Baruch Rubin

Hebrew University of Jerusalem | HUJI · Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Crop-weed competition is a significant barrier to successful crop production. Understanding invasive weed competing with field crops is rather difficult, mainly due to the absence of physiological and ecological knowledge, which allows selective and appropriate control of the weed. Parthenium hysterophorus is a worldwide noxious annual weed infesti...

Parasitic plants belonging to the Orobanchaceae family include species that cause heavy damage to crops in Mediterranean climate regions. Phelipanche aegyptiaca is the most common of the Orobanchaceae species in Israel inflicting heavy damage to a wide range of broadleaf crops, including processing tomatoes. P. aegyptiaca is extremely difficult to...

Parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) (Asteraceae; Heliantheae) is an invasive allergenic species that has invaded many countries worldwide, probably through an imported pasture, grain seeds, and livestock feed. In recent years, there has been increasing concern about the spread of the invasive P. hysterophorus in agricultural and non-agric...

Three main Ambrosia species (Ragweed) grow in Israel; the most abundant invasive Ambrosia confertiflora DC, whereas A. artemisiifolia L. and A. tenuifolia Spreng., are of restricted distribution. The present research was aimed to study the effect of temperatures regimes on the development and growth of these Ambrosia species, to elucidate the envir...

Diplotaxis erucoides and Erucaria hispanica are common weeds of the Mediterranean region; they infest various habitats including cultivated fields and roadsides. In several fields across Israel, farmers have reported on poor control of D. erucoides and E. hispanica plants using acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors. Greenhouse experiments were con...

Various mutations altering the herbicide target site (TS), can lead to structural modifications that decrease binding efficiency and results in herbicide resistant weed. In most cases, such a mutation will be associated with ecological fitness penalty under herbicide free environmental conditions. Here we describe the effect of various mutations, e...

Climate change endangers food security and our ability to feed the ever-increasing human population. Weeds are the most important biotic stress, reducing crop-plant productivity worldwide. Chemical control, the main approach for weed management, can be strongly affected by temperature. Previously, we have shown that temperature-dependent non-target...

Weed infestations in agricultural systems constitute a serious challenge to agricultural sustainability and food security worldwide. Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson (Palmer amaranth) is one of the most noxious weeds causing significant yield reductions in various crops. The ability to estimate seed viability and herbicide susceptibility is a key facto...

Herbicide-resistance mutations may impose a fitness penalty in herbicide-free environments. Moreover, the fitness penalty associated with herbicide resistance is not a stable parameter and can be influenced by ecological factors. Here, we used two Brachypodium hybridum accessions collected from the same planted forest, sensitive (S) and target-site...

Main conclusion Global warming will increase the incidence of metabolism-based reduced herbicide efficacy on weeds and, therefore, the risk for evolution of non-target site herbicide resistance. Climate changes affect food security both directly and indirectly. Weeds are the major biotic factor limiting crop production worldwide, and herbicides are...

Aromatic plants and their volatile compounds affect seed germination and plant growth, and therefore hold potential for agriculture uses as plant growth regulators and bioherbicides. In the present study 17 major monoterpenes were selected, and their mechanisms of plant toxicity were elucidated using transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana at various growt...

Background: Conyza spp. was the first broadleaf weed reported to have evolved glyphosate resistance. Several mechanisms have been proposed for glyphosate resistance. In an effort to elucidate the mechanism of this resistance in Conyza bonariensis, possible target-site and non-target site mechanisms were investigated in glyphosate-resistant (GR) C....

Background: Conyza bonariensis and C. canadensis are troublesome weeds, particularly in fields with minimum tillage, on roadsides and in perennial crops. The distribution of these difficult-to-control species is further increased by the spread of glyphosate resistant (GR) populations. A preliminary investigation has demonstrated the existence of v...

Conyza species are troublesome weeds infesting various habitats in Europe and the Mediterranean region. Until now more than 80 cases of herbicide resistance were reported in Conyza species. A survey of Conyza canadensis (CC) and Conyza bonariensis (CB) populations was conducted across Israel; seeds of more than 90 populations were collected and cha...

Main conclusion: Distribution of Conyza species is well correlated with human interference. Multiple herbicide resistance is caused by the attempt to overcome resistance to one mode of action by overuse of another. Conyza canadensis (CC) and Conyza bonariensis (CB) are troublesome weeds around the world. Extensive use of herbicides has led to the...

In order to provide sufficient food and fibre to the increasing global population the technologies associated with crop protection are growing ever more sophisticated but, at the same time, societal expectations for the safe use of crop protection chemistry tools, are also increasing. The goal of this perspective is to highlight the key issues that...

Israel is a semi-arid country typical of the Mediterranean basin, which is characterized by a long, hot and dry summer with a short rainy (November-March) and mild winter season. Water resources are limited and recycled sewage water and desalinated water are used for drip or sprinkler irrigation. Agriculture is diverse as it includes mostly rain-fe...

New cases of herbicide-resistant grasses are increasing worldwide. Many grass weeds such as Lolium rigidum and Alopecurus myosuroides are characterized by self-incompatible reproduction system. Here we present BrIFAR: a new model system for functional analysis of herbicide resistance mechanisms in grass weeds. We have developed a large collection o...

Design and test of clay-based formulations of pesticides for solving environmental and economical problems are described. Organoclays were mainly designed to promote the adsorption of neutral and hydrophobic pesticides and slow their release. Adsorption of organic cations modifies the nature of the clay mineral surface, transforming it from hydroph...

BrIFAR: A comprehensive resource for functional characterization of herbicide resistance mechanism in grass weeds Matzrafi M., Gadri Y., Rubin B. and Peleg Z. Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences & Genetics in Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Food & Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel. maor.matz@gma...

Evolution of molecular and biochemical mechanisms of herbicides resistant in Lolium spp. M. Matzrafi, Z. Peleg and B. Rubin The Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel. E-mail: maor.matz@gmail.com Lolium spp. (annual r...

The role of molecular and biochemical mechanisms in multiple herbicide resistance in Lolium spp. M Matzrafi, Z Peleg and B Rubin The Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel. E-mail: maor.matz@gmail.com Lolium spp. (annu...

Dvorkin G, Manor M, Sibony M, Chefetz B & Rubin B (2012). Effects of long-term irrigation with reclaimed wastewater on the efficacy and fate of trifloxysulfuron-sodium in the soil. Weed Research.52, 441–448. Long-term irrigation with reclaimed wastewater (RWW) is known to affect the physical, chemical and biological properties of the receiving soil...

Multiple herbicide resistance in rigid ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) in Israel Maor Matzrafi1, Baruch Rubin1, 1. The Robert H. Smith Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel E-mail: maor.matz@gmail.com Resistance of Lolium rigidum to ACCase...

Goldwasser Y, Miryamchik H, Sibony M & Rubin B (2012). Detection of resistant chickpea (Cicer arietinum) genotypes to Cuscuta campestris (field dodder). Weed Research 52, 122–130. The parasitic plant Cuscuta campestris (field dodder) is the most damaging dodder species, parasitising shoots of broad-leaved crops. Cuscuta campestris control is extrem...

The plant volatile monoterpene citral is a highly active compound with suggested allelopathic traits. Seed germination and seedling development are inhibited in the presence of citral, and it disrupts microtubules in both plant and animal cells in interphase. We addressed the following additional questions: can citral interfere with cell division;...

In recent years, common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) populations from sugar beet fields in different European countries have responded as resistant to the as-triazinone metamitron. The populations have been found to have the same D1 point mutation as known for atrazine-resistant biotypes (Ser264 to Gly). However, pot experiments revealed th...

The aroma in sweet basil is a factor affecting the commercial value of the crop. In previous studies leaf age was considered to be a factor that influences the composition of essential oil (EO). In this study it was hypothesized that a single observation of the EO content in leaves from different positions on the main stem (young vs old) could pred...

Seasonal changes in seed dormancy of Datura ferox L. and D. stramonium L. were studied during 2 years in seeds buried in the field and compared with changes in dormancy of dry-stored seeds. Dormancy levels were evaluated by measuring the germination of exhumed and dry-stored seeds under 32:27 °C (nondormant seeds) or 32:12 °C (relatively dormant se...

When synthetic, xenobiotic compounds such as agrochemicals and industrial chemicals are utilized, they eventually reach the soil environment where they are subject to degradation, leaching, volatilization, sorption, and uptake by organisms. The simplest assumption is that such chemicals in soil are totally available to microorganisms, plant roots,...

Citral is a component of plant essential oils that possesses several biological activities. It has known medicinal traits, and is used as a food additive and in cosmetics. Citral has been suggested to have potential in weed management, but its precise mode of action at the cellular level is unknown. Here we investigated the immediate response of pl...

Herbicide-resistant crop technology could provide new management strategies for the control of parasitic plants. Three herbicide-resistant oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) genotypes were used to examine the response of attached Cuscuta campestris Yuncker to glyphosate, imazamox and glufosinate. Cuscata campestris was allowed to establish on all oil...

Phalaris paradoxa (awned canary-grass) is an aggressive annual winter weed in wheat and other arable crops that is controlled mainly by ACCase-inhibiting herbicides: cyclohexanediones (DIMs), aryloxyphenoxypropionates (FOPs) and phenylpyrazolines (DENs, e.g. pinoxaden). The selection pressure imposed on the weed populations by repeated use of these...

Sunflower broomrape and Egyptian broomrape are two holoparasites of sunflower that cause severe yield loss. The aim of the current study was to clarify the relationship between temperature and sunflower broomrape and Egyptian broomrape parasitism of the resistant sunflower variety ‘Ambar’ (R) and the susceptible variety ‘Adi’ (S). Experiments were...

The effects of three postemergence herbicides that inhibit carotenoid biosynthesis were tested on field dodder. Flurochloridone, Adcotrione, and mesotrione treatments led to bleaching symptoms in field dodder stems. The effect of flurochloridone was rapid; 2 d after treatment (DAT) the stem was bleached and contained only 2% beta-carotene, with a m...

The herbicide ethofumesate is commonly used in onion fields in Israel. Experiments with four onion cultivars have shown the combination of a pre-emergence treatment with ethofumesate and foliar application of a variety of herbicides to cause a marked decrease in plant fresh weight. This effect of ethofumesate was still evident when post-emergence h...

The large-scale commercial cultivation of transgenic crops has undergone a steady increase since their introduction 10 years ago. Most of these crops bear introduced traits that are of agronomic importance, such as herbicide or insect resistance. These traits are likely to impact upon the use of pesticides on these crops, as well as the pesticide m...

Wheat has been traditionally an important crop in Turkey. Wild oat species (Avena spp.) have high occurrence and intensity in most regions of Turkey. Chemical control of wild oat has been used since the 1970s. Surviving sterile wild oat (Avena sterilis) plants after an ACCase herbicide application were first detected in the late 1990s. Seven (AKR1;...

Glyphosate-resistant cotton (GRC) was introduced experimentally to Israel in 1998. Field and laboratory studies were conducted in 1998–2000 to evaluate the effect of the timing and rates of glyphosate application on cotton development and fruit set. No damage to the vegetative parts of cotton plants was observed when glyphosate was applied over-the...

This chapter describes clay-based formulations of pesticides, whose design was to solve environmental and economical problems. The chapter focuses on herbicides—the leading type of pesticide used. Herbicides are applied to fields to impede the growth of weeds. However, only a part of the applied amount is bioactive, a certain part remains attached...

Yield reduction caused by late application of glyphosate to glyphosate-resistant cotton (Gossypium hirsutum; GRC) expressing CP4 5-enol-pyruvylshikmate-3-P synthase under the cauliflower mosaic virus-35S promoter has been attributed to male sterility. This study was aimed to elucidate the factors and mechanisms involved in this phenomenon. Western...

Seed coat structures may play a major role in determining the germination of seeds. The involvement of seed coat characteristics in the inhibition of germination observed when dry seeds of Datura ferox L. and D. stramonium L., were rinsed or soaked in water for 1–5 min (‘soaking effect’) was investigated. Germination was inhibited by soaking D. fer...

Different developmental traits that determine the reproductive strategy of E. geniculata were studied in order to obtain the basic information needed for an integrated approach to the control of this weed. Effects of daylength (8 h vs. 16 h) and temperature (range 32/17°C-17/12°C) on growth and flowering were examined under controlled conditions. E...

The effect of metham-sodium on Orobanche aegyptiaca Pers. was tested in the laboratory and in soil columns. The laboratory experiment was carried out on O. aegyptiaca seeds placed in Petri dishes and germinated with GR24, a synthetic strigol analogue. In soil columns, metham-sodium was applied by application of the chemical through the irrigation w...

The herbicide endothall (7-oxabicyclo 2.2.1 heptane-2, 3-dicarboxylic acid) was applied to cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. cv. Acala SJ-1) cotyledon discs. Treatment with 10−4M endothall for 24 h resulted in injury which was expressed by increased leakage of electrolytes, development of necrotic areas, increased level of polyphenols and tissue browni...

Herbicide-resistant plants can be generated by either traditional breeding procedures or genetic engineering. Analyses of plant responses to a newly developed herbicide or the tolerance level of a newly developed plant line to a given herbicide are based on various bioassays. Here, we describe several methods for quantitative measurements of plants...

The transition from hunting gathering to a farming based economy – the Neolithic Revolution, was a crucial junction in the human career, attracting the attention of many scholars: archaeologists, anthropologists, geographers, botanists, geneticists and evolutionists among others. Our understanding of this major transformation is rather limited main...

Cyperus esculentus L., a cosmopolitan noxious weed, has been recorded for the first time in an agricultural irrigated field in Israel. Hand-weeding, herbicides and soil disinfestation methods were only partially effective in controlling the weed. The distribution map of the weed is unknown, and it is unclear how the weed has been introduced into Is...

Removal of anionic pollutants (imazaquin, sulfentrazone, sulfosulfuron) and neutral pollutants (alachlor, acetochlor, chlorotoluron, bromacil) from water by micelles preadsorbed on montmorillonite was studied. Micelles of octadecyltrimethylammonium and benzyldimethylhexadecylammonium (BDMHDA) were used. The micelle-clay systems (1% w/w) removed 87-...

The molecular basis and mode of inheritance of resistance to ACCase-inhibiting herbicides were investigated in a biotype of Lolium rigidum Gaud that has been discovered in Israel. Dose-response experiments at the whole-plant level have revealed that the resistant biotype was more resistant (6.3- to 40-fold) than the susceptible wild-type to ACCase-...

The parasitic plant Cuscuta campestris is dependent on its host for water, assimilates and amino acids. It can be controlled by the herbicide glyphosate, which inhibits 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS), resulting in shikimate accumulation. In this study, C. campestris was parasitic on transgenic tobacco plants expressing green fl...

Development of four Orobanche species, O. cumana, O. aegyptiaca, O. ramosa, and O. cernua, was compared on resistant and susceptible sunflower cultivars. Sunflower plants were infected by O. cumana, O. aegyptiaca, and O. ramosa, but not by O. cernua, in field and greenhouse studies. However, cultivating the hosts and parasites in a polyethylene bag...

The response of Cuscuta campestris Yuncker, a non-specific above-ground holoparasite, to amino acid biosynthesis inhibitor (AABI) herbicides, was compared with other resistant and sensitive plants in dose–response assays carried out in Petri dishes. Cuscuta campestris was found to be much more resistant to all AABI herbicides tested. The I50 value...

A new approach was developed for reducing leaching of herbicides and contamination of groundwater. Liposome-clay formulations of the anionic herbicides sulfometuron and sulfosulfuron were designed for slow release by incorporating the herbicide in positively charged vesicles of didodecyldimethylammonium (DDAB), which were adsorbed on the negatively...

National governments introduced residue limits and guideline levels for pesticide residues in water when policies were implemented to minimize the contamination of ground and surface waters. Initially, the main attention was given to drinking water. Regulatory limits for pesticide residues in waters should have the following characteristics: defini...

Interactions of the herbicide sulfentrazone with the cationic surfactants octadecyltrimethylammonium (ODTMA), hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA), and benzyldimethylhexadecylammonium (BDMHDA) have been studied for the design of slow-release formulations based on sulfentrazone adsorbed on a micelle-montmorillonite complex. Adsorbed amounts of sulfent...

Amaranthus blitoides S. Watson (prostrate pigweed) populations resistant to acetolactate synthase (ALS; EC 4.1.3.18)-inhibiting herbicides and triazines (SuR/TR) were found in Israel. The Ganot population was 6- to 790-fold more resistant to ALS inhibitors than the wild type due to an altered target site. Molecular analyses showed that the Ganot po...

The effects of various temperature regimes in the range 29–17/21–9 °C day/night on each stage of the parasitism process of Orobanche cumana and O. aegyptiaca on sunflower were studied under controlled conditions in polyethylene bags. The response of the resistant sunflower variety ‘Ambar’ was expressed as the degeneration of the parasite tissues af...

Summary Field studies were conducted to evaluate the ecological fitness of Amaranthus spp. biotypes that evolved resistance to either acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors (A. retroflexus, SuR), to triazine herbicides (A. blitoides, SuS/TR), or to both (A. blitoides, SuR/TR), and estimate their ecological fitness under competitive conditions. The...

Ground water pollution due to herbicide leaching has become a serious environmental problem. Imazaquin [2-(4-isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidazolin-2-yl)quinoline-3-carboxylic acid] is an herbicide used to control broadleaf weeds in legume crops. Imazaquin is negatively charged at the basic pH of calcareous soils and exhibits high leaching potential...

On or before Apr 5, 2016 this sequence version replaced gi:23343949, gi:23343950, gi:23343948.

The soil sorption coefficient Kd and the soil organic carbon sorption coefficient KOC of pesticides are basic parameters used by environmental scientists and regulatory agencies worldwide in describing the environmental fate and behavior of pesticides. They are a measure of the strength of sorption of pesticides to soils and other geosorbent surfac...

The aim of this study was to understand the interactions between alkylammonium cations present as monomers and micelles and a clay mineral, montmorillonite, to develop slow release formulations of anionic herbicides, such as sulfometuron (SFM) whose leaching in soils is an environmental and economic problem. In the proposed formulation the herbicid...

The design and tests of slow-release formulations of sulfometuron (SFM), an anionic sulfonylurea herbicide, are described. The formulations are based on incorporation of the herbicide in octadecyltrimethylammonium (ODTMA) micelles, which adsorb on a clay mineral, montmorillonite. An optimization of herbicide/micelle clay ratios yielded high adsorpt...