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Frequent cultivation is often used to control weeds in crops such as lettuce. The efficacy of this technique on weed populations has been evaluated, but the effect on weed emergence and seedbanks is less documented. Studies in mineral soil indicate that soil disturbance can increase both weed emergence and seed persistence depending on where seeds are redistributed in the soil profile. Evaluations done in muck soil are scarce. This study evaluated the effect of two and four repetitive shallow (3.4 to 7.1 cm deep) cultivations on weed emergence and the weed seedbank in muck soil. Cultivation treatments (0, 2, and 4 cultivations using a inter-row rototiller) were done in lettuce plots from 2017 to 2019. Weed density was evaluated by species before each cultivation date and after crop harvest. Viable seedbanks were evaluated by collecting soil samples before and after each growing season and placing them in greenhouse flats. Statistical analyses were based on mixed models. Results showed that shallow cultivation modified the emergence patterns of weeds but did not reduce total emergence during the subsequent years or viable seedbanks. After two seasons without seed inputs, total emergence was reduced by 46.6% and the seedbank was reduced by 31.7% regardless of the cultivation treatment. However, the seedbank of the very abundant common purslane (Portulaca oleracea) remained high.

Palmer amaranth is one of the most economically important and widespread weeds of arable land in the United States. Although no populations are currently known to exist in Canada, its distribution has expanded northward such that it is present in many of the states bordering Canada and multiple pathways exist for its introduction. In this short communication, we report on the transport of viable Palmer amaranth seed on imported sweet potato slips. A reproductive pair of Palmer amaranth seedlings were identified from soil accompanying imported sweet potato slips in 2018. Identification was confirmed using species-specific single nucleotide polymorphisms.

This is the first record of protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) inhibitor resistance in eastern Canada, and the second record of a glyphosate-resistant weed in Quebec. In 2016 and 2017, waterhemp seed was collected from 25 locations across Ontario and Quebec. All populations tested positive for imazethapyr resistance. Three-way resistance to imazethapyr, atrazine, and glyphosate was confirmed in 80% of the samples. Additionally, between 2015 and 2017, waterhemp seed was collected from 74 locations in Ontario or Quebec and resistance to lactofen was confirmed in 28% of the seed lots screened.

Herbicide resistance is selected for within a weed population through the recurrent use of an herbicide. Once the use of the herbicide is reduced or discontinued, the trait may persist in the population unless resistance endows a fitness penalty. Few studies have examined the long-term persistence of an herbicide resistance trait in a weed population once the selection pressure that led to its prevalence has been removed. The objective of this research was to re-survey the locations described by A.J.J. Smisek in her 1995 study of a paraquat resistant biotype of C. canadensis on the grounds of the Harrow Research and Development Centre. Results indicate that, ∼20 yr after paraquat use was significantly reduced, a glyphosate resistant biotype had replaced the paraquat resistant biotype at all but one of the original locations surveyed by Smisek. The sole location where the paraquat resistant biotype was observed was an old, un-treed orchard row currently managed by mowing. This location not only served as a refuge for the paraquat resistant biotype, ensuring its persistence in the face of strong selection for glyphosate resistance at all other locations, but it facilitated the co-occurrence of glyphosate and paraquat resistant biotypes. The observation of a multiple resistant biotype at this location alone, with resistance to both paraquat and glyphosate, suggests a role for refugia in the stacking of herbicide resistance traits. Given that this stacking occurred in the absence of either herbicide, we hypothesize that the multiple resistant biotype arose through pollen mediated gene flow among biotypes.

Erwinia amylovora and Pseudomonas syringae are bacterial phytopathogens responsible for considerable yield losses in commercial pome fruit production. The pathogens, if left untreated, can compromise tree health and economically impact entire commercial fruit productions. Historically, the choice of effective control methods has been limited. The use of antibiotics was proposed as an effective control method. The identification of these pathogens and screening for the presence of antibiotic resistance is paramount in the adoption and implementation of disease control methods. Molecular tests have been developed and accepted for identification and characterization of these disease-causing organisms. We improved existing molecular tests by developing methods that are equal or superior in robustness for identifying E. amylovora or P. syringae while being faster to execute. In addition, the real-time PCR-based detection method for E. amylovora provided complementary information on the susceptibility or resistance to streptomycin of individual isolates. Finally, we describe a methodology and results that compare the aggressiveness of the different bacterial isolates on four apple cultivars. We show that bacterial isolates exhibit different behaviors when brought into contact with various apple varieties and that the hierarchical clustering of symptom severity indicates a population structure, suggesting a genetic basis for host cultivar specificity.

In this short communication, we report the observation of a tricotyledenous giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida L.) individual. In contrast to the normal dicotyledenous pattern of phyllotaxy, this individual was observed to express three axillary meristems at each node that intersected the main stem at angles of 120°.

Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) is frequently observed in Quebec carrot fields. Carrot growers essentially rely on linuron, a photosystem II inhibitor, to control this broadleaf weed. A...