Abstract Background Cutleaf geranium ( Geranium dissectum L) is a weed found in cereals and grasslands. Knowledge about the germination response of weeds under various environmental conditions is critical for their effective management, whereas such study has not been carried out thoroughly on this species. Objective This study was carried out to investigate the effect of some environmental factors on seed germination and emergence of cutleaf geranium. Methods The seeds were subjected to various environmental factors including water potentials, salinity, pH, high temperatures, burial depth and flooding at the temperature resulting in the highest germination (10 °C). All experiments were carried out twice, which were done consecutively. Results Germination percentage was halved at a water potential of -0.6 MPa, and no germination was observed at -2 MPa. Geranium dissectum seeds had negligible germination at 200 mM NaCl concentration. Seeds germinated over a pH range of 5-8, with the highest germination at pH between 6 and 7. Germination of this species reached from 85.0% after treatment at 80 °C but no seeds germinated after exposure to 120 °C. Maximum emergence was estimated 88.8%, which was halved at 2.2 cm depth. No emergence was observed at 4 cm or greater depths. Germination was 88.4% to 0% 15 days after flooding. Conclusions This species may not usually be found in areas with poor environmental conditions, and a semi-deep tillage or inclusion of rice in crop rotation may be used to control this weed.

Glyphosate is the main herbicide used in coffee (Coffea arabica L.) plantations in Brazil. Problems with herbicide drift commonly occur in orchard fields due to non-adequate spraying conditions. A series of experiments was carried out aiming to evaluate physiological dose-response of C. arabica plants submitted to exposure to simulated glyphosate drift in two distinct plant growth stages. Glyphosate was applied at 0, 180, 360, and 720 g acid equivalent (AE) ha-1 directly on coffee plants with 10 and 45 d after transplanting (DAT). Glyphosate doses in a range of 180-360 g AE ha-1 increased photosynthesis, transpiration and stomatal conductance in 10 DAT-plants up to 14 d after application (DAA) while, in 45 DAT-plants, an increase was observed only up to 2 DAA, but this pattern was not persistent afterwards so that no difference in gas exchange was observed at 60 DAA in both plants. Macronutrient content was not affected by glyphosate application in both plants. Plant DM accumulation was not affected by glyphosate application at 10 DAT-plants, but an increase in plant growth was observed when glyphosate was applied in a range of 360-720 g AE ha-1 in 45 DAT-plants. Coffea arabica cv. Catuaí Vermelho IAC-144 responded differentially to glyphosate drift depending on plant growth stage, regarding on photosynthesis, transpiration, stomatal conductance, and plant growth, in spite of macronutrient nutrition was not affected.

Glifosato es el principal herbicida utilizado en las plantaciones de café (Coffea arabica L.) en Brasil. Problemas con la deriva de herbicidas comúnmente ocurren en los campos de cultivo debido a condiciones no adecuadas de pulverización. Una serie de experimentos se llevó a cabo con el objetivo de evaluar la relación dosis-respuesta fisiológica de plantas de C. arabica expuestas a situaciones simuladas de exposición a deriva de glifosato en dos etapas distintas de crecimiento de las plantas. El glifosato se aplicó en dosis de 0, 180, 360, y 720 g equivalentes ácido (AE) ha-1 directamente en las plantas de café a los 10 y 45 d después del trasplante (DDT). Dosis de glifosato en un rango de 180-360 g AE ha-1 , aumentaron la fotosíntesis, la transpiración y la conductancia estomática en plantas con 10 DDT hasta 14 d después de la aplicación de glifosato (DAA), mientras que en plantas con 45 DDT se observó un aumento sólo hasta 2 DAA, pero no fue persistente, de modo que no se observó diferencia en el intercambio de gases a los 60 DDA en ambas plantas. El contenido de macronutrientes de las plantas a los 10 DDA no fue afectado por las épocas de aplicación de glifosato. La acumulación de MS a los 10 DDA no fue afectada por la aplicación de glifosato, pero a los 45 DDA se observó un aumento del crecimiento de las plantas con glifosato en dosis de 360-720 g AE ha-1. Coffea arabica cv. Catuaí Vermelho IAC-144 respondió de forma diferente a la deriva de glifosato en función de la etapa del crecimiento de las plantas, con respecto a fotosíntesis, transpiración, conductancia estomática, y crecimiento de las plantas, a pesar que la nutrición en macronutrientes no se vio afectada.

El efecto de las malas hierbas en la disminución de la producción agrícola está considerado entre 30% y 50%. Imazetapir es un herbicida que actúa sobre la enzima acetolactato sintasa (ALS), primera enzima común en la ruta biosintética de la valina, leucina e isoleucina. Euphorbia heterophylla es una especie común en los campos de soya del Brasil. Actualmente se reporta una población resistente a imazetapir, herbicida perteneciente al grupo de las imidazolinonas. El objetivo de los ensayos de absorción y translocación fue estudiar las posibles diferencias de penetración foliar y movimiento del 14Cimazetapir en dos biotipos de E. heterophylla L. En el biotipo resistente, se registró una menor absorción durante las primeras 6 h después del tratamiento, tendencia que se diluye en los siguientes tiempos de evaluación. Las tendencias de los valores de translocación fueron similares durante las evaluaciones realizadas. Los resultados de los análisis de química de ceras no arrojaron diferencias entre la composición cuticular entre los biotipos; sin embargo, los estudios de microscopía electrónica de la hoja sí muestran diferencias en la morfología y la cantidad de ceras cuniculares, factores que determinan el comportamiento resistente del biotipo R.

The effect of weeds on reduction of agricultural production is estimated between 30% and 50%. Imazethapyr is a herbicide of imidazolinone group that inhibits activity of enzyme acetolactate synthase (ALS), the first common enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of valine, leucine, and isoleucine. Euphorbia heterophylla is common specie in soybean fields of Brazil. The study reports about a population of Euphorbia heterophylla resistant to imazethapyr. The objectives of the present work were to quantify the level of sensitivity to this herbicide in imazethapyr-resistant and -susceptible E. heterophylla populations evaluate the role of differential penetration into leaves as determining plant resistance to imazethapyr, and compare the waxy cells of R and S populations. The R population had a lower penetration rate compared with that of S population during the six first hours of incubation with the herbicide. Further studies indicated that R population was not different from S population in terms of translocation, metabolism, or target site (ALS enzyme) of imazethapyr action. Analysis of the leaf cuticle surface by scanning electron microscopy revealed higher wax density in the leaf cuticles of population R than that in S population. Thus, it is suggested that R population is resistant to imazethapyr because increased wax content of its cuticle permits less penetration of herbicide into the plant.