跳至主要内容

Hot Water Treatment Enhances the Bioherbicidal Efficacy of a Fungus

Heat is a valuable entity that has served a variety of needs throughout human history, but only relatively recently has heat been used for weed control, where it may serve as an alternative to chemical herbicides. Much of the research involved with heat to control weeds has been via four general methods: controlled burning, flaming of weeds, hot water treatment and steam application.

Synthetic herbicides have been a tremendous asset to weed control in agriculture; however, weed control problems still exist, and many weeds have developed resistance to herbicides. An alternative to synthetic herbicides for weed control is the concept of bioherbicides. Bioherbicides are microbes and/or microbial phytotoxins used to control weeds. 

In this paper, the authors hypothesized that hot water treatment, followed by a bioherbicide application, might promote the efficacy a given pathogen for control of certain weeds. And the authors chose to examine the effects of hot water applications and CT (applied or formulated with corn oil emulsions and Silwet L-77) under greenhouse and field conditions for the control of hemp sesbania, an important weed in row crops in the southern U.S. In all greenhouse experiments, treatments were arranged in a randomized block design with four replicates (48 plants per replicate) and the experiments were repeated over time. In the field experiments, all treatments were replicated 4 times and the experiment was repeated in successive years.

The results indicated that hemp sesbania (Sesbania exaltata) plants (>30 cm tall) sprayed with hot water (45°C – 95°C), followed by spray applications of fungal spores of Colletotrichum truncatum (CT) at 1.0 × 107 spores/ml-1 and 22°C – 25°C, suspended either in: 0.2% Silwet L-77 surfactant (SW); unrefined corn oil (CO)/distilled water (1:1, v:v); or 0.2% SW in CO, were controlled by 80% - 95%, 12 days after treatment (DAT) under greenhouse conditions. These treatments also reduced dry weight accumulation of this weed. Plants treated with hot water without CT were also injured at temperatures ≥35°C (5% mortality), and 60% mortality at 95°C. Artificial dew treatments (25°C, 12 h), imposed on plants after the treatment protocols above, had little or no effect on weed mortality or dry weight reduction compared to treated plants without dew. Under field conditions, 85% control of hemp sesbania was achieved 12 - 15 DAT when a pre-treatment with hot water (65°C) was followed immediately with a CT application at the spore concentration as described above. Plants in field tests treated with CT without a hot water treatment were visually unaffected, with no mortality or plant biomass reductions recorded 15 DAT.

In conclusion, these results suggest that use of hot water may be an important tool for improving the infectivity and bioherbicidal potential of some plant pathogens. Future research will be needed to transform this concept into an economical and efficient technology for weed control.


Article by C. Douglas Boyette, et al, from USA.

Full access: http://suo.im/50TdpW

评论

发表评论

此博客中的热门博文

Incorporation of High-Altitude Balloon Experiment in High School Science Classrooms

High-altitude balloon is a balloon, filled usually with helium or hydrogen that ascends into an area called “near space” or stratosphere. The most common type of high-altitude balloons are weather balloons. Other purposes include use as a platform for experiments in the upper atmosphere. Modern balloons generally contain electronic equipment such as radio transmitters, cameras, or satellite navigation systems, such as GPS receivers. The mission of the High-Altitude Balloon Experiment (HABE) is to acquire supporting data, validate enabling technologies, and resolve critical acquisition, tracking, and pointing (ATP) and fire control issues in support of future space-based precision pointing experiments. The use of high-altitude balloons offers a relatively low-cost, low-vibration test platform, a recoverable and reusable payload, worldwide launch capability, and a 'near- space' emulation of the future space systems operational scenarios. More recently, several university...
1 条评论
阅读全文

Location Optimization of a Coal Power Plant to Balance Costs against Plant’s Emission Exposure

Fuel and its delivery cost comprise the biggest expense in coal power plant operations. Delivery of electricity from generation to consumers requires investment in power lines and transmission grids. Placing a coal power plant or multiple power plants near dense population centers can lower transmission costs. If a coalmine is nearby, transportation costs can also be reduced. However, emissions from coal plants play a key role in worsening health crises in many countries. And coal upon combustion produces CO 2 , SO 2 , NO x , CO, Metallic and Particle Matter (PM10 & PM2.5). The presence of these chemical compounds in the atmosphere in close vicinity to humans, livestock, and agriculture carries detrimental health consequences. The goal of the research was to develop a methodology to minimize the public’s exposure to harmful emissions from coal power plants while maintaining minimal operational costs related to electric distribution losses and coal logistics. The objective was...
发表评论
阅读全文

Effects of Karate Training on Basic Motor Abilities of Primary School Children

“You never attack first in karate” might be the best conclusion of karate, which is a martial art practiced typically without weapons. It’s reported that karate has a long history for several hundred years, but the modern karate was spread to the whole Japan from Okinawa in the early part of 20th century. Now it has become one of the most widely practiced martial art forms in the world. Usually, it’s divided into Kihon, Kata and Kumite. As for the beginners, Kihon is more suitable for them because it involves basic techniques. Due to karate consists of dynamic offensive and defensive techniques using all parts of the body to their maximum advantage, the best understanding of true karate practice is the perfection of oneself through the perfection of the art. It not only develops coordination, quickens reflexes, and builds stamina, but also develops composure, a clearer thought process, deeper insight into one’s mental capabilities, and more self-confidence. So many researchers stu...
发表评论
阅读全文