Genetically modified (GM) canola (Brassica napus L.) has been widely adopted in Canada since its commercial release in 1995 and now represents over 85% of the canola grown in western Canada. Concurrently, GM canola volunteers have become an increasing management problem in cultivated fields and are ubiquitous in adjacent ruderal (non-cropped disturbed) habitats. However, systematic post-release monitoring is lacking and the ecological and agronomic impacts of escaped GM canola are poorly understood. In this dissertation, I characterize the escape, demography and distribution of GM canola in ruderal habitats in southern Manitoba, at multiple spatial and temporal scales. I characterized GM herbicide tolerance traits in 16 escaped canola populations. The progeny of 129 plants were tested in herbicide trials; 74% of plants produced glyphosate-tolerant progeny, 63% produced glufosinate-tolerant progeny, and 34% produced multiple herbicide-tolerant progeny as a result of gene flow between escaped plants. At the population-scale, four escaped GM canola populations were monitored and periodic matrix models were constructed to describe the dynamics and persistence of flowering plants. Escaped populations were observed to flower in synchrony with adjacent crops and were projected to persist for 2 to 5 years, confirming the potential for gene flow between escaped and cultivated canola populations. At the landscape-scale, the distribution of escaped canola was surveyed in three agricultural regions. Regional factors were important determinants of distribution; escaped canola density was positively correlated with canola cropping intensity and with traffic intensity, and was negatively correlated with distance to grain distribution centres. Local seed dispersal had negligible impact on distribution compared to landscape-scale anthropogenic seed inputs resulting from agricultural transport. These findings suggest that escaped canola persists as a metapopulation, where long-distance dispersal and colonization compensate for frequent extinction of local populations. Escaped populations play an important role in the persistence and spread of GM traits at large spatial scales, with substantial implications for the coexistence of GM and non-GM crops, and especially for organic and reduced-tillage farming operations. Landscape-scale management approaches, designed and implemented collaboratively by multiple stakeholders, are necessary to mitigate the risks of contamination resulting from GM trait escape. Regulation and ongoing monitoring of GM crops must acknowledge and address the dynamic regional nature of seed- and pollen-mediated gene flow.

There has been little research into the compatibility of commonly utilized apple rootstocks and VA-fungal types, and even less research regarding the effects of herbicides used in orchards, on the VAM symbiosis of apple trees. Studies demonstrated that early inoculation of young apple plants, prior to transplanting, results in healthy and vigorous plants with better growth and nutrition than uninoculated plants. We studied the efficiency of VA-fungal species and isolates on young apple rootstocks, produced by in vitro propagation. Mycorrhizal inoculation promoted plant growth, dry mass production and leaf P concentration. Mycorrhizal efficiency was associated with larger external hyphal network but showed no relation with the internal colonization. Despite the high P-fertility of the soil used, growth enhancement due to mycorrhizal inoculation was attributed to an improved P nutrition. / In a second experiment, the effect of herbicides currently used in orchards was tested on the mycorrhizal symbiosis. Paraquat, simazine and dichlobenil were applied to soil with mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal apple plants. Mycorrhizae increased herbicide toxicity in apple, as demonstrated by the greatly increased plant mortality. While both paraquat and simazine decreased spore germination in vitro, none of the herbicide treatments affected root colonization in soil. Effects on the photosynthetic rate, measured after herbicide application, indicated a physiological interaction between mycorrhizal colonization and dichlobenil, involved in the toxic response of apple plants.

A three year field study was undertaken to assess the influence of water table management, namely subsurface irrigation and controlled drainage, on the movement of pesticides through the soil profile into ground water. The herbicides under investigation were prometryn on an organic soil, and metolachlor on a sandy soil. Both soil and groundwater were collected and analyzed. The results presented are those obtained in the first two years of the project. / In the organic soil, herbicide leaching was greatly reduced due to the management of the water table. The pesticide remained higher in the soil profile, preventing leaching to the drains and allowing degradation. / The opposite effect appeared to have occurred in the sandy soil. The higher water table resulting from subsurface irrigation may have induced the leaching of the contaminant into lower soil levels and into the ground water. The high water solubility of the herbicide metolachlor, in conjunction with low microbial activity, may have played a role in this phenomenon.

Accurate placement of pesticide droplets on to crop and weed surfaces is a key step in controlling pests and weeds in agricultural production systems. Droplets impact on plant surfaces, depositing pesticides that give protective coverage on crops and destructive coverage for insect or fungi pests and weeds. Coverage is complex and is determined by a multitude of interactions between factors such as size and density of spray droplets, relative humidity and turbulence of the air through which the droplets travel, and the physical characteristics of the target plant leaves, branches and stems that go to make up the architecture of their canopy. There are, however, concerns over the effect of pesticides on the environment and public health. This thesis combines three dimensional (3-D) computer modelling techniques, physical measurements of droplet movement and impact on a canopy in a wind tunnel and risk management techniques to maximise the effectiveness of pesticides and enable risks to public health and the environment from agricultural spraying activities to be minimised. L-studio, a Windows based software environment for creating simulation models of plant architecture was used in this study. A particle trajectory model, based on the combined ballistic and random-walk approach proposed by Mokeba et al. (1997) and Cox et al. (2000) was used to model spray droplet movement. Algorithms were included in the spray model to account for evaporation of droplets, entrained air and movement of air around the spray, collection efficiency, and droplet splash. Existing functional-structural plant models of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus L.) and a static empirical model of immature grass weeds have been combined with the spray model. An environmental program has been used to take the location of the leaves in 3-D space from the plant model and determine if spray droplets will impact on them. Wind tunnel measurements were made to determine initial droplet properties (droplet size, velocity, trajectory, density and fluid properties) and droplet impact characteristics (retention and splash). The results from these measurements were then used to define parameters within the spray model. Additional experiments to measure spray drift and spray deposition on various plant surfaces within the wind tunnel were used to evaluate the combined spray and plant architecture model. The combined spray and plant architectural model developed and evaluated in this thesis has provided a new method to study the influence of plant architecture on spray distribution. This work has shown that 3-D plant architecture can influence the amount of spray depositing on leaf surfaces. Deposition on plant surfaces was also found to increase with decreased wind speed and reduced release height. Droplet size did not have a significant influence on spray deposition onto broadleaf plants such as cotton or sow thistle. There was however, a tendency for fine sprays to give a higher deposit on small, narrow grass leaves. Spray drift was found to increase with decreasing droplet size, increasing the range of droplet sizes generated by a nozzle, decreasing sheet velocity (initial velocity of droplets), increasing wind speed, increasing (difference between dry and wet bulb temperature), decreasing liquid density and increasing release height. The combined spray and architectural model has also enabled the study of how effects such as droplet splash and retention can influence the distribution of the spray. In this study it was found that there was little difference in modelled spray drift, amount of spray on the ground or amount of spray on the cotton plant between situations where most droplets splash on impact and where no droplet splash on impact. Although the total amount of spray retained on the plant surface was similar for both situations, it was found that there were more droplets on the plant under the splash scenario leading to better coverage of the spray over the plant. These results indicate that the majority of the smaller splash droplets were re-distributed onto other parts of the plant rather than becoming lost as spray drift or ground deposit. Decision trees have been used in this thesis to characterise the benefits and risks from pesticide applications. Results from model simulations and/or physical measurements are used to estimate the relative proportion of the spray depositing on plant surfaces, depositing on the ground and drifting away from the treatment area. These deposition results give a measure of pesticide exposure that can be incorporated into the risk management framework to investigate the influence of various application scenarios. The applicability of this approach is shown by the example of endosulfan sprayed on cotton to control Helicoverpa spp. The decision tree model can be used to quickly compare different scenarios, such as deciding which application method should be used. It can be used to effectively aid spray decisions to maximise the effectiveness of pesticides and minimise risks to public health and the environment from agricultural spraying activities.

Bibliography : leaves 159-184. / xv, 191 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / This study found at least three mechanisms of resistance to the acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase)-inhibiting herbicides. A modified target -site was responsible for moderate and high resistance to herbicides at the whole plant level. Enhanced herbicide metabolism and reduced translocation of herbicide to the target site was observed in one resistant biotype each. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Crop Protection, 1996

Bibliography: leaves 147-163. / ix, 164 leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / The aim of this thesis is to confirm the resistance status of three purported resistant weed species by herbicide screening of outdoor pot grown plants. Field experiments are set up to investigate changes in dormancy and seedbank life of the resistant populations over a three year period. After determining the herbicide resistance spectrum of the resistant biotypes, genetic crosses between resistant and susceptible plants are performed to follow the mode of inheritance of acetolactate synthase (ALS) resistance. "In vitro" ALS enzyme assays in the presence of various herbicides are carried out to reveal a modified ALS enzyme as the main mechanism of resistance in all cases. A molecular investigation of the ALS gene is performed to identify mutations responsible for endowing a resistant enzyme. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Crop Protection, 1996

The introduction of glyphosate resistance into Australian cotton systems will have an effect on conventional weed management practices, the weed species present and the risk of glyphosate resistance evolving in weed species. Therefore, it is important that the effects of these management practices, particularly a potential reduction in Integrated Weed Management (IWM) practices, be examined to determine their impact on weed population dynamics and resistance selection. The study began in 2003 with a survey of 40 growers in four major cotton growing regions in Australia to gain an understanding of how adoption of glyphosate resistance had influenced the weed spectrum, weed management practices and herbicide use after three years of glyphosate-resistant cotton being available. The 10 most common weeds reported on cotton fields were the same in glyphosate-resistant and conventional fields. In this survey, herbicide use patterns were altered by the adoption of glyphosate-resistant cotton with up to six times more glyphosate being applied and with 21% fewer growers applying pre-emergence herbicides in glyphosate-resistant cotton fields. Other weed control practices, such as the use of post-emergence herbicides, inter-row cultivation and hand hoeing, were only reduced marginally. A systems experiment was conducted to determine differences in the population dynamics of Echinochloa crus-galli (barnyardgrass) and Urochloa panicoides (liverseed grass) under a range of weed management regimes in a glyphosate-resistant cotton system. These treatments ranged from a full IWM system to a system based soley on the use of glyphosate. The experiment investigated the effect of the treatments on the soil seed bank, weed germination patterns and weed numbers in the field. All applied treatments resulted in commercially acceptable control of the two grass weeds. However, the treatments containing soil-applied residual herbicides proved to be more effective over the period of the experiment. The treatment with a reduced residual herbicide program supplemented with glyphosate had a level of control similar to the full IWM treatments with less input, providing a more economical option. The effectiveness of these treatments in the long-term was examined in a simulation model to determine the likelihood of glyphosate resistance evolving using barnyardgrass and liverseed grass as model weeds. Seed production and above-ground biomass of barnyardgrass and liverseed grass in competition with cotton were measured. In all experiments, seed production and biomass plant⁻¹ decreased as weed density increased while seed production and biomass m⁻¹ tended to increase. Seed production m⁻¹ reached 40,000 and 60,000 for barnyardgrass and liverseed grass, respectively. In 2004-05, weeds were also planted 6 weeks and 12 weeks after the cotton was planted. Biomass and seed production of the two weeds planted 6 weeks after cotton were significantly reduced with seed production declining to 12,000 and 2,500 seeds m⁻¹ row for barnyardgrass and liverseed grass, respectively. Weeds planted 12 weeks after cotton planting failed to emerge. This experiment highlighted the importance of early season weed control and effective management of weeds that are able to produce high seed numbers. A glyphosate dose-mortality experiment was conducted in the field to determine levels of control of barnyardgrass and liverseed grass. Glyphosate provided effective control of both species with over 85% control when the rate applied was greater than 690 g ae ha⁻¹. Dose-mortality curves for both species were obtained for use in the glyphosate resistance model. Data from the experimental work were combined to develop a glyphosate resistance model. Outputs from this model suggest that if glyphosate were used as the only form of weed control, resistance in weeds is likely to eventuate after 12 to 17 years, depending on the characteristics of the weed species, initial resistance gene frequencies and any associated fitness penalties. If glyphosate was used in conjunction with one other weed control method, resistance was delayed but not prevented. The simulations suggested that when a combination of weed control options was employed in addition to glyphosate, resistance would not evolve over the 30-year period of the simulation. These simulations underline the importance of an integrated strategy in weed management to prevent glyphosate resistance evolving from the use of glyphosate-resistant cotton. Current management conditions of growing glyphosate-resistant (Roundup Ready &reg) cotton should therefore prevent glyphosate resistance evolution. / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, 2006.

Bibliography: leaves 147-163. / ix, 164 leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / The aim of this thesis is to confirm the resistance status of three purported resistant weed species by herbicide screening of outdoor pot grown plants. Field experiments are set up to investigate changes in dormancy and seedbank life of the resistant populations over a three year period. After determining the herbicide resistance spectrum of the resistant biotypes, genetic crosses between resistant and susceptible plants are performed to follow the mode of inheritance of acetolactate synthase (ALS) resistance. "In vitro" ALS enzyme assays in the presence of various herbicides are carried out to reveal a modified ALS enzyme as the main mechanism of resistance in all cases. A molecular investigation of the ALS gene is performed to identify mutations responsible for endowing a resistant enzyme. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Crop Protection, 1996

The introduction of glyphosate resistance into Australian cotton systems will have an effect on conventional weed management practices, the weed species present and the risk of glyphosate resistance evolving in weed species. Therefore, it is important that the effects of these management practices, particularly a potential reduction in Integrated Weed Management (IWM) practices, be examined to determine their impact on weed population dynamics and resistance selection. The study began in 2003 with a survey of 40 growers in four major cotton growing regions in Australia to gain an understanding of how adoption of glyphosate resistance had influenced the weed spectrum, weed management practices and herbicide use after three years of glyphosate-resistant cotton being available. The 10 most common weeds reported on cotton fields were the same in glyphosate-resistant and conventional fields. In this survey, herbicide use patterns were altered by the adoption of glyphosate-resistant cotton with up to six times more glyphosate being applied and with 21% fewer growers applying pre-emergence herbicides in glyphosate-resistant cotton fields. Other weed control practices, such as the use of post-emergence herbicides, inter-row cultivation and hand hoeing, were only reduced marginally. A systems experiment was conducted to determine differences in the population dynamics of Echinochloa crus-galli (barnyardgrass) and Urochloa panicoides (liverseed grass) under a range of weed management regimes in a glyphosate-resistant cotton system. These treatments ranged from a full IWM system to a system based soley on the use of glyphosate. The experiment investigated the effect of the treatments on the soil seed bank, weed germination patterns and weed numbers in the field. All applied treatments resulted in commercially acceptable control of the two grass weeds. However, the treatments containing soil-applied residual herbicides proved to be more effective over the period of the experiment. The treatment with a reduced residual herbicide program supplemented with glyphosate had a level of control similar to the full IWM treatments with less input, providing a more economical option. The effectiveness of these treatments in the long-term was examined in a simulation model to determine the likelihood of glyphosate resistance evolving using barnyardgrass and liverseed grass as model weeds. Seed production and above-ground biomass of barnyardgrass and liverseed grass in competition with cotton were measured. In all experiments, seed production and biomass plant⁻¹ decreased as weed density increased while seed production and biomass m⁻¹ tended to increase. Seed production m⁻¹ reached 40,000 and 60,000 for barnyardgrass and liverseed grass, respectively. In 2004-05, weeds were also planted 6 weeks and 12 weeks after the cotton was planted. Biomass and seed production of the two weeds planted 6 weeks after cotton were significantly reduced with seed production declining to 12,000 and 2,500 seeds m⁻¹ row for barnyardgrass and liverseed grass, respectively. Weeds planted 12 weeks after cotton planting failed to emerge. This experiment highlighted the importance of early season weed control and effective management of weeds that are able to produce high seed numbers. A glyphosate dose-mortality experiment was conducted in the field to determine levels of control of barnyardgrass and liverseed grass. Glyphosate provided effective control of both species with over 85% control when the rate applied was greater than 690 g ae ha⁻¹. Dose-mortality curves for both species were obtained for use in the glyphosate resistance model. Data from the experimental work were combined to develop a glyphosate resistance model. Outputs from this model suggest that if glyphosate were used as the only form of weed control, resistance in weeds is likely to eventuate after 12 to 17 years, depending on the characteristics of the weed species, initial resistance gene frequencies and any associated fitness penalties. If glyphosate was used in conjunction with one other weed control method, resistance was delayed but not prevented. The simulations suggested that when a combination of weed control options was employed in addition to glyphosate, resistance would not evolve over the 30-year period of the simulation. These simulations underline the importance of an integrated strategy in weed management to prevent glyphosate resistance evolving from the use of glyphosate-resistant cotton. Current management conditions of growing glyphosate-resistant (Roundup Ready &reg) cotton should therefore prevent glyphosate resistance evolution. / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, 2006.

The introduction of glyphosate resistance into Australian cotton systems will have an effect on conventional weed management practices, the weed species present and the risk of glyphosate resistance evolving in weed species. Therefore, it is important that the effects of these management practices, particularly a potential reduction in Integrated Weed Management (IWM) practices, be examined to determine their impact on weed population dynamics and resistance selection. The study began in 2003 with a survey of 40 growers in four major cotton growing regions in Australia to gain an understanding of how adoption of glyphosate resistance had influenced the weed spectrum, weed management practices and herbicide use after three years of glyphosate-resistant cotton being available. The 10 most common weeds reported on cotton fields were the same in glyphosate-resistant and conventional fields. In this survey, herbicide use patterns were altered by the adoption of glyphosate-resistant cotton with up to six times more glyphosate being applied and with 21% fewer growers applying pre-emergence herbicides in glyphosate-resistant cotton fields. Other weed control practices, such as the use of post-emergence herbicides, inter-row cultivation and hand hoeing, were only reduced marginally. A systems experiment was conducted to determine differences in the population dynamics of Echinochloa crus-galli (barnyardgrass) and Urochloa panicoides (liverseed grass) under a range of weed management regimes in a glyphosate-resistant cotton system. These treatments ranged from a full IWM system to a system based soley on the use of glyphosate. The experiment investigated the effect of the treatments on the soil seed bank, weed germination patterns and weed numbers in the field. All applied treatments resulted in commercially acceptable control of the two grass weeds. However, the treatments containing soil-applied residual herbicides proved to be more effective over the period of the experiment. The treatment with a reduced residual herbicide program supplemented with glyphosate had a level of control similar to the full IWM treatments with less input, providing a more economical option. The effectiveness of these treatments in the long-term was examined in a simulation model to determine the likelihood of glyphosate resistance evolving using barnyardgrass and liverseed grass as model weeds. Seed production and above-ground biomass of barnyardgrass and liverseed grass in competition with cotton were measured. In all experiments, seed production and biomass plant⁻¹ decreased as weed density increased while seed production and biomass m⁻¹ tended to increase. Seed production m⁻¹ reached 40,000 and 60,000 for barnyardgrass and liverseed grass, respectively. In 2004-05, weeds were also planted 6 weeks and 12 weeks after the cotton was planted. Biomass and seed production of the two weeds planted 6 weeks after cotton were significantly reduced with seed production declining to 12,000 and 2,500 seeds m⁻¹ row for barnyardgrass and liverseed grass, respectively. Weeds planted 12 weeks after cotton planting failed to emerge. This experiment highlighted the importance of early season weed control and effective management of weeds that are able to produce high seed numbers. A glyphosate dose-mortality experiment was conducted in the field to determine levels of control of barnyardgrass and liverseed grass. Glyphosate provided effective control of both species with over 85% control when the rate applied was greater than 690 g ae ha⁻¹. Dose-mortality curves for both species were obtained for use in the glyphosate resistance model. Data from the experimental work were combined to develop a glyphosate resistance model. Outputs from this model suggest that if glyphosate were used as the only form of weed control, resistance in weeds is likely to eventuate after 12 to 17 years, depending on the characteristics of the weed species, initial resistance gene frequencies and any associated fitness penalties. If glyphosate was used in conjunction with one other weed control method, resistance was delayed but not prevented. The simulations suggested that when a combination of weed control options was employed in addition to glyphosate, resistance would not evolve over the 30-year period of the simulation. These simulations underline the importance of an integrated strategy in weed management to prevent glyphosate resistance evolving from the use of glyphosate-resistant cotton. Current management conditions of growing glyphosate-resistant (Roundup Ready &reg) cotton should therefore prevent glyphosate resistance evolution. / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, 2006.