Control Efficiency and Crop Safety of 20% Cyhalofop-butyl WP on Grass Weeds in Direct Seeded Rice Fields

The purpose was to define the control efficiency and safety of 20% cy- halofop-butyl WP on grass weeds in direct seeded rice fields, in order to provide the basis for chemical weeding. This study measured Leptochloa chinensis（L.） Nees, Echinoch/oa crusgalli （L.） Beauv and other gramineous weed control efficiency with four concentrations of 20% cyhalofop-dutyl WP and 100 g/L cyhalofop-dutyl EC in direct seeded rice fields, and analyzed the yield-increasing effect and safety of rice. The results showed that 20% cyhalofop-butyl WP had a good control efficiency on grass weeds such as Leptochloa chinensis（L.） Nees, Echinoch/oa crusgalli（L.） Beauv and other grasses. The effective dosage of 90-150 g/hm2 was over 90.7% on Lep- foch/oa chinensis（L.） Nees and the comprehensive control effect of the grass weeds was above 86.7%, which was basically consistent with 100 g/L cyhalofop-dutyl EC. Furthermore, 20% cyhalofop-dutyl WP was high security for direct seeded rice fields. The yield of rice was increased by 10.18%-11.22% after spraying herbicide. There- fore, 20% of cyhalofop-dutyl WP can be used as a special herbicide for controlling Leptochloa chinensis（L.） Beauv in direct seeded rice fields, and has a good applica- tion prospect.

Effect of wood chip application on root growth of oak seedling and weed control in northern Iran

It was hypothesized that wood chips can serve as a mulch to improve the growth of young trees by facilitating the development of their root systems, inhibiting weed germination, and suppressing weed growth. The present study was carried out in Ghorogh Nursery, Golestan Northern Iran, in order to investigate the impact of wood chips applica- tion on root growth of oak （Quercus castaneifolia） seedlings and control of weed. A three centimeter wood chip layer was used on the soil surface as the mulch treatment with bare soil as the control. The number of new roots, the length of exciting roots and the density of weeds were meas- ured after 5 and 12 weeks. Results showed that wood chip application had significant positive effect on the length of excising roots after 5 and 12 weeks compared with control seedlings. Also, weeds were reduced to near zero levels in treated plot. Our findings suggested that wood chip layer on the soil surface in the nursery can conserve soil moisture and prevent nutrient leaching from the rooting zone as well as diminish weed growth which consequently lead to production of high quality seedling.

Effects of Tinospora tuberculata leaf methanol extract on seedling growth of rice and associated weed species in hydroponic culture

The study was conducted to evaluate the responses of rice and rice weed seedlings （barnyardgrass and weedy rice） at the three-leaf stage toTinospora tuberculata leaf methanol extract （3.12, 6.25 and 12.5 g L–1） under hydroponic culture. It shows that the leaf methanol extract had various degrees effects depending on target plant species and each tested index （biomass, root length, shoot length, transpiration volume, chlorophyla, chlorophylb and carotenoid contents）. The effec-tive concentration of the leaf extract capable of reducing 50% of rice growth was higher than those of target weed species. Moreover, the root length was more tolerant to leaf methanol extract in comparison to the other plant parameters measured. A greater reduction was observed in chlorophyla content compared to chlorophylb and carotenoid. The results revealed that the reduction of transpiration volume closely coincided with the magnitude of growth inhibition of tested plants. Ultra-fast liquid chromatography analysis revealed 11 of 32 peaks in chemical proifle, including benzoic acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, isoorientin, isovitexin, orientin,p-anisic acid, syringic acid,trans-cinnamic acid,trans-ferulic acid, and vitexin have the same retention time with those peaks of the extract. The amount of compounds was present in the range of between 4817 and 115.5 mg kg–1 dry weight （DW）. The concentration-response bioassay of al 11 individual compounds and their equimolar mixture against the seeds of barnyardgrass revealed their contribution in the alelopahic activity ofT. tuberculata leaf extract. The examined compounds and their combination exhibited various degrees of growth inhibitory effects on the early growth of barnyardgrass. Therefore, the speciifc number, concentration, combination and inhibitory activity of bioactive compounds leads to alelopathy activity ofT. tuberculata leaves which could be employable directly as a natural herbicide and its growth inhibitor compounds can be used as a template for producing new herbicides.

Suppression of weeds and weed seeds in the soil by stubbles and no-tillage in an arid maize-winter wheat-common vetch rotation on the Loess Plateau of China

Reduced tillage provides ecological and economic benefits to arable land on the Loess Plateau of China, where soil erosion has long been a serious problem and soil water availability is largely restricted. However, high abundances of weeds in reduced tillage systems cause significant yield losses. In this study, we explored the effects of no-tillage and stubble retention on the number and density of weeds and weed seeds in a 12-year maize-winter wheat-common vetch rotation on the Loess Plateau. Four treatments including conventional tillage, no-tillage, conventional tillage＋stubble retention and no-tillage＋stubble retention were designed and applied. We found that no-tillage increased the number of weed species and weed density in most of the crops, while stubble retention decreased weed density in maize and tended to suppress weeds in both no-tillage treatments（no-tillage and no-tillage＋stubble retention）. No-tillage led to an increase in the number of weed species in the weed seedbank and tended to increase seed density during the spring growth of winter wheat, but it decreased seed density during post-vetch fallow. Stubble retention tended to reduce seed density during the spring growth of winter wheat and post-vetch fallow. We concluded that no-tillage can promote weeds in the experimental crop rotation, while stubble retention suppresses weeds in untilled fields. The combined effects of stubble retention and no-tillage on weed suppression varied among the three crops. Based on these results, we recommend stubble retention in untilled legume-crop rotations on the Loess Plateau to improve the control of weeds.

Evaluation of Population Structure, Genetic Diversity and Origin of Northeast Asia Weedy Rice Based on Simple Sequence Repeat Markers

Weedy rice exerts a severe impact on rice production by competing for sunlight, water and nutrients. This study assayed the population structure, genetic diversity and origin of Northeast Asia weedy rice by using 48 simple sequence repeat markers. The results showed that weedy rice in Northeast Asia had a high genetic diversity, with Shannon＇s diversity index （I） of 0.748 and the heterozygosity （He） of 0.434. In each regional population, I value varied widely. The widest range of I （0.228-0.489） was observed in the weedy rice of Eastern China, which was larger than that of Northeast China and Korea （0.168-0.270）. The F-statistics of regional populations （Fis, Fit and Fst） also showed higher values in the weedy rice of Eastern China than those of Northeast China and Korea All weedy rice accessions were grouped into two clusters in the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean cluster analysis dendrogram, namely Eastern China branch and Northeastern China plus Korea branch. There was significant differentiation in genetic characteristics in weedy rice of northeastern and eastern Asia, especially in Eastern China.

Control Efficacy of Pyroxasulfone on Weeds in Corn Field

To explore the control efficacy of 85%pyroxasulfone water-dispersible granule(WG)on annual weeds in corn field as well as its safety,a randomized block design was used to conduct a field plot test of efficacy at four different test sites.After sowing before seedling,85%pyroxasulfone WG at the doses of 10,15,20,and 40 g/667 m^(2),and 55%acetochlor+atrazine suspension concentrate(SC,control agent)at the dose of 170 g/667 m^(2)in summer corn area and 260 g/667 m^(2)in spring corn area were applied,respectively.The test site without herbicide application was used as the blank control.The results revealed that after 40 d of application,the control efficacy of 85%pyroxasulfone WG reached 83.75%~98.23%on Gramineae weeds,55.22%~98.33%on broadleaf weeds,and 88.03%~98.46%on Cyperaceae weeds,but without toxicity to corns.Compared with 55%acetochlor+atrazine SC,85%pyroxasulfone WG at the dose of more than 10 g/667 m^(2)had higher control efficacy on Gramineae weeds,lower efficacy on broadleaf weeds and similar efficacy on Cyperaceae weeds.To sum up,spraying 85%pyroxasulfone WG at the dose of 15~20 g/667 m^(2)(an active component dose of 191.3~255.0 g/hm^(2))after sowing before seedling could effectively control some annual weeds in corn fields and had no toxicity to corns.The herbicide dose was greatly reduced,and thus 85%pyroxasulfone WG was recommended as an effective mean to control the main weeds in corn fields.

Weed and insect control affected by mixing insecticides with glyphosate in cotton

Field studies were conducted in 2012 and 2013 to evaluate weed and insect control efficacy with glyphosate at 1 230 g ai（active ingredient） ha^（-1） and the insecticides acephate（728 g ai ha^（-1））,carbosulfan（135 g ai ha^（-1））,endosulfan（683 g ai ha^（-1））,imidacloprid（32 g ai ha^（-1））,or lambda-cyhalothrin（23 g ai ha^（-1））,as well as glyphosate tank-mixed with these insecticides.Four of the most common weeds in cotton,common purslane,false daisy,goosegrass,and lambsquarters,were manually sown in the cotton field and treated with glyphosate alone or in combination with insecticides.Glyphosate efficacy,based on visual estimates of control and weed fresh weight at 21 d after treatment（DAT）,was unaffected by the addition of insecticides.Four weeds were controlled by 93-97%and 86-100%（visual rating） and reduced weed fresh biomass by98-99%and 96-100%with glyphosate alone and its combination with insecticides,respectively.Addition of glyphosate to acephate improved cotton aphid control compared with acephate alone.However,addition of glyphosate to carbosulfan,endosulfan,imidacloprid,or lambda-cyhalothrin did not affect the aphid control when compared with the insecticide alone treatments.These results indicate that cotton producers could potentially integrate weed and insect management strategies by choosing suitable insecticide mixing partners with glyphosate,thereby reducing the application costs without sacrificing the efficacy of the glyphosate or the insecticides.

The influence of stocking levels,clone,fertilization,and weed control on surface CO_(2)efflux in a mid-rotation Pinus radiata D.Don plantation in Canterbury,New Zealand

Silvicultural practices applied in managed forest plantations may help counteract the effects of climate change by influencing soil surface CO_(2)efflux(Fs).Understanding the effects of silvicultural practices on Fs will provide unbiased estimates of carbon fluxes and allow better silvicultural decisions for carbon sequestration.Therefore,we assessed how Fs differed seasonally across silvicultural practices(i.e.,stocking levels,clone,fertilization and weed control treatments)and evaluated the effects of soil temperature(Ts)and soil volumetric water content(θv)on Fs across these practices for a mid-rotation(14 year-old)Pinus radiata plantation in the Canterbury region of New Zealand.There were significant differences in Fs(p<0.05)over the four seasons,three levels of stocking,and five clones.The effects of fertilization and weed control applied 12 years previously on Fs were insignificant.Annual estimate of Fs(mean±1 standard deviation)from the study site was 22.7±7.1 t ha^(-1)a^(-1)in the form of CO_(2)(6.2±2.1 t ha^(-1)a^(-1)in the form of C).Fs values were consistently higher in plots with 1250 stems ha^(-1)compared to 2500 stems ha^(-1),which may be related to a strong soil resource limitation because of the close spacing in the latter plantation.Significant differences in Fs across clones suggest that variations in carbon partitioning might explain their growth performance.Silvicultural treatments influenced Fs response to soil temperature(p<0.05),resulting in models explaining 28-49%of the total variance in Fs.These findings provide insights into how silvicultural management decisions may impact Fs in mid-rotation radiata pine plantations,contributing towards developing more precise and unbiased plantation carbon budgets.

A Computer System for Forecasting the Threshold Period for Crop Weed Control

In this article, a model of a weed control threshold forecast system has been established, with related model solving, data checking, database setting up, and system engineering illustration. Moreover, it is tested by a software with data from a sugar cane planting experimental field in Yunnan, China. The methodology behind the detailed system analysis, design, and engineering has been discussed. The issue of how to create a dynamic data-dependent forecast model of a threshold forecast system, whose threshold changes according to the change of planting environment has been solved. Hence an effective solution has been initiated for further development on an agricultural expert system.

Effects of Methylated Soybean Oil Adjuvant on Fomesafen Efficacy to Weeds

Tank-mix adjuvant has the potential to improve the weed control efficacy of post-emergence herbicides. In order to study the synergistic effect of adjuvant, the effects of different rates of fomesafen alone or applied methylated soybean oil adjuvant（MSO） were sprayed on redroot pigweed, abutilon and black nightshade under greenhouse condition. The results showed that fomesafen had different performance on the three weeds, and MSO adjuvant could effectively increase the control. The nightshade control was lower than other two weeds with all the fomesafen doses from 131.25 to 506.25 ga.i. · hm-2 with or without adjuvant. The control of abutilon was between the black nightshade and the redroot pigweed, and had better control at 375 ga.i. · hm-2 with adjuvant or 506.25 ga.i. · hm-2 alone or with adjuvant respectively. The results indicated that mixing adjuvant with fomesafen improved the control on weeds, especially at the low rate. Black nightshade was more difficult to control. The redroot pigweed had the most susceptibility to fomesafen alone or with adjuvant.

Cultivation of Perennial Herbaceous Legumes in Weed Management in Coffee Plantation on the Cerrado

The aim of this study was to evaluate the cultivation of perennial herbaceous legumes on weed control and yield of the coffee crop in the Cerrado. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications. The 10 treatments tested in factorial 4 × 2 ＋ 2, were four legumes： forage peanut （Arachis pintoi）, hybrid Java （Macrotyloma axillare）, perennial soybean （Neonotonia wightii） and wild ground nut （Calopogonium mucunoides）; two forms in the interrows of coffee plants with two and three rows of legumes spaced by 0.50 m and 0.25 m, respectively; and two additional treatments consisted of hand weeding with hoe and chemical control with glyphosate. The hybrid Java and wild ground nut in the first year and the hybrid Java and perennial soybean in the second year, all followed by forage peanut, promoted lower density and biomass of the weeds. The wild ground nut in the first year and forage peanut in the second year showed higher soil cover. The hybrid Java had its highest biomass production in two years, and wild ground nut being higher in the first year. The cultivation of perennial herbaceous legumes promoted weed control without interfering in the productivity of the coffee crop.

Effects of Different Herbicides on Weed Control,Agronomic Characters and Grain Quality of Coix lacryma-jobi L.

[Objectives]The paper was to study the effects of different herbicides on weed control,agronomic characters and grain quality of Coix lacryma-jobi L.[Methods]Six commonly used herbicides were selected for the trial,including atrazine SC,butachlor SC,monosulfuron WP,MCPA-starane EC,clopyralid AS and tribenuron-methyl WP.[Results](i)Atrazine,butachlor and monosulfuron had no chemical injury to C.lacryma-jobi L.,while clopyralid caused slight chemical injury.(ii)The fresh weight control effects of atrazine,butachlor and monosulfuron on weeds increased first and then decreased.The initial control effect of MCPA-starane and clopyralid reached more than 90%;the control effect of monosulfuron increased gradually in the late stage,reaching 97%at 60 d post spraying,and the overall control effect was optimal.(iii)Compared with manual weeding,herbicides had no significant effect on plant height of C.lacryma-jobi L.However,compared with no weeding,other herbicides except tribenuron-methyl inhibited plant growth to a certain extent.Herbicides had different effects on main stem diameter,tiller number per plant and grain number per plant of C.lacryma-jobi L.(iv)Different herbicides had no significant effect on 100-grain weight,but had significant effect on yield.(v)Compared with manual weeding,atrazine,butachlor and clopyralid decreased the protein content of C.lacryma-jobi L.,and the use of atrazine,butachlor,monosulfuron,MCPA-starane and tribenuron-methyl decreased the fat content of C.lacryma-jobi L.;butachlor and MCPA-starane decreased the glycerol trioleate content of C.lacryma-jobi L.Compared with no weeding,chemical herbicides had no significant effect on the protein content,while atrazine decreased the fat content,and butachlor and MCPA-starane decreased the glycerol trioleate content of C.lacryma-jobi L.[Conclusions]The use of herbicides significantly increases crop yield compared with no weeding,but has an impact on agronomic characters and grain quality.

Allelopathic Potential of Orange Jessamine （Murraya paniculata L.） against Weeds

The use of allelopathic plants is an alternative technique for controlling weeds in sustainable crop production. This experiment evaluated the allelopathic potential of Murraya paniculata （L.） against four weeds viz., Bidens pilosa L., Amarathus spinosus L., Echinochloa crusgalli （L.） Beauv. and Chloris barbata Sw.. In laboratory test, aqueous extracts from M. paniculata leaves at concentrations of 12.5, 25, 50 and 100 g/L were tested on germination and seedling growth of the weeds. The extracts showed inhibitory effect, varying with weed species and extract concentration. Increase in concentrations increased the degree of inhibition. Concentration at 50 g/L and 100 g/L, completely inhibited seed germination of C. barbara and A. spinosus. Pot experiments were done in a glasshouse, with dry leaf powder as mulch on the soil surface at levels of 2, 4 and 8 t/ha. Dry leaf powder reduced the emergence and growth of all tested weeds, varying with dose and species. Chloris barbara is the most sensitive to M paniculata leaf mulch while E. crus-galli is the most resistant. These results suggest that M. paniculata had the potential lbr weed control and might be the source of a natural herbicide.

Study on Weed Control and Safety of Tembotrione-Atrazine Tank Mixture in Spring Maize Fields

This study aimed to explore the effect of 5% tembotrione oil dispersion(OD)-38% atrazine suspension concentrate(SC) tank mixture on the weeds in spring maize fields and the safety of the mixture. To be specific, randomized block design was adopted for the field experiments. The results showed that the application of tankmixture of 5% tembotrione OD at 90 g a.i./hm^(2)and 38% atrazine SC at 570 g a.i./hm^(2)and the mixture of 5% tembotrione OD at 90 g a.i./hm^(2)and 38% atrazine SC at 1140 g a.i./hm^(2)respectively controlled 94.7%~96.3% and 94.0%~96.3% of the grass weeds, 94.7%~96.0% and 93.7%~95.7% fresh weight of grass weeds, 95.3%~96.3%and 93.3%~97.3% of broadleaf weeds, and 94.7%~96.0% and 93.3%~96.3% fresh weight of broadleaf weeds. The efficacy was better than that of the 5% tembotrione alone and the control herbicide and no phytotoxicity of the mixtures was identified.The tank mixture of tembotrione and atrazine should be promoted in the spring maize field for weed control and the recommended dosages were 90 g a.i./hm^(2)for 5%tembotrione and 570 g a.i./hm^(2)for 38% atrazine.

Agroecological Influence on Rice Field Weeds in Anosibe Ifanja Commune(Middle West Madagascar)

Weeds, which cause loss of more than half of production, constitute one of obstacles to development of agriculturalproduction in Madagascar. This study aimed to characterize weed flora and to analyze constraint of weeding irrigated rice with aview to improve control strategy. A phytoecological study of weeds was carried out during 2018-2019 season, on 125 rice plots withan average area of 500 m², in Anosibe Ifanja, Middle-West region of Madagascar (18°52′ S and 46°50′ E). Surveys on croppingpractices and observations on rice field ecology and the importance of weed cover level were carried out in order to establishrelationship between factors affecting diversity, distribution and level of weed infestation in rice field. As a result, 47 weed speciesgrouped into about 20 families were identified. Weed cover quantification in each plot, permits to distinguish three major importancespecies, including Junglerice - Echinochloa colona (Poaceae), Tail - Leersia hexandra (Oryzoideae), saramollagrass - Ischaemumrugosum (Poaceae) and hemp sesbania - Sesbania rostrata (Fabaceae). Analysis of agro-ecological factors showed that all productiontechniques and growing conditions have a role to play in variability of plant cover level. Thus, the main production factors thatvegetation cover reduce state are ploughing to a depth of 30 cm, practice of ploughing off-season/in-season and good water control.Ecological factors, especially soil type, soil structure and topography, minimize weed cover in rice fields.

Effect of Weed Control on Establishment and Herbage Production in Dwarf Napiergrass

Weed control is a crucial factor for maintaining establishment and herbage production in dwarf variety of late-heading type （DL） napiergrass （Pennisetum purpureum Schumach） in southern Kyushu, Japan. This study was aimed to verify the weeding-effect on dry matter （DM） production in the farm level and to examine the effect of several weed control, i.e. mixed sowing of annual setaria （abbreviated as S）, which has no regrowth ability after stem-elongation, paper-mulching （as P） and hand-weeding （as ＋W）, compared with no-weeding （as -W） on DM yield and quality of DL napiergrass in two years. Weed control practices significantly （P 〈 0.05） promoted several plant growth attributes in DL napiergrass, compared with no-weeding both in the farm and experimental levels. Paper-mulchidng （P-W or P＋S-W） had highest yields among several practices in both years. Setaria-sowing ha a partially mitigating effect of weed damage on DM production of DL napiergrass, while additive DM gain from setaria could compensate the yield decrease in DL napiergrass and reduce herbicide cost. Neither digestibility nor crude protein was affected by any weed control in either year. Thus, paper-mulching and annual setaria-sowing could be effective alternative practices for weed control of this species.

A Potential Weed Control Using Robotic Implement

The research was conducted to develop a robot that can navigate a paddy in between rows or hills which were transplanted by the machine transplanter with equal distance. An initial prototype robotic battery-type weeder was manufactured and tested to navigate and control weeds in rice paddy fields, but a speed was so slow, and thus second engine-type prototype was developed. A working acreage for weed control has been attained at and up to 0.8 ha/day. Small and young weed seedlings were uprooted and destroyed by passive devices in between rows as well as hills. This robot was smoothly navigated in between rows on behalf of the guidance under camera and sensor systems and control weeds with mechanical by the use of implements such as passive rotary weeders and then weeds would be cut and buried into the soils. Also muddy water was generated during operation which was none penetrated by light for weed germination to occur. The authors concluded that the robotic was an effective alternative implement to control weeds in lowland rice paddy as long as this tool was systematically introduced into the rice fields at three time intervals, viz. 15-20 days, 25-30days, and 35-40 days after transplanting of rice seedlings.

Weed Control Strips Influences on the Rubber Tree Growth

Hevea brasiliensis (rubber tree) is the most widely cultivated tree species for producing natural rubber latex whose productivity can be reduced by weeds. Field experiment was carried out during two years to evaluate the growth of rubber tree plants submitted to different weed control strips (0-weed-free, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, and 400-(weedy cm) and to determine the critical width of weed control strip during the establishment of rubber tree plantation. Weed community was composed mainly by Urochloa decumbens (90%). The width of the weed control strip influenced on the initial plant growth of rubber trees, reducing the plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, and aboveground dry mass accumulation. In consequence, crop plantation was affected by the width of weed control. The critical width of the weed control strip for establishment of a rubber tree plantation was within 100 cm.

Synergistic Effect of Nonionic Surfacants(Nonethoxylated Sorbitan Esters)on Herbicides in Paddy Fields

An uneven herbicide distribution can lead to reduced efficacy,and the release of herbicide residues and their transformation products into the environment through runoff increases their potential use risk.Understanding the water distribution dynamics of commonly used paddy field herbicides,for example,oxadiazon,is imperative for the long-term management of weeds in paddy fields.To clarify the diffusion and sedimentation ability of oxadiazon with the addition of a nonionic surfactant—diffusion and settling agent(DSA)for subsequent commercial use in paddy field water layers,the synergistic mechanisms of DSA with butachlor and bensulfuron-methyl in paddy fields were studied.Bioassays,instrumental analysis and field experiments were conducted in this research to provide a relevant basis for improving the efficacy of paddy field herbicides.The field experiment results indicated that DSA could increase the plant and fresh weight control effects of oxadiazon(450 g a.i.·hm^(-2)),butachlor and bensulfuron-methyl to different degrees.These findings demonstrated that DSA could not only effectively improve oxadiazon diffusion and settling in water layers and significantly increase the control effects of butachlor and bensulfuron-methyl,but also promote crop growth and development to different degrees.

Rice Hull Mulch Affects Germination of Bittercress and Creeping Woodsorrel in Container Plant Culture

Mulches are commonly used to control weeds in container nursery crops, especially in sites where preemergence herbicides are either not labeled or potentially phytotoxic to the crop. Parboiled rice hulls have been shown to provide effective weed control when applied 1.25 to 2.5 cm deep over the container substrate surface. The objective of this research was to determine if weed seed placement, above or below the mulch layer, affects flexuous bittercress or creeping woodsorrel establishment. Seeds of both species were placed either above or below rice hull mulch layers 0, 0.6, 1.3, or 2.5 cm deep in nursery containers with a 80 pine bark: 20 sphagnum peat moss substrate. Establishment of both weeds decreased with increasing mulch depth. Establishment of both species was generally greater from beneath the mulch compared to when seed were applied above the mulch. Light penetration through varying depths of rice hulls was determined with a spectroradiometer. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) decreased exponentially with increasing rice hull depth, and was less than 1 μmol·m-2·s-1 beneath depths greater than 1 cm. Germination of both species was determined in Petri dishes placed beneath varying densities of shade cloth. Flexuous bittercress germination responded quadratically to decreasing light level, but still germinated (13%) in complete darkness after 3 weeks. Creeping woodsorrel germination was not affected by light level and was high (92%) after 3 weeks. The role of light exclusion by rice hulls as a mechanism for controlling buried weed seed is discussed. Water retention immediately after irrigation, and for 24 hr following irrigation, was determined for a 2.5 cm layer of rice hulls, sphagnum peat moss, and pine bark. Rice hulls retained less water, and dried more quickly than peat moss or pine bark. The volumetric water content of the rice hull layer is less than 0.20 cm·cm-1 and what has been shown necessary for plant growth. Lack of water availability in the rice hull layer is discussed as the primary mechanism of control of weed seed above the mulch layer.