Donato Loddo

Italian National Research Council | CNR · Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection

A R T I C L E I N F O Keywords: Triticale Mustard Rye Clover Weed diversity Weed community shift A B S T R A C T Cover crops (CCs) are recognised as valuable for weed management, while fallow soil between cash crop seasons likely increases weed presence. Weeds may offer similar ecosystem services as CCs, although they pose a risk of seedbank buildu...

Pelargonic acid is the most successful natural herbicide and can contribute to reducing synthetic herbicides, but information on its efficacy is contrasting. Given its high cost, a reduction of the rate could facilitate the spread of the use of this herbicide. Two greenhouse and three field experiments were conducted to evaluate the herbicidal effi...

The rapid increase of herbicide resistance in some of the most problematic annual weeds, and potential negative impacts of herbicides on human health and the environment have led growers to look for alternative non-chemical weed control. Harvest weed seed control (HWSC) is a non-chemical weed control tactic based on reduction of seed return of prim...

Barnyard grass [Echinochloa crus‐galli (L.) Beauv] is a competitive C4 weed species that is widely distributed throughout the world. Although it originated in warm climatic conditions, currently, it is found in Europe as far north as Norway. This study aimed to compare the phenological development of plants from different climatic conditions in var...

Freshwater ecosystems are the most vulnerable environments worldwide and the most biodiverse, providing essential ecosystem services. The role of land management in agriculture is paramount with the dramatic increase in pesticides: two million tonnes used worldwide (47.5% herbicides, 29.5% insecticides, and 17.5% fungicides) are jeopardising freshw...

Freshwater ecosystems are the most vulnerable environments worldwide and the most biodiverse, providing essential ecosystem services. The role of land management in agriculture is paramount with the dramatic increase in pesticides: two million tonnes used worldwide (47.5% herbicides, 29.5% insecticides, and 17.5% fungicides) are jeopardising freshw...

EPSPS and ABC-transporter genes were studied. ABC-transporter genes probably played an important role in glyphosate resistance of Lolium spp. populations. The analysis of the target-site resistance did not reveal any important findings, as no mutation was observed in the Pro-106 codon of the EPSPS gene.

The variability in the emergence process of different populations was confirmed for two Echinochloa crus-galli populations, one from Italy (IT) and the second from Norway (NO). Seeds were sown in 12 localities over Europe and the Middle East and the emergence patterns of IT and NO were compared with those of several local populations at each locati...

Echinochloa crus‐galli (L.) P. Beauv. is one of the most important weeds. It is distributed worldwide and has adapted to diverse habitats and climatic conditions. This study aimed to compare the emergence patterns of two populations of E. crus‐galli from different environments at 11 locations across Europe and the Middle East. Seeds of the two popu...

Lolium spp. are troublesome weeds mainly found in winter cereal crops worldwide, including Europe. In recent years resistant mechanisms have been evolved to several important herbicides. In this study we investigated the mechanisms responsible for conferring glyphosate resistance in some Lolium spp. populations. A holistic approach was used, based...

Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv. is the most common monocotyledonous weed in maize crops in Croatia. Crop–weed interference is influenced by weed emergence patterns, and knowledge of the timing of weed emergence is crucial for the development of an efficient integrated weed-management program. Therefore, two-year field experiments were conduct...

Despite the wide use of herbicides in the past century, their use is decreasing due to rising resistance phenomena, absence of discovery of new modes of actions and more regulatory restrictions. On the other hand, several tactics and technologies have developed recently providing alternatives from mechanical, cultural, robotic and natural products...

Amaranthus palmeri S. Watson (Amaranthaceae Juss.) is a dioecious noxious weed, native to the Americas, which infests summer crops. It causes high crop losses, and rapidly evolves resistance to herbicides. In Europe, A. palmeri was recorded mostly as a casual alien, but in 2018 it was reported infesting a soybean field in Italy, and the next year t...

Effective weed management depends on correct control timing, which depends on seedling emergence dynamics. Since soil temperature and soil moisture are the two main factors that determine weed germination, the hydrothermal time model can be used to predict their emergence. The aim of this study was to estimate the base temperature (Tb) and base wat...

Weed behaviour in crop fields has been extensively studied; nevertheless, limited knowledge is available for particular cropping systems, such as no-till systems. Improving weed management under no-till conditions requires an understanding of the interaction between crop residues and the seedling emergence process. This study aimed to evaluate the...

The efficacy of weed management depends on the correct control timing according to the seedling emergence dynamics. Since soil temperature and soil moisture are two main factors that determine weed germination, the hydrothermal time model can be used to predict their emergence. The aim of this study was to estimate the base temperature (Tb) and bas...

Annual ryegrass species (Lolium spp.) infest cereal crops worldwide. Ryegrass populations with multiple resistance to the acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase) and acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors are an increasing problem in several European countries. We investigated the resistance pattern and level of resistance in ryegrass populations co...

Glyphosate-resistant biotypes of Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn. have been detected in Asia, the Americas but not in Europe. The aim of this study was to evaluate resistance levels and possible target site resistance mechanisms of an E. indica biotype (19-1) collected from a plant nursery in Southern Italy where poor glyphosate efficacy was reported....

The poster presents two field scale experiments on cover crops. For details visit the project "Cover crops"

Weeds are one of the major problems in agriculture, they can reduce yield, interfere with harvest and serve as hosts to possibly harmful organisms. For a successful agricultural production, weed issue must be tackled in the begging, during the germination-emergence phase. With different management systems weed seed bank is exposed to different fi...

Despite conservation agriculture and, overall, the reduction of soil disturbance are considered soil improving cropping systems, these practices could conflict with weed control. Indeed, reduced tillage is usually linked to increased weed species richness and abundance and, thus, it could increase the dependence on chemical treatments. Weed managem...

Fitosanitari e impatto sull'ambiente: Descrizione dei pericoli e rischi per l'ambiente legati all'uso dei prodotti fitosanitari. Principali meccanismi di diffusione dei fitosanitari nell'ambiente (percolazione, ruscellamento, deriva) e loro mitigazione. Strategie per la riduzione dell'impatto ambientale dei fitosanitari.

Herbicides have facilitated weed management but their incorrect use can lead to environmental contamination. Reducing herbicide use by limiting their application to a band along the crop row can decrease their environmental impact. Three field experiments were conducted in North-eastern Italy to evaluate herbicide band application systems integrate...

The study of weed germination can improve knowledge on their seasonal dynamics in fields and facilitate the design of ecologically sustainable management. An experiment as conducted to evaluate the effect of a range of constant and alternate temperatures on the germination of Chloris barbata, Cynodon dactylon, and Cyperus rotundus collected in Ango...

The adoption of herbicides has facilitated weed management, allowed to reduce soil tillage, increased crop yield and profitability, but widespread and incorrect use of herbicides can lead to contamination of ground and surface water by leaching, run-off and spray drift, threating drinking water resources and aquatic ecosystems. Reducing the amount...

Abutilon theophrasti is a weed that is spreading worldwide and that has had to adapt to different combinations of environmental conditions. Wide interpopulation variability has been reported regarding dormancy and germination. This variability, controlled by the interaction of genetic diversity and maternal effect, could hinder the adoption of Inte...

Abutilon theophrasti is a weed that is spreading worldwide and that has had to adapt to different combinations of environmental conditions. Wide interpopulation variability has been reported regarding dormancy and germination. This variability, controlled by the interaction of genetic diversity and maternal effect, could hinder the adoption of Inte...

Glyphosate is the main weed control tool in orchards; however the excessive reliance on this herbicide has led to the selection of the less susceptible species and the evolution of resistant weed biotypes. Concerns have been raised on the risks for human health related to glyphosate and a strong reduction of its use has been demanded. Alternative h...

Glyphosate is the main weed control tool in orchards; however the excessive reliance on this herbicide has led to the selection of the less susceptible species and the evolution of resistant weed biotypes. Concerns have been raised on the risks for human health related to glyphosate and a strong reduction of its use has been demanded. Alternative h...

Determining the intra-specific variability of response to a given herbicide is important for monitoring the possible shifts in the sensitivity of weed populations. This study describes the responses of populations of Alisma plantago-aquatica, Cyperus difformis, and Schoenoplectus mucronatus from Italy, Greece, Portugal, and Spain to penoxsulam, an...

Data S1. Materials and methods. Table S1. The 124 pre‐submitted research questions that address fundamental and applied issues in weed ecology, evolution and management

MATERIALS AND METHODS T1 Post-emergence herbicide band application (mesotrione and prosulfuron at 30 and 7.5 g a.i. ha-1 corresponding to 50% of label dose, prototype inter-row cultivator, nozzles Tecsi 02-110, pressure 2 bar, volume of spray 180 L ha-1) T2 Pre-emergence band application (thiencarbazone-methyl and isoxaflutole at 12 and 30 g a.i. h...

Seeds were incubated in Petri dishes at a range of constant (10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 °C) and alternate (15-5, 20-10, 25-15, 30-20 and 35-25 °C) temperatures with a 12 h light / 12 h dark photoperiod. Germination was monitored daily until no more germination occurred for two weeks. Three 50-seed replicates were included for treatment and the experimen...

Seeds were incubated in Petri dishes at a range of constant (10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 °C) and alternate (15-5, 20-10, 25-15, 30-20 and 35-25 °C) temperatures with a 12 h light / 12 h dark photoperiod. Germination was monitored daily until no more germination occurred for two weeks. Three 50-seed replicates were included for treatment and the experimen...

In Italy high-quality vines are sometimes grown in small fields with slope steeper than 5-10%, where an air-blast sprayer is impractical so spray-gun application of pesticides is used, a technique that is very costly and labour intensive, and that causes high pesticide exposure of the operators. A possible alternative is the use of a fixed spraying...

In Italy quality vines are sometimes grown in small fields on steep slopes where spray-gun application of pesticides is used, a technique that is very costly and labor intensive. A possible alternative is the use of a fixed spraying system, and first researches are in progress. A fixed spraying system prototype was built in a vineyard at Laimburg R...

Weed emergence models require the estimation of base temperature for germination (tb) that was estimated for abutilon theophrasti, echinochloa crus-galli, amaranthus retroflexus, sorghum halepense, amaranthus albus, and amaranthus hybridus in Iran, to calibrate an existing model called AlertInf. Two statistical procedures were adopted: Model 1 ‒ li...

Weedy plants pose a major threat to food security, biodiversity, ecosystem services and consequently to human health and wellbeing. However, many currently used weed management approaches are increasingly unsustainable. To address this knowledge and practice gap, in June 2014, 35 weed and invasion ecologists, weed scientists, evolutionary biologist...

Echinochloa crus-galli is a summer crop weed, whose long emergence period and fast growth makes its control difficult. In this work the emergence of several populations of this weed was studied in three locations: Lleida, Legnaro (Italy) and Ås (Norway). Two common populations plus three local populations in each site were sown. Sowing was performe...

Weed emergence models require the estimation of base temperature for germination (Tb) was estimated for Abutilon theophrasti, Echinochloa crus-galli, Amaranthus retroflexus, Sorghum halepense, Amaranthus albus, and Amaranthus hybridus in Iran, to calibrate an existing model called AlertInf. Two statistical procedures were adopted: Model 1 - linear...

Questa presentazione describe la situazione della resistenza agli erbicidi nei sistemi colturali conservativi in Italia e presenta alcune gestioni possibili

Questa presentazione descrive la situazione della resistenza agli erbicidi nelle colture arboree in Italia e presenta alcune gestioni alternative

In order to ensure higher sustainability of winter wheat and maize production in Europe, cropping systems featuring different levels of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) need to be tested in the field and validated for their sustainability before being adopted by farmers. However, the sustainability evaluation of cropping systems is difficult to per...

A long-term field experiment was set up in April 2011 at Legnaro, Italy, within the European Project PURE, to evaluate two Integrated Pest Management (IPM) tools against conventional pest management in maize-based cropping systems (MBCS) that involved different crops every year. Three foliar insecticide treatments were applied against Ostrinia nubi...

Transdisciplinary weed research (TWR) is a promising path to more effective management of challenging weed problems. We define TWR as an integrated process of inquiry and action that addresses complex weed problems in the context of broader efforts to improve economic, environmental and social aspects of ecosystem sustainability. TWR seeks to integ...

A progressive diffusion of conservation agriculture, based on minimization of soil disturbance, permanent soil cover by crop residues and crop rotation, is occurring in Italy. Reducing soil tillage is considered to produce relevant economic and environmental positive outcomes but requires modifications in terms of crop management and specially weed...

Seed-attacking microorganisms have an undefined potential for management of the weed seedbank, either directly through inundative inoculation of soils with effective pathogenic strains, or indirectly by managing soils in a manner that promotes native seed-decaying microorganisms. However, research in this area is still limited and not consistently...

Weed management is a critically important activity on both agricultural and non-agricultural lands, but it is faced with a daunting set of challenges: environmental damage caused by control practices, weed resistance to herbicides, accelerated rates of weed dispersal through global trade, and greater weed impacts due to changes in climate and land...

Transdisciplinary weed research (TWR) is a promising path to more effective management of challenging weed problems. We define TWR as an integrated process of inquiry and action that addresses complex weed problems in the context of broader efforts to improve economic, environmental and social aspects of ecosystem sustainability. TWR seeks to integ...

A long-term experiment was set up in 2011 in north-eastern Italy, within the European Project PURE (Pesticide Use-and-Risk reduction in European farming systems with Integrated Pest Management, http://www.pure-ipm.eu), to evaluate two IPM levels against the conventional in four-year maize-based cropping systems. Since all crops per system were not...

The first important step to develop an accurate predictive model is to identify which factors influence the pattern of seedling emergence in terms of magnitude and dynamic. Numerous studies have recognized that the most important factor is the interaction of environmental conditions and cropping system. However, among different factors that charact...

A long-term experiment was set up in 2011 in northeastern Italy, within the European Project PURE (Pesticide Use-and-Risk reduction in European farming systems with Integrated Pest Management, http://www.pure-ipm.eu), to evaluate two IPM levels against the conventional (CON) in four-year maize-based cropping systems. Since all crops per system were...

A cylinder experiment was conducted in northern Greece during 2005 and 2006 to assess emergence dynamics of barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv.) and jimsonweed (Datura stramonium L.) in the case of a switch from conventional to conservation tillage systems (CT). Emergence was surveyed from two burial depths (5 and 10 cm) and with simu...

With the aim to suggest a solution to problems caused by plant protection products application in very sloping vineyards, a prototype of fixed spraying system was designed and built as an alternative to aerial and manual applications. A two years testing was carried out to focus the effectiveness and eventual issues of the system. After some adjust...

The efficacy of superficial tillage as sustainable tool to reduce emergence of Digitaria sanguinalis, Setaria viridis and Sorghum halepense was evaluated with field experiments. Seeds were buried at 1, 2, 5 and 10 cm of depth to simulate seed vertical distribution caused by autumn superficial tillage. Seedling emergence was monitored weekly for two...

Thermal or hydrothermal models for weed emergence prediction are useful tools for Integrated Weed Management (IWM) and require an accumulation of Growing Degree Days (GDD) to be calculated through the comparison of base temperature for germination with daily average soil temperature. Consequently, the accuracy of measurements or estimations of soil...

In intensive agricultural systems spray drift is one of the major potential diffuse pollution pathways for pesticides and poses a risk to the environment. There is also increasing concern about potential exposure to bystanders and passers-by, especially in fragmented landscapes like the Italian pre-Alps, where orchards and vineyards are surrounded...

Variability regarding dormancy and germination has been observed among some European populations of Datura stramonium L. Gradual adaptive processes to local environmental and agronomic conditions are supposed to be related to this intra-specific variability. Moreover, differences could exist among seeds batches produced by the same plants in differ...

Inter-population variability regarding dormancy and germination has been considered as part of the adaptive strategy of weeds to spread across areas with different environmental conditions or with frequent anthropic disturbances. Intra-specific variability has been observed among weed populations within the same climatic region as a consequence of...

The adoption of conservation agriculture can produce several economic and environmental benefits but implies modifications in terms of crop management. Weed control is a crucial aspect and, as mechanical control is limited or absent, dependence on herbicides increases especially during the transition from conventional to conservation tillage system...