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Increasing evidence on environmental and economic benefits has raised farmers' interest in adopting alternative, less intensive soil management practices. To evaluate the influence of weed-competitive ability in response to a different tillage regime, a field study was conducted in maize under humid Central European climatic conditions in Slovenia. This study was established as a split-plot arrangement with three tillage practices (TPs) as the main plot: conventional (CN), conservation (CS), and no tillage (NT); this was combined with glyphosate application and the weed removal timing as the subplot. The weed removal timings were at the V3, V6, V9, V15, and R1 maize stages, with weed-free and weed season-long monitoring. The beginning and the end of the critical period of weed control (CPWC), based on a 5% maize yield loss rate, were determined by fitting the four-parameter log-logistic equations to the relative maize dry grain yield. The weed dry biomass from maize germination until the R1 growth stage in the NT TP was consistently lower than that in the CN and CS TP. Moreover, the NT TP resulted in a shorter CPWC (39 days after emergence (DAE)) compared to the CN (57 DAE) and CS (58 DAE). The results of CTWR (critical timing of weed removal) showed that less intensive tillage operations in the CS resulted in an earlier need for weed control (V2 and 23 DAE) compared to the CN (V3 and 39 DAE) and NT (V3 and 40 DAE). Our study suggests that the intensive tillage operations performed in the CN TP and the pre-sowing use of non-selective burndown herbicide in the NT delay the CTWR by more than 2 weeks, thus reducing the need for early post-emergence herbicide application in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium L.) is a widespread troublesome perennial weed species that has strong rhizome regenerative capacity. Four pot trials with randomised, complete block designs were conducted in 2015 to evaluate long-term control of hedge bindweed using individual, tank mixture, and sequential applications of selected herbicides. Two different formulations of N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine (glyphosate; isopropylamine, trimesium salts) were applied at 2000 g active ingredient (a.i.) ha−1. Additionally, two synthetic auxins were applied as 3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid (dicamba) at 500 g a.i. ha−1 and the dimethylamine salt of (2,4 dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid (2,4-D) at 1000 g a.i. ha−1. Tank mixtures and sequential applications (12/24 h separation) of these different herbicides were also included. Long-term control of hedge bindweed, Calystegia sepium L., growth was evaluated 8 months after treatments, as comparisons of shoot and rhizome growth (biomass) between untreated and treated plants. There were no differences between the two formulations of glyphosate alone, with shoot and rhizome biomass reductions of 83% and 42%, respectively. Dicamba alone inhibited shoot and rhizome biomass by 86% and 67%, respectively. By itself, 2,4-D provided the greatest reductions in shoot and rhizome biomasses, 93% and 79%, respectively. Antagonism was seen in the tank mixtures of glyphosate and dicamba or 2,4-D. Tank mixtures were generally comparable to treatments of glyphosate alone, and were less effective compared to dicamba or 2,4-D alone. The greatest reduction of bindweed rhizome biomass was for sequential glyphosate trimesium salt followed by 2,4-D 12 h later, thus showing significantly greater efficacy over glyphosate isopropylamine salt (94% vs. 84%; p ≤ 0.05). These data for reductions of the growth of the rhizome biomass show that the sequential application of glyphosate followed by 2,4-D significantly improves long-term control of hedge bindweed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]