Soil microarthropods affect soil ecosystems in a manner that may contribute to balancing the goals of building soil health and controlling weeds in organic agricultural systems. While soil microarthropod feeding behavior can affect plant growth, their impacts on plant communities in agricultural systems are largely unknown. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to investigate the impacts of microarthropods on weed communities. A model weed seed bank was used in each mesocosm, which included yellow foxtail (Setaria pumila (Poir.) Roem&Schult.), giant foxtail (Setaria faberi Herrm.), Powell amaranth (Amaranthus powellii S. Watson), water-hemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) Sauer), common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.), and velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medik.). The study included three treatments: Collembola (Isotomiella minor, Schaffer 1896) abundance (none, low, high), soil microbial community (sterilized/non-sterilized), and fertilizer (presence/ absence of compost). A lab experiment examining individual weed species interactions with I. minor was conducted to elucidate the mechanisms driving the greenhouse experiment findings. Twenty seeds of each weed species were placed on moistened germination paper in containers with varying I. minor abundance levels (none, low, high, very high). Seed germination was recorded after five and seven days. In the greenhouse, the presence of I. minor increased total weed emergence during the first two weeks, but this effect diminished after three weeks. Increasing I. minor abundances generally decreased weed biomass, though this effect was greater in the non-sterilized soil. In the non-sterilized soil, I. minor presence decreased total aboveground weed biomass production by up to 23 %. The Amaranthus species, Powell amaranth and waterhemp, drove this effect with a 55 % and 32 % reduction in biomass, respectively. In tandem, the Amaranthus species had reduced abundances in the presence of I. minor. I. minor increased yellow foxtail germination in the lab, while not affecting the other weed species. This suggests that their effects on the Amaranthus weeds in the greenhouse were likely not caused by direct effects on germination, but instead through nutrient cycling or root herbivory. The proposed mechanism underlying these interactions is that I. minor can initially stimulate germination by feeding on seed coats, but when the seed coats are minimal can damage the seedling. Our findings indicate I. minor could impact weed growth in a manner that affects management decisions and outcomes.

Although silicon nutrition in crops has been reported to improve growth and herbicide tolerance, the response of crop-associated weeds has not been studied. To support or reject the hypothesis that silicon nutrition can affect the tolerance of velvetleaf to pyrithiobac-sodium, affecting crop-weed competition, this study was conducted as a dose-response study in which cotton and velvetleaf grown in soil with or without K2SiO3 + silicate-solubilizing bacteria (SSB) were sprayed with pyrithiobac-sodium. Some enzymes involved in lignin biosynthesis, antioxidant, and herbicide metabolism were measured to find physiological changes. The findings accept the hypothesis above for the first time. Silicon nutrition could disrupt pyrithiobac-sodium selectivity for controlling velvetleaf in cotton. Regardless of treatments, velvetleaf accumulated more silicon and lignin than cotton. Unlike phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, the activity of cytochrome P450 reductase (1.3 vs. 0.7 U/g), glutathione S-transferase (1.7 vs. 1.2 U/g), superoxide dismutase (21.7 vs. 12.5 U/mg), and catalase (443.9 vs. 342.5 U/mg) was higher in cotton than in velvetleaf, grown in soil without silicon nutrition. All enzymes became more active with silicon nutrition, but the increase was higher in velvetleaf. In field studies, velvetleaf benefited from silicon nutrition more than cotton, enhancing the competitive ability of velvetleaf in cotton and reducing further crop yield. K2SiO3 + SSB caused a 29.7 % increase in velvetleaf biomass, which caused the greatest damage to cotton seed (80.9 %) and lint (69.2 %) yields. It is recommended to avoid soil nutrition with K2SiO3 + SSB in velvetleafinfested cotton fields, where velvetleaf control with pyrithiobac-sodium is intended.

BACKGROUND Weed-resistance phenomena have increased dramatically in recent years. Bioherbicides can offer a sustainable alternative to chemical weed control but they often have low water solubility and therefore low efficacy in the field. The research reported here represents the first study on the field efficacy against weeds of a nanoencapsulated bioherbicide mimic of aminophenoxazinones, namely DiS-NH2 (2,2 '-disulphanediyldianiline). Field experiments were carried out across three different locations to evaluate the bioherbicide disulphide mimic at standard (T1, 0.75 g m(-2)) and double (T2, 1.5 g m(-2)) doses when compared to no weed control (NC) and chemical weed controlled (PC) in durum wheat. RESULTS The nanoencapsulated bioherbicide displayed better soil permeability than the free compound and also showed lower ecotoxicity on comparing the toxic doses on the Caenorhabditis elegans nematode model. It was found that T2 gave the best performance in terms of phytotoxicity (-57% weed biomass when compared with NC) and crop yield enhancement (3.2 versus 2.2 Mg ha(-1) grain yield), while T1 showed comparable results to PC. T1 and T2 did not cause shifts in weed communities and this is consistent with a broad spectrum of phytotoxicity. Moreover, the nanoparticle formulation tested in this study provided stable results across all three locations. CONCLUSION It is reported here for the first time that a nanoencapsulated DiS-NH2 bioherbicide mimic provided an efficient post-emergence and contact bioherbicide that can control a wide range of weed species in durum wheat without damaging the crop. The mimic also has low ecotoxicity and improved soil permeability. (c) 2025 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

The environmental pollution caused by the extensive use of plastic films in farmland and the discharge of large amounts of manure from animal husbandry has seriously affected the sustainable development of global agriculture and environment. In this study, using cow manure as raw material, a cow dung-based biodegradable liquid mulch (CD-BA) was synthesized through grafting polymerization and as an eco-friendly alternative to the traditional agricultural plastic film. By studying the effects of the proportion of cow manure raw materials and additives on the performance of liquid plastic film, the optimal CD-BA was synthesized with 48.36 wt% of cow dung, 26.77 wt% of glycerol and 2.08 wt% of quartz sand (red soil), respectively. The soil test results indicate that CD-BA has the capability to reduce soil water evaporation by 15%-42%, which is marginally lower than the 67% reduction observed with plastic mulch. Its temperature-increasing capacity ranges from 0.63 degrees C to 1.21 degrees C, which is comparable to the capacity of plastic mulch. Moreover, CD-BA achieves a soil degradation rate of 41.2%-69.5% within 120 days, significantly addressing the persistent non-degradability issue associated with traditional plastic mulch. In plant experiments, CD-BA demonstrated a 97.5% inhibition rate on weed seed germination, whereas CD-BA positively influenced crop growth and its drought resistance. This study provides a feasible resource utilization method for simultaneously solving the environmental pollution problems of animal breeding waste and farmland plastic film.

The competitive ability of weeds against crop plants is determined by the amount of macronutrients taken up from the soil. Macronutrient uptake is influenced by nutrient concentrations in plants and, above all, the amount of weed biomass produced per unit area. The present study was conducted as a part of a field experiment with winter oilseed rape, which has been carried out since 1967. Winter oilseed rape has been grown continuously since 1967 in the same field and in a six-field crop rotation. In winter oilseed rape monoculture, weed management was implemented to mitigate soil fatigue. Winter oilseed rape yields were twice as high in crop rotation than in monoculture, and weed biomass was more than three times higher in the continuous cropping system than in crop rotation. Winter oilseed rape yields were higher in crop rotation without a weed control than in monoculture, including monoculture with a weed control. Nitrogen (N) uptake by rape seeds and straw was significantly higher, whereas N uptake by weeds was lower in crop rotation than in monoculture. In all years of this study, N uptake by weed biomass was higher in monoculture than in crop rotation due to higher weed infestation levels in the continuous cropping system, and N uptake was not significantly affected by N content. The weed control induced a greater increase in N uptake by rape seeds and straw in monoculture than in crop rotation. The results indicate that integrating crop rotation with herbicide protection can help increase yields while reducing weeds, which promotes a more sustainable crop production system. The use of crop rotation contributes to a more efficient use of nitrogen by crops, while reducing its uptake by weeds.

To effectively contribute to climate change mitigation, agronomists are increasingly focused on minimizing the application of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides while ensuring that crop yield and quality are not compromised. Plant biomass and organic fertilizers are known to improve soil quality, boost plant growth, and suppress diseases. However, their overall effectiveness remains limited, hence the need for further research to enhance their agricultural performance. This study aims to explore the potential application of two natural sources (manure digestate and crop Artemisia dubia) for crop fertilization and protection. During the growing season, winter wheat was fertilized twice (21-25 BBCH and 30-35 BBCH) with synthetic, organic (pig manure digestate), and combined synthetic-organic fertilizers. Artemisia dubia biomass was incorporated before sowing and planted in strips. The soil chemical composition, crop overwintering, weediness, and diseases were assessed after two years of the respective treatments. The results showed that the organic carbon content increased by 1-5% after fertilizing winter wheat with pig manure digestate and combining fertilizers (organic and synthetic). Additionally, fertilizer or pesticide use had a significant effect on the soil pH process. Combining synthetic and organic fertilizers increased the amount of mobile phosphorus in the soil by 38%. In conclusion, combining synthetic fertilizers with organic fertilizers is the most effective approach to maintain healthy soil conditions and prevent damage to sprouts in the soil. Overall, our findings offer more opportunities for organic and sustainable agricultural processes by integrating pig manure digestate and Artemisia dubia biomass as a natural approach to minimizing synthetic fertilizer and pesticide use.

Purpose: Considering that the field dodder is one of the most dangerous parasitic weeds that causes serious damage to cultivated crops, this study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of different control methods against field dodder and the damage caused by the field dodder to eggplant. As well, to determine the isothiocyanate content of turnip and broccoli plants using GC-MS analysis. Research Method: This study was conducted during 2020 and 2021. The experiment examined control methods involving turnip and broccoli as pre-cultivation plants, later both incorporated into the soil separately during specific growth stages, and then both covered and uncovered with black polyethylene mulch, and black polyethylene mulch alone. Controls included plots free of field dodder (Control 1) and plots totally infested with field dodder (Control 2). Finally, all plots were cultivated with eggplant seedlings on rows. Findings: The efficacy of control methods against field dodder in eggplant plots reached 95.81% in TM (turnip+BP mulch) , 92.30% in BM (broccoli+BP mulch), 91.25% in M (black polyethylene mulch alone), 68.26% in T (turnip alone), and 62.58% in B (broccoli alone) treatments. The highest eggplant yield of 8.396 tons/da was achieved in TM treatment. The field dodder caused a yield loss in eggplant by 82.16%, a decrease in eggplant height by 31.12%, and by 58.99% in the number of eggplant fruits in the Con 2 treatment, where the plots were fully infested with filed dodder. Originality/value: The efficiency of cruciferous plants against field dodder is attributed to their isothiocyanates content as the highest percentage of isothiocyanate compounds was found in turnip by 56.6% and the lowest in broccoli by 30.47%.

Understanding the carbohydrate dynamics of sprouting Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. and Sonchus arvensis L. ramets can assist in optimizing perennial weed management. However, detailed knowledge about general reserve dynamics, minimum values in reserves (compensation point) and different reserve determination methods remains sparse. We present novel insights into reserve dynamics, which are especially lacking for S. arvensis. We uniquely compare root weight changes as a proxy for carbohydrates with direct carbohydrate concentration measurements using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In a greenhouse study, ramets of two sizes (20 and 10 cm) were planted in pots. Subsequent creeping roots of sprouted plants were destructively harvested and analyzed for carbohydrates 12 times between planting and flowering. Efficiency in storing carbohydrates and the replenishing rate of root weight and carbohydrates was much higher in S. arvensis than in C. arvense. Thus, our study urges to evaluate perennial weed species individually when investigating root reserves. Determining root reserves by either using root weight changes as a proxy for carbohydrates or directly measuring carbohydrate concentrations by HPLC differed in the minimum values of reserves referred to as compensation points. For both species, these minimum values occurred earlier based on root weight than based on carbohydrate concentrations. Cutting ramets into 20 or 10 cm sizes did not significantly affect carbohydrate concentration or root weight changes for both species. We conclude that any practical applications targeting perennial weeds by fragmenting roots into small ramets through belowground mechanical control must be evaluated for trade-offs in soil structure, soil erosion, and energy consumption.

Creeping perennial weeds are difficult to manage on organic farms in semi-arid regions of the northern Great Plains. Integrated weed management practices that combine biological, cultural, and mechanical controls can improve management of these weeds, but little is known about the soil microbial response to these practices. Our work investigated the soil microbiome response to contrasting, 4-year crop sequences with standard and reduced tillage. The crop sequences included a range of crop competition phases from high (three years of alfalfa, Medicago sativa L.) to low (two years of continuous fallow), within the longer 4-year period, with intermediate levels of crop competition between those two extremes. Soil samples were collected, and bacterial 16S and fungal ITS amplicon sequencing was performed. Differences in alpha diversity were not significant (p > 0.05) between tillage methods. Across all six locations, bacterial alpha diversity was negatively correlated with soil organic matter (R = -0.37, p < 0.001) while fungal alpha diversity was positively correlated (R = 0.17, p = 0.043). Bacterial community composition was not affected by crop sequence or tillage treatment. Fungal community composition was affected by crop sequence (p = 0.00163) and tillage (p = 0.02). The fungal genera Neosetophoma, Boeremia, and Paraphoma were 10 - 35-fold more abundant in continuous alfalfa compared to the mean abundance in the other crop sequences. Reduced tillage led to a 40% reduction in the fungal genus Fusarium, which contains many plant pathogen species. These results suggest that diversified crop sequences and altered tillage methods have minimal impact on bacterial communities, but fungal communities are sensitive to these management changes.

Weeds are an important part of the field ecosystem even though farmers perceive them only as a nuisance. However, in the agricultural landscape, weeds serve as a food source for wildlife and other organisms. The aim of this work is to evaluate the composition of weed vegetation in sugar beet stands in terms of the provision of ecosystem services and thus partially change their perception in such stands. During a twoyear evaluation, 36 weed species were found; these were mainly dominated by late spring weed species. In terms of biological relevance, weed species in sugar beet stands are less attractive to associated organisms, the dominating weed species have a relevance of up to 100 associated species. Weed species with higher relevance include Cirsium arvense, Galium aparine, Chenopodium album, Chenopodium strictum, Chenopodium album subsp. pedunculare, Chenopodium suecicum, Lamiumpurpureum, Polygonum aviculare and Stellaria media. Weed biomass and seeds provide food for insects, herbivorous mammals, and seed eating birds. The abundance of plant food is therefore the basis for a functioning food web. Overgrown sugar beet yields less, but supports populations of soil microorganisms, earthworms, seed eating beetles and birds. The biological importance and ecosystem functions of weeds need to be considered and quantified in a similar manner as when trying to quantify weed damage.