Enhanced Species Diversity Unlocked by Habitat Conservation in Agricultural Landscapes: New Perspectives on Ecological Weed Management and Sustainable Intensification—Species Diversity and Habitat Conservation

The impulse to remain profitable by increasing agricultural production levels in view of the greater demand for food, provided impetus to production intensification. The aim of this review is to summarise current literature, reporting specifically on the impact of production intensification on habitats and yield constraints caused by weeds. Secondly, in alleviating these effects over the short term, ecological measures that enhance species diversity in conserved habitats and promote semi-natural habitats in the agricultural landscape, are discussed. In large-scale intensive agriculture, weed control is predominantly rooted in agrochemical applications in the form of herbicides. Long lasting intensive agricultural practices show discord both with the promotion of the biodiversity of microbes belowground and aboveground and with organisms involved in the breaking down of plant material. The presence of native species in the surroundings, in combination with hedgerows and field margins, with a comparatively intricate and balanced variety of plants in a sheltered environment, are essential for settlement of benign insects, particularly in the face of intensive agricultural production. The promising tactic of advantageous seed predators enables decreased herbicide applications. Crop mosaics arranged to advance compatibility at the landscape scale are important to bolster pollination services and insect management, while ecological variety in the surroundings acts as a safety net for habitat diversity. Weed control in combination with different tactics of vegetation use, comprising cover cropping, hedgerows and field margins, sets up safe havens in the landscape, and improves the diffusion of complementary life forms. Field margins perform a meaningful natural function as point of provision for forage, safe havens and distribution passageways for pollinators and insect predators. Production practices that promote more heterogeneity and combine high density semi-natural safe havens and habitat conservation in agro ecosystems are beneficial to species diversity across trophic levels and contribute to agricultural production stability and food safety.

Prospects and limitations of soil amendment and irrigation techniques for the water-saving public urban greenery and ephemeral weed management in the sandy soils of the United Arab Emirates

Public urban greenery greatly contributes to the residential and tourist value of cities in the Gulf Region,but due to the hyper-arid climatic conditions,the cost of irrigation and plant maintenance is very high.Existing strategies to reduce the monetary and ecological costs involve the cultivation of native xerophytic plantations,and/or the use of soil improvers to increase water-and nutrient-holding capacity of the sandy soils.Various soil improvers based on mineral,organic,or synthetic materials have entered the United Arab Emirates(UAE)market in recent years,but there is considerable uncertainty about how they should best be used in combination with ornamental plant stands involving xerophytic native plants.The present study investigated the effect of soil amendment and deep pipe irrigation on perennial ornamental plant stands involving native plants(Tephrosia appolinea(Gel.)Link in combination with Aerva javanica(Burm.f.)Juss.ex Schult.)and native-exotic plants(T.appolinea in combination with Ruelia simplex C.Wright)either or not topsoil and subsoil amendment with bentonite and hydrophobic sand under the irrigation water supply of less than 50%of reference evapotranspiration(ET0).After one year of cultivation,T.appolinea and A.javanica(native vs.native)produced high biomass and exhibited high water use efficiency(WUE)as compared with T.appolinea and R.simplex(native vs.exotic)combination given that no significant differences were found under the soil amendment treatments.All stands thrived under irrigation water supply far below what is usually supplied to exotic ornamental stands in public parks of the Al Ain City,the UAE.However,subsoil amendment in combination with deep pipe irrigation reduced the occurrence of weeds and increased the overall plant rooting depth.Our results suggest that subsoil amendment and irrigation up to 60-80 cm depth can potentially control ephemeral weed infestation,which is a great challenge in various plant production systems of the Gulf Region.The results of the present study suggest that the impact of soil amendment on the WUE of exotic plants is marginal and might not be economically justified.Replacing exotic with native ornamental plant species seems to have a far greater water-saving potential than the amendment of the soil,while weeds can be suppressed in the absence of topsoil moisture.

Artificial Intelligence for Maximizing Agricultural Input Use Efficiency: Exploring Nutrient, Water and Weed Management Strategies

Agriculture plays a crucial role in the economy,and there is an increasing global emphasis on automating agri-cultural processes.With the tremendous increase in population,the demand for food and employment has also increased significantly.Agricultural methods traditionally used to meet these requirements are no longer ade-quate,requiring solutions to issues such as excessive herbicide use and the use of chemical fertilizers.Integration of technologies such as the Internet of Things,wireless communication,machine learning,artificial intelligence(AI),and deep learning shows promise in addressing these challenges.However,there is a lack of comprehensive documentation on the application and potential of AI in improving agricultural input efficiency.To address this gap,a desk research approach was used by utilizing peer-reviewed electronic databases like PubMed,Scopus,Goo-gle Scholar,Web of Science,and Science Direct for relevant articles.Out of 327 initially identified articles,180 were deemed pertinent,focusing primarily on AI’s potential in enhancing yield through better management of nutrients,water,and weeds.Taking into account researchfindings worldwide,we found that AI technologies could assist farmers by providing recommendations on the optimal nutrients to enhance soil quality and deter-mine the best time for irrigation or herbicide application.The present status of AI-driven automation in agricul-ture holds significant promise for optimizing agricultural input utilization and reducing resource waste,particularly in the context of three pillars of crop management,i.e.,nutrient,irrigation,and weed management.

Effects of Film Mulching on the Growth of Silage Maize and Weed

[Objective] The aim was to provide scientific reference for the production of silage maize in correlated regions of Tibet.[Method] Effects of film mulching on the growth period,growth traits and yield of silage maize and weed were analyzed.[Result] Under the treatment of film mulching,the growth period of silage maize could be advanced for 7-16 d; the plant length,stem diameter and leaf area were increased; and the grain output was increased by 75.9%.According to the market price of silage maize in 2008,22 500 Yuan/hm^2 was increased.There were 13 kinds of weeds in silage maize field,which belonged to 13 genera,8 families.Among them,6 kinds of weeds belonged to Gramineae,among which Echinochloa crusgalli and Setaria viridis were dominated in the weed communities.Plantago depressa,Eragrostis pilosa and Malva verticillata var.chinensis could be totally controlled by the film mulching; meanwhile the others could be also controlled in a certain degree except Echinochloa crusgalli.[Conclusion] The plastic mulching planting is worth popularizing for the developing of animal husbandry and the incoming of the local farmers in Tibet.

Investigation of Types and Hazard of Weeds in Coffea arabica Orchads in Nujiang River Basin

[Objective] Through the investigation of weeds in Coffea arabica orchads in NuJiang River basin, this study aimed to provide scientific guidance for the weed control and improving the ecological and economic benefits of the plantation of Cof- fea arabica. [Method] The types of weeds and the characteristics of weed occur- rence in Coffea arabica orchads in Nujiang River basin were investigated from July to August in 2012. [Result] The results showed that there were 69 types of weeds belonging to 21 families in Coffea arabica orchads. The predominant harmful types were shown as follows： Commelina nudiflora L. ＋ Leptochloa chinensis, Cyperus ro- tundus L. ＋ Bidens pilosa L. ＋ Eleusine indica, Imperata cylindrical ＋ Ageratum conyzoides L. ＋ Eupatorium odoratum L., Ageratum conyzoides L. ＋ Digitaria san- guinalis （L.） Scop. The preponderant weeds consisted mainly of 10 species, namely, Cyperus rotundus L., Commelina nudiflora L., Leptochloa chinensis, Digitaria san- guinalis （L.） Scop, Imperata cylindrical, Bidens pilosa L., Ageratum conyzoides L, E- upatorium odoratum L., Eleusine indica and Chenopodium serotinum L. [Conclusion] The result from this study is of great significance for the plantation of Coffea arabica in Nujiang River basin, as well as the control of weeds.

Chemical Control of Herbicide Monosulfuron Plus Propazine 44% WP against Weeds in Millet Fields and Study on Factors Influencing Yield of Millet

[Objective] The paper was to resolve the poor efficacy or phytotoxicity problems in promotion of herbicide monosulfuron plus propazine 44% WP. [Method] Using orthogonal test and Duncan＇s new multiple range statistical analysis with four factors four levels and three factors two levels, the effects of factors such as herbi- cide dose, irrigation water volume, quality of soil preparation and soil moisture content on chemical control of monosulfuron plus propazine 44% WP against weeds and millet yield were compared in the test. [Result] Seven factors all had great impact on control effect of monosulfuron plus propazine 44% WP against weeds, of which her- bicide dose, irrigation water volume, quality of soil preparation and soil moisture content were the most important factors affecting millet yield. According to millet yield and economic benefit, the optimal scheme to ensure safe, efficient and economic control of monosulfuron plus propazine 44% WP against weeds was as follows： the dose of monosulfuron plus propazine 44% WP was 1 800 g/hm2, the soil was treat- ed after sowing and before seedling emergence; the soil should be smooth and sol- id; the soil moisture should reach 15%; the fields should not be irrigated after herbi- cide application, and the damage of weeds in millet fields could be effectively con- trolled within 45 d during high efficacy duration, especially the damage of dicotyledonous weeds. [Conclusion] The study provided useful information for comprehensive technology of weeds control and ensuring high yield and good harvest of millet.

Effects of Pb Stress on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Two Weed Species Seeds

Objective] The aim was to investigate the effects of Pb stress on seed germination and seedling growth of Chenopodium glaucum and Chenopodium serot-inum L. [Method] With C. glaucum and C. serotinum as the study objects, the ef-fects of different concentrations of Pb on their seed germination and seedling growth, as wel as on the leaf SOD, POD and CAT activity were studied primarily. [Result] The germination potential of both the two kinds of weed seeds increased first and then decreased with the increase of Pb concentration. The germination po-tential of C. serotinum and C. glaucum seeds reached the peak at Pb concentration of 25 and 50 mg/L, respectively. With the increase of Pb treatment concentration, the germination rate, germination index and vigor index of C. serotinum and C. glaucum seeds decreased, and their bud length and root length also reduced gradu-al y. ln overal , the leaf SOD, POD and CAT activity of C. glaucum and C. serot-inum_ seedlings increased first and then decreased with the increased treatment concentration of Pb. The leaf SOD and POD activity of C. glaucum and C. serot-inum seedlings reached the maximum at Pb concentration of 200 and 100 mg/L, respectively, and the leaf CAT activity reached the maximum at Pb concentration of 100 mg/L. [Conclusion] The two Chenopodium species had strong tolerance to Pb stress, and they could be used as alternative accumulator plants of soil Pb contami-nation.

Effects of Rice-duck Mutualism on Diseases Insect Pests and Weeds and Economic Benefits

[Objective] Study on the effects of rice-duck mutualism on weeds and insects pests and economic benefits of paddy field. [Method] Comparison of the incidence of weeds, sheath blight and insects pest under rice-duck mutualism, conventional cultivation and control treatment, the yield and economic benefits were analyzed under the 3 treatments. [Result] Average occurrence of weeds in rice-duck mutualism group decreased by 2.33 and 52.0g ind/m^2 compared with that in conventional cultivation and control treatment ; the control rate of mutualism was up to 75% against rice hopper, but just between 25% -60% against rice leaf roller and Chilo suppressalis. The rates of diseased plant and diseased bell against rice sheath blight were higher and disease indices were lower compared with control group. The yield of mutualism group was identical with conventional cultivation, Which was greatly higher than that of control group. The results suggested an higher economic benefits and lower cost benefit ratio for rice-duck mutualism treatment. [Conclusion] Rice-duck mutualism gives birth to a positive effect to control the diseases, insect pests and weeds, as well as to economic benefits, providing basis on extension of rice-duck mutualism system.

Control Effects of 3 Kinds of Herbicides against Weeds in Dogbane (Apocynum venetum) Field

[ Objective] The paper was to explore the control effects of 3 kinds of herbicides against weeds in dogbane （Apocynum venetum） field. [ Method ] Using haloxyfop-R-mithyl and quizalofop-ethyl EC specifically killing monagenns gramineous weeds and chipton specifically killing dicotyledonous broad-leaf weeds, the control test against weeds in 2-year-old dogbane field was carried out. [ Result ] Haloxyfop-R-mithyl had good control effect against gramincous weeds, and its control effect against both barnyard weed （ Echinochloa crusgalli） and green bristleweed （ Setaria viridis ） was greater than 35.0% ; the control effects of quizalofop- ethyl EC against barnyard weed and green bristleweed were 14.8% and 28.6%, respectively; chipt0n had good control effect against Chenopodium album, and the control effect reached 30.8%. Moreover, 3 herbicides did not cause damage to dogbane. [ Conclusion] The study provide theoretical basis for completing cultivation technique of dogbane.

Response of Invasive Plant Alligatorweed to Salt Stress at Early Growth Stage

[Objective] The study aimed to investigate the early growth stage＇s response of invasive plant alligatorweed（Alternanthera philoxeroides） under salt stress.[Method] The alligatorweed was cultivated with four different NaCl concentrations 0（control）, 100, 200, 300 mmol/L diluted in 1/2 Hoagland＇s solution at early stage.During the period, we measured the number of nodes and leaves, length, fresh weight, dry weight and water content of stems to determine the effect of salt on alligatorweed growth. [Result] Compared with control, the node number, leaf number,length, fresh weight and dry weight of the stems significantly changed in NaCl solution, and the difference was positively related to NaCl concentration. We concluded that middle and high concentrations of NaCl significantly inhibited the growth of alligatorweed, by suppressing the node number, leaf number, length, fresh weight and dry weight of the stems. Among them, the stem length and fresh weight were more sensitive to NaCl stress. [Conclusion] The present result is helpful to understand the alligatorweed＇s adaptability to saline environment, and also helpful to prevent its invasion in such environment.

Control Effect Evaluation of Herbicides for Malignant Weed Nut Grass in Sugarcane Field

In order to screen herbicides with ideal safety characteristics to control malignant weed nut grass in sugarcane field, 20% thifensulfuron methyl WP and 65% MCPA·ametryne·diuron WP were selected for the field efficacy trial. The results showed that 20% thifensulfuron methyl WP and 65% MCPA·ametryne·diuron WP had good control effect on nut grass. The optimum dosage of 20% thifensulfuron methyl WP and 65% MCPA.ametryne-diuron WP was 1 125 g/hm^2 （effective ingredients 225 g） and 3 150 g/hm^2 （effective ingredients 2 047.5 g）, respectively. These two herbicides should be dissolved in 675 kg water per hectare and applied in the vigorous growth period of nut grass （height 10-15 cm） with oriented stem leaf spraying. The control effect after 15 days could be above 87.9%.

Technical Regulations for Comprehensive Control Weeding in Millet Field

According to experiments in many years in Hebei Province, the research explored weed comprehensive control technology on millet fields in terms of application range, prevention rules, prevention object, agricultural control, physical control, and chemical control and proposed specific methods and technological indices in order to provide technological references for comprehensive control on weeds of millet fields.

Potential of weed species applied to remediation of soils contaminated with heavy metals

To screen out a series of ideal plants that can effectively remedy contaminated soils by heavy metals is the main groundwork of phytoremediation engineering and the first step of its commercial application on a large scale. In this study, accumulation and endurance of 45 weed species in 16 families from an agricultural site were in situ examined by using the pot-culture field experiment, and the remediation potential of some weed species with high accumulation of heavy metals was assayed. The results showed that Solanum nigrum and Conyza canadensis can not only accumulate high concentration of Cd, but also strongly endure to single Cd and Cd-Pb-Cu-Zn combined pollution. Thus 2 weed species can be regarded as good hyperaccumulators for the remediation of Cd-contaminated soils. Although there were high Cd-accumulation in Artemigia selengensis, Znula britannica and Cephalanoplos setosum, their biomass was adversely affected due to action of heavy metals in the soils. If the problem of low endurance to heavy metals can be solved by a reinforcer, 3 weed species can be perhaps applied commercially.

Chlorobenzenes in waterweeds from the Xijiang River (Guangdong section) of the Pearl River

The Xijiang River is the major source of water for about 4.5 millions of urban population and 28.7 millions of rural population. The water quality is very important for the health of the rural population. The concentration and distribution of chlorobenzenes （CBs） in both water and waterweeds collected from 4 stations in the Xijiang River （Gangdong section） of the Pearl River in April and November were determined. The result showed that nearly every congener of CBs was detected. The total contents of CBs （ZCBs） in the river water ranged from 111.1 to 360.0 ng/L in April and from 151.9 to 481.7 ng/L in November, respectively. The pollution level of CBs in the water in April was higher than that in November. The contents of ZCBs in waterweeds ranged from 13.53×10^2μg/g to 38.27×10^2μg/g dry weight （dw）. There was no significant difference between April and November in waterweeds. The distribution of CBs in roots, caulis, and leaves of Vallisneria spiralis L. showed different patterns. The leaves mainly contained low-molecular-weight CBs （DCBs）, whereas the roots accumulated more PCBs and HCBs. The average lgBCFlip （bioconcentration factor） of CBs ranged from 0.64 to 3.57 in the waterweeds. The spatial distribution character of CBs in the Xijiang River was： Fengkai County 〈 Yunan County 〈 Yun＇an County 〈 Gaoyao County according to the ZCBs, and the pollution deteriorated from the upstream to the downstream of the Xijiang River. Further analysis demonstrated that the discharge of waste containing CBs may be the main source of CBs pollution in the Xijiang River .

Damage and Control of Poisonous Weeds in Western Grassland of China

Western grassland is the main source of living and means of production of western inhabitants. For many years, desertification and poisonous-weeds growth in grassland were resulted from over-grazing, over-reclaiming, over-spading and population growth. Western natural ecological environment is destroyed severly. Meanwhile, it has restricted the sustainable development of animal husbandry. The fast spreading poisonous-weeds, which caused grassland ecology unbalance, is one of the considerable bioecology problems and an important index of grassland degeneration. Based on analysis and induction of previous data, this article introduced the situation of poisonous-weeds disaster of western grassland in recent decades, category and distribution of poisonous-weeds, integrated control and reasonable utilization.

Analysis and Countermeasures of Intercepted Exotic Weed Epidemics from Wool in Jiangsu Ports

The situation of intercepted weeds from wooI in Jiangsu port during 2004 to 2012 was introduced in this paper, and the corresponding countermeasures were then proposed. The resuIts showed that a total of 38 famiIies, 138 genera, 268 species and 13 868 species-times of weeds were intercepted, incIuding 3 famiIies, 11 genera, 20 species and 2 094 species-times of quarantine weeds. The weeds were intercepted from the wooI introduced from 19 countries and regions, among which, Australia had the highest species-times, accounting for 71.0% of the total. Bases on the analysis of interception situation of weeds, some countermeasures were pro-posed from the perspectives of risk assessment, quarantine supervision, quarantine treatment and epidemic surveiI ance, providing some reference for estabIishing a perfect system for preventing the invasion of exotic weeds.

Phosphate Biofertilizer, Row Spacing and Plant Density Effects on Corn (<i>Zea mays</i>L.) Yield and Weed Growth

A field study was conducted at the Agricultural Research Farm of Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran to investigate the effects of phosphate biofertilizer, row spacing and plant density on corn yield and weed growth. The experiment was a factorial with three factors arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The first factor was phosphate biofertilizer (inoculation and non-inoculation), the second was row spacing (conventional (75 cm) and reduced (50 cm)) and the third was plant density (66,666 plants·ha–1 (conventional plant density) 83,333 and 99,999 plants·ha–1 (1.25 and 1.5 times the conventional plant density, respectively)). Results indicated that corn yield and weed growth were significantly influenced by row spacing and plant density. So that, corn yield improved and weed biomass diminished in response to increasing plant density and decreasing row spacing. However, phosphate biofertilizer had no significant effect on corn yield, whereas, weed biomass was notably increased when phosphate biofertilizer was applied. Overall, this study revealed that both yield and weed control in corn field can be improved by alteration of the planting arrangement.

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.

Ecological effects of crude oil residues on the functional diversity of soil microorganisms in three weed rhizospheres

Ecological effects of crude oil residues on weed rhizospheres are still vague. The quantitative and diversity changes and metabolic responses of soil-bacterial communities in common dandelion （Taraxacum officinale）, jerusalem artichoke （Silphiurn perfoliatum L.） and evening primrose （A colypha australis L.） rhizospheric soils were thus examined using the method of carbon source utilization. The results indicated that there were various toxic effects of crude oil residues on the growth and reproduction of soil bacteria, but the weed rhizospheres could mitigate the toxic effects. Total heterotrophic counting colony-forming units （CFUs） in the rhizospheric soils were significantly higher than those in the non-rhizospheric soils. The culturable soil-bacterial CFUs in the jerusalem artichoke （S. perfoliatum） rhizosphere polluted with 0.50 kg/pot of crude oil residues were almost twice as much as those with 0.25 kg/pot and without the addition of crude oil residues. The addition of crude oil residues increased the difference in substrate evenness, substrate richness, and substrate diversity between non-rhizospheric and rhizospheric soils of T. officinale and A. australis, but there was no significant （p〉0.05） difference in the Shannon＇s diversity index between non-rhizospheric and rhizospheric soils of S. perfoliatum. The rhizospheric response of weed species to crude oil residues suggested that S. perfoliatum may be a potential weed species for the effective plant-microorganism bioremediation of contaminated soils by crude oil residues.

Evaluation of soil flame disinfestation(SFD) for controlling weeds,nematodes and fungi

Soil flame disinfestation(SFD) is a form of physical disinfestation that can be used both in greenhouses and on field crops. Its use for soil disinfestation in different crop growing conditions makes it increasingly attractive for controlling soilborne pathogens and weeds. But little is known about the effect on weeds and soilbrone diseases. This study reports on greenhouses and field crops in China that determined the efficacy of SFD to control weeds, nematodes and fungi. It also determined the impact of SFD on the soil physical and chemical properties(water content, bulk density, NO3^–-N content, NH4^+-N content, conductivity and organic matter) in three field trials. A second generation SFD machine was used in these trials. SFD treatment significantly reduced weeds(>87.8%) and root-knot nematodes(Meloidogyne incognita)(>98.1%). Plant height and crop yield was significantly increased with SFD treatment. NO3^–-N and NH4^+-N increased after the SFD treatment, and there was also an increase in soil conductivity. Water content, bulk density and organic matter decreased significantly in the soil after the SFD treatment compared to the control. Soil flame disinfestation is a potential technique for controlling weeds and diseases in greenhouses or in fields. SFD is a non-chemical, safe, environmentally-friendly soil disinfection method.