Hossein Ghanizadeh

• PhD
• Professor at Northeast Agricultural University

The responses of two dicamba-resistant Chenopodium album (fathen) populations (L and M) were compared with the responses of two dicamba-susceptible populations (A and P) to the auxinic herbicides mecoprop, clopyralid, 2,4‐D and aminopyralid in a preliminary experiment. The dicamba-resistant fathen was cross-resistant to the pyridine carboxylic acid...

Evolution of resistance in weeds to herbicides is threatening world agricultural production. Weed management has become more complicated with the development of non-target site resistance (NTSR) to herbicides in weeds. The NTSR mechanisms can be caused by herbicide metabolism, altered patterns of translocation, and herbicide absorption/penetration....

Evolutionary physiology merges the disciplines of evolution and physiology, and it is a research approach that has not received much attention for studying the development of herbicide resistance. This paper makes a case for using evolutionary physiology more frequently when studying herbicide resistance, and illustrates this using three areas wher...

The evolution of resistance to herbicides in weeds has become a great challenge for global agricultural production. Weeds have evolved resistance to herbicides through many different physiological mechanisms. Some weed species are known to secrete herbicide molecules from roots into the rhizosphere upon being treated. However, root exudation of her...

The number of herbicide-resistant weeds is increasing globally. A successful management practice requires an understanding of how resistance traits are inherited. Weed scientists worldwide have investigated the mode of inheritance for herbicide resistance in weeds. Depending on the resistance gene/mechanism, varied patterns of inheritance have been...

Structural variations (SVs) in repetitive sequences could only be detected within a broad region due to imprecise breakpoints, leading to classification errors and inaccurate trait analysis. Through manual inspection at 4532 variant regions identified by integrating 14 detection pipelines between two tomato genomes, we generated an SV benchmark at...

Opportunistic use of limited resources is often attributed to invasive species, and as a mature vine, old man’s beard ( Clematis vitalba L.) is known to have devastating negative impacts on the trees it colonizes. No previous experimental studies have been published on how easily C. vitalba seedlings can colonize ground covered by other established...

Soil pollution by heavy metals is a serious environmental concern globally. Hexavalent (VI) chromium (Cr) is one of the main pollutants causing groundwater and soil heavy metal pollution. Miscanthus sinensis is a C4 perennial grass species with a high level of heavy metal tolerance. This species can effectively remove Cr from soils and maintain des...

Seeking low environmental impact alternatives to chemical herbicides that can be integrated into a regenerative agriculture system, we developed and tested flat-plate electrode weeding equipment applying ultra-low-energy electric shocks to seedlings in the field. Better than 90% control was achieved for all species, with energy to treat 5 weeds m⁻²...

Identifying characteristics of invasive species or growth forms that facilitate their range expansion is critical for management. Clematis vitalba L. (old man's beard) is an invasive temperate liana in many areas of its introduction, yet its seedlings do not thrive in circumstances where resources are limited. Although some lianas in both tropical...

BACKGROUND Resistance to dicamba in Chenopodium album was first documented over a decade ago, however, the molecular basis of dicamba resistance in this species has not been elucidated. In this research, the resistance mechanism in a dicamba‐resistant C. album phenotype was investigated using a transcriptomics (RNA‐sequence) approach. RESULTS The...

Removing organic pollutants from wastewater is crucial to prevent environmental contamination and protect human health. Immobilized enzymes are increasingly being explored for wastewater treatment due to their specific catalytic activities, reusability, and stability under various environmental conditions. Peroxidases, such as horseradish peroxidas...

Old man's beard ( Clematis vitalba L.) is a liana species that has become invasive in many areas of its introduced range. Seeds are produced in abundance and are both physiologically and morphologically dormant upon maturity. To understand the importance of seeds to its invasiveness, changes in viability and dormancy of the aerial seed bank were tr...

A government research grant and industry co-funding allowed us to briefly provide free tests of suspected cases of herbicide resistance using traditional seedling-based assays. Information about the service was disseminated through the Foundation for Arable Research and other weed management professionals. Between 2019 and 2022 we received 248 seed...

Seeking an easy-to-deploy, energy-efficient, non-herbicide weed control method, we tested a flat-plate electrode to apply pulsed electric microshocks (PMS) to a grass and four broadleaf weed species. The method can be deployed via a hand-held unit or as part of a fully automated system to control escape weeds in field crops. The effectiveness of th...

Human-caused nitrogen (N) deposition is a global environmental issue that can change community composition, functions, and ecosystem services. N deposition affects plants, soil, and microorganisms regionally and is linked to ecosystem, soil, and climate factors. We examined the effects of six N addition levels (0, 2.34 g, 4.67, 9.34,18.68, and 37.3...

For decades, herbicides have provided easy-to-use, cost-effective weed management, but alternatives are desired. Consumer preference for chemical-free food, awareness of environmental impacts, regulation increasingly restricting agrichemical use, and increasing prevalence of herbicide resistance are forcing changes to weed management strategies....

Fertilization could influence ecosystem structure and functioning through species turnover (ST) and intraspecific trait variation (ITV), especially in nutrient limited ecosystems. To quantify the relative importance of ITV and ST in driving community functional structure and productivity changes under nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) addition in se...

Botrytis cinerea is a common pathogenic agent, causing a significant reduction in tomato quality and yield. In this study, the potential of two biocontrol fungal agents, Trichoderma harzianum and Clonostachys rosea to prevent and alleviate B. cinerea infection was assessed. To this end, the fungicidal effects of both biocontrol fungi were evaluated...

Heat stress can hinder the growth of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) applied exogenously can increase heat stress tolerance in plants; however, the regulatory mechanisms involved in heat tolerance mediated by MeJA are poorly understood in perennial ryegrass. Here, the microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles of perennial...

Old man’s beard is a woody liana that has become an invasive weed in many areas of its introduction, through its vigorous spread and negative impacts on the tree hosts it climbs. Control techniques that improve precision and reduce non-target damage are increasingly preferred for weed control yet have not been compared in published research for use...

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a popular vegetable crop which is widely cultivated around the world. However, the production of tomatoes is threatened by several phytopathogenic agents, including gray mold (Botrytis cinerea Pers.). Biological control using fungal agents such as Clonostachys rosea plays a pivotal role in managing gray mold. How...

Snap bean is an important crop species of Leguminosae family, which needs to be stored prior to marketing as it is usually consumed fresh. However, snap bean pods are prone to disease infection during storage, and quickly lose market quality if they store for a long period. One way to tackle this issue is to cover pods with yeast-incorporating coat...

Although New Zealand is developing an increasing number of herbicide-resistant weed populations, it has a much lower incidence of herbicide resistance than Australia. Understanding the reasons for these differences may help with future management of herbicide resistance in both countries. Australia is much larger than New Zealand so greater areas o...

Microorganisms that facilitate the decomposition of agricultural wastes are of importance during composting processes. Here, we assessed if microbial agents, comprising Clonostachys rosea, Bacillus amylolyticus and Rhodospirillum photometricum can facilitate the decomposition of a compost mix of vegetable waste, chicken manure, sawdust, and biochar...

Resistance to iodosulfuron, a herbicide targeting acetolactate synthase (ALS), was identified and characterised in a population of Lolium perenne L. from Canterbury, New Zealand. The resistant population was 264 times more resistant to iodosulfuron than a susceptible population, based on a ratio of the rate corresponding to a 50% reduction in resis...

Clonostachys rosea (Link) Schroers is a filamentous fungus that has been widely used for biological control, biological fermentation, biodegradation and bioenergy. In this research, we investigated the impact of this fungus on root growth in tomato and the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that C. rosea can promote root growth in tomato, an...

The prevalence of herbicide resistance in ryegrass (Lolium spp.) in the wine-growing regions in New Zealand is poorly understood. Cases of glyphosate, glufosinate and amitrole-resistant ryegrass were documented in a few vineyards in New Zealand in 2013, but there have been no regional surveys for resistance. To address this knowledge gap, 106 viney...

Wiper applicators allow herbicides to be selectively delivered to upright target weeds, thereby avoiding application to nearby lower-growing desirable pasture plants. In this research, we investigated the efficacy of wiper application of four herbicides, clopyralid, metsulfuron, glyphosate and a triclopyr/picloram mixture, to control Cirsium arvens...

Photosynthesis, as an important biological process of plants, produces organic substances for plant growth and development. Although the molecular mechanisms of photosynthesis had been well investigated, the relationship between chlorophyll synthesis and photosynthesis remains largely unknown. The leaf-color mutant was an ideal material for studyin...

A search for energy efficient, non-herbicide weed control methods led to development of a novel electrical weeding technology. This study focuses on weed control efficiency and energy as elements of a system that would include machine vision and robotics to control escape weeds in field crops. Two pulse generation systems, one single and one multip...

BACKGROUND Chenopodium album L. is a troublesome weed in spring‐planted crops, and different levels of ploidy have been documented for this weed species. A population of C. album has evolved resistance to dicamba. The level of ploidy and inheritance of dicamba resistance was studied in this population. RESULTS The resistant and susceptible individ...

Purpose Soil microorganisms in grassland ecosystem exhibit varying spatial–temporal patterns. However, the underlying mechanisms shaping microbial community assembly during grassland restoration are largely unknown. Here, we assessed the relative importance of stochastic and deterministic processes in the assembly of soil fungal communities in a se...

Pastures represent about half of the global agricultural area and productivity losses from weeds are significant. The complex interactions between them and other pasture plants, livestock and the environment imply a need for innovative research that transforms pasture management. To this end, a horizon scan was conducted to identify relevant issues...

Understanding how the type of land-use affects the relationship between plant communities and soil properties is essential to design suitable grassland management practices. A few studies, however, have explored the trade-off between productivity, species diversity, and soil properties under different management practices in grasslands. We conducte...

Leaching of herbicides in cropping soils not only impacts the groundwater sources but also reduces their effect in controlling weeds. Leaching studies were carried out in two cropping soils and two forestry biowaste media, wood pulp and sawdust with two herbicides, atrazine and bromacil in a packed lysimeter with simulated rainfall. The hypothesis...

Abutilon theophrasti Medik. was initially introduced into New Zealand in the 1940s. Despite its introduction approximately 70 years ago, A. theophrasti infestation in New Zealand has been naturalized to one region only, although climate-based simulation models predicted that A. theophrasti establishment could almost occur in all New Zealand agricul...

Enhanced herbicide metabolism Herbicide resistance Target-site mechanism Weed management A B S T R A C T Application of herbicides inhibiting acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACCase) has been one of the main strategies for selectively controlling grass weed species such as perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) in wheat and barley crops in New Zealand. In t...

Subshrub encroachment is a frequently occurring phenomenon in arid and semi-arid area, altering the plant community structure and function. However, the effects of the encroachment process on soil bacterial communities are poorly understood on the Loess Plateau, China. In this study, we assessed the changes in soil properties and vegetation charact...

Grey mould (Botrytis cinerea) is a common disease in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), which can cause a severe reduction in production. Clonostachys rosea (C. rosea) is an effective biological control agent that can inhibit the growth and establishment of B. cinerea and significantly improve tomato resistance to B. cinerea. However, the molecular...

Aims Nitrogen (N) deposition is a global environmental problem that can alter community compositions and functions, and consequently, the ecosystem services. In this study, we assessed the responses of aboveground vegetation, surface soil properties and microbial communities to N addition, and explored the drivers of microbial community in a semiar...

To estimate the prevalence of herbicide-resistant weeds, 87 wheat and barley farms were randomly surveyed in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. Over 600 weed seed samples from up to 10 mother plants per taxon depending on abundance, were collected immediately prior to harvest (two fields per farm). Some samples provided by agronomists were teste...

Understanding the interaction between proteins and polyphenols is of significance to food industries. The aim of this research was to investigate the mode of aggregation for trypsin-EGCG (Epigallocatechin-3-gallate) complexes. For this, the complex was characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) spectra, small-angel X-ray sc...

Treatment of organic wastewater is a challenging task. Biological techniques using biocatalysts have shown their benefits in organic wastewater treatment. In this research, a novel biocatalyst was developed by encapsulation of Fe3O4 microspheres and haemoglobin (Hb) with mesoporous silica, named [email protected](Hb). [email protected](Hb) exhibite...

Soliva sessilis is a troublesome annual weed species in New Zealand turfgrass. This weed has been controlled selectively in New Zealand turfgrass for many years using pyridine herbicides such as clopyralid. However, in some golf courses, the continuous application of pyridine herbicides has resulted in the selection of S. sessilis populations that...

The persistence and degradation of two common herbicides, atrazine and bromacil in two organic media, wood pulp and sawdust were compared with two soils. The hypothesis tested was that herbicide degradation will be faster in high organic matter media compared to soil. Degradation of two herbicides was carried out in four different temperature regim...

The first step in managing herbicide-resistant weeds is to confirm their resistance status. It is, therefore, crucial to have a rapid, reliable and cost-effective technique to assess samples for herbicide resistance. We designed and evaluated three derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (dCAPS) markers for detecting glyphosate resistance in...

Fertilization and grazing are two common anthropogenic disturbances that can lead to unprecedented changes in biodiversity and ecological stability of grassland ecosystems. A few studies, however, have explored the effects of fertilization and grazing on community stability and the underlying mechanisms. We conducted a six-year field experiment to...

Superoxide dismutases (SODs) are a group of enzymes that have a crucial role in controlling oxidative stress in plants. Here, we synthesized an environmentally friendly SOD mimic, SODm-123, from L-aspartic acid and manganese oxide. SODm-123 showed similar enzymatic activity to Mn-SOD. To gain insights into the role of SODm-123 in oxidative stress t...

Herbicide dose-responses of seedling progenies of Ranunculus acris populations varying in herbicide exposure history indicate that this weed has evolved multiple resistance to phenoxycarboxylic acid and acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibitor herbicides. To test the hypothesis that this ‘multiple-resistance’ can occur in the same plant, we conducted...

Haloxyfop is one of two acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors that is recommended for controlling Poa annua. We have characterised a population of P. annua that had developed resistance to haloxyfop. This resistant population was found to be almost 20 times less sensitive to haloxyfop than a susceptible population based on percentage su...

Herbicide-resistant weeds are serious threats to agricultural production. Since a review published in 1996, the number of different examples of weed biotypes developing resistance to one or more herbicides in New Zealand has almost quadrupled. By 1996, six weed species had been shown to have developed resistant biotypes, mostly to either triazine o...

The alleles responsible for herbicide resistance in weeds can result in a fitness cost within affected plants. Over 200 cases of resistance to triazine herbicides have been confirmed in a wide range of weed species globally. In New Zealand, Chenopodium album L. was the first species reported as resistant to triazines. Several studies have already s...

In New Zealand, pastoral farming for dairy and meat production is the major land use. As with any agricultural production system, weeds are a threat to efficient pasture production in New Zealand. In this review, we outline the problems caused by weeds in New Zealand pastures, and the management strategies being used to control them. There are curr...

Great bindweed (Calystegia silvatica) invades riparian plantings in New Zealand but little is known about the factors influencing seed germination of this species, the number of seeds produced per flower or whether seed banks build up in the soil below infested sites. Dormancy-breaking treatments involving scarification and/or pre-chilling of seeds...

Acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors such as haloxyfop, pinoxaden and clethodim selectively control grass weed species in many types of crop. Here, we characterised two populations of Lolium multiflorum (Italian ryegrass), R and RV, from South Canterbury and Central Otago respectively, that were suspected to be resistant to ACCase-inhi...

Main conclusion Detrimental pleiotropic effects of resistance mutation(s) were observed for multiple-resistant phenotypes (resistant to both atrazine and dicamba). The multiple-resistant phenotypes had lower growth rates and less capacity for vegetative growth compared to the phenotypes only resistant to atrazine. The fitness costs that are conferr...

Organic soil amendments can be useful for improving degraded soil, but this increase in organic matter (OM) may influence adsorption of herbicides subsequently applied to the treated soil, even though the particle size of amendments and their nature differ from typical soil OM. In this study, a batch equilibrium method was used to measure adsorptio...

Grass ground covers are often used in forestry to suppress weed germination, but little is known on how best to use grasses to suppress broom (Cytisus scoparius). In this field study, three grass species, Yorkshire fog (Holcus lanatus), Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), were sown at three rates in autumn...

Chenopodium album is a troublesome arable weed species which has evolved resistance to dicamba in New Zealand. The objective of this work was to investigate the patterns of absorption, translocation and metabolism of dicamba in resistant and susceptible C. album populations. No significant differences in absorption by the two populations were measu...

The mode of inheritance for herbicide resistance was investigated in a population of Lolium multiflorum (Italian ryegrass) with restricted glyphosate translocation mechanism of resistance. The degree of dominance for glyphosate resistance in Italian ryegrass was evaluated in the progenies of F1 families which were created by reciprocal-crossing bet...

Wiper applicators allow herbicides to be directly transferred onto the surface of target plants, thereby avoiding application to nearby desirable plants of shorter stature. This form of herbicide application can greatly reduce costs of weed control and risks of environmental contamination. The risk of drift to susceptible plants in areas adjacent t...

Spot-spraying weeds in pastures enables the use of herbicide that would be too harmful to pasture if boom-sprayed. However, some herbicides are more damaging than others. To quantify this damage, a range of spot-spraying treatments was applied to ryegrass/white clover pastures. Four herbicide treatments were compared, each at two application rates...

Sequestration of herbicide into vacuoles is considered to be the main mechanism of resistance to both glyphosate and paraquat worldwide. In New Zealand, the first case of glyphosate resistance was found in ryegrass (Lolium) species, and the restricted herbicide translocation was found to be the main mechanism of resistance in the studied population...

Weed wipers have been used to apply herbicides selectively to tall weeds in pastures for several decades, but few reliable techniques exist to quantify the relative output of wiper applicators under varying operating conditions. A new technique is described in which clopyralid is applied by wiper applicators to plastic sleeves on uniform, upright,...

Wiper application of herbicides to weeds sometimes causes damage to pasture plants, especially white clover, growing immediately under the wiped weeds. Two experiments were conducted to determine the potential for either exudation of herbicide from roots or rainfall washing herbicide off treated plants to cause damage to white clover after wiper ap...

Glyphosate resistance has been found in two populations of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) following many years of glyphosate application in New Zealand vineyards. Dose-response experiments showed that both glyphosate-resistant Italian ryegrass populations had 10-fold levels of resistance to glyphosate compared to a susceptible population. Po...

One of the crucial factors in the evolution of herbicide resistance in weeds is the mode of inheritance. Experiments were conducted to determine the inheritance of glyphosate resistance in a population of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) caused by restricted glyphosate translocation. First, the degree of dominance of the glyphosate resistance tr...

In 2013, three populations of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and two populations of Italian ryegrass (L. multiflorum) from five vineyards in New Zealand were confirmed to be resistant to glyphosate. The level of resistance in four populations was almost 10-fold while one population of perennial ryegrass (Population O) had a level of resistance...

The first cases of weeds developing resistance to glyphosate within New Zealand have recently been reported and investigated. Both perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) populations have become resistant to glyphosate in several Marlborough vineyards due to many years of weed control using mainly just glyphosa...

This study examined if glyphosate-resistant populations of Lolium multiflorum and Lolium perenne from some New Zealand vineyards were still susceptible to glufosinate and amitrole. The response of plants of one glyphosate-resistant population of L. multiflorum, population A, and two glyphosate-resistant L. perenne populations, populations J and O,...

Background Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) has developed resistance to glyphosate within New Zealand vineyards following many years of herbicide application. The objectives of this work were to confirm resistance within two populations obtained from affected vineyards and to determine the mechanism of resistance to glyphosate.ResultsPopulation...

In New Zealand vineyards, evolution of glyphosate resistance in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) has been reported recently, and restricted translocation of glyphosate has been found in these resistant plants. Past research with other plant species has found that restricted glyphosate translocation is temperature dependent. Glasshouse dose-respo...

Three quick tests were evaluated for detecting glyphosate-resistant biotypes of Italian ryegrass and perennial ryegrass. Biotypes of these two species were used that were 13.4 and 7.3 times more resistant to glyphosate, respectively, than susceptible biotypes when assessed using a sprayed pot study. One assay exposed germinating seeds of resistant...

A quick test was developed using seeds in petri dishes to detect resistance to dicamba in fathen (Chenopodium album L.) which has developed in some maize fields in Waikato, New Zealand. Seeds were collected from four Waikato maize fields (populations A, B, L and M) where dicamba has been applied for many years, and also three sites (populations C,...

A dose-response experiment was conducted on a previously confirmed glyphosate resistant perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) population from a Marlborough vineyard to examine if it is also resistant to amitrole after an initial experiment suggested amitrole is less effective on this population. The plants of two populations of perennial ryegrass, Po...

In order to investigate the effect of weed competition on corn, growth trials were conducted in Shushtar, Iran, using a comparative growth analysis. In this study, two sets of treatments were imposed, based on the phenological stages of corn development, using a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The results showed that barnyar...

Intercropping is one of the environmental friendly ways to improve the use of resources and weed control. A field experiment was performed on maize intercropped with sweet basil and borage under weed free and infestation conditions. The experimental design was a factorial based on randomized complete block design with three replicates. Factors incl...

A doseresponse experiment was conducted on a previously confirmed glyphosate resistant perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) population from a Marlborough vineyard to examine if it is also resistant to amitrole after an initial experiment suggested amitrole is less effective on this population The plants of two populations of perennial ryegrass Popul...

To assist with managing the outbreak of resistance to dicamba that has developed within fathen (Chenopodium album L.) in New Zealand maize fields, a quick test has been developed using seeds. As dormancy of the seeds initially hindered development of a quick test, experiments showed that this can be overcome by removing the perianth from each seed,...

Plants were obtained from two populations of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) and three populations of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) from different vineyards in Marlborough and Nelson that were suspected of being resistant to glyphosate following many consecutive applications of this herbicide over recent years. Each population was multi...

Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella) is a common weed in farming system in Northern Iran. There is a lack of information on the factors affecting sheep sorrel seed germination. Experiments were conducted under greenhouse and laboratory conditions to investigate the effects of some factors (gibberellic acid (GA 3), cytokinin, scarification, ethanol, pH,...

Sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella) is a common weed in farming system in Northern Iran. There is a lack of information on the factors affecting sheep sorrel seed germination. Experiments were conducted under greenhouse and laboratory conditions to investigate the effects of some factors (gibberellic acid (GA3), cytokinin, scarification, ethanol, pH, o...

We investigated the effectiveness of Nitroxin inoculation on lead (Pb) and nutrient uptakes by little seed canary grass. The factors tested included inoculation (or not) with Nitroxin and different soil concentrations of Pb (0, 200, 400 and 800mgPbkg-1 soil). Increasing soil concentrations of Pb decreased stem, leaf and root dry weights. Shoot phos...

The knowledge of differences between weed species in their relative capacity to capture growth-limiting resources provides information which can be used to predict competitive ability of weed. A field study was conducted to compare weeds growth indices to evaluate weeds competitive ability. The experimental design was a Randomized Complete Block (R...

Understanding of weed-crop interactions is needed for the development of integrated weed management systems. A field study was conducted to evaluate an existing model to predict corn yield loss as a function of different time of weed emergence and removal. The treatments were consisted of two different periods of weed interference at different stag...

The Critical Period for Weed Control (CPWC) identifies the phase of the crop growth cycle when weed interference results in unacceptable yield losses. Field study was conducted in 2008 in the University of Shushtar at the South-West of Iran to determine CPWC of corn using a randomized complete block design with 12 treatments and 3 replications. The...