O capim annoni-2, Eragrostis plana Nees, é uma espécie vegetal africana conhecida por sua capacidade invasora e, por este motivo, classificada como planta daninha, sendo considerada a mais agressiva e de mais difícil controle nos campos sulinos. Esta espécie ativa mecanismos de inibição de crescimento e germinação de outras espécies vizinhas no fenômeno denominado alelopatia. O estudo fitoquímico de E. plana Nees, justifica-se por se tratar de uma espécie com suposta atividade alelopática, bem como, em função de suas características e do impacto biológico e econômico causado por ela. Com o objetivo de identificar e caracterizar moléculas bioativas e avaliar seus efeitos alelopáticos, foram realizados os experimentos. As folhas de E. plana Nees, foram coletadas no inverno e verão, para análise fitoquímica, e a obtenção do óleo essencial das amostras foi feita por hidrodestilação e, posteriormente, filtrados e refrigerados até a análise cromatográfica gasosa acoplada a espectrometria de massas. Para os metabólitos secundários não voláteis, o material botânico foi submetido a extração exaustiva a frio, com éter de petróleo e acetato de etila. Os extratos foram submetidos à técnica de Infravermelho. Na identificação alelopática foram utilizadas sementes da espécie Ipomoea grandifolia em dois bioensaios comumente realizados em estudos alelopáticos. Os testes, de germinação e alongamento de radícula e hipocótilo foram monitorados diariamente por 7 dias, em condições controladas e realizados em câmaras BOD (Demanda Bioquímica de Oxigênio). Para os dois testes foram empregados 5 doses com diferentes concentrações de cada extrato em volume de 5 mL em cada placa de Petri. O delineamento utilizado foi o inteiramente casualizado com 4 repetições, sendo água destilada e Tween 80 + solvente extratores como testemunhas. Os dados foram submetidos ao teste de homogeneidade de variâncias, pelo teste de Cochran C e à análise de normalidade pelo teste de Shapiro–Wilk, com posterior análise de variância, ANOVA e teste de Tukey a 5% de significância para as variáveis homogêneas. O efeito alelopático apresentado pelas folhas de E. plana Nees, pode estar relacionado com os teores de terpenos observados na análise do óleo essencial, uma vez que os mesmos, possuem propriedades alelopáticas, conforme relatos da literatura. Os extratos brutos expressaram o potencial alelopático da E. plana Nees, interferindo no desenvolvimento da espécie receptora. A utilização destes extratos de forma direta ou como fonte de moléculas químicas, pode colaborar no desenvolvimento de novos bio-herbicidas. / The grass - 2 lovegrass , Eragrostis plana Nees , is an African plant species known for its invasive capacity and , therefore , classified as a weed , and is considered the most aggressive and more difficult to control in the southern fields . This species active mechanisms of inhibition of germination and growth of neighboring species in the phenomenon called allelopathy . The phytochemical study of E. plana Nees , is justified because it is a species with alleged allelopathic activity and, depending on its characteristics and the biological and economic impact caused by it . In order to identify and characterize bioactive molecules and evaluate their allelopathic effects , the experiments were performed . The leaves of E. plana Nees were collected in winter and summer , for phytochemical analysis , and obtain the essential oil sample was taken by hydrodistillation and subsequently filtered and chilled to the gas chromatographic analysis coupled with mass spectrometry . For non- volatile secondary metabolites , the plant material was subjected to exhaustive cold extraction with petroleum ether and ethyl acetate . The extracts were subjected to IR technique . In allelopathic identification seeds of Ipomoea grandifolia species commonly performed in two bioassays in allelopathic studies were used . The tests , germination and radicle and hypocotyl elongation were monitored daily for 7 days under controlled and conducted in chambers BOD ( Biochemical Oxygen Demand ) conditions . For both tests 5 doses with different concentrations of each extract volume of 5 mL in each Petri dish were used. The experimental design was completely randomized with 4 replications, with distilled water and Tween 80 + solvent extractors as witnesses . The data were submitted to variance homogeneity test, the Cochran C and analysis of normality by the Shapiro - Wilk test, with subsequent analysis of variance , ANOVA and Tukey test at 5 % significance level for the homogeneous variables. The allelopathic effect exhibited by the leaves of E. Nees plane can be related to the levels observed in the analysis of terpenes of essential oil , since they possess allelopathic effects , as reported in the literature. The extracts expressed the allelopathic potential of E. plana Nees , interfering with the development of the receiving species . The use of these extracts directly or as a source of chemical molecules , can collaborate in developing new bio - herbicides.

Les protéagineux pourraient contribuer à réduire le déficit en protéines de l’Europe mais ils sont peu cultivés. L’association à une céréale permettrait de contourner leur variabilité de rendement et leur faible compétitivité vis-à-vis des adventices. Cette stratégie serait particulièrement pertinente pour le lupin blanc d’hiver, qui présente un fort potentiel de production de protéines mais un fort risque d’enherbement. Ce travail de thèse étudie en dynamique les interactions entre lupin, céréale et adventices afin de mettre en évidence les traits des espèces permettant d’accroitre leur complémentarité et la compétitivité vis-à-vis des adventices tout en sécurisant la productivité. L’étude d’un réseau de parcelles démontre que l’ajout de triticale permet d’augmenter la compétitivité vis-à-vis des adventices par rapport au lupin pur, d’obtenir un rendement supérieur et plus stable et de maintenir la production de protéines. Un essai en micro parcelles démontre le rôle majeur de la capture précoce d’azote (N) de la céréale pour accroitre la compétitivité vis-à-vis des adventices. Nous montrons que les rapports de compétition varient au cours du cycle et en fonction des espèces ou variétés ainsi que des conditions climatiques et influencent ainsi l’élaboration du rendement. De forts contrastes entre lupin et céréale pour des traits liés à l’acquisition précoce d’N sont décrits ainsi que leurs conséquences sur la mise en place de la complémentarité. Ce travail met en évidence que le choix d’espèces et de variétés aux traits complémentaires permet d’orienter les interactions entre lupin, céréale et adventices et ouvre des perspectives pour l’optimisation des performances. / Pea, faba bean and lupin could help to reduce the European protein deficit but they are not widely grown. Intercropping with a cereal can be seen as a way to circumvent their high yield variability and their low competitive ability against weeds. This strategy could be particularly relevant for winter white lupin, a crop that can produce high amounts of proteins but that is prone to high weed infestations. This doctoral thesis studies the dynamic interactions between lupin, cereal and weeds to highlight species traits that allow increasing their complementarity and their competitive ability against weeds while securing productivity. Results of a multisite study in agricultural fields demonstrate that adding triticale in lupin allows increasing competitive ability against weeds as well as yield and yield stability compared with sole-cropped lupin while maintaining protein production. A plot experiment highlights the key role of cereal early Nitrogen (N) uptake in the increase of competitive ability against weeds. Analysis of resource sharing shows that competitive relationships vary throughout the cropping cycle, depend on species or cultivars as well as climatic conditions and that they influence yield formation. Strong contrasts between lupin and a cereal for traits related to early soil N uptake and their consequences on complementarity are highlighted by the results of rhizotron experiments. This work emphasizes the role of species and cultivar choice to manage interactions between lupin, cereal and weeds and opens perspectives for the optimization of intercrop performances.

Water lettuce, Pistia stratiotes Lamarck (Araceae) is a South American plant that has the potential to be a very damaging and important aquatic weed in many tropical countries, including South Africa. It has the potential to rapidly multiply vegetatively and completely cover watercourses in a very short space of time outside of its natural range under ideal conditions and without its natural enemies. In such instances, the weed may cause hindrances to water transport and fishing, increasing chances of malaria, as well as affecting the natural ecology of the system. Water lettuce can also set seed, which may lay dormant for long periods, germinating when conditions are favourable. It is therefore very necessary to adopt control methods against the weed where it is a problem. However, water lettuce has also been effectively and completely controlled in many countries by the leaf-feeding weevil, Neohydronomus affinis Hustache. High nutrient levels in the form of nitrates and phosphates have been shown to have largely negative effects on biological control in several studies, with control being incomplete or taking longer than in similar areas with lower nutrient levels. The effectiveness of N. affinis on the biological control of water lettuce was investigated in a laboratory study, growing P. stratiotes plants with and without insects at different nutrient concentrations. In these studies biological control of water lettuce with N. affinis was found to be complete under eutrophic nutrient conditions, although control took longer when higher nutrient levels were tested. A field site study was conducted at a sewage settlement pond in Cape Recife Nature Reserve near Port Elizabeth, South Africa. This highly eutrophic system was used as a field example for the effectiveness of biocontrol of P. stratiotes by N. affinis under eutrophic conditions. The weevils at Cape Recife caused a massive and rapid crash in the percentage coverage of the weed, from 100% in May 2003, to approximately 0.5 % in September 2003. Plant growth parameters were also found to decrease considerably in size correspondingly with this crash from May 2003 until spring 2003. Plant size only again started to increase gradually but steadily through spring 2003 and into summer. In the laboratory studies, the fecundity of weevils was shown to be much higher on plants grown under higher nutrient concentrations than on plants grown in lower nutrient concentrations. The results from the wing-muscle analysis under different nutrient concentrations were not easy to interpret, and there were few differences in wing muscle state between most of the concentrations. From these findings it is suggested that nutrient concentration, particularly high levels of nitrates and phosphates is not a limiting factor in terms of effective biological control of P. stratiotes with N. affinis, but that under high nutrient conditions biological control might take longer.

The cochineal insect Dactylopius austrinus De Lotto, which was released on jointed cactus, Opuntia aurantiaca Lindley, in South Africa in 1932, failed to bring the weed under an acceptable level of control in spite of the encouraging results during the first few years after release. The reasons for this apparent failure were never clearly understood. In 1957 the State embarked on an intensive herbicidal control programme which is still in force today. This sustained and expensive programme has undoubtedly reduced the density of the weed in most areas but has failed to solve the problem and the plant continues to expand its range. The biological control of o. aurantiaca in South Africa has been fundamentally influenced by this chemical control campaign. The relationship between chemical and biological control methods is reported in this study.

From the introduction: The work on Mimorista is divided into two sections: a laboratory orientated study which describes the biology and rearing techniques and a field orientated study where the establishment of the insect and its impact on jointed cactus populations are examined. In the final chapters the integration of this insect in the current control program are discussed and recommendations regarding its future in South Africa are given.

Orientador: Silvano Bianco / Banca: Lilian Lúcia Costa / Banca: Giorge França Gomes de Carvalho / Banca: Pedro Luís da Costa Aguiar Alves / Banca: Rouverson Pereira da Silva / Resumo: Esta Tese nasceu de duas grandes oportunidades, avaliar o espectro de gotas pelo método de difração laser em túnel de vento de alta velocidade na Universidade de Nebraska-Lincoln (EUA) e contribuir com o desenvolvimento comercial do produto Herbiciclo Duo® da fabricante de pulverizadores Herbicat. As hipóteses que: (1) os adjuvantes agrícolas a base de polímero em mistura com herbicidas podem mitigar a deriva de gotas em aplicações aéreas e (2) o sistema de aplicação localizada WeedSeeker® é eficaz, preciso e economicamente viável foram usadas como base deste estudo. Foram avaliados cinco adjuvantes polímeros em mistura em tanque com os herbicidas 2,4-D e picloram quanto à deriva sob condições de pulverização aérea. Já, o sistema de aplicação localizada WeedSeeker® foi avaliado embarcado em quadriciclos para controle de plantas daninhas na entrelinha da cana-de-açúcar em função do tamanho de plantas, velocidade de aplicação, condições de irradiância e doses do herbicida glyphosate. Espera-se com este estudo apresentar estratégias para difundir práticas mais sustentáveis de intervenção fitossanitária em curto, médio e longo prazo. / Abstract: This thesis was created from two great opportunities, to evaluate the droplet spectra by using high speed wind tunnel laser diffraction method at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (USA) and to contribute to the commercial development of the Herbiciclo Duo® product, produced by Herbicat sprayer manufacturer. The hypothesis that: (1) polymer adjuvants tank mixture with herbicides can mitigate spray drift under aerial applications and (2) the WeedSeeker® spot spray system is effective, accurate, and economically feasible were used as the basis for this study. The effect of five polymer adjuvants tank mixture with 2,4-D and picloram herbicides were evaluated due spray drift under aerial application conditions. The WeedSeeker® spot spray system was evaluated on quadicycle for weed control on sugarcane interrow due to plant size, speed track, irradiance conditions and glyphosate herbicide doses. It is hoped that this study presents strategies to disseminate more sustainable practices of phytosanitary intervention in the short, medium and long term. / Doutor

Begomoviruses are whitefly-transmitted, single-stranded DNA viruses which are often associated with weed plants, which may act as natural reservoirs of viruses that cause epidemics in crop plants. The aim of this study was to characterize the diversity of begomoviruses infecting weeds in Brazil, as a step to access their importance as natural reservoirs of these viruses. Total DNA was extracted from weeds collected in Viçosa (Minas Gerais state) and some municipalities of Alagoas state in 2009 and 2010. The viral genomes were amplified by RCA, cloned and sequenced. The sequences were used for comparisons with other begomoviruses, phylogenetic and recombination analyses. A total of 26 DNA-A clones were obtained. Sequence analysis indicated the presence of ten different begomoviruses. All isolates originating from samples of Blainvillea rhomboidea belonged to a single viral species, Blainvillea yellow spot virus (BlYSV), suggesting that BlYSV may be the only begomovirus present in this ubiquitous weed species. Four viruses represent new species, for which the following names are proposed: Sida yellow net virus (SiYNV) obtained from Sida micrantha, Sida mottle Alagoas virus (SiMoAV) obtained from Sida urens and Sida sp., Sida yellow blotch virus (SiYBV) and Sida yellow mosaic Alagoas virus (SiYMAV) obtained from S. urens. Recombination events were detected in the SiYBV isolates BR:Rla1:10 and BR:Rla2:10, with BR:CPH1:10 (also SiYBV) and an unknown virus as putative parents, and in the SiYNV isolate BR:Vic2:10, with BR:Vsa2:10 (SiMoAV) and Sida mottle virus (SiMoV) as putative parents. These results consitute further evidence that recombination is an important evolutionary process on the generation of genetic variability and on the evolution of begomoviruses. / Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Alagoas / Begomovírus são vírus de DNA circular fita simples transmitidos por mosca branca, os quais são frequentemente associados com plantas daninhas, as quais podem servir como reservatórios naturais de vírus que causam epidemias em plantas cultivadas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar a diversidade de begomovírus infectando plantas daninhas no Brasil, como um passo para acessar sua importância como reservatórios naturais desses vírus. DNA total foi extraído a partir de plantas daninhas coletadas em Viçosa (Minas Gerais) e alguns municípios do estado de Alagoas em 2009 e 2010. Os genomas virais foram amplificados por RCA, clonados e sequenciados. As sequências foram usadas para comparações com outros begomovírus e análises filogenética e de recombinação. Um total de 26 clones de DNA-A foram obtidos. Análise de sequência indicou a presença de dez diferentes begomovírus. Todos os isolados originários de Blainvillea rhomboidea pertenciam a uma única espécie viral, Blainvillea yellow spot vírus (BlYSV), sugerindo que BlYSV pode ser o único begomovírus presente nesta espécie de planta invasora. Quatro vírus representam espécies novas, para as quais os seguintes nomes são propostos: Sida yellow net virus (SiYNV) obtido de Sida micrantha, Sida mottle Alagoas vírus (SiMoAV) obtido de Sida urens e Sida sp., Sida yellow blotch virus (SiYBV) e Sida yellow mosaic Alagoas virus (SiYMAV) obtidos de S. urens. Eventos de recombinação foram detectados no SiYBV, isolados BR:Rla1:10 e BR:Rla2:10, com BR:CPH1:10 (também SiYBV) e um vírus desconhecido como possíveis parentais, e no SiYNV, isolado BR:Vic2:10, com BR:Vsa2:10 (SiMoAV) e Sida mottle virus (SiMoV) como possíveis parentais. Estes resultados constituem uma evidência adicional de que recombinação é um importante processo evolutivo na geração de variabilidade genética e evolução de begomovírus.

Traditional vineyard floor management in humid regions consists of mown perennial grass or mown resident vegetation in aisles. Many vineyard sites in the eastern USA have climate and soil that support excessive vine vigor and rapid growth of aisle vegetation. Frequent mowing or unmanaged aisles are not a practical option. To explore vineyard floor management options for vine vigor and weed management while maintaining soil cover, vine balance, and fruit quality in the eastern USA, seven cover crop treatments: 1) grower control mown tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea L.), 2) chemically mown tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), 3) little barley (Hordeum pusillum Nutt.), 4) downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.), 5) oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus L.), 6) spring oats (Avena sativa L.), 7) chemically mown sorghum-sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench sp.) were established for the 2011 and 2012 growing seasons in a commercial Cabernet franc vineyard, planted in 2000, in southern Illinois, on an Menfro silt loam soil. In fall 2011, oilseed radish reduced the fresh weight of grapevine shoots removed with summer hedging 46% compared to the grower control. In 2012, spring oats increased the weight of grapevine shoots removed with summer hedging 160% compared to the grower control. In 2012, spring oats, and chemically mown sorghum-sudangrass produced 82% and 73%, respectively, greater pruning weights compared to grower control mown fescue, also, spring oats, downy brome, and chemically mown sorghum-sudangrass produced 54%, 48%, and 50%, respectively, greater yields compared to the grower control in 2012. Cover crop did not affect Ravaz index in 2011 or 2012. Chemically mown sorghum-sudangrass reduced total soluble solids in grape must 7% compared to the grower control in 2012. Downy brome produced the most ground cover and greatest weed control at bloom time in 2011 and 2012, and harvest time in 2011. In 2012, oilseed radish at veraison and harvest time produced 97% and 177%, respectively, more ground cover than grower control. The persistent mulch produced by little barley and downy brome followed by burndown herbicide, Rely ® (glufosinate 1 lb ai/gal) 76 fl oz/acre in August reduced their average weed cover by a range of 99% to 89% compared to all other treatments except grower control at harvest 2012. Downy brome established in vineyard aisles had the greatest potential for maintaining weed control at bloom and harvest time, while increasing yield without decreasing vine size. However, more research is needed to develop a residue management program which encourages self-reseeding of downy brome and little barley. In a season with above average rainfall, oilseed radish reduced excessively vigorous vine growth. While all treatments studied had the potential for vineyard use, downy brome and oilseed radish had the most potential to be readily incorporated into practical vineyard aisle management systems provided they are managed to produce moderate vine size, without adverse effects to yield or fruit quality, while still maintaining effective weed control.

This thesis deals with the occurrence, biology and control of dangerous weeds on arable land. The thesis aims to process the selected weeds in stands of cultivated crops overview of the biology, extension and suggest regulatory measures for especially dangerous weeds on arable land as for example Elytrigia repens L., Cirsium arvense L. and other. For selected species were assayed determination germination of seeds and detection weight thousands of seeds.

The aim of this thesis is to extend the knowledge about the use of modern machinery cultivator with minimum tillage and conventional tillage in agriculture. For this purpose you can use a wide range of agricultural machines from various manufacturers such as the Horsch, Lemken, Vaderstad and more. In this work evaluates the stubble Horsch Terrano 6FG and Vaderstad Carrier 820 with a focus on lumps size, incorporation of crop residues and maintain the set depth.