained in terms of differential uptake and translocation capabilities. The four summer weeds tested were able to grow in the presence of low amounts of benzoxazolin-2(3H)-one (BOA), between 0.3 and 20 μmol g−1 fresh weight. Although there were considerable differences in their sensitivity to higher BOA concentrations, P. oleracea, A. retroflexus, and Ch. album represented a group of species with a consistent absorption capability. The insensitivity of A. theophrasti to BOA was due to reduced accumulation in seedlings. Overall, results confirm that the use of a rye cover crop in a suitable crop rotation represents a sustainable weed management practice permitting a reduction in the amount of herbicides used in agroecosystems, thus limiting the environmental risks of intensive agriculture. [Vincenzo Tabaglio, Adriano Marocco & Margot Schulz (2013). Allelopathic cover crop of rye for integrated weed control in sustainable agroecosystems. Italian Journal of Agronomy, 8(5), 35-40.] Comment

Abstract: Greenhouse experiments were carried out to determine the potential capability of maize plants to remediate atrazine-contaminated soil. The potted sandy loam soil was treated with atrazine (Gesaprim 90%WG) at 0.5 and 1.0 ppm then was planted immediately with maize. After 15, 30, 45 and 60 days from sowing, maize plants were cut and discarded. Wheat seeds were sown in treated soil to determine atrazine residues. Untreated soil and soil unplanted with maize served as controls. Seven days after sowing, the shoot and root lengths of wheat seedlings were measured. The results indicated that shoot and root lengths of wheat in the treated-soil previously planted with maize were taller than the treated-unplanted soil. Persistence percentage of atrazine in the treated soil was estimated by determining the residues of atrazine by Gas Liquid Chromatography (GLC). The obtained data showed that residues of atrazine were less in soil planted with maize compared with unplanted soil. Considerable concentrations of atrazine, i.e., 0.99 ppm and 0.14 ppm were detected in sterilized unplanted or planted soils with maize after 30 days of sowing, respectively. While these values, were 0.38 ppm and 0.09 ppm in sterilized unplanted or planted soil with maize after 60 days of sowing, respectively. This study demonstrated that residues of atrazine were reduced in faster rate in contaminated soil planted with Zea mays than the unplanted soil. Results indicated that Z. mays was useful for phytoremediation of soils contaminated with atrazine. [S.I. Ibrahim, , M.F. Abdel Lateef, H.M.S. Khalifa & A.E. Abdel Monem (2013). Phytoremediation of atrazine-contaminated soil using Zea mays (maize). Annals of Agricultural Sciences, online 27 February 2013] Comment

Abstract: Parthenium hysterophorus L. (Asteraceae) is a serious weed of pastures, wasteland and agricultural fields in world. Various problems are posed by the weed to human health, agriculture, live stock production and biodiversity. It is used as folk remedy against various afflictions. The review discusses several prominent biological utilities of P. hysterophorus as it contains several important chemical constituents mainly histamine, saponin, glucosides and triterpene (sesquiterpene) and can be of use for the purpose of biocontrol of various pathogens, for its medicinal utility and even for the purpose of food. [Veena B. Kushwaha & Shivani Maury (2012). Biological utilities of Parthenium hysterophorus. Journal of Applied and Natural Science, 4 (1), 137-143.] Comment

Abstract: The input of agrochemicals has contributed to alteration of community composition in managed and associated natural systems, including amphibian biodiversity. Pesticides and fertilizers negatively affect many amphibian species and can cause mortality and sublethal effects, such as reduced growth and increased susceptibility to disease. However, the effect of pesticides and fertilizers varies among amphibian species. We used meta-analytic techniques to quantify the lethal and sublethal effects of pesticides and fertilizers on amphibians in an effort to review the published work to date and produce generalized conclusions. We found that pesticides and fertilizers had a negative effect on survival of − 0.9027 and growth of − 0.0737 across all reported amphibian species. We also observed differences between chemical classes in their impact on amphibians: inorganic fertilizers, organophosphates, chloropyridinyl, phosphonoglycines, carbamates, and triazines negatively affected amphibian survival, while organophosphates and phosphonoglycines negatively affected amphibian growth. Our results suggest that pesticides and fertilizers are an important stressor for amphibians in agriculturally dominated systems. Furthermore, certain chemical classes are more likely to harm amphibians. Best management practices in agroecosystems should incorporate amphibian species-specific response to agrochemicals as well as life stage dependent susceptibility to best conserve amphibian biodiversity in these landscapes. [Nick J. Baker, Betsy A. Bancroft & Tiffany S. Garcia (2013). A meta-analysis of the effects of pesticides and fertilizers on survival and growth of amphibians. Science of The Total Environment, 449(1), 150–156] [Photo: Amphibian populations are declining worldwide - Science Daily.] Comment

Abstract: This paper analyzes the local bottom-up dynamics of challenging the growth of a bioeconomy in Argentina. In the last decade, growing controversies and conflict have arisen in the region regarding the adoption of genetically modified crops and the growing use of glyphosate-based herbicides. Even if the industry and the World Health Organization claim that glyphosate is a product of low-toxicity, an increasing body of scientific research shows severe health problems for villagers and farmers. In Argentina, many peasants, neighbors, environmental activists, as well as rural physicians, scientists, agronomic engineers and lawyers have asked for a ban or strict limits on the use of glyphosate-based herbicides. Using a case study, I focus on collective action between 1996 and 2011 aimed at changing “science-based regulations” for the commercialization and use of agrochemicals. I demonstrate that by implementing diverse and innovative collective strategies as well as promoting the creation of new scientific data, affected populations can achieve some degree of influence on decisions regarding risk. Even if social and scientific disagreements over regulatory frameworks for biotechnology in Latin America have been acknowledged in the literature, regulatory science has rarely been thought of as a field of social struggle where social movements can participate and promote change. This is an important contribution to the emerging field of studies focused on political collective action and social movements within science and technology. [Florencia Arancibia (2013). Challenging the bioeconomy: The dynamics of collective action in Argentina. Technology in Society, online 18 February 2013] Comment

Abstract: The aim was examine whether at a subcontinental-scale ecotonal areas of transition between vegetation communities are at higher risk of plant invasion. Location: South Africa and Lesotho. Methods: Using plant data on native and established alien species in South Africa, we examined the relationship between plant richness (native and alien) in each grid cell (quarter-degree resolution) in the study area and the distance of the grid cell to the nearest ecotone between vegetation communities. We used a residual analysis to estimate each grid cell's relative invasibility (i.e. susceptibility to invasion) relative to its ecotone distance. We further explored the relative importance of ecotones in relation to large-scale environmental variation, and the importance of ecotonal spatial heterogeneity, in structuring alien species richness patterns. Results: Both alien and native richness patterns become higher with declining distance to ecotones, suggesting that transitional environments are more susceptible to invasion than areas located farther away; however, levels of invasibility vary across South Africa. The negative relationship between ecotone distance and alien species richness remained negative and significant for the whole of South Africa, grassland and Nama-Karoo, after controlling for environmental variables. Several sources of environmental heterogeneity, which were shown here to be associated with ecotones, were also found to be important determinants of alien species richness. Main conclusions: While most of the current conservation efforts at the regional and global scales are currently directed to distinct ecosystems, our results suggest that much more effort should be directed to the transitions between them, which are small in size and have high native richness, but are also under greater threat from invasive alien species. Understanding how alien species richness and invasibility change across transitions and sharp gradients, where environmental heterogeneity is high, is important for ongoing conservation planning in a biogeographical context. [van Rensburg, B. J., Hugo, S., Levin, N., Kark, S. (2013). Are environmental transitions more prone to biological invasions? Diversity and Distributions, 19: 341–351. doi: 10.1111/ddi.12026] Comment

Abstract: The chemical composition, physico-chemical properties, and antifungal and herbicidal activities of essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation from needles, stems and cones of Pinus halepensis Miller were investigated. The chemical composition analysed by GC and GC/MS varied significantly among organs. Among the 67 identified components, α-pinene (63% and 51.7%, respectively, in stems and cones) and (Z)-caryophyllene (33.9% in needles) were found to be the major ones. Moreover, it was found that chemical composition of essential oils extracted from different organs of P. halepensis Miller growing in Tunisia showed noteworthy differences with the same species cultivated in Algeria, Morocco, Greece and Italy based on a comparison with published results. In addition, the physico-chemical properties of essential oils from different organs of P. halepensis were analysed. The analysis of the refraction index, density and acid index of different oil samples showed a weak variability among organs. The in vitro antifungal activity of the essential oil samples evaluated against 10 cultivated crop fungi was found to be low, probably due to the low level of oxygenated compounds in P. halepensis oils. In contrast, the herbicidal activity investigated towards three common weeds in Tunisian cereal crops was very strong and seed germination was inhibited at 2 μl ml^{− 1}. Thus, P. halepensisessential oil appears to have more value as a bioherbicide than as a biofungicide. [Ismail Amri, Lamia Hamrouni, Mohsen Hanana, Samia Gargouri, Tarek Fezzani & Bassem Jamoussi (2013). Chemical composition, physico-chemical properties, antifungal and herbicidal activities of Pinus halepensis Miller essential oils. Biological Agriculture & Horticulture: An International Journal for Sustainable Production Systems, online 13 Feb 2013.]

[EEA 21 February 2013] The European Environment Agency (EEA) has released two reports on invasive species. The first, titled "The impacts of invasive alien species in Europe," discusses the effects and spread of some invasive species. Weed species examined include Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), ice plant (Carpobrotus edulis), pontic rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum) and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). The second, titled "Invasive alien species indicators in Europe," looks at the methodology for collecting the data. The first report notes, through 28 dedicated species accounts, that invasive species are largely introduced for horticulture, but also for other reasons including farming, hunting and fishing, or as pets. Trade and tourism can compound the effects of their diffusion as well as climate change, which allows for some species to spread more easily. The report on indicators also highlights the high economic costs of invasive alien species. It estimates that they cost Europe around €12 billion per year, by damaging crops or fouling water filtration plants and water cooling reservoirs of power plants. [Photo: Pontic rhododendron is the most important host for Sudden Oak Death that threatens trees, woodland ecosystems and other habitats in Europe.] Comment

Abstract: Herbicides contribute significantly to agricultural intensification, but some negatively impact non-target organisms. Much research has focused on reducing herbicide use through technological improvements in application and herbicide selectivity, but impacts on non-target organisms are less well understood. Using experimental plots in silage systems, we investigated impacts of herbicides (both narrow spectrum targeting broad-leaved plants and selective and non-selective broad spectrum) applied using traditional techniques (blanket- and manual spot-spraying) and a novel application technique (automated spot-spraying) on non-target plant richness/diversity, target weed presence (Rumex species) and production (DM yield). All herbicides reduced non-target plant richness/diversity and sometimes target weeds (when applied using traditional methods). Automated spot-spraying had fewer negative effects on non-target organisms, but did not reduce target weeds. No differences in production levels among treatments were observed. The automated spot-spraying technique requires further research and development. Our results indicate that 20–30% weed cover does not significantly alter production and so, as herbicides are expensive, their effects on non-target organisms and the environment can be more significant than their benefits to production. We advocate more research into the relationships between weed infestation and production in grasslands, so that the propensity to overuse herbicides is reduced. [Power EF, Kelly DL & Stout JC. (2013). The impacts of traditional and novel herbicide application methods on target plants, non-target plants and production in intensive grasslands. Weed Research, online 15 Feb 2013.] Comment

[The Center for Public Integrity 12 Feb 2013 by Jim Morris] -- A new federal advisory panel reportmakes a forceful case for more research into environmental causes of breast cancer, which was diagnosed in 227,000 women, killed 40,000 and cost more than $17 billion to treat in the United States last year. Compiled by the congressionally mandated Interagency Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Coordinating Committee, the report notes that most cases of breast cancer “occur in people with no family history,” suggesting that “environmental factors — broadly defined — must play a major role in the etiology of the disease.” Yet only a fraction of US Federal research funding has gone toward examining links between breast cancer and ubiquitous chemicals such as the plastic hardening agent bisphenol A; the herbicide atrazine; and dioxin, a byproduct of plastics manufacturing and burning, says the report, prepared for Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and released today. “Prevention needs to be as important as other investments that are made in screening, treatment and access to care,” Jeanne Rizzo, co-chair of the committee and president of the San Francisco-based Breast Cancer Fund, said in an interview. “There really is a problem, and until we address it we’re going to continue to have a quarter of a million new cases every year.” Comment

[USDA 04 Feb 2013 by Ann Perry] -- Farmers can fine-tune their use of cover crops to help manage costs and maximize benefits in commercial organic production systems, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists. Production expenses for high-value organic crops like lettuce and broccoli can exceed $7,000 per acre, so producers often try to streamline costs with an annual two- to three-crop rotation. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) horticulturalist Eric Brennandesigned a long-term investigation that examined several different cover cropping strategies for an annual organic lettuce-broccoli production system. ARS is USDA's chief intramural scientific research agency, and this work supports the USDA priority of promoting international food security. The researcher selected three winter cover crops often grown in the Salinas, Calif., area—rye, mustard, and a legume-rye mix—and planted each cover crop using either a typical seeding rate or a seeding rate that was three times higher. Seeding rates can influence a cover crop's ability to smother weeds. During lettuce and broccoli production, Brennan ensured all systems received the same fertilizer and irrigation inputs and pest management. The harvest and sale of the crops, which met all USDA organic standards, were conducted by a commercial harvester. Comment

[CFS Washington, D.C. – February 12, 2013] -- A new report released by the Center for Food Safety investigates how the current seed patent regime has led to a radical shift to consolidation and control of global seed supply and how these patents have enabled corporations, such as herbicide manufacturer Monsanto, to sue U.S. farmers for alleged seed patent infringements. Seed Giants vs. U.S. Farmers also examines broader socio-economic consequences of the present patent system including links to loss of seed innovation, rising seed prices, reduction of independent scientific inquiry, and environmental issues. While agrichemical corporations also claim that their patented seeds are leading to environmental improvements, the report notes that upward of 26 percent more chemicals per acre were used on GE crops than on non-GE crops, according to USDA data. Further, in response to an epidemic of weed resistance to glyphosate, the primary herbicide used on GE crops, Dow AgroSciences is seeking USDA approval of “next generation” corn and soybeans resistant to 2,4-D, an active ingredient in Agent Orange. Monsanto is seeking approval for GE dicamba-resistant soybeans, corn, and cotton. Comment

Summary: To suppress weeds in an apple (Malus sp.) orchard, we placed spruce (Picea spp.) bark mulch and cocoa (Theobroma cacao) husk mulch for 3 months in thicknesses of 0, 2.5, 5, 10 and 15 cm. To assess the development of weed cover, an innovative use of log-logistic dose–response models was applied, with mulch thickness as the independent variable. Weed cover was measured by non-destructive image analysis by estimating the relationship between the number of green pixels and the total number of pixels in each experimental plot. The thickness of mulch layer required to attain a 50 and 90% weed suppression (ED50 and ED90) differed significantly within and between mulch types. In all except one instance, the cocoa mulch was superior in suppressing weeds. This method was useful for the evaluation, but further research is needed to give a more general conclusion about the suppression ability of the two mulches under other climatic and growing conditions. [Arentoft BW, Ali A, Streibig JC & Andreasen C. (2013). A new method to evaluate the weed-suppressing effect of mulches: a comparison between spruce bark and cocoa husk mulches. Weed Research. online 15 Feb 2013] Comment

Abstract: This paper argues that soil salinity needs to be more broadly acknowledged as a driving factor in plant ecology—not only in the ecology of halophytes—in order to understand and make more accurate predictions for the impact of environmental change on biodiversity and vegetation patterns throughout the semi-arid world. It summarizes recent research on soil salinity and plant distributions in semi-arid environments throughout the world: there is empirical as well as experimental evidence that soil salinity, even at low levels, is an abiotic stress factor that influences vegetation patterns and diversification. Lines of evidence demonstrating salinity's potential influence as a selective agent in East Africa and North America are presented. The paper then synthesizes recent results from spatial ecology, plant and insect systematics and behavioral ecology, focusing on Australia, that support a role for salinity in evolutionary ecology of Acacia. On a shorter time scale, soil salinity may play a role in weed invasion and woody vegetation encroachment in Australia. [E.N. Bui (2013). Soil salinity: A neglected factor in plant ecology and biogeography. Journal of Arid Environments, Volume 92, pp 14–25] [Photo: Field observations in Queensland suggest that the woody weed Parkinsonia aculeata L. appears to colonize saline discharge areas where it forms monostands. Credit: ALA] Comment

Abstract: Increased biodiversity may improve ecosystem services, including herbage yield. A mixture experiment was carried out at five sites in Northern Europe and one in Canada to investigate whether mixtures of grasses and legumes would give higher herbage yield than monocultures. Resistance of the mixtures to weed invasion and nutritive value of the herbage were also investigated. The experimental layout followed a simplex design, where four species differing in specific functional traits, timothy (Phleum pratense L.), smooth meadow grass (Poa pratensis L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.), were grown in monocultures and eleven different mixtures with systematically varying proportions of the four species. Positive diversity effects (DE) were observed, leading to greater herbage dry-matter (DM) yield in mixtures than expected from species sown in monocultures. For centroid mixtures, the DE generated on average an additional 32, 25 and 21% of the DM yield than would be expected from the monocultures in the first, second and third year respectively. On average, the mixtures were 9, 15 and 7% more productive than the most productive monoculture (transgressive overyielding) in the first, second and third year respectively. These benefits persisted over the three harvest years of the experiment and were consistent among most sites. This positive effect was not accompanied by a reduction in herbage digestibility and crude protein concentration that is usually observed with increased DM yield. Mixtures also reduced the invasion of weeds to <5% of herbage yield compared to monocultures (10–60% of herbage yield). [E. Sturludóttir, C. Brophy, G. Bélanger, A.-M. Gustavsson, M. Jørgensen, T. Lunnan & Á. Helgadóttir, (2013). Benefits of mixing grasses and legumes for herbage yield and nutritive value in Northern Europe and Canada. Grass and Forage Science, online 11 Feb 2013.] Comment

[The Denver Post 10 Feb 2013 by Colleen O'Connor] -- Turf wars are flaring in Colorado, pitting people who prize pristine, weed-free lawns against those who want an organic, chemical-free lifestyle. The battle is so pitched that local lawn-and-garden pros fear that a Canadian-style ban on pesticides and herbicides looms ... The American Academy of Pediatrics added fuel to the fire last month with a policy statement that linked prenatal and early-childhood exposure to chemical pesticides with pediatric cancers, decreased cognitive function and behavioral problems. "It's one of the most contentious issues you can ever imagine," said Paul Tukey, founder of SafeLawns, an advocacy organization for natural lawn care. In Colorado, municipalities — including Boulder and Durango — have changed policies in response to residents worried about health consequences of synthetic pesticides. They're focused on eliminating chemical controls of weeds and insects in public parks and playgrounds, and proponents say such programs prove there are ways to both protect health and keep landscapes lovely. The University of Colorado doesn't use chemicals to treat turf in its open spaces or fields. Compost tea is used to fertilize, and weeds are hand-pulled. Outdoor-services manager Don Inglis said the change was made in response to students wondering "why we were using herbicides on campus when we are one of the leaders in the green industry, from the university standpoint." Comment

Abstract: Pesticides constitute a diverse class of chemicals used for the protection of agricultural products. Several lines of evidence demonstrate that organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides can cause malignant transformation of cells in in vitro and in vivo models. In the current minireview a comprehensive summary of recent in vitro findings is presented along with data reported from human population studies, regarding the impact of pesticide exposure on activation or dysregulation of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Substantial mechanistic work suggests that pesticides are capable of inducing mutations in oncogenes and increase their transcriptional expression in vitro, whereas human population studies indicate associations between pesticide exposure levels and mutation occurrence in cancer-related genes. Further work is required to fully explore the exact mechanisms by which pesticide exposure affects the integrity and normal function of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in human populations. [Elena Vakonaki, Vasilis P. Androutsopoulos, Jyrki Liesivuori, Aristidis M. Tsatsakis & Demetrios A. Spandido (2013). Pesticides and oncogenic modulation. Toxicology, online 24 Jan 2013] Comment

Abstract: In the United States, only species listed on state or federal noxious weed lists are regulated. According to our analysis, these regulatory lists poorly represent invasive plants in unmanaged (i.e., nonagricultural) systems. To improve the representation of invasive plants on state regulatory lists, we recommend allocating listing authority to invasive species councils and provide guidance for the science-based reform of noxious weed lists. We also recommend commercial best practices to test for invasiveness prior to intentional introduction of new plant products. Finally, we introduce a negligence liability scheme to discourage the introduction of potential invaders. If adopted, our recommendations could benefit nonagricultural ecosystems and could have positive consequences for bioenergy producers and others in plant industry, who are under scrutiny for promoting potentially invasive species as energy crops. As the bioenergy industry gains momentum, a revised regulatory regime may alleviate the concerns regarding one potential negative consequence of novel plant introduction. [Lauren D. Quinn , Jacob N. Barney , James S. N. McCubbins & A. Bryan Endres (2013). Navigating the “noxious” and “invasive” regulatory landscape: suggestions for improved regulation. BioScience 63(2):124-131. dx.doi.org/10.1525/bio.2013.63.2.8] Disagree? Share your views on this article: Comment

[ScienceDaily Feb. 6, 2013] — "You don't know what you've got 'til it's collapsed." That's how University of Guelph integrative biologists might recast a line from an iconic folk tune for their new research paper warning about the perils of ecosystem breakdown. Their research, published February 6 as the cover story in Nature, suggests farmers and resource managers should not rely on seemingly stable but vulnerable single-crop monocultures. Instead they should encourage more kinds of plants in fields and woods as a buffer against sudden ecosystem disturbance. Based on a 10-year study, their paper also lends scientific weight to esthetic and moral arguments for maintaining species biodiversity. The study was written by Profs. Andrew MacDougall and Kevin McCann, graduate student Gabriel Gellner and Roy Turkington, a botany professor and member of the Biodiversity Research Centre at the University of British Columbia. Their research confirms that having lots of species in an area helps ecosystems avoid irreversible collapse after human disturbances such as climate change or pest invasion. "Species are more important than we think," said MacDougall. "We need to protect biodiversity."[Photo: Single-crop monoculture of corn.] Comment

Abstract: Herbicides are used extensively to control weeds. However, little is known about the non-target effects of herbicides on soil nematode assemblages. The objective of this study was to determine whether herbicides affect the abundance of nematodes in specific trophic groups. Meta-analysis was performed and the calculated effect size, lr, quantified the impact of herbicides on the abundance of total nematodes and five trophic groups (bacterivores, fungivores, plant-parasites, omnivores, and predators). Measurements of lr indicated that herbicides decreased abundance of both fungivores and predators; however, abundance of bacterivores, plant-parasites and omnivores increased. Overall, total nematode abundance tended to increase in response to herbicide application. The decrease of predator abundance suggests that herbicide application disturbs soil food webs. The increase of bacterivore and decrease of fungivore abundance suggest that bacterivores are more tolerant and both fungivores and predators more sensitive to herbicide applications. Herbicides also have non-target effects on omnivores, which may be due to the increased amount of food resources for omnivores after weed control. Additionally, the use of herbicides may result in a risk of an increase of plant-parasitic nematode abundance. [Jie Zhao, Deborah A. Neher, Shenglei Fu, Zhi'an Li & Kelin Wang (2013). Non-target effects of herbicides on soil nematode assemblages. Pest Management Science, online 05 Feb 2013] Comment

Abstract: Over the past century, agricultural landscapes worldwide have increasingly been managed for the primary purpose of producing food, while other diverse ecosystem services potentially available from these landscapes have often been undervalued and diminished. The incorporation of relatively small amounts of perennial vegetation in strategic locations within agricultural landscapes dominated by annual crops—or perennialization—creates an opportunity for enhancing the provision of a wide range of goods and services to society, such as water purification, hydrologic regulation, pollination services, control of pest and pathogen populations, diverse food and fuel products, and greater resilience to climate change and extreme disturbances, while at the same time improving the sustainability of food production. This paper synthesizes the current scientific theory and evidence for the role of perennial plants in balancing conservation with agricultural production, focusing on the Midwestern USA as a model system, while also drawing comparisons with other climatically diverse regions of the world. Particular emphasis is given to identifying promising opportunities for advancement and critical gaps in our knowledge related to purposefully integrating perennial vegetation into agroecosystems as a management tool for maximizing multiple benefits to society. [H. Asbjornsen, V. Hernandez-Santana, M. Liebman, J. Bayala, J. Chen, M. Helmers, C.K. Ong & L.A. Schulte (2013). Targeting perennial vegetation in agricultural landscapes for enhancing ecosystem services. online 07 Feb 2013.] [Photo: An example of perennial grass strips with row crops - source] Comment

[The Chronicle of Higher Education 01 Feb 2013 by Goldie Blumenstyk] -- In a case before the U.S. Supreme Court this month, advocates for academic researchers are urging the justices to reverse a patent-infringement decision that has given the Monsanto Company broad authority to restrict scientists’ study of genetically modified seeds. The decision, the advocates say, not only hurts farmers and fuels higher food prices; it also contributes to “the suffocation of independent scientific inquiry into transgenic crops.” Not surprisingly, the case has also drawn the attention of higher education’s research establishment—but it’s pulling for the other side. The friend-of-the-court brief that advocates for the academic scientists comes from two nonprofit organizations, the Center for Food Safety and Save Our Seeds. It describes professors at two universities who were forced to abandon their research on sugar beets grown from Monsanto’s patented Roundup Ready transgenic seeds, because the company insisted on the right to block publication of their findings. The brief also recalls a 2009 statement by 26 prominent university scientists who protested to the Environmental Protection Agency that because of the restricted access allowed under patents like the one in the Monsanto case, “no truly independent research can be legally conducted on many critical questions regarding the technology.” Some two dozen research universities and higher-education organizations, including the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and the Association of American Universities, filed another friend-of-the-court brief that sides with Monsanto. Many of them are active in the patenting and commercialization of research themselves, in some cases lucratively so. (One is North Dakota State University, whose researchers were thwarted in their sugar-beet research.) Comment

Abstract: The widespread use of chromium (Cr) has a deleterious impact on the environment. A number of pathways, both biotic and abiotic in character, determine the fate and speciation of Cr in soils. Chromium exists in two predominant species in the environment: trivalent [(Cr(III)] and hexavalent [Cr(VI)]. Of these two forms, Cr(III) is nontoxic and is strongly bound to soil particles, whereas Cr(VI) is more toxic and soluble and readily leaches into groundwater. The toxicity of Cr(VI) can be mitigated by reducing it to Cr(III) species. The authors compared results for the chicken manure biochar with acid-activated black carbon from a weedy species (Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav.). Results showed that the activated black carbon reduced all of the Cr(VI) to Cr(III) within 6 to 10 d, whereas the chicken manure biochar reduced between 198 and 219 mg kg−1 over the 14-d incubation; the estimated half-life for Cr(VI) reduction by biochar was between 10.7 and 11.4 d. Although biochar did not fully reduce Cr(VI) to Cr(III) within the timeframe of the study, results appear promising that both biochar and acid activated black carbons could play a role in reducing Cr(VI) in contaminated soils. Organic carbon sources, such as black carbon (BC) and biochar, were tested for their potential in reducing Cr(VI) in acidic and alkaline contaminated soils. An alkaline soil was selected to monitor the phytotoxicity of Cr(VI) in sunflower plant. In conclusion the showed that using BC resulted in greater reduction of Cr(VI) in soils compared with biochar. This is attributed to the differences in dissolved organic carbon and functional groups that provide electrons for the reduction of Cr(VI). When increasing levels of Cr were added to soils, both microbial respiration and plant growth decreased. The application of BC was more effective than biochar in increasing the microbial population and in mitigating the phytotoxicity of Cr(VI). The net benefit of BC emerged as an increase in plant biomass and a decrease in Cr concentration in plant tissue. Consequently, it was concluded that BC is a potential reducing amendment in mitigating Cr(VI) toxicity in soil and plants. [Choppala, G.K., N.S. Bolan, M. Megharaj, Z. Chen and R. Naidu. (2012). The influence of biochar and black carbon on reduction and bioavailability of chromate in soils. J. Environ. Qual. 41:1175–1184. doi:10.2134/jeq2011.0145] Comment

[Southeast Alalska Conservation Council 26 June 2012] -- WRANGELL, AK – Members of Wrangell’s Scout Troop 40 joined forces with the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (SEACC), the Sitka Conservation Society (SCS) the United States Forest Service and local Wrangell volunteers to conduct a number of Wilderness stewardship activities on the Stikine River. The outing, funded in part by a grant through the National Forest Foundation, focused on managing invasive weeds near Twin Lakes and was part of a nationwide effort by the Forest Service to steward Wilderness areas. “The ultimate goal of this trip was to ensure that future generations inherit landscapes and watersheds like the Stikine that continue to provide opportunities to hunt, fish, and reflect in wild places that have been available to generations before them,” said Daven Hafey of SEACC. "The Stikine is the lifeblood of Wrangell, and we want to help make sure it remains healthy." The group focused on managing the aggressive reed canary grass along the Twin Lakes shoreline by covering it with sheets of black plastic. Hand pulling and shovels were also used to remove the non-native buttercup and dandelion at the lakes’ landing. Reed canary grass is a tall grass that invades and dominates riparian areas, displacing native plants and reducing the richness and diversity of insects. Non-native buttercup and dandelion are not as aggressive, but can push out native plant species. In total, the group worked a collective 304 hours over the course of five days. [Photo caption: When the Scouts and volunteers were not pulling weeds, they had an opportunity to reaffirm their connection to the land and enjoy what it means to be in the Wilderness] Comment

Abstract: Forest restoration uses active management to re-establish natural forest habitat after disturbance. However, competition from early successional species, often aggressively invasive exotic plant species, can inhibit tree establishment and forest regeneration. Ideally, restoration ecologists can plant native tree species that not only establish and grow rapidly, but also suppress exotic competitors. Allelopathy may be a key mechanism by which some native trees could reduce the abundance and impact of exotic species. Allelopathy is a recognized tool for weed management in agriculture and agroforestry, but few studies have considered how allelopathic interactions may aid restoration. Here we introduce the “Homeland Security” hypothesis, which posits that some naïve exotic species may be particularly sensitive to allelochemicals produced by native species, providing a tool to reduce the growth and impacts of invasive exotic species on reforestation. This article explores how exploiting allelopathy in native species could improve restoration success and the re-establishment of natural successional dynamics. We review the evidence for allelopathy in agroforestry systems, and consider its relevance for reforestation. We then illustrate the potential for this approach with a case study of tropical forest restoration in Panama. C4 grasses heavily invade deforested areas in the Panama Canal watershed, especially Saccharum spontaneum L. We measured the effect of leaf litter from 17 potential restoration tree species on the growth of invasive C4 grasses. We found that leaf litter from legume trees had a greater inhibitory effect on performance of S. spontaneum than did litter from non-legume trees. However, allelopathic effects varied greatly among species within tree functional groups. Further evaluation of intra- and inter-specific interactions will help to improve our selection of restoration species. [Justin A. Cummings, Ingrid M. Parker & Gregory S. Gilbert (2012). Allelopathy: a tool for weed management in forest restoration. Plant Ecology, 213(12), 1975-1989] Comment

Abstract: The effects of herbicide, insecticide, and fertilizer inputs on the common buttercup Ranunculus acris in field margins were studied in an experimental field study. The test design allowed us to investigate the single and combined effects of repeated herbicide, insecticide, and fertilizer applications in successive growing seasons. To assess the effects of the agrochemical applications on R. acris plant community, assessments were carried out and a photodocumentation of the flowering intensity was performed over two years. In addition, the authors conducted a monitoring survey of R. acris in field margins in the proximity of the study site. In the field experiment, R. acris plant density decreased significantly with treatments including fertilizer. The herbicide caused a sublethal effect by reducing flower intensity by 85%. In the long run, both effects will result in a decline of R. acris and lead to shifts in plant communities in field margins. This was confirmed by the monitoring survey, where R. acris could hardly be observed in field margins directly adjacent to cereal fields, whereas in margins next to meadows the species was recorded frequently. Besides the implications for the plants, the sublethal effects may also affect many flower-visiting insects. The results indicate that the current risk assessment for nontarget plants is insufficiently protective for wild plant species in field margins and that consideration of sublethal effects is crucial to preserve biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. [Juliane Schmitz, Karoline Schäfer & Carsten A. Brühl (2013). Agrochemicals in field margins—assessing the impacts of herbicides, insecticides, and fertilizer on the common buttercup (Ranunculus acris). Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, online 28 Jan 2013.] [Photo via CalPhotos] Comment

[Farm Industry News 29 Jan 2013] -- The area of U.S. cropland infested with glyphosate-resistant weeds has expanded to 61.2 million acres in 2012, according to a survey conducted by Stratus Agri-Marketing. Nearly half of all U.S. farmers interviewed reported that glyphosate-resistant weeds were present on their farm in 2012, up from 34% of farmers in 2011. The survey also indicates that the rate at which glyphosate-resistant weeds are spreading is gaining momentum; increasing 25% in 2011 and 51% in 2012. The Stratus Glyphosate Resistance Tracking study is conducted annually. It’s now in its third year. In 2012, Stratus completed interviews with nearly 3,000 farmers during the summer and fall. “We asked farmers to share their experiences with glyphosate resistance on their farms and we’re clearly seeing the problem intensify,” explains Stratus Agri-Marketing vice president Kent Fraser. Increases were reported in most states but especially in the Midwest. Not only are glyphosate-resistant weeds spreading geographically, the problem is also intensifying with multiple species now resistant on an increasing number of farms. “There is a very high rate of resistance in the southern states like Georgia where 92% of growers reported having glyphosate-resistant weeds,” reports Fraser. “And we’re also seeing the problem intensify in the midwest. In Illinois, 43% of farmers reported having glyphosate-resistant weeds in 2012.” Marestail (horseweed) was the weed species most commonly reported as resistant to glyphosate herbicides, followed by Palmer amaranth (pigweed). Other glyphosate-resistant weed species were also tracked in the study. In 2012, 27% of U.S. farmers reported multiple glyphosate-resistant weeds on their farm, up from 15% in 2011 and 12% in 2010. Comment

[Reuters by Cary Gillam via Cornucopia Institute 28 Jan 2013 ] – A controversial new biotech corn developed by Dow AgroSciences, a unit of Dow Chemical, will be delayed at least another year as the company awaits regulatory approval amid opposition from farmers, consumers and public health officials. Dow AgroSciences officials said Friday that they now expect the first sales of Enlist for planting in 2014. Previously officials had set the 2013 planting season as a target, but U.S. farmers are already buying seed for planting this spring, and Dow has yet to secure U.S. approval for Enlist. Dow wants to roll out Enlist corn, and then soybeans and cotton to be used in combination with its new Enlist herbicide that combines the weed-killers 2,4-D and glyphosate. The Enlist crops are genetically altered to tolerate treatments of the Enlist herbicide mixture. The hope is that Enlist will wipe out an explosion of crop-choking weeds that have become resistant to glyphosate alone.Opponents have bombarded Dow and U.S. regulators with an array of concerns about Enlist, which is intended to replace Monsanto Co.’s successful Roundup Ready system. Genetically altered Roundup Ready corn and soybeans now dominate the U.S. corn and soybean market. But as Roundup Ready crops have gained popularity, millions of acres of weeds have developed resistance to Roundup herbicide, causing farmers to use higher quantities of Roundup and other herbicides to try to beat back the weeds. Critics warn that adding more herbicides to already resistant weed populations will only expand and accelerate weed resistance. Some have likened the problem to a “chemical arms race” across farm country. [Image courtesy of Pl77] Comment

Abstract: Most species introductions are not expected to result in invasion, and species that are invasive in one area are frequently not invasive in others. However, cases of introduced organisms that failed to invade are reported in many instances as anecdotes or are simply ignored. In this analysis, we aimed to find common characteristics between non-invasive populations of known invasive species and evaluated how the study of failed invasions can contribute to research on biological invasions. We found intraspecific variation in invasion success and several recurring explanations for why non-native species fail to invade; these included low propagule pressure, abiotic resistance, biotic resistance, genetic constraints and mutualist release. Furthermore, we identified key research topics where ignoring failed invasions could produce misleading results; these include studies on historical factors associated with invasions, distribution models of invasive species, the effect of species traits on invasiveness, genetic effects, biotic resistance and habitat invasibility. In conclusion, we found failed invasions can provide fundamental information on the relative importance of factors determining invasions and might be a key component of several research topics. Therefore, our analysis suggests that more specific and detailed studies on invasion failures are necessary. [Zenni, R. D. and Nuñez, M. A. (2013). The elephant in the room: the role of failed invasions in understanding invasion biology. Oikos. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2012.00254.x] Comment

[BBC News 29 Jan 2013 by Mark Kinver] -- Five species of invasive non-native aquatic plants are to be banned from sale, the UK government has announced. In the first ban of its kind, officials hope the move will save money and help protect vulnerable habitats. Environment Minister Richard Benyon said tackling the impact of invasive species costs £1.7bn each year. The plants to be banned from April 2014 are water fern (Azolla filiculoides), parrot's feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum), floating pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides), water primrose (Ludwigia grandiflora, Ludwigia uruguayensis and Ludwigia peploides) and Australian swamp stonecrop (Crassula helmsii). "Tough laws to curb the sale of these plants could save the country millions of pounds as well as protecting wildlife such as fish and native plants," Mr Benyon said. "But as well as saving money and protecting wildlife the ban will also help maintain access to rivers and lakes for anglers and watersport fans." A Defra spokesman told BBC News that it was the first time that non-native plants have been banned from sale in England. He added that the UK action was distinct from existing European Union safeguards that prohibit organisms harmful to native plants from entering the 27-nation bloc. The plants have been listed in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, but it was only illegal to dump the plants into the wild. [Photo: Floating pennywort, one of the species to be banned, can grow up to 20cm (8in) per day.] Comment

Abstract: Controlling non-native plants in natural areas should, ideally, not only reduce target species’ abundance, but also benefit broader management objectives such as conserving native species, improving wildlife habitat, and maintaining ecosystem function. In this context, the effectiveness and non-target impacts of control strategies, such as broadleaf herbicides, must be weighed against the impacts of non-native plants themselves. We undertook this relative assessment for Centaurea stoebe, one of the most widespread and heavily managed non-native plant species in the Intermountain West, USA. While effectiveness and plant community impacts of herbicide treatment for C. stoebe have been assessed, field-based experiments quantifying community-level impacts of C. stoebe are rare. In a three-year experiment in sagebrush–grassland communities of southwest Montana, USA, we found that the broadleaf herbicide, picloram, was highly effective at reducing C. stoebe, but also caused a significant loss of native forb cover and a significant increase in non-native grass cover, primarily Bromus tectorum. There was a significant increase in native forb cover in response to manual removal of C. stoebe, which would seem to indicate C. stoebe had been suppressing native forbs. However, there was an equivalent increase in native forb cover with no treatment. In some communities, C. stoebe appears to have a negligible effect on native forb and grass cover and richness. Depending on management objectives, the loss of native forb cover and potential secondary invasion may outweigh the benefits of reduced target non-native plant abundance; thus, highlighting an ecological tradeoff of non-native plant management in natural areas. [Tanya C. Skurski, Bruce D. Maxwell & Lisa J. Rew (2013). Biological Conservation, 159, 292-302.] Comment

Abstract: Amphibians, a class of animals in global decline, are present in agricultural landscapes characterized by agrochemical inputs. Effects of pesticides on terrestrial life stages of amphibians such as juvenile and adult frogs, toads and newts are little understood and a specific risk assessment for pesticide exposure, mandatory for other vertebrate groups, is currently not conducted. We studied the effects of seven pesticide [including two herbicide] products on juvenile European common frogs (Rana temporaria) in an agricultural overspray scenario. Mortality ranged from 100% after one hour to 40% after seven days at the recommended label rate of currently registered products. The demonstrated toxicity is alarming and a large-scale negative effect of terrestrial pesticide exposure on amphibian populations seems likely. Terrestrial pesticide exposure might be underestimated as a driver of their decline calling for more attention in conservation efforts and the risk assessment procedures in place do not protect this vanishing animal group. [Carsten A. Brühl, Thomas Schmidt, Silvia Pieper & Annika Alscher (2013). Terrestrial pesticide exposure of amphibians: An underestimated cause of global decline? Scientific Reports, Vol 3, Article number 1135. doi:10.1038/srep01135] [Photo: A red-eyed treefrog (Agalychnis callidryas): more than one-third of all amphibians are endangered. Photograph: Peter Lilja/Getty Images via The Guardian] Comment

Abstract: Invasive species continue to be a worldwide threat to ecosystems mainly as a cause for biodiversity loss. Forest ecosystems, for example, are subject to a change in species composition due to the invasion of exotic species. Specifying the attributes that cause the strong competitiveness of several exotic species may improve the ability to understand and effectively manage plant invasions in the future. In this study the following hypotheses were tested: (1) biomass production of below- and aboveground plant components of the exotic tree species is higher than that of the natives, resulting in a higher competitiveness of the exotics; (2) the exclusion of root competition has a positive effect on the biomass production of the inferior native species; and (3) mixtures of native and exotic species yield a higher biomass production than the respective monocultures. Method: A pot experiment, containing about 2000 tree seedlings, was established. We investigated the biomass productivity and growth reactions of two native (Quercus robur L., Carpinus betulus L.) and two exotic tree species (Prunus serotina Ehrh., Robinia pseudoacacia L.) in different intra- and interspecific, competitive situations with and without the influence of root competition. Important findings: The biomass production of both exotic species was significantly higher and led to a strong competitive advantage, resulting in a biomass decrease of the less competitive native species. The high belowground biomass of both exotic species had a negative effect on the biomass production. The competitive pressure of exotic tree seedlings on the native ones was largely driven by root competition. Furthermore, mixtures of native and exotic tree species had a higher productivity than their growth in monocultures would have predicted. Competition was lower for exotic species in mixtures with the less productive native species compared to the competition in monocultures or in mixture with the other highly productive exotic species. Accordingly, both highly competitive exotic species produced less biomass in mixture with each other compared to monocultures. Despite the significantly higher biomass of P. serotina in all mixtures and in monoculture, R. pseudoacacia seemed to be the dominating species. Due to its strong root competition, R. pseudoacacia significantly reduced the biomass production of P. serotina. [Heike Kawaletz, Inga Mölder , Stefan Zerbe , Peter Annighöfer, André Terwei & Christian Ammer (2013). Exotic tree seedlings are much more competitive than natives but show underyielding when growing together. Journal of Plant Ecology, online 23 January 2013] Comment

Abstract: A growing number of well-designed epidemiological and molecular studies provide substantial evidence that the pesticides used in agricultural, commercial, and home and garden applications are associated with excess cancer risk. This risk is associated both with those applying the pesticide and, under some conditions, those who are simply bystanders to the application. In this article, the epidemiological, molecular biology, and toxicological evidence emerging from recent literature assessing the link between specific pesticides and several cancers including prostate cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma, and breast cancer are integrated. Although the review is not exhaustive in its scope or depth, the literature does strongly suggest that the public health problem is real [i.e., not fictional]. If we are to avoid the introduction of harmful chemicals into the environment in the future, the integrated efforts of molecular biology, pesticide toxicology, and epidemiology are needed to help identify the human carcinogens and thereby improve our understanding of human carcinogenicity and reduce cancer risk. CA Cancer J Clin 2013;. © 2013 American Cancer Society. [Alavanja, M. C. R., Ross, M. K. & Bonner, M. R. (2013). Increased cancer burden among pesticide applicators and others due to pesticide exposure. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, online 15 Jan 2013. doi: 10.3322/caac.21170] Comment

Abstract: Rubus ellipticus is one of the world's worst invasive alien species. It is a serious problematic weed in Hawai‘i and has naturalized in many other countries. Biological control is being considered as a means to suppress it by introducing natural enemies from Asia, its native region. In this paper, we report 62 herbivorous insect species in 22 families that were collected on R. ellipticus during 2006–2010 in China. Two leaf-rolling moth species, Epinotia ustulana and Epiblema tetragonana; two warty beetle species, Chlamisus setosus and Chlamisus sp.; two flea beetle species in the genus Chaetocnema; four unidentified weevil species; five unidentified buprestids; one pyralid species; and one sawfly species were considered important. We also report results of preliminary host-range determinations for some of them. In addition, we summarize the literature on natural enemies associated with Rubus species in Asia, which encompasses 50 arthropod species in 14 families and 63 fungi species in 18 orders. [ Kai Wu, Ted D. Center, Chunhua Yang, Jun Zhang, Jialiang Zhang, & Jianqing Ding (2013). Potential classical biological control of invasive Himalayan yellow raspberry, Rubus ellipticus (Rosaceae). Pacific Science, 67(1):59-80. doi: dx.doi.org/10.2984/67.1.5] Comment

Abstract: Understanding how plant communities respond to plant invasions is important both for understanding community structure and for predicting future ecosystem change. In a system undergoing intense plant invasion for 25 years, we investigated patterns of community change at a regional scale. Specifically, we sought to quantify how tussock grassland plant community structure had changed and whether changes were related to increases in plant invasion. Frequency data for all vascular plants were recorded on 124, permanent transects in tussock grasslands across the lower eastern South Island of New Zealand measured three times over a period of 25 years. Multivariate analyses of species richness were used to describe spatial and temporal patterns in the vegetation. Linear mixed-effects models were used to relate temporal changes in community structure to the level and rate of invasion of three dominant invasive species in the genus Hieracium while accounting for relationships with other biotic and abiotic variables. There was a strong compositional gradient from exotic- to native-dominated plant communities that correlated with increasing elevation. Over the 25 years, small-scale species richness significantly decreased and then increased again; however, these changes differed in different plant communities. Exotic species frequency consistently increased on some transects and consistently declined on others. Species richness changes were correlated with the level of Hieracium invasion and abiotic factors, although the relationship with Hieracium changed from negative to positive over time. Compositional changes were not related to measured predictors. Our results suggest that observed broad-scale fluctuations in species richness and community composition dynamics were not driven by Hieracium invasion. Given the relatively minor changes in community composition over time, we conclude that there is no evidence for widespread degradation of these grasslands over the last 25 years. However, because of continuing weed invasion, particularly at lower elevations, impacts may emerge in the longer term. [Day, N. J. & Buckley, H. L. (2013). Twenty-five years of plant community dynamics and invasion in New Zealand tussock grasslands. Austral Ecology. doi: 10.1111/aec.12016] Comment

[The Western Producer Jan. 18th, 2013 by Robert Arnason] -- Canadian and American weed scientists want an answer to a provocative question: how will applying more herbicides solve the problem of herbicide resistant weeds in North America?
 Four Agriculture Canada weed experts and professors from Oregon State and Montana State universities argued in a 2012 paper published in the journal Weed Science that combining new herbicide tolerant genes in genetically modified plants that already contain herbicide tolerant traits is not the answer to the widespread challenge of glyphosate resistance.
 Last year, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency approved a Dow-Agrosciences technology that stacks 2,4-D tolerance on top of glyphosate tolerance. 
The company expects to launch its Enlist weed control system for corn in 2013 and soybeans in 2015, pending approval in the United States.
 Monsanto has developed TruFlex canola, which is expected to serve as a base for future stacked trait technology, and allows for a wider window for glyphosate applications. 
The company also expects to introduce genetically modified soybean seed next year that combines dicamba tolerance with its existing Roundup Ready technology.
 Weed scientists have hailed stacked resistance as a key tool to fight gly-phosate resistant weeds, but others, such as Neil Harker of Agriculture Canada in Lacombe, Alta., aren’t buying the arguments.
 “It’s just another way of delaying the inevitable,” he said.
 “What you do by stacking technology is you get a reprieve for a few years and then (you) eventually select for multiple resistance.”
 Instead of relying on technology for a solution, Harker and the authors of the Weed Science paper, including John O’Donovan, Hugh Beckie and Robert Blackshaw of Agriculture Canada, want to set herbicide-frequency reduction targets for major field crops in Canada and the U.S. Comment

[ScienceDaily Jan. 17, 2013] — In Missouri forests, dense thickets of invasive honeysuckle decrease the light available to other plants, hog the attention of pollinators, and offer nutrient-stingy berries to migrating birds. They even release toxins to make it less likely native plants will germinate near them. Why, then, are recent popular science articles recommending a recalibration of the traditional no-tolerance attitude toward non-native species, suggesting that we've been "unfair" to invasives and should stop "persecuting" them? Kristin Powell, a graduate student in the lab of Tiffany Knight, associate professor of biology and director of the Environmental Studies Program in Arts & Sciences, together with consulting ecologist Jon Chase, think they've located one source of misunderstanding. Most scientific studies of the effects of invasive plants are done at a single "scale." Some studies scrutinize biodiversity in meter-square "quadrats" and others scan biodiversity in entire islands or regions. The problem, the scientists say in the January 18 issue of Science, is that the effect of invasive plants on species richness depends on scale. Invasives decrease species richness at small but not at large scales. The recognition that findings are scale dependent reconciles at least some dueling scientific studies. "I won't say we've resolved the debate, but I think we've made an important contribution," Knight says. [Photo: Bush honeysuckle, introduced to USA in the late 1800s as an ornamental and to provide bird-nesting habitat is taking over the understory of a Missouri oak-hickory forest. “Honeysuckle stands are so dense, nothing walks through them except deer, so they’re full of spider webs and dust,” says Powell. (Credit: Kristin Powell)] Comment

[CSE 16 January 2013] -- The Indian public interest research and advocacy group, Centre for Science and Environment, has published a review of the country’s pesticide regulations. The report examines how and where pesticides are used in the country, the most common human exposure routes, and acceptable and possible daily intakes by people of potentially dangerous pesticides. Of the 234 pesticides registered in India, 59 were found to have no set maximum residue limit (MRL). A review of 11 important crops in India was also undertaken — wheat, paddy, apple, mango, potato, cauliflower, black pepper, cardamom, tea, sugarcane and cotton. The paper shows that the pesticide recommendations made by state agriculture universities, agriculture departments and other boards for these crops do not conform to the pesticides that the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC) has registered for those crops. The agriculture universities, departments and boards were found to be recommending many pesticides that have not been registered for some of crops they were being recommended for. An analysis of 10 common pesticides showed that waiting periods for many of their registered uses (crop-pest/weed/disease combination) have not been recommended. Farmers were found to be unaware of the registered uses of pesticides. Farmers most commonly applied pesticides as dealers recommended. Outreach of state agriculture universities and departments to the farmers was minimal. Download the full report (pdf) Comment

Abstract: This study evaluated the most significant physical, chemical and biological soil properties from a group of organic olive farms located in a typical olive-growing area of Andalusia, Spain, after 5 or more years since the shift from conventional to organic farming, and compared soils with those in nearby undisturbed (U) natural areas. Two soil management systems implemented in these organic olive farms to control weeds, tillage (T), characterized by non-inverting-shallow tillage in spring, and mechanical mowing (M), were compared and evaluated against the U areas. Organic olive orchards showed similar productivity (average fruit yield of 3130 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) as the conventional, rain-fed olive groves in the same area, with no significant differences due to soil management systems. Soil properties in the olive orchards (i.e. texture, pH, organic carbon (C), organic nitrogen (N), C:N ratio, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and exchangeable potassium) were in the suitable range for olive farming in both soil managements, although organic C and N, saturated hydraulic conductivity and available water-holding capacity (AWC) of the soil were lower than in the U areas. A principal component analysis (PCA) for soil properties in topsoil (0–10 cm depth) distinguished the T from M olive orchards and U areas, and determined organic C and N as the most significant soil properties to characterize them. Average values of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks for the surface layer (0–10 cm depth) were 18.6, 59.3 and 67.8 Mg ha⁻¹, for T and M soil management systems and U areas, respectively. This indicates that the sustainability of organic olive orchards could be significantly improved by shifting to M soil management to decrease soil erosion and depletion of SOC. [ María-Auxiliadora Soriano, Sonia Álvarez, Blanca B. Landa & José A. Gómez (2012). Soil properties in organic olive orchards following different weed management in a rolling landscape of Andalusia, Spain. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, on-line 20 Dec 2013. dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1742170512000361] Comment

[IMechE 10 Jan 2013] -- Advocates for synthetic herbicides and genetic engineering often claim our growing population will starve if we do not embrace their increasingly difficult to manage technologies. There is a far more environmentally benign way forward to feeding the world that does not have the unwanted side effects of chemical bombardment or gene stacking. The world currently wastes up to 2 billion metric tons of food each year, driven by supermarket industry practices, inefficient harvesting and agriculture methods, poor storage and processing facilities and Western culture’s penchant for perfect looking fruits and vegetables, according to report by the UK Institution of Mechanical Engineers. “Waste Not Want Not – Global Food Waste: Feeding the 9 Billion” describes how up to half of the four billion metric tons of food produced each year never makes it to the plate. As a result, large amount of land, water, energy and fertilisers are wasted as well, the report says. The authors call for initiatives to be taken to reduce the substantial quantity of food wasted annually around the world. The potential to provide 60–100% more food by simply eliminating losses, while simultaneously freeing up land, energy and water resources for other uses, is an opportunity that should not be ignored. Comment

[University of Toronto 9 Jan 2013] — Given time, invading plants will most likely eliminate native species growing in the wild, new research shows. Previous statements that find invasive plants are not problematic are often based on incomplete information, with insufficient time having passed to observe the full effect of invasions on native biodiversity, according to a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “The impacts of exotic plant invasions often take much longer to become evident than previously thought,” says Benjamin Gilbert of the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto and lead author of the study. “This delay can create an ‘extinction debt’ in native plant species, meaning that these species are slowly going extinct but the actual extinction event occurs hundreds of years after the initial invasion. ”Much of the debate surrounding the threat posed to biodiversity by the invasions of non-native species is fueled by recent findings that competition from introduced plants has driven remarkably few plant species to extinction. Instead, native plant species in invaded ecosystems are often relegated to patchy, marginal habitats unsuitable to their non-native competitors." However, Gilbert and co-author Jonathan Levine of ETH Zurich say that it is uncertain whether the colonization and extinction dynamics of the plants in marginal habitats will allow long-term native persistence.“Of particular concern is the possibility that short term persistence of native flora in invaded habitats masks eventual extinction,” says Levine. The scientists conducted their research in a California reserve where much of the remaining native plant diversity exists in marginal areas surrounded by invasive grasses. They performed experiments in the reserve and coupled their results with quantitative models to determine the long term impacts of invasive grasses on native plants. Comment

[Farmers Weekly 10 Jan 2013 by Johan Tasker] -- UK Government ministers have failed to grasp the seriousness of challenges posed by the withdrawal of important pesticides, scientists and farm leaders have warned. More research in alternative crop protection is needed to meet demand for food as pesticides are taken off the market due to European legislation, the UK's Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has been told. The warning is contained in an open letter to farm minister David Heath from Professor Toby Bruce, of the Association of Applied Biologists, and National Farmers Union (NFU) president Peter Kendall. "Farmers need to be supported by more practical R&D that will provide them with workable alternative crop protection techniques," the letter says. Farmers use pesticides as the mainstay of their crop protection because they provide a straightforward and effective way of reducing losses to pests, weeds and diseases, it adds. "Reducing the availability of certain pesticides before alternative crop protection methods have been implemented would mean an increase in the use of the remaining pesticides." Comment

Abstract: Use of many pesticide products poses the problem of their effects on environment and health. Amongst them, the effects of glyphosate with its adjuvants and its by-products are regularly discussed. The aim of the present study was to shed light on the real impact on biodiversity and ecosystems of Roundup, a major herbicide used worldwide, and the glyphosate it contains, by the study of their effects on growth and viability of microbial models, namely, on three food microorganisms (Geotrichum candidum, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus) widely used as starters in traditional and industrial dairy technologies. The presented results evidence that Roundup has an inhibitory effect on microbial growth and a microbicide effect at lower concentrations than those recommended in agriculture. Interestingly, glyphosate at these levels has no significant effect on the three studied microorganisms. Our work is consistent with previous studies which demonstrated that the toxic effect of glyphosate was amplified by its formulation adjuvants on different human cells and other eukaryotic models. Moreover, these results should be considered in the understanding of the loss of microbiodiversity and microbial concentration observed in raw milk for many years. [Emilie Clair, Laura Linn, Carine Travert, Caroline Amiel, Gilles-Eric Se´ralini & Jean-Michel Panoff (2012). Effects of Roundup® and glyphosate on three food microorganisms: Geotrichum candidum, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. Current Microbiology, 64(5), 486-491.] Comment

Abstract: Invasive alien species, once they made entry into a region or country, often become difficult to eradicate and it appears that they have come to stay. Worse still, their adverse effects on the native biodiversity are enormous and they are considered ecologically harmful. Agricultural and economic losses to invasive species are comparatively high. Mechanical control is expensive and difficult in some terrains; chemical control is also expensive, requires constant application and has its environmental implications, while biological control is mirred with mixed failures and successes. This paper reviewed that economic exploitation of some notorious invasive species in other countries – such as Sudan, Ethiopia, India, Senegal, Mali and the Gambia – and how this had helped reduce the spread of these invasives and at the same time, became source of income to the poor people. It is believed that adopting this concept in Nigeria will create incentives for harvesting invasive species with more commitment, while it is an indirect way of controlling them. Furthermore, harvesting could be labour intensive, thus creating jobs for people, while it provides additional means of income for rural people, which is a key adaptation strategy for climate change. [Temitope Israel Borokini and Folaranmi Dapo Babalola (2012). Management of invasive plant species in Nigeria through economic exploitation: Lessons from other countries. Management of Biological Invasions, 3(1), 45-55)] Comment

Abstract: In many urban areas, use of herbicides is either unwanted or prohibited and replaced with flame weeding. The influence of dose (kg propane ha⁻¹) and treatment interval of flame weed control was studied on Lolium perenne. Lolium perenne is a perennial grass that is very difficult to control with non-chemical weed control methods, because of its extensive regrowth. Treatments of eight different doses and five treatment intervals were applied during two seasons from May to October. The response was measured as plant dry weight, 14 days after last treatment. All weeds were killed with doses above 80 kg propane ha⁻¹ when treatments were carried out every other week (10 treatments per growing season and a total dose of 800 kg ha⁻¹), and no regrowth was seen the following 2 weeks. Six treatments a year and a total dose of 631–674 kg ha⁻¹, depending on year, controlled L. perenne effectively (90% reduction in dry weight). Split applications generally increased the effect of the treatments, especially when the number of treatments was increased from four to six. The results are in accordance with the assumption that repeated flame treatments are necessary to kill larger plants and heat tolerant weeds, such as grasses and perennial weeds that will regrow after a single treatment. Knowledge of the relation between dose and treatment intervals may be used to improve flame weeding strategies on hard surfaces. [Rask AM, Andreasen C & Kristoffersen P (2012). Response of Lolium perenne to repeated flame treatments with various doses of propane. Weed Research 52, 131–139.] Comment

Abstract: Pesticides are always used in formulations as mixtures of an active principle with adjuvants. Glyphosate, the active ingredient of the major pesticide in the world, is an herbicide supposed to be specific on plant metabolism. Its adjuvants are generally considered as inert diluents. Since side effects for all these compounds have been claimed, we studied potential active principles for toxicity on human cells for 9 glyphosate-based formulations. For this we detailed their compositions and toxicities, and as controls we used a major adjuvant (the polyethoxylated tallowamine POE-15), glyphosate alone, and a total formulation without glyphosate. This was performed after 24 h exposures on hepatic (HepG2), embryonic (HEK293) and placental (JEG3) cell lines. We measured mitochondrial activities, membrane degradations, and caspases 3/7 activities. The compositions in adjuvants were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Here we demonstrate that all formulations are more toxic than glyphosate, and we separated experimentally three groups of formulations differentially toxic according to their concentrations in ethoxylated adjuvants. Among them, POE-15 clearly appears to be the most toxic principle against human cells, even if others are not excluded. It begins to be active with negative dose-dependent effects on cellular respiration and membrane integrity between 1 and 3 ppm, at environmental/occupational doses. We demonstrate in addition that POE-15 induces necrosis when its first micellization process occurs, by contrast to glyphosate which is known to promote endocrine disrupting effects after entering cells. Altogether, these results challenge the establishment of guidance values such as the acceptable daily intake of glyphosate, when these are mostly based on a long term in vivo test of glyphosate alone. Since pesticides are always used with adjuvants that could change their toxicity, the necessity to assess their whole formulations as mixtures becomes obvious. This challenges the concept of active principle of pesticides for non-target species. [R. Mesnager, B. Bernay & G.-E. Séralini (2012). Ethoxylated adjuvants of glyphosate-based herbicides are active principles of human cell toxicity. Toxicology, online 20 Sept. 2012] Comment

[The Australian 28/11/12] -- A Federal Australian Government decision to reinstate the use of diuron on weeds in water bodies is not enough to protect the Great Barrier Reef despite new conditions, conservationists say. The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) suspended the use of some diuron products in 2011 pending a review of the chemical, used on weeds and algae in and around water bodies. The APVMA has affirmed the registration of most diuron products with new conditions of use, APVMA spokeswoman Susan Whitbread said. Restrictions have been put in place for the spraying of individual crops and no-spray times will apply to sugarcane and pineapple crops. "We have made a considerable effort to develop workable instructions for the continued use of diuron, while ensuring we can effectively manage risks from the use of this environmentally mobile and persistent chemical," Ms Whitbread says. Approval for industrial applications and use in non-agricultural situations, citrus, apples and pears, ornamental plants and tropical crops including tea, coffee and paw paw has been rejected. The rate of application has been restricted and farmers will not be able to spray when heavy or persistent rain is forecast. WWF spokesman Nick Heath said the decision would result in the continued contamination of freshwater systems and marine environments and put the health of Australians at risk. The chemical is classified in the United States as a known or likely carcinogen. It has been linked to coral bleaching and seagrass die-back on the Great Barrier Reef, accounting for 80 per cent of the herbicide pollution on the reef, Mr Heath said. "The APVMA has again failed to protect the Great Barrier Reef," he said. Comment

Abstract: Recent advances in biotechnology have produced cultivars of corn, soybean, and cotton resistant to the synthetic-auxin herbicide dicamba. This technology will allow dicamba herbicides to be applied in new crops, at new periods in the growing season, and over greatly expanded areas, including postemergence applications in soybean. From past and current use in corn and small grains, dicamba vapor drift and subsequent crop injury to sensitive broadleaf crops has been a frequent problem. In the present study, the authors measured dicamba vapor drift in the field from postemergence applications to soybean using greenhouse-grown soybean as a bioassay system. They found that when the volatile dimethylamine formulation is applied, vapor drift could be detected at mean concentrations of 0.56 g acid equivalent dicamba/ha (0.1% of the applied rate) at 21 m away from a treated 18.3 × 18.3 m plot. Applying the diglycolamine formulation of dicamba reduced vapor drift by 94.0%. With the dimethylamine formulation, the extent and severity of vapor drift was significantly correlated with air temperature, indicating elevated risks if dimethylamine dicamba is applied early to midsummer in many growing regions. Additional research is needed to more fully understand the effects of vapor drift exposures to nontarget crops and wild plants. [J. Franklin Egan & David A. Mortensen (2012). Quantifying vapor drift of dicamba herbicides applied to soybean. Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 31: 1023–1031.] Comment

[The New York Times 19 Dec 2012 by Stephanie Strom] -- A blue-ribbon panel of scientific and technology advisers to President Obama warns that the nation risks losing its longstanding supremacy in food production because research in agriculture has not kept up with new challenges like climate change, depleted land and water resources and emerging pests, pathogens and invasive plants. The president’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology, chaired by John P. Holdren, director of the White House office of science and technology policy, and Eric Lander, president of the Broad Institute of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, urged a commitment of $700 million in additional money for new agricultural research — but deployed in very different ways than the money that is currently doled out. “Our most important conclusion is that our nation’s agricultural research enterprise is not prepared to meet the challenges that U.S. agriculture faces in the 21st century,” the panel states in its report, which was issued on Friday. The report lays out seven challenges ranging from competition for water to the impacts of climate change and biofuels production on food yields. “The need to deal with these growing challenges in agriculture, including new pests and pathogens, controlling agriculture’s environmental impact, health and nutritional concerns and international food security underscores the importance of agricultural research to the health, prosperity and security of the nation,” they wrote. But the panel found that federal money for agricultural research has, in real dollars, remained roughly the same for the last 30 years, according to the report, while financing for research in other areas of science and technology has risen strikingly. [Photo:Darren Hauck/Reuters -Clouds of dust associated with a fungus called smut, which is brought on by heat and drought, infected fields near Belleville, Wis., this year.] Comment

Abstract: Many agricultural species have undergone selection for traits that are consistent with those that increase the probability that a species will become invasive. However, the risk of invasion may be accurately predicted for the majority of plant species tested using the Australian Weed Risk Assessment (WRA). This system has been tested in multiple climates and geographies and, on average, correctly identifies 90% of the major plant invaders as having high invasion risk, and 70% of the noninvaders as having low risk. We used this tool to evaluate the invasion risk of 38 Eucalyptus taxa currently being tested and cultivated in the USA for pulp, biofuel, and other purposes. We predict 15 taxa to have low risk of invasion, 14 taxa to have high risk, and 9 taxa to require further information. In addition to a history of naturalization and invasiveness elsewhere, the traits that significantly contribute to a high invasion risk conclusion include having prolific seed production and a short generation time. Selection against these traits should reduce the probability that eucalypts cultivated in the USA will become invasive threats to natural areas and agricultural systems. [Doria R. Gordon, S. Luke Flory, Aimee L. Cooper, & Sarah K. Morris (2012). Assessing the invasion risk of Eucalyptus in the United States using the Australian weed risk assessment. International Journal of Forestry Research, 2012 Issue, pp 1-7, doi:10.1155/2012/203768] Comment

Abstract: The decline of farmland biodiversity is mainly attributed to the intensive use of chemical inputs in agriculture. Cover crop residues may contribute to improve weed management while maintaining a high level of weed diversity. A 2-year field experiment was carried out in central Italy to study the effect of cover crop species and their residue management on weed community composition and weed species diversity in a winter cover crop – pepper sequence. Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth.), oat (Avena sativa L.) and canola (Brassica napus L.) were sown in September 2009 and 2010 and grew undisturbed during the winter season until spring when they were suppressed one week before pepper transplanting. Cover crop residues were: (i) green manured at 30 cm depth (conventional tillage, CT), (ii) green manured at 10 cm depth (minimum tillage, MT), and (iii) left on the soil surface as mulch strips covering 50% of the ground area in no-tilled soil (NT). A winter weedy fallow and a bare soil without cover crop in NT, MT and CT were also included as controls. Weed plant density data in pepper were used for calculating weed species richness. Compared to weedy fallow, oat, hairy vetch and canola consistently reduced the weed density and weed aboveground biomass by the time of their suppression (on average 3.6, 21.5, and 41.3 plants m−2 and 11.0, 49.2, and 161.8 g m−2 of DM, respectively). In pepper, oat residues generally determined a higher reduction of weed density and species richness compared to hairy vetch and canola regardless the residue management treatments. Converting cover crop aboveground biomass into mulch strips greatly reduced weed species density but did not always imply a reduction of weed species diversity in pepper compared to MT and CT. The weed species richness was reduced inside the mulch strips, while a richer and more diverse weed community was found outside the mulch strips in NT. Weed community in pepper was mainly composed of annual dicot weeds such as Amaranthus retroflexus, Chenopodium album, Solanum nigrum, Polygonum aviculare which were mostly associated with MT and CT tillage systems, while in NT an increase of perennial species such as Rumex crispus was observed. These results suggest that it is possible to manage cover crop residues in NT in order to obtain a lower weed density and consequently a higher yield in pepper compared to MT and CT while maintaining a high level of weed diversity. [Emanuele Radicetti, Roberto Mancinelli & Enio Campiglia (2012). Impact of managing cover crop residues on the floristic composition and species diversity of the weed community of pepper crop (Capsicum annuum L.). Crop Protection, Volume 44, February 2013, Pages 109–119.] Comment

[The Asian Age 05 Dec 2012 by Dr Vandana Shiva] -- Science is considered science when it is independent, when it has integrity and when it speaks the truth about its search. It was the integrity, independence and sovereignty of science that drew me and propelled me to study physics. Today, independent science is threatened with extinction. While this is true in every field, it is the field of food and agriculture that I am most concerned about. At the heart of the food and agriculture debate are genetically modified organisms, also referred to as GMOs. The agrochemical industry’s new avatar is as the GMO industry. According to the industry, GMOs are necessary to remove hunger and are safe. But evidence from all independent scientists has established that GMOs do not contribute to food security. The UN-sponsored International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) report — written by 400 scientists after a research of three to four years — concluded that there is no evidence that GMOs increase food security. The Union of Concerned scientists concluded in its report, “A Failure to Yield”, that in the US, genetic engineering had not increased the yield. “The GMO Emperor Has No Clothes” — a Global Citizens’ report on the state of GMOs based on field research across the world — also found that genetic engineering has not increased yields. Yet, the propaganda continues that GMOs are the only solution to hunger because GMOs increase yields. Comment

[The Natural Independent 28 Nov 2012 by Nicholas Tamasi] -- The genetically modified food industry’s biggest player, Monsanto, is reportedly set to receive $US 40 million worth of financial support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development according to the website bankwatch.org. The monetary assists/bailout will be offered for contracts made by the U.S. GMO giant with medium and large farmers and distributors in countries such as Bulgaria, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine and Hungary. It was not clear in the article what impact GMO bans in places such as Hungary and Russia would have on the situation. The funds will go to companies that cannot pay for either seeds or the wide variety of agrochemicals sold by Monsanto that they had originally committed to buy but aren’t able to afford. The news is not likely to be well received by the legions of anti-GMO activists in Europe and other affected areas. Genetically modified organisms have been linked to various negative health effects including allergies and even organ damage and cancer. Russia banned American GMO imports following a French study showing massive tumors in lab rats that consumed GMO corn as well as Monsanto’s Roundup, its controversial, signature weed killing chemical that has also been linked to cancer. The announcement is the latest in a series of events and articles showing that Monsanto is seen as “too big to fail” by powerful government interests from the U.S. to Europe even as the movement for GMO freedom grows by the day. Wikileaks earlier revealed that United States diplomats essentially work for Monsanto to push their products and seeds around the world. President Barack Obama has appointed two former top Monsanto employees, Michael Taylor and Tom Vilsack, to high ranking food/safety positions in the U.S. government. Comment

Abstract: An experiment was conducted to study the effect of mulches and herbicides on weed population, fruit yield, and quality in peach cv. ‘Earli Grande.’ Covering soil with black polythene mulch (100 μm) resulted in 100% control of weeds at six weeks after treatment (WAT) during both the years of study. However, guinea grass, which had emerged out of the black polythene mulch, reduced the weed control efficiencies (WCE) to 96.3 and 98.5% in 2009 and 2010, respectively, at 12 WAT. Application of straw mulch (8 cm, 15.5 t ha^{− 1}) resulted in higher weed control efficiencies at 6 WAT during 2009 and 2010 (98.4 and 98.2%, respectively). At 12 WAT, this decreased to 90.7 and 93.1% in 2009 and 2010, respectively, due to the emergence of bermuda grass and guinea grass from the mulch. The weed control efficiencies with treatments having diuron as pre-emergence herbicide did not differ significantly from black polythene at 6 WAT. Atrazine and pendimethalin were the next most efficient and did not differ significantly from each other. At 12 WAT, diuron followed by fb glyphosate resulted in higher WCE, and it did not differ significantly from atrazine fb glyphosate. In both years, highest fruit yield (69.3 and 67.9 kg tree^{− 1}, respectively) was recorded with straw mulch (8 cm). Straw mulch (8 cm) also resulted in a 20 and 19% increase in fruit weight (81.9 and 81.4 g during 2009 and 2010, respectively) over manual weeding. Straw mulch (8 cm) did not differ significantly from straw mulch (6 cm), black polythene mulch, and diuron treatments for fruit yield during both years. Conclusively, plastic and straw mulches can be used as an effective chemical-free alternative to manual or chemical weed control in peach. [Anirudh Thakur, Harminder Singh, S. K. Jawandha & Tarundeep Kaur (2012). Mulching and herbicides in peach: Weed biomass, fruit yield, size, and quality. Biological Agriculture & Horticulture: An International Journal for Sustainable Production Systems, 28(4)] Comment

[ScienceDaily Nov. 30, 2012] — When people hear about exotic plants invading a new environment, there is usually a negative connotation, according to biology faculty member Matthew Heard in an article published in the journal Ecology Letters. They often think of plants like kudzu, Chinese privet, or Japanese honeysuckle, whose thuggish behavior can push out the native plants in their backyard or local parks. While this worse case scenario can happen, it isn't always the case, said Heard, who wrote his Ph.D. dissertation at Brown University on how native and exotic plants coexist along the coasts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. "It turns out that in many places, native and exotic plants can actually live together," Heard said. "And this means that exotic plants aren't inherently bad like many people think, but it also means that it is important to figure out what is driving this balance between these two groups." In his paper, Heard notes that there has been little experimental fieldwork conducted to determine what factors allows native and exotic plants to live side by side. While there have been many potential explanations tossed out, it turns out that just being different is the main reason that they can actually coexist together. "Basically, we found that exotics plants grow more and can essentially out-compete natives, which normally is a problem. But in these communities there are also insects, which prefer to eat exotic plants instead of natives and can keep their growth in check. As a result, native plants, which are less susceptible to these insects can thrive even when exotic plants that are better competitors are nearby," said Heard. How long this precarious balance will remain is unknown, but for now it isn't just the case of exotic species being problematic. Instead it's the story of how differences between two groups of plants allow them to survive along side each other. Comment

Abstract: Species introductions of anthropogenic origins are a major aspect of rapid ecological change globally. Research on biological invasions has generated a large literature on many different aspects of this phenomenon. Here, we describe and categorize some aspects of this literature, to better understand what has been studied and what we know, mapping well-studied areas and important gaps. To do so, we employ the techniques of systematic reviewing widely adopted in other scientific disciplines, to further the use of approaches in reviewing the literature that are as scientific, repeatable, and transparent as those employed in a primary study. We identified 2398 relevant studies in a field synopsis of the biological invasions literature. A majority of these studies (58%) were concerned with hypotheses for causes of biological invasions, while studies on impacts of invasions were the next most common (32% of the publications). We examined 1537 papers in greater detail in a systematic review. Superior competitive abilities of invaders, environmental disturbance, and invaded community species richness were the most common hypotheses examined. Most studies examined only a single hypothesis. Almost half of the papers were field observational studies. Studies of terrestrial invasions dominate the literature, with most of these concerning plant invasions. The focus of the literature overall is uneven, with important gaps in areas of theoretical and practical importance. [Edward Lowry, Emily J. Rollinson, Adam J. Laybourn, Tracy E. Scott, Matthew E. Aiello-Lammens, Sarah M. Gray, James Mickley & Jessica Gurevitch (2012). Biological invasions: a field synopsis, systematic review, and database of the literature. Ecology and Evolution. doi: 10.1002/ece3.431] Comment

Abstract: Parthenium hysterophorus L., is a weed of global significance that has become a major weed in Australia and many other parts of the world. A combined approach for the management of parthenium weed using biological control and plant suppression, was tested under field conditions over a two-year period in southern central Queensland. The six suppressive plant species, selected for their demonstrably suppressive ability in earlier glasshouse studies, worked synergistically with the biological control agents (Epiblema strenuana Walker, Zygogramma bicolorata Pallister, Listronotus setosipennis Hustache and Puccinia abrupta var. partheniicola) present in the field to reduce the growth (above ground biomass) of parthenium weed, by between 60 to 86% and 47 to 91%, in Years 1 and 2, respectively. The biomass of the suppressive plants was between 6% and 23% greater when biological control agents were present than when the biological control agents had been excluded. This shows that parthenium weed can be more effectively managed by combining the current biological control management strategy with selected sown suppressive plant species, both in Australia and elsewhere. [Asad Shabbira, Kunjitapatham Dhileepanb, Chris O’Donnella & Steve W. Adkins (2012). Complementing biological control with plant suppression: implications for improved management of parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.). Biological Control, online 8 Dec. dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocontrol.2012.11.014] Comment

Kalleske Wines in Australia's Barossa Valley have been awarded the 2012 Advantage SA InterContinental Sustainability Award for implementing sustainability measures to minimise their environmental footprint. Genuine sustainability and careful environmental practices are at the core of Kalleske farming, grape growing and winemaking. Kalleske control weeds by suppressing mid-row weeds over winter with a green-manure cover crop of cereal and legume that in spring is mowed/worked into the soil. This provides nutrients and organic matter. Under-vine weeds are controlled mechanically with a weeder blade/dodger or via mowing. Managing weeds this way ensures a loose permeable soil which is open to maximum rainfall penetration. By avoiding synthetic herbicides, earthworms and soil microbes are protected, ensuring a highly biologically active soil and subsequent benefits. Certified organic and biodynamic practices in the vineyard and winery not only result in top quality grapes and award-winning wine, but ensure soil, air and waterways are not polluted with synthetic chemicals and fertilisers. Organic viticulture also results in more carbon being retained in the soil, (making it healthier) instead of finding its way into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Kalleske were also recognised for generating their own solar electricity on site and have become water self-sufficient by capturing and storing rainwater from the winery and farm sheds. (Photo: Tony Kalleske accepting the award with Brian Hurn - Barossa Mayor) Comment

This December, different communities and grassroots organisations all over Asia will celebrate "No Pesticide Use Week" as part of the ongoing struggle for a pesticide-free world. The week will focus on highlighting the dangers of highly hazardous pesticides, advancing healthier alternatives and increasing awareness on corporate accountability over health and environmental poisoning. On December 3, we commemorate the tragic chemical industry disaster in Bhopal, India while on December 10 we celebrate the International Human Rights Day. Fora, workshops, cultural shows and street plays, dialogues on biodiversity-based ecological agriculture, and street actions will be held in India, Sri Lanka, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Lao PDR, Cambodia, and many more ….

Abstract: Pesticides are a collective term for a wide array of chemicals intended to kill unwanted insects, plants, molds, and rodents. Food, water, and treatment in the home, yard, and school are all potential sources of children’s exposure. Exposures to pesticides may be overt or subacute, and effects range from acute to chronic toxicity. In 2008, pesticides were the ninth most common substance reported to poison control centers, and approximately 45% of all reports of pesticide poisoning were for children. Organophosphate and carbamate poisoning are perhaps the most widely known acute poisoning syndromes, can be diagnosed by depressed red blood cell cholinesterase levels, and have available antidotal therapy. However, numerous other pesticides that may cause acute toxicity, such as pyrethroid and neonicotinoid insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and rodenticides, also have specific toxic effects; recognition of these effects may help identify acute exposures. Evidence is increasingly emerging about chronic health implications from both acute and chronic exposure. A growing body of epidemiological evidence demonstrates associations between parental use of pesticides, particularly insecticides, with acute lymphocytic leukemia and brain tumors. Prenatal, household, and occupational exposures (maternal and paternal) appear to be the largest risks. Prospective cohort studies link early-life exposure to organophosphates and organochlorine pesticides (primarily DDT) with adverse effects on neurodevelopment and behavior. Among the findings associated with increased pesticide levels are poorer mental development by using the Bayley index and increased scores on measures assessing pervasive developmental disorder, inattention, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Related animal toxicology studies provide supportive biological plausibility for these findings. Additional data suggest that there may also be an association between parental pesticide use and adverse birth outcomes including physical birth defects, low birth weight, and fetal death, although the data are less robust than for cancer and neurodevelopmental effects. Children’s exposures to pesticides should be limited as much as possible. [James R. Roberts & Catherine J. Karr (2012). Pesticide exposure in children. The American Academy of Pediatrics, Technical Report - online 26 Nov 2012.] Comment

Abstract: Fluroxypyr is an auxin-type herbicide used for postemergent control of broad-leaved weeds in agriculture and in nonagricultural environments such as railways. The overall aim of this study was to assess the potential environmental impact from fluroxypyr application to railway tracks and to elucidate some of the factors that control its environmental fate. In laboratory studies, we examined the degradation of fluroxypyr and the formation of its metabolites fluroxypyr-methoxypyridine (F-MP) and fluroxypyr-pyridinol (F-P) in soil from two Swedish railways. We also investigated the degradation and leaching of fluroxypyr in three different railway plots treated with fluroxypyr (360 g ae ha⁻¹). The half-life of fluroxypyr in soil samples ranged between 28 and 78 d. An estimated mean 48.6 ± 20% of the fluroxypyr was converted into F-P and 8.0 ± 2% into F-MP. The main metabolite, F-P, was rapidly degraded, with an average half-life of 10 ± 5 d. However, F-MP was not degraded to a significant degree in any sample, resulting in slowly increasing concentrations throughout the experiment. This pattern of relatively rapid degradation of F-P and slow accumulation of F-MP was also observed in the field. The persistent nature of F-MP may be of concern if fluroxypyr is used repeatedly at the same location. Fluroxypyr was detected in the groundwater beneath the track at all three locations studied in concentrations exceeding the EU limit of 0.1 μg L⁻¹ for pesticides in drinking water, and F-P was detected in the groundwater at two of three locations. The most important factor controlling fluroxypyr degradation rate in soil was the soil water content, which modulated microbial activity and presumably also fluroxypyr availability to microorganisms. Our findings imply that fluroxypyr may not be a suitable herbicide for weed control on railway tracks. [H. Cederlund , E. Börjesson , E. Jonsson & T. Thierfelder (2012). Degradation and leaching of fluroxypyr after application to railway tracks. Journal of Environmental Quality, 41(6), 1884-1892] Comment

Abstract: Arthropods released for weed biocontrol can have effects other than simply removing biomass and frequently decrease photosynthetic rate more than can be attributed to the mere loss of photosynthetic surface area. Some of this effect may result because biological control agents facilitate the transfer and ingress of deleterious microbes into plant tissues on which they feed. We evaluated this facilitation effect using water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and a weevil (Neochetina eichhorniae) and compared the reductions in photosynthetic rates between leaves subject to herbivory by adult weevils sterilized with 3.5% chlorine bleach, to those that were unsterilized. The results showed that weevils carried both fungi and bacteria, transferred these to leaves on which they fed, and that microbes and biomass removal contributed almost equally to the 37% decrease in photosynthetic productivity. Hence, maximising the effectiveness of using arthropods that damage leaf surfaces for biocontrol requires the presence of microorganisms that are deleterious to plants. [Nic Venter, Martin P. Hill, Sarah-Leigh Hutchinson & Brad S. Ripley (2012). Weevil borne microbes contribute as much to the reduction of photosynthesis in water hyacinth as does herbivory. Biological Control, online 5 Nov.] Comment

Abstract: Nitrogen fertilizers are crucial for ensuring crop production. Mineral nitrogen fertilizer are often complemented or replaced (e.g. in organic agriculture) by exogenous organic matter (EOM) to limit environmental impacts of mineral fertilization (e.g. reduced carbon storage, nitrate leaching to groundwater, biodiversity erosion). EOM can though cause new problems as it comprises pest propagules, particularly weed seeds. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the impact of EOM on grass–weed dynamics, combining EOM analyses and model simulations. The first step analyzed seven EOM types for their chemical properties (e.g. nitrogen, carbon) and weed seed contents (using germination tests). The tested EOMs were of agricultural or urban origin (e.g. co-compost of green waste and sewage sludge or organic fraction of municipal waste). The most infested EOMs were composted farmyard manure and cattle slurry while fresh manure contained few weed seeds. Urban and green waste composts were nearly seed-free. In total, nineteen weed species and one crop species (Triticum aestivum) were identified with cattle slurry comprising the highest species number (thirteen). Weeds were mostly grass species (Lolium sp., Bromus sterilis, Echinochloa crus-galli, Festuca sp., Poa annua), except for Trifolium sp. In the second step, an existing model (AlomySys) which quantifies the effects of cropping systems on the dynamics of an autumnal grass weed similar to Lolium sp. was amended to account for EOM applications, considering both weed seed addition to the native soil seed bank and additional nitrogen. Finally, the amended model was used to simulate the effects on grass–weed dynamics of applying composted farmyard manure, using the observed EOM characteristics. Simulations focused on a small number of factors potentially interacting with EOM, i.e. EOM application frequency and seed content, tillage strategies, mineral nitrogen fertilization, and initial weed infestation. These simulations showed that for autumnal grass–weed species, adding weed seeds via EOM only increased multi-year weed infestation if fields were initially weed-free or if the simulated weed species was highly dormant in summer. Conversely, the additional EOM nitrogen reduced the fitness of the newly produced grass–weed seeds by affecting their dormancy and germination pattern, having more of them emerge in summer and thus unable to flower. Burying manure by mouldboard ploughing decreased or even cancelled the EOM effect. [N. Colbach, C. Tschudy, D. Meunier, S. Houot & B. Nicolardot (2013). European Journal of Agronomy, 45, 7–19.] Comment

Abstract: Previous literature has suggested a link between maternal exposure to atrazine (the most commonly used herbicide in the US) and risk for gastroschisis (a birth defect that involves incomplete closure of the abdominal wall). Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between maternal atrazine exposure and gastroschisis risk by maternal age. We analyzed data for 1,161 cases with isolated gastroschisis and 8,390 controls delivered in Texas from 1999 through 2008. We estimated atrazine exposure based on maternal county of residence and data from the United States Geological Survey. Logistic regression was conducted among all subjects, and separately among offspring of women < 25 and > or = 25 years. Risk for gastroschisis in offspring was significantly increased for women > or = 25 years with high levels of residential atrazine exposure compared to low (adjusted odds ratio: 1.97, 95 % confidence interval 1.19–3.26). This association was not observed among women < 25 years. Our results provide additional insight into the suspected relationship of gastroschisis with atrazine. This relationship appears to be different in older versus younger mothers,providing further evidence that the etiology of gastroschisis may vary based on maternal age. [
A. J. Agopian, Peter H. Langlois, Yi Cai, Mark A. Canfield & Philip J. Lupo (2012). Maternal residential atrazine exposure and gastroschisis by maternal age. Matern Child Health J, online 25 Nov. DOI 10.1007/s10995-012-1196-3] Comment

[Union of Concerned Scientists 12 Nov 2012] WASHINGTON – The organic dairy sector provides more economic opportunity and generates more jobs in rural communities than conventional dairies, according to a report released today by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). The first-of-its-kind study, “Cream of the Crop: The Economic Benefits of Organic Dairy Farms,” calculated the economic value of organic milk production. “Over the past 30 years, dairy farmers have had a choice: either get big or get out. Dairy farmers either had to expand dramatically and become large industrial operations or they went out of business,” said Jeffrey O’Hara, agricultural economist for the Food and Environment Program at UCS and author of the report. “However, organic dairy production offers farmers another option – one that is better for the environment, produces a healthier product, and leads to greater levels of economic activity.” Based on 2008 - 2011 financial data from two major milk-producing states—Vermont and Minnesota— the report evaluated the economic impact of organic dairy farms. Vermont’s 180 organic farms contribute $76 million annually to the state’s economy and support 1,009 jobs. In Minnesota, 114 organic farms add $78 million to Minnesota’s economy annually and have created 660 jobs. Comment

Abstract: This paper examines how pesticides and their technologies were sold to farmers and pilots throughout the midtwentieth century. It principally considers how marketing rhetoric and advertisement strategies used by chemical companies and aerial spraying firms influenced the practices and perspectives of farm producers in the Great Plains. In order to convince landowners and agricultural leaders to buy their pesticides, chemical companies generated advertisements that championed local crop health, mixture accuracy, livestock safety and a chemical-farming ‘way of life’ that kept fields healthy and productive. Combining notions of safety, accuracy and professionalism with pest eradication messages reinforced the standards that landowners, pilots and agriculturalists would hold regarding toxicity and risk when spraying their fields. As the politics of health changed in the aftermath of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, these companies and aerial spraying outfits responded by keeping to a vision of agricultural health that required poisons for protection through technological accuracy. [David D. Vail (2012). Toxic fables: the advertising and marketing of agricultural chemicals in the great plains, 1945–1985. Endeavour, online 21 Nov. dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.endeavour.2012.09.007] Photo: Early Dusting of Kansas Wheat. 1949. Flaggers were often in direct contact with the pesticides. Comment

[Center for Food Safety 20 Nov 2012] Washington, D.C. – The National Organic Coalition (NOC) has sharply condemned recommendations contained in the final report of the Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21), a group appointed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to address transgenic contamination of organic and non-genetically engineered (GE) crops. Of particular concern in the report is the recommendation that organic and non-GE conventional farmers pay to self-insure themselves against unwanted GE contamination. NOC strongly asserts that this proposal allows USDA and the agricultural biotechnology industry to abdicate responsibility for preventing GE contamination while making the victim of GE pollution pay for damages resulting from transgenic contamination. “The AC21 report takes responsibility for GE contamination prevention out of the hands of USDA and the biotech industry where it belongs and puts it squarely on the backs of organic and non-GE farmers,” said Andrew Kimbrell, executive director at Center for Food Safety and a NOC member. “This ill-conceived solution of penalising the victim is fundamentally unjust and fails to address the root cause of the problem – transgenic contamination.” Comment

Abstract: Inputs used in crop production, such as herbicides, generally create environmental externalities. One solution to minimizing these adverse impacts is adoption of integrated weed management (IWM) with the view of reducing herbicide use. This paper estimates farmers' willingness to pay for adoption of better weed management methods. Results also suggest that willingness to pay (WTP) for IWM is more than those for other weed management methods. Producers have a higher WTP for bio-herbicides and other efficient herbicides that manage weeds and reduce negative environmental and health impacts. These results suggest that farmers value various environmental goods and services. The study also identified factors that influence adoption of IWM on wheat farms in Iran using multinomial logit model. Results show that total annual income and area under irrigated wheat had a positive influence on the choice of IWM, while weed damage, perennial characteristics of weeds and awareness of weed resistance to herbicide had a negative effect. [Mohammad Ghorbani & Suren N. Kulshreshtha (2012). An environmental - economic perspective on integrated weed management in Iran. Weed Technology, on-line Nov 18. dx.doi.org/10.1614/WT-D-10-00122.1] Comment

Abstract: Because most plants require pollinator visits for seed production, the ability of an introduced plant species to establish pollinator relationships in a new ecosystem may have a central role in determining its success or failure as an invader. We investigated the pollination ecology of three milkweed species – Asclepias curassavica, Gomphocarpus fruticosus and G. physocarpus – in their invaded range in southeast Queensland, Australia. The complex floral morphology of milkweeds has often been interpreted as a general trend towards specialised pollination requirements. Based on this interpretation, invasion by milkweeds contradicts the expectation that plant species with specialised pollination systems are less likely to become invasive that those with more generalised pollination requirements. However, observations of flower visitors in natural populations of the three study species revealed that their pollination systems are essentially specialised at the taxonomic level of the order, but generalised at the species level. Specifically, pollinators of the two Gomphocarpus species included various species of Hymenoptera (particularly vespid wasps), while pollinators of A. curassavica were primarily Lepidoptera (particularly nymphalid butterflies). Pollinators of all three species are rewarded with copious amounts of highly concentrated nectar. It is likely that successful invasion by these three milkweed species is attributable, at least in part, to their generalised pollinator requirements. The results of this study are discussed in terms of how data from the native range may be useful in predicting pollination success of species in a new environment. [Ward, M., Johnson, S. D. (2012). Generalised pollination systems for three invasive milkweeds in Australia. Plant Biology. On-line 22 Nov. doi: 10.1111/j.1438-8677.2012.00700.x] Comment

Abstract: Scotch broom, Cytisus scoparius, spreads rapidly in parts of Denmark and is considered an invasive species by some authors. However, the species has been present in the Danish flora for centuries and is therefore considered native to Denmark. In the present study we explore whether Danish Scotch broom consists of one or two gene pools with potential differences in phenotype and invasiveness. One plastid and five nuclear microsatellite markers were used to reveal potential substructuring of Danish Scotch broom. Nine populations were included representing populations exhibiting invasive behaviour and populations showing non-invasive behaviour. An Italian population was used as reference. Bayesian analysis based on genetic markers indicated that the sampled populations form two distinct gene pools, and this pattern was supported by neighbour-joining trees. Measurements of height and width of the analysed plants showed that the two gene pools correspond to populations exhibiting either a horizontal habit and non-invasive behaviour or an erect habit and, in some cases, invasive behaviour. The Italian population clustered with the erect ones. We discuss the origin and taxonomic status of the two gene pools and conclude that Danish horizontal Scotch broom should be given a formal taxonomic status in order to initiate conservation activities for its protection. [Rosenmeier, L., Kjær, E. D. and Nielsen, L. R. (2012). The Scotch broom, Cytisus scoparius (Fabaceae), a paradox in Denmark – an invasive plant or endangered native species? Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. online 20 Nov 2012. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8339.2012.01319.x] Comment

[The Courier-Mail 16 Nov, 2012 by Kate McKenna] -- THE heartbroken family of a farmer who died after being sprayed by a highly toxic weedkiller has described the man as a "gentle giant" who adored spending time with his five grandchildren. Howard Reck, 55, of Lynford in the Darling Downs, was spraying weeds on his property on Monday when the 8L pressure pump unit filled with paraquat released, spraying the poisonous chemical into his mouth and coating his face and chest. The veteran farmer drove himself 400m to a neighbouring property in a frantic dash for help. A family friend then dragged Mr Reck out of the ute and began hosing him down in a bid to wash out the poison before the ambulance arrived, his family said. Mr Reck died in Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital on Tuesday. Paraquat is one of the most widely used pesticides in the world. It is used to control weeds, but as little as one teaspoonful of the active ingredient is fatal. Dr Roberto Busi from the Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative said paraquat was widely used in agricultural farming because it was a "pre-plant knockdown" that killed all weeds, either before planting the crop or after the harvest. But the tragedy has reignited concern over Australia's regulation of highly toxic herbicides. Paraquat has courted controversy because health experts say there is no antidote, with reported links to the development of Parkinson's disease. It has been banned in 32 countries, including Finland, Sweden and China. [Photo: FAMILY DEVASTATED: Howard Reck died after exposure to the pesticide paraquat. Source: Supplied] Comment

[SafeLawns 19 Oct 2012 by Paul Tukey] -- Amidst pressure from student groups to change its policy of spraying synthetic chemical pesticides on campus lawns, the University of Delaware told SafeLawns it would potentially have new protocols in place by next spring. When an Oct. 9 article appeared in the school newspaper quoting two students who had been affected by the pesticide spraying for weeds — without any warning labels posted — the school responded to a student reporter by stating it only applied safe, approved products. The school still stuck to the product safety claims, but conceded that it would likely begin posting “Keep off the Grass” signs in the future. “Since the article appeared in The Review and we learned of concerns among our students, we are currently in the process of developing proper signage for the application process,” said John Brennan, the director of public and media relations for the Newark, Del., facility. “As part of this effort, we are reviewing our application policy with the Department of Environmental Health and Safety, as well as benchmarking with peer institutions regarding signage prior to implementation. At this point in the year, the lawn spraying operation has concluded and will not resume until spring, when we should have the signage issue resolved.” Photo caption: Unmarked pesticide spraying at the University of Delaware has many students outraged. (Photo credit: Emily Walton) Comment

Abstract: Quantitative assessments of alien plant impacts are essential to inform management to ensure that resources are prioritized against the most problematic species and that restoration targets the worst-affected ecosystem processes. Here, we present the first detailed critique of quantitative field studies of alien plant impacts and highlight biases in the biogeography and life form of the target species, the responses assessed, and the extent to which spatial variability is addressed. Observed impacts often fail to translate to ecosystem services or evidence of environmental degradation. The absence of overarching hypotheses regarding impacts has reduced the consistency of approaches worldwide and prevented the development of predictive tools. Future studies must ensure that the links between species traits, ecosystem stocks, and ecosystem flows, as well as ecosystem services, are explicitly defined. [Philip E. Hulme, Petr Pyšek, Vojtěch Jarošík, Jan Pergl, Urs Schaffner, & Montserrat Vilà (2012). Bias and error in understanding plant invasion impacts. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, on-line 12 Nov. dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2012.10.010] Comment

Abstract: Cattle and horse producers in the Western Kentucky / Western Tennessee area depend heavily on forages to feed their livestock. Many of these farmers provide mineral supplementation without having tested the forages to see if mineral quality was sufficient for the animals' needs. In addition, cattlemen spray these fields to control weed growth (weed being any plant that was not the desired product). In this study, bermudagrass pastures that contained weeds were compared to a control field that had been sprayed for weeds in order to determine 1) if spraying was a necessary option, and 2) whether these weeds were in competition with the bermudagrass for desired nutrients. Samples were collected by hand cutting the samples, and a sample of each weed type was dug up to photograph the root systems. Samples were sorted into bermudagrass and weeds, dried and sent to a lab for testing of mineral content, CP and TDN. Statistical analysis was performed using Welch's unpaired t-test. No significant difference (P > 0.05) was determined between control bermudagrass and weedy bermudagrass for nitrogen, crude protein, potassium, magnesium, boron, iron, and aluminum. When comparing the weeds to the control, no significant difference was found for nitrogen, TDN, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, and aluminum. Once the weed samples were combined with the bermudagrass, and compared to the control, no significant difference was found for nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and aluminum. Root systems were determined to be in competition with the bermudagrass when the weeds were within a grass family. Other root systems were determined to be tap root systems which delve deeper for the nutrients, and therefore do not compete directly with the bermudagrass. Further study is needed to determine if spraying of weedy pastures is truly necessary. [Claxton, Angela (2012). A study in West Tennessee to nutritionally compare herbicide treated and non-herbicide treated bermudagrass pastures. Unpublished Masters Thesis, Murray State University, 85 pages] Comment

Abstract: Reducing the number of viable weed seeds entering a field is critical to successful weed management. Viable seeds can result from weed survivors that reach maturity, or can be imported into the field via livestock, grain, fodder, or machinery. Few reports exist on the survival of seeds in silage, or the consequence of feeding the silage to livestock. Seeds from five grass weeds, six broadleaf weeds and three pasture species were ensiled, underwent 48 hour in sacco digestion or both. Seed germination was determined after incubation at 25/15°C on a 12 hour temperature cycle. Tetrazolium staining was used to determine the viability of ungerminated seed. Seed germination and viability were compared with untreated seeds. Seed from all grass weeds except annual ryegrass were rendered unviable after being ensiled, whereas some broadleaf weed seeds remained viable. Digestion had a similar effect as ensilage on reducing seed viability, except for silverleaf nightshade and prairie ground cherry where no reduction in viability was observed. The viability of marshmallow seed and the three pasture species was not significantly reduced by either ensilage or digestion. Ensile or digestion can provide non-chemical options for effective weed management for certain weed species. [Rex Stanton, John Piltz, Craig Rodham & Hanwen Wu (2012). Silage for managing weed seeds. Eighteenth Australasian Weeds Conference, Melbourne, 8-11 October, 2012] Comment

Abstract: Glyphosate-based herbicides are extensively used for weed control all over the world. Therefore, it is important to investigate the putative toxic effects of these formulations which include not only glyphosate itself but also surfactants that may also be toxic. 3T3-L1 fibroblasts are a useful tool to study adipocyte differentiation, this cell line can be induced to differentiate by addition of a differentiation mixture containing insulin, dexamethasone and 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine. We used this cell line to investigate the effect of a commercial formulation of glyphosate (GF) on proliferation, survival and differentiation. It was found that treatment of exponentially growing cells with GF for 48 h inhibited proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, treatment with GF dilution 1:2000 during 24 or 48 h inhibited proliferation and increased cell death, as evaluated by trypan blue-exclusion, in a time-dependent manner. We showed that treatment of 3T3-L1 fibroblasts with GF increased caspase-3 like activity and annexin-V positive cells as evaluated by flow cytometric analysis, which are both indicative of induction of apoptosis. It was also found that after the removal of GF, remaining cells were able to restore proliferation. On the other hand, GF treatment severely inhibited the differentiation of 3T3-L1 fibroblasts to adipocytes. According to our results, a glyphosate-based herbicide inhibits proliferation and differentiation in this mammalian cell line and induces apoptosis suggesting GF-mediated cellular damage. Thus, GF is a potential risk factor for human health and the environment. [Claudia N. Martini, Matías Gabrielli & María del C. Vila (2012). A commercial formulation of glyphosate inhibits proliferation and differentiation to adipocytes and induces apoptosis in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts. Toxicology in Vitro, 26(6), 1007–1013. dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tiv.2012.04.017] Comment

Abstract: Recent trends in the implementation of bioherbicide use in the control of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes [Martius] Solms Laubach) have depended primarily on several strategies. The use of bioherbicides has been stimulated as part of the search for alternatives to chemical control, as the use of these more environmentally-friendly formulations minimizes hazards resulting from herbicide residue to both human and animal health, and to the ecology. In addition, one of the major strategies in the concept of biological control is the attempt to incorporate biological weed control methods as a component of integrated weed management, in order to achieve satisfactory results while reducing herbicide application to a minimum. Several fungal pathogens with mycoherbicide potential (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in Hyakill^TM and Cercospora rodmanii, named ABG-5003) have been discovered on diseased water hyacinth plants, but none has become commercially available in the market. Biological, technological, and commercial constraints have hindered progress in this area. Many of these constraints are being addressed, but there is a critical need to better understand the biochemical and physiological data regarding the pathogenesis of these new bioherbicides. Oil emulsions are recognized as a way to increase both efficiency of application and efficacy of biocontrol agents. [Karim Dagno, R. L.; Diourté, M.; Jijakli, M. H. (2012) Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Société et Environnement, 16(3), 360-368] Comment

[ABC News Nov 5, 2012] AUSTRALIA -- Researchers say increasing native bee populations in broadacre crops can boost yields by up to 30 per cent. Adelaide University researcher Katja Hogendoorn has spent the past year studying bee behaviour in crops in the mid-north and Yorke Peninsula of South Australia. She says providing more food for the bees, in ways such as boosting native vegetation, can increase their numbers and improve the pollination in crops such as canola. "Canola only flowers for a short period of time and the bees are there for a longer time, so they would need extra feed, and also in years with crop rotation grains are grown [and] they will need extra food as well," she said. "If you do not have native vegetation you generally have some weeds like cape weed. If you remove all of it then you would remove that resource for them (the bees) as well, and be considerate with pesticides. "Bees are insects and they will die when insecticides are used." Comment

Summary: An early 18th-century agricultural experimenter Charles Townshend discovered that crops grow better, with fewer weeds and pest problems, if they are rotated in a careful sequence. Townshend’s rotation — like the ones George Washington and Thomas Jefferson used — included clover, wheat, other small grains and turnips, which made good winter food for sheep and cattle. The Romans knew about crop rotation, but by the Middle Ages, farming was based on the practice of letting the land lie fallow, unplanted — resting it, in other words. The purpose of that practice, like crop rotation itself, is to prevent the soil from becoming exhausted when the same crop is sown over and over again. In early American agriculture, only sophisticated farmers like Washington and Jefferson were using crop rotations in their fields. The Department of Agriculture, Iowa State University and the University of Minnesota shows, there’s nothing obsolete about four-crop rotation. It produces the same yields, it sharply reduces the toxicity of freshwater runoff, and it eliminates many of the problems associated with genetically modified crops, including the emergence of glyphosate-resistant weeds. It’s also simply better for the soil. The very structure of the agricultural system, as it stands now, is designed to return the greatest profit possible, not to the farmers but to the producers of the chemicals they use and the seeds they plant. And because those chemicals depend on fossil energy, the entire system is inherently unsustainable. What farmers used to return to the soil in the form of labor and animal manure — not the toxic kind you find in livestock confinement systems — they now must purchase, just the way they buy diesel for their tractors. Read the full article. Comment

Abstract: Weed control through crop rotation has mainly been studied in a nonspatial context. However, weed seeds are often spread beyond the crop field by a variety of vectors. For weed control to be successful, weed management should thus be evaluated at the landscape level. In this paper we assess how seed dispersal affects the interactions between crop rotation and landscape heterogeneity schemes with regard to weed control. A spatially explicit landscape model was developed to study both short- and long-term weed population dynamics under different management scenarios. We allowed for both two- and three-crop species rotations and three levels of between-field weed seed dispersal. All rotation scenarios and seed dispersal fractions were analyzed for both completely homogeneous landscapes and heterogeneous landscapes in which more than one crop was present. The potential of implementing new weed control methods was also analyzed. The model results suggest that, like crop rotation at the field level, crop rotation implemented at the landscape level has great potential to control weeds, whereby both the number of crop species and the cropping sequence within the crop rotation have significant effects on both the short- and long-term weed population densities. In the absence of seed dispersal, weed populations became extinct when the fraction of each crop in the landscape was randomized. In general, weed seed densities increased in landscapes with increasing similarity in crop proportions, but in these landscapes the level of seed dispersal affected which three-crop species rotation sequence was most efficient at controlling the weed densities. We show that ignoring seed dispersal between fields might lead to the selection of suboptimal tactics and that homogeneous crop field patches that follow a specific crop rotation sequence might be the most sustainable method of weed control. Effective weed control through crop rotation thus requires coordination between farmers with regard to cropping sequences, crop allocation across the landscape, and/or the fraction of each crop across the landscape. [González-Díaz, van den Berg, van den Bosch, and Luis González-Andújar (2012). Controlling annual weeds in cereals by deploying crop rotation at the landscape scale: Avena sterilis as an example. Ecological Applications 22(3):982–992. doi.org/10.1890/11-1079.1] Comment

Abstract: Along with other etiological factors like genetics, family history, age, etc. there is growing scientific evidence that exposure to chemicals, including pesticides [and herbicides] is associated with increased incidence of breast cancer among women. Various animal studies have demonstrated the carcinogenic effect of pesticides by acting as Xenoestrogen, interacting and disrupting estrogen receptors or by damaging breast tissue DNA inducing malignancy/catalyzing existing DNA mutation in susceptible individuals. Pesticide’s role as a contributing etiological factor in growing incidence of breast cancer is of particular concern as pesticides are one of the chemicals to which humans get exposed every day in significant concentration. In this review we describe various kinds of pesticides and their respective associations to breast cancer. [Roberto Ferro, Arvin Parvathaneni, Sachin Patel, Pramil Cheriyath (2012). Pesticides and Breast Cancer. Advances in Breast Cancer Research, 1, 30-35. doi:10.4236/abcr.2012.13005] Comment

Abstract: Non-synthetic herbicides offer a potentially useful addition to the suite of weed management tools available to organic growers, but limited information is available to guide the optimal use of these products. The objectives of this research were to 1) evaluate the efficacy of clove oil and vinegar based herbicides on weeds across multiple states, and 2) assess the potential role of temperature, relative humidity (RH) and cloud cover in explaining inter-state variations in results. From 2006 to 2008, a total of 20 field trials were conducted in 7 states using an identical protocol. Seeds of brown mustard were sown and herbicides applied to both mustard and emerged weeds when mustard reached the 3-4 leaf stage. Treatments included clove oil at 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10% concentrations at 54 L ha-1 and vinegar at 5, 10, 15, and 20% concentrations at 107 L ha-1. Results varied widely across trials. In general, concentrations of at least 7.5% for clove oil and 15% for vinegar were needed for adequate control of mustard. Both products were more effective at suppressing mustard than Amaranthus spp. or common lambsquarters. Poor control was observed for annual grasses. No significant effects of cloud cover on the efficacy of either product were detected. In contrast, RH was positively correlated with control of brown mustard by both clove oil and vinegar with improved control at higher RH. Temperature had no detectable effect on the efficacy of clove oil, but higher temperatures improved control of brown mustard by vinegar. [Daniel Brainard, William C. Curran, Robin R. Bellinder, Mathieu Ngouajio, Mark J. VanGessel, Milton J. Haar, W T. Lanini, and John B. Masiunas (2012). Temperature and relative humidity affect weed response to vinegar and clove oil based herbicides. Weed Technology, online 26 Oct. doi: dx.doi.org/10.1614/WT-D-12-00073.1] Comment

[Rodale Institute 27 Oct 2012 By Patrick Lillard] -- Ken Rider grows organic corn, soybeans, spelt and wheat on almost 500 acres in the Great Black Swamp region of Ohio, USA. As part of an Organic Agriculture Research & Extension Initiative (OREI) project looking at organic farmers’ weed management, an undergraduate student from Purdue University and I interviewed Ken. When we asked him about how he manages weeds, he quickly replied cover crops, crop rotation and cultivation, but we learned those practices were best explained through stories and experiences. Ken’s observational skills have given him an understanding of the characteristics of his soil, weed life cycles, the attributes of different cover crops, and how all of these different elements interact on his farm. He then uses these observations to experiment, to develop and test new approaches that will hopefully improve his farming system. His observations and experimentation also provide him with the knowledge to be able to quickly adapt his system to respond to challenges. Comment

Abstract: Suppressing weeds and enhancing desirable plant establishment are important when installing or maintaining landscapes. Two woodchip mulches of different particle sizes and origin were applied at different depths to assess these two criteria in transplanted Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) in a historically weedy field. Arborist chips and chips made from recycled wood were used, in both coarse (1.09-7.62 cm) and fine (≤1.09 cm) particle sizes, at depths of 10, 20, or 30 cm. Weed biomass was significantly affected by mulch depth; the average annual weed biomass collected was 59.4 g/m2 from non-mulched plots, and 10.9, 2.6, and 0.5 g/m2 from plots with 10, 20, and 30 cm of mulch, respectively. For two growing seasons, plant health was visually rated on a 1-5 scale (with 5 being the most healthy), and data were collected on plant height and trunk caliper. Douglas fir trees were significantly affected by particle size in both arborist and recycled wood chips, with increased health ratings, caliper, and height in the coarser chip mulch. Mean Douglas fir health ranged between 3.4−3.5 in coarse chips compared to 2.4−2.8 in fine chips. Mean Douglas fir caliper ranged between 8.0−8.2 mm in coarse chips and 4.2−6.5 mm in fine chips. Mean Douglas fir height increased in coarse chips by 19.8 cm from year 1 to year 2, but only 4.3 cm in fine chips. Snowberry was not significantly affected by either mulch treatment; given its aggressive spreading nature, this is not surprising. Ideally, wood chip mulches should be coarse (at least 1 cm) and deep (at least 20 cm) to both suppress weeds and enhance establishment of woody landscape plants. [Eric Reed Owl Eulenberg (2012). Effects of wood chip mulches on weed suppression and woody plant establishment. Dissertation: Ph.D. Washington State University, May 2012.] Comment

Abstract: Considering allelopathy as an ecologically sound weed management approach, bio-herbicidal potential of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) extracts were evaluated against germination and seedling growth of dragon spurge (Euphorbia dracunculoides L.). Different concentrations (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) of aqueous extracts, applied alone and in combination, were tested in a laboratory bioassay. Results revealed that germination of dragon spurge was delayed by sorghum and sunflower extracts applied alone or in combination and their different concentrations. Sorghum and sunflower aqueous extracts combined at 100% concentration inhibited seed germination 92%, while sole application of aqueous extract of sorghum was more inhibitory to dragon spurge germination (88%) than that of sunflower (80%). However at low concentrations (25 and 50%), sunflower aqueous extract performed better than the sorghum extract. All extracts concentrations exhibited a pronounced negative influence on early seedling growth of dragon spurge. Inhibition of shoot and root dry biomass by the different concentrations of the aqueous extracts was 53-86% and 49-79% for sorghum and 29-87% and 32-83% for sunflower. Their combination application inhibited shoot and root biomass 41-90% and 65-87%, respectively. The study established the bio-herbicidal potential of sorghum and sunflower aqueous extracts against dragon spurge. Their combination can be used as bio-herbicide for management of this weed. [Abdul Khaliq; Amar Matloob; Asif Tanveer; Abbas, R. N.; Khan, M. B. (2012). Bio-herbicidal properties of sorghum and sunflower aqueous extracts against germination and seedling growth of dragon spurge (Euphorbia dracunculoides Lam.). Pakistan Journal of Weed Science Research, 18(2),137-148.] Comment

Abstract: We investigated the role of occupational exposure to specific groups of agrochemicals in the aetiology of lymphoma overall, B cell lymphoma and its most prevalent subtypes. In 1998–2003, 2348 incident lymphoma cases and 2462 controls were recruited to the EPILYMPH case-control study in six European countries. A detailed occupational history was collected in cases and controls. Job modules were applied for farm work including specific questions on type of crop, farm size, pests being treated, type and schedule of pesticide use. In each study centre, industrial hygienists and occupational experts assessed exposure to specific groups of pesticides and individual compounds with the aid of agronomists. We calculated the OR and its 95% CI associated with lymphoma and the most prevalent lymphoma subtypes with unconditional logistic regression, adjusting for age, gender, education and centre. Risk of lymphoma overall, and B cell lymphoma was not elevated, and risk of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) was elevated amongst those ever exposed to inorganic (OR=1.6, 95% CI 1.0 to 2.5) and organic pesticides (OR=1.5, 95% CI 1.0 to 2.1). CLL risk was highest amongst those ever exposed to organophosphates (OR=2.7, 95% CI 1.2 to 6.0). Restricting the analysis to subjects most likely exposed, no association was observed between pesticide use and risk of B cell lymphoma. Conclusions: Our results provide limited support to the hypothesis of an increase in risk of specific lymphoma subtypes associated with exposure to pesticides. [Pierluigi Cocco et al. (2012). Lymphoma risk and occupational exposure to pesticides: results of the Epilymph study.Occupational & Environmental Medicine, online 01 Nov. doi:10.1136/oemed-2012-100845] Comment

[AFP Oct 3, 2012] -- The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, famed for seeking "happiness" for its citizens, is aiming to become the first nation in the world to turn its home-grown food and farmers 100 percent organic. The tiny Buddhist-majority nation wedged between China and India has an unusual and some say enviable approach to economic development, centred on protecting the environment and focusing on mental well-being. Its development model measuring "Gross National Happiness" instead of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been discussed at the United Nations and has been publicly backed by leaders from Britain and France, among others. It banned television until 1999, keeps out mass tourism to shield its culture from foreign influence, and most recently set up a weekly "pedestrians' day" on Tuesdays that sees cars banned from town centres. Its determination to chart a different path can be seen in its new policy to phase out artificial chemicals in farming in the next 10 years, making its staple foods of wheat and potatoes, as well as its fruits, 100 percent organic. "Bhutan has decided to go for a green economy in light of the tremendous pressure we are exerting on the planet," Agriculture Minister Pema Gyamtsho told AFP in an interview by telephone from the capital Thimphu. "If you go for very intensive agriculture it would imply the use of so many chemicals, which is not in keeping with our belief in Buddhism, which calls for us to live in harmony with nature." Comment

Abstract: Sixteen weeds were nominated as new Australian Weeds of National Significance (WoNS) candidates. The nominations were assessed against a number of criteria covering technical and policy considerations. The technical assessment was carried out using the revised WoNS prioritisation methodology. As part of the technical assessment a combination of risk models were tested in consultation with a range of experts in weed risk assessment. The different models showed consistent results in identifying the top ranking weeds and low ranking weeds, regardless of the scoring model used. The combination of using the revised WoNS prioritisation methodology, consultation with the jurisdictions, and policy considerations, formed a comprehensive and transparent assessment process. The process resulted in the selection of 12 new WoNS to be added to Australia’s ‘worst weed’ list. Comment

Twenty six genetically engineered crops are currently being considered for approval in the European Union. 19 out of these 26 are genetically engineered to be tolerant to herbicides. Renowned agricultural economist Dr. Charles Benbrook was commissioned by Greenpeace to make the first ever forecast of how Europe would be impacted by authorising the cultivation of genetically engineered herbicide tolerant corn, soy and sugar beet. Greenpeace has also travelled through Argentina and USA to speak to farmers and their communities about how herbicide tolerant crop monocultures have affected their economy, environment and community. These first person accounts formed the basis for the documentary Growing Doubt (the film above). Witness accounts from Argentina and USA and Dr. Benbrook's forecast report present a grim view of a future Europe: the over-reliance on herbicide-tolerant crops in the U.S. has triggered the emergence and rapid spread of nearly two dozen glyphosate-resistant weeds, driving up farm production costs, as well as the volume and toxicity of herbicides needed to prevent major yield loss. Europe will face a similar reality by 2025, should herbicide tolerant genetically engineered crops be authorised for cultivation. Greenpeace is facilitating an 18 day tour of Europe with public screenings of Growing Doubt showing the reality in Argentina and USA, followed by Dr. Charles Benbrook presenting his study which you can view here. Several other renowned scientists have recently raised alarm bells over the impact of genetically modified (GM) food on our health. Ask the federal government to deliver on its election promise and make sure GM organisms are “safe beyond reasonable doubt” and properly labelled before introducing them in our food - click here to support. Comment

Abstract: Non-inversion tillage with tine or disc based cultivations prior to crop establishment is the most common way of reducing tillage for arable cropping systems with small grain cereals, oilseed rape and maize in Europe. However, new regulations on pesticide use may hinder further expansion of reduced tillage systems. European agriculture is asked to become less dependent on pesticides and promote crop protection programmes based on integrated pest management (IPM) principles. Conventional non-inversion tillage systems rely entirely on the availability of glyphosate products, and herbicide consumption is mostly higher as compared to plough-based cropping systems. Annual grass weeds and catchweed bedstraw often constitute the principal weed problems in non-inversion tillage systems and crop rotations concurrently have very high proportions of winter cereals. There is a need to redesign cropping systems to allow for more diversification of the crop rotations to combat these weed problems with less herbicide input. Cover crops, stubble management strategies and tactics that strengthen crop growth relative to weed growth are also seen as important components in future IPM systems but their impact in non-inversion tillage systems needs validation. Direct mechanical weed control methods based on rotating weeding devices such as rotary hoes may become useful in reduced tillage systems where more crop residues and less workable soils are more prevalent but further development is needed for effective application.[Bo Melander, Nicolas Munier-Jolain, Raphaël Charles, Judith Wirth, Jürgen Schwarz, Rommie van der Weide, Ludovic Bonin, Peter Kryger Jensen, and Per Kudsk (2012). European perspectives on the adoption of non-chemical weed management in reduced tillage systems for arable crops. Weed Technology. Online August 30, 2012. doi.org/10.1614/WT-D-12-00066.1]. Comment

[AgroNews 25 Sept 2012] -- Several U.S. biopesticide manufacturers have recently been snatched up by global agribusiness companies, which experts say will likely spur more research and investment in the industry. BASF, a German-based chemical company, plans to spend more than $1 billion on Becker Underwood, a producer of biological seed treatments and other products in Ames, Iowa. Syngenta, a Swiss global biotech and chemical company, will pay up to $114 million for Pasteuria Bioscience of Alachua, Fla., which uses naturally occurring soil bacteria for nematode control products. The acquisitions, both announced in mid-September, came two months after another major global chemical company -- Bayer CropScience -- said it would buy California biopesticide producer AgraQuest in a deal valued at roughly $500 million. Industry experts say biopesticides, which rely on naturally occurring substances and microorganisms, have seen tremendous sales growth in recent years. Comment

Why is eliminating the use of methyl bromide for weeding and crop protection an issue we covered in The Weed's News last week? One important reason is covered in the following: [ACES 30 Oct 2012] -- People tend to think of ozone as merely something in the upper atmosphere that protects the earth’s surface from UV radiation. At the ground level, however, ozone is a pollutant that damages crops, particularly soybean. Potential increases in background ozone are predicted to increase soybean yield losses by 9 to 19 percent by 2030. Lisa Ainsworth, a University of Illinois associate professor of crop sciences and USDA Agricultural Research Service plant molecular biologist explained that, “Ozone reacts very quickly once it enters the leaf through the stomata. It can form other oxygen radicals and also hydrogen peroxide. Then a series of cascading reactions causes a decrease in photosynthesis, reducing stomata conductance.” The plant’s response to ozone mimics a hypersensitive response to a pathogen attack. “At quite high concentrations of ozone, you can get leaf bronzing, stippling of the leaves, and necrotic spots,” Ainsworth said. “At really high concentrations, you get cell death.” The metabolic changes then feed forward to affect plant productivity. Comment

Abstract: Conventional attempts to control, prevent, manage or eradicate weeds chemically are poisoning the Earth. Weeds are considered an ‘enemy’ of agriculture, ecology and the average urban gardener or landscaper. The language surrounding weed issues is often highly emotionally charged. Some common words and phrases used in weed discourse are “A War on Weeds”, “Weed Warriors”, “Danger”, “Toxic” and “Weed Killer”. Viewed from a Jungian astrological perspective, all these terms and phrases are embodied in the Mars Archetype. Mars is the ancient God of War and in every war there needs to be an enemy. In the case of weed control, the enemy is nature. Weeds are plants doing what comes naturally to them. It is said that nature abhors a vacuum, and moves to fill that space. Weeds see an empty, neglected unused, unwanted and unloved space and so move in to fill it. In astrological lore Venus is the remedy for an out-of-balance Mars. The archetype of Venus is associated with the earth, agriculture, culture and cultivation, sharing, befriending and compromising, as well as love and creativity. In this paper I explore how the astrological Mars in the form of the Weed Warrior Archetype is played out in current weed control methods. I then explore ideas about how Venus and Mars can work together in creative and ingenious ways to foster a beneficial relationship for both nature and ourselves. [Peric, Z. (2012). Venus and Mars are lovers – so why “weed warriors”: A cosmological exploration. Proceedings of 4th Association for the Study of Literature, Environment and Culture (Australia-New Zealand) Biennial Conference, September 1 - 2, Melbourne.] View PowerPoint Presentation Comment

Abstract: The publication of a study in 2010, showing that a glyphosate herbicide formulation and glyphosate alone caused malformations in the embryos of Xenopus laevis and chickens through disruption of the retinoic acid signalling pathway, caused scientific and regulatory controversy. Debate centred on the effects of the production and consumption of genetically modified Roundup Ready® soy, which is engineered to tolerate applications of glyphosate herbicide. The study, along with others indicating teratogenic and reproductive effects from glyphosate herbicide exposure, was rebutted by the German Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety, BVL, as well as in industry-sponsored papers. These rebuttals relied partly on unpublished industry-sponsored studies commissioned for regulatory purposes, which, it was claimed, showed that glyphosate is not a teratogen or reproductive toxin. However, examination of the German authorities’ draft assessment report on the industry studies, which underlies glyphosate’s EU authorisation, revealed further evidence of glyphosate’s teratogenicity. Many of the malformations found were of the type defined in the scientific literature as associated with retinoic acid teratogenesis. Nevertheless, the German and EU authorities minimized these findings in their assessment and set a potentially unsafe acceptable daily intake (ADI) level for glyphosate. This paper reviews the evidence on the teratogenicity and reproductive toxicity of glyphosate herbicides and concludes that a new and transparent risk assessment needs to be conducted. The new risk assessment must take into account all the data on the toxicity of glyphosate and its commercial formulations, including data generated by independent scientists and published in the peer-reviewed scientific literature, as well as the industry-sponsored studies. [Antoniou, Habib, Howard, Jennings, Leifert, Nodari, Robinson and Fagan (2012). Teratogenic effects of glyphosate-based herbicides: Divergence of regulatory decisions from scientific evidence. Environmental & Analytical Toxicology. S:4. doi.org/10.4172/2161-0525.S4-006] Comment

Abstract: Agricultural fields contain some small plants (weeds) which are known as agrestals. Generally, weeds are perceived as unwanted intruders in agro-ecosystems that compete for resources, reduce yields, and force the use of human labor and technology to prevent crop losses; but not all weeds are undesirable. Some weeds act as valuable agro-ecosystem components. They serve as nutritious foods, and important sources of fodder and medicine. Certain weeds may limit insect damage to crops. These beneficial effects indicate that weeds are not just agricultural pests, but can also play beneficial roles in the human society. So, the main objective of the study is to know about the beneficial agrestals of the district and their roles. Detailed field surveys were made in different blocks of the district to collect data about agrestals and their usefulness. These fields contain various medicinal plants such as Solanum nigrum L., Eclipta prostrata L. Oxalis corniculata L., Rungia pectinata L. etc., edible plant Amaranthus viridis L., ornamental plant Grangea maderaspatana (L.) Poir, and aromatic plant Trachyspermum copticum L. It is clear from the study that these two fields of the district contain some valuable agrestals which are used by the locals. [Dwari and Mondal (2012). The impact, uses, and ecological role of agrestals (weeds) in two selected agroecosystems of Eastern India. International Journal of Biodiversity and Conservation. 4(13):472-480. DOI: 10.5897/IJBC12.009] Comment

Abstract: Despite weeds are a serious threat to promotion of organic farming, relatively less attention is given to research on weed management. This article explores a scope of integration of conservation agriculture for weed control and soil protection under organic farming. Limitation in the use of agro-chemicals under OF promotes intensive tillage for weed control. Mostly, tillage leads to depletion of organic matter and proneness to erosion in inclined geography. Adoption of conservation agriculture reduces the intensity of soil manipulation thereby creates an unfavourable condition for weed seed germination, reduces the organic matter depletions and soil erosions. Residues on the surface invite weed and pest predators thereby reduced the weed and pest infestations in organic field. Appropriate crop rotations and cover crops management suppress weeds populations with smothering and allopathic effects. Thus, CA integration under OF could be an option for weed, pest and soil management which leads to sustainable organic plant production. [Baral, K. R. (2012). Weeds management in organic farming through conservation agriculture practices. The Journal of Agriculture and Environment. 13] Comment

Abstract: Weeds have a significant impact on the production of cucurbit crops in Australia, and yet relatively little work has been conducted to develop integrated and sustainable forms of weed management in these crops. In this project we sought to scope the impact of weeds on cucurbit production, identify current techniques used by growers and assess their effectiveness and sustainability, and explore innovative approaches used in Australia and overseas. The research included a review of Australian and international literature, and consultation with cucurbit growers, herbicide producers and distributors. Weeds were reported to have a significant impact on cucurbit crop yield and quality, making crop management problematic. Significant weeds include fat hen (Chenopodium album), blackberry nightshade (Solanum nigrum), caltrop or cathead (Tribulus terrestris), pigweed/purslane (Portulaca oleracea), African lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula), barnyard grass (Echinochloa spp.), and nutgrass (Cyperus rotundus). A successful integrated weed control strategy usually involves a mix of herbicide use, plastic mulch, cultivation, chipping, crop rotation and farm hygiene. Diligence and timing are important factors in a successful approach. However, the ongoing success of this approach is not assured, due to lack of herbicide options, noted instances of herbicide resistance, and questions about the long-term sustainability of plastic mulch. Innovation is therefore required to sustain Australia’s cucurbit industry. Options include registering new herbicides, developing a viable biodegradable mulch film, and exploring promising techniques such as living and killed mulches, controlled traffic farming, stale and false seedbeds, and thermal weeding.[Coleman, Sindel, Kristiansen (2012). Sustainable weed control in cucurbit crops: A scoping study. Proceedings 16th Capturing Opportunities and Overcoming Obstacles in Australian Agronomy, Armidale, October 2012]. Photo Caption: common curcubit crops Comment

Anstract: Considering allelopathy as an ecologically sound weed management approach, bio-herbicidal potential of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) extracts were evaluated against germination and seedling growth of dragon spurge (Euphorbia dracunculoides L.). Different concentrations (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) of aqueous extracts, applied alone and in combination, were tested in a laboratory bioassay. Results revealed that germination of dragon spurge was delayed by sorghum and sunflower extracts applied alone or in combination and their different concentrations. Sorghum and sunflower aqueous extracts combined at 100% concentration inhibited seed germination 92%, while sole application of aqueous extract of sorghum was more inhibitory to dragon spurge germination (88%) than that of sunflower (80%). However at low concentrations (25 and 50%), sunflower aqueous extract performed better than the sorghum extract. All extracts concentrations exhibited a pronounced negative influence on early seedling growth of dragon spurge. Inhibition of shoot and root dry biomass by the different concentrations of the aqueous extracts was 53-86% and 49-79% for sorghum and 29-87% and 32-83% for sunflower. Their combination application inhibited shoot and root biomass 41-90% and 65-87%, respectively. The study established the bio-herbicidal potential of sorghum and sunflower aqueous extracts against dragon spurge. Their combination can be used as bio-herbicide for management of this weed. [Khaliq, Matloob, Tanveer, Abbas and Khan (2012). Bio-herbicidal properties of sorghum and sunflower aqueous extracts against germination and seedling growth of dragon spurge (Euphorbia dracunculoides Lam.). Pakistan Journal of Weed Science Research. 18(2): 137-14.] Comment

Abstract: Florida vegetable growers have relied on methyl bromide (MeBr) fumigation to manage soil pathogens, nematodes, and weeds. This system combined with raised beds, polyethylene mulch, and seepage and/or drip irrigation has been effective for producing high vegetable yields. Alternatives to MeBr such as solarization and organic amendments have given favorable results in small trials, but there are few large-scale studies. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of long-term organic amendment applications and soil sanitation treatments on weed and nematode populations on pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus [Thunb.] Manst.). During 1998 and 1999 fall vegetable seasons, main plots received a yearly organic amendment (biosolids) application or a non-amendment control, with sub-plots consisting of soil sanitation treatments with solarization, MeBr, Telone^® (1,3-dichloropropene), or a non-fumigated control. Each sub-plot was further divided into two sub-sub-plots, one receiving additional weed and without control weed control. During the solarization period (60 d in 1998–1999; 90 d in 1999–2000), percent weed cover was higher in the non-biosolid plots than the biosolid plots for the first part of the solarization period, but there were no differences during the last 30 days in both seasons. Purple nutsedge was able to germinate on the north edge of the beds for a border effect; a point of vulnerability when beds run east–west. With the pepper crop, the number of weeds and percent weed cover were greater in the non-fumigated plots and Telone^®-treated plots than in plots treated with MeBr or in solarized plots with and without biosolids. Nematode population densities from plot to plot within the site were highly variable, which likely accounted for the relatively few consistent effects from treatments observed during the experiment. The data do provide some indication of the importance of weeds in the recovery and buildup of nematode populations. During spring 1999, both root-knot and stubby-root nematodes were more abundant in the sub-sub-plots that had not received weed control. The results suggest that solarization and organic amendments can be viable alternatives to MeBr. However, MeBr produced the most consistent results. [Monica Ozores-Hampton, Robert McSorley & Philip A. Stansly (2012). Effects of long-term organic amendments and soil sanitation on weed and nematode populations in pepper and watermelon crops in Florida. Crop Protection, Volume 41, November 2012, Pages 106–112] Comment

Abstract: The indigenous Lachnagrostis filiformis colonized extensive areas of dry lake beds in Victoria, Australia, during the drought from 1997 to 2009. Large numbers of the plants' detached seed heads disperse in the wind, lodging against nearby housing, fences and other obstacles. This accumulation of material creates a fire hazard, degrades townships' aesthetics and presents a nuisance to the communities of lake-side towns. This study aimed to examine the effects of various control methods on L. filiformis in the short and long term. Although herbicide applications, slashing, grazing and burning were found to be effective in controlling the blown L. filiformis seed heads in the short term, they failed to prevent subsequent reinvasion and can increase its abundance in the long term. The late application of herbicide resulted in an increase in the foliage cover and seed-head biomass of L. filiformis by up to 37% and 150%, respectively, in the year following the treatment application. The results from this study highlight how management focused on achieving short-term goals, without consideration of the successional trajectory after implementation, can not only fail but be counter-productive in the long term. In order to achieve sustainable management, the fundamental ecological processes that promote the establishment and persistence of the weed need to be addressed. [Warnock, A. D., Florentine, S. K., Graz, F. P. and Westbrooke, M. E. (2012). Short-term gain and long-term pain: Lessons learnt from the control of Lachnagrostis filiformis (fairy grass) in Victoria, Australia. Weed Biology and Management, online 18 Oct. doi: 10.1111/j.1445-6664.2012.00448.x] Comment

Abstract: To determine whether converting to organic farming increases weed problems, a trial at Massey University in New Zealand split a dairy farm in half, with one half farmed conventionally for 10 years and the other half farmed using organic principles. Weed populations in selected paddocks of each farmlet were studied for 8 years to determine how these populations would differ between the two systems. After 10 years, weed problems differed little between the two farmlets. Both still had broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius L.) and hairy buttercup (Ranunculus sardous Crantz) as their main weed species. Weeds were most noticeable in pastures in the year following regrassing activities for either farmlet, but being unable to use glyphosate during seed-bed preparation or use selective herbicides after sowing of new swards, meant weeds were sometimes worse in organic pastures after resowing than in conventional pastures. These weed problems were dealt with over the first few years after resowing by good grazing management, and ensuring pastures were dense once the annual species hairy buttercup had flowered and died, thus minimising any further establishment. Results from the trial suggest that weeds need not be an impediment to organic dairying. [Harrington, K. (2012). Effect of 10 years of organic dairy farming on weed populations. Eighteenth Australasian Weeds Conference, Melbourne, 8-11 October, 2012.] Comment

Abstract: Agricultural waste generated by several agricultural activities has many alternative uses. Unfortunately much of it is burnt in the open fields leading to environmental pollution. For the management of agro-waste one way adopted is to produce electricity using this agro-waste as fuel. But Agro-waste power generation faces majors risks like fuel availability and unstable prices, problems of ash melting, slagging, clinkerisation at the base of boilers, super heater choking, agglomeration and drop in boiler temperature due to moisture in the bales. All these problems results in frequent shut downs of the plants and they do not operate continuously. Transportation of agro-waste from fields to power generation plants add to gas emission and labour cost. The other alternative for efficiently utilisation of agrowaste like paddy straw and rice husk is mulching. Mulching technically means covering of soil. Mulch provide the conditions that are favourable for the growth of plant and crop production. It is observed that mulching saves the irrigation water by increasing moisture retention of soil and suppresses weeds. This study was conducted to determine the optimal amount of mulching to save the irrigation water, because excessive use of crop residue as mulch is also not beneficial from economical point of view. The amount of optimal mulching is determined to be 8 tonnes per hectare. Further, mulching saves 45% of the commercial cost by way of reduced irrigation. [Jagmohan Singh (2012). Optimising agro-waste in mulching: An alternative to power generation. Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of degree of Master of Engineering in Electronic Instrumentation and Control, Thapar University, India.] Comment

Abstract: Organophosphate herbicides are among the most dangerous agrochemicals for the aquatic environment. In this context, Roundup^®, a glyphosate-based herbicide, has been widely detected in natural water bodies, representing a potential threat to non-target organisms, namely fish. Thus, the main goal of the present study was to evaluate the genotoxic potential of Roundup^® in the teleost fish Anguilla anguilla, addressing the possible causative involvement of oxidative stress. Fish were exposed to environmentally realistic concentrations of this herbicide (58 and 116 μg L⁻¹) during one or three days. The standard procedure of the comet assay was applied to gill and liver cells in order to determine organ-specific genetic damage. Since liver is a central organ in xenobiotic metabolism, nucleoids of hepatic cells were also incubated with a lesion-specific repair enzyme (formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase – FPG), in order to recognise oxidised purines. Antioxidants were determined in both organs as indicators of pro-oxidant state. In general, both organs displayed an increase in DNA damage for the two Roundup^® concentrations and exposure times, although liver showed to be less susceptible to the lower concentration. The enzyme-modified comet assay showed the occurrence of FPG-sensitive sites in liver only after a 3-day exposure to the higher Roundup^® concentration. The antioxidant defences were in general unresponsive, despite a single increment of catalase activity in gills (116 μg L⁻¹, 3-day) and a decrease of superoxide dismutase activity in liver (58 μg L⁻¹, 3-day). Overall, the mechanisms involved in Roundup^®-induced DNA strand-breaks showed to be similar in both organs. Nevertheless, it was demonstrated that the type of DNA damage varies with the concentration and exposure duration. Hence, after 1-day exposure, an increase on pro-oxidant state is not a necessary condition for the induction of DNA-damaging effects of Roundup^®. By increasing the duration of exposure to three days, ROS-dependent processes gained preponderance as a mechanism of DNA-damage induction in the higher concentration.[Guilherme, Gaivão, Santos, Pacheco, (2012). DNA damage in fish (Anguilla anguilla) exposed to a glyphosate-based herbicide – Elucidation of organ-specificity and the role of oxidative stress. Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis. 743(1-2):1-9. doi.org/10.1016/j.mrgentox.2011.10.017] Comment