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Plant sciences, sustainable farming systems and food quality
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Echinochloa spp. in Australian rice fields—species distribution and resistance status

J. E. Pratley A B , J. C. Broster A and P. Michael A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A E H Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation (an alliance between Charles Sturt University and NSW Department of Primary Industries), Charles Sturt University, Locked Bag 588, Wagga Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia.

B Corresponding author. Email: jpratley@csu.edu.au

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 59(7) 639-645 https://doi.org/10.1071/AR07156
Submitted: 13 April 2007  Accepted: 13 March 2008   Published: 3 July 2008

Abstract

Six Echinochloa species, i.e. barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv.), awnless barnyard grass (E. colona (L.) Link), hairy millet (E. oryzoides (Ard.) Fritsch), prickly barnyard grass (E. microstachya (Wieg.) Rydb), Japanese millet (E. esculenta (A Br.) H Scholz), and channel millet (E. inundata Michael et Vickery), were detected in surveys of Australian rice fields in south-eastern Australia. Differences were detected in the rate of germination of species and this may affect the efficacy of herbicide treatments where mixes of species occur.

Phenotypic variation within E. crus-galli, such as size of panicles, size of spikelets, and degree of awning, sometimes makes identification difficult and may have implications for seed growers.

No instances of herbicide resistance were found in any Echinochloa species despite its widespread occurrence in other countries.

Additional keywords: barnyard grass, herbicide resistance.


Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the contributions of the following people in aspects of the work presented in this paper: G. Flower, R. Flower, A. Seal, P. Baines, and staff at the Rice Growers Cooperative Mill laboratory, Leeton, NSW, for collecting and preparing the samples obtained from the laboratory in both surveys. The following herbicide companies contributed chemicals to support the resistance evaluation: Bayer CropScience, Crop Care Australasia, and FMC International. The project’s financial support by the Rice Research Committee of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation is gratefully acknowledged.


References


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