Emergence and control of naturalized weeds, Barbarea vulgaris R. Br., Anthemis cotula L., and Matricaria inodora L., in wheat fields in northern Tohoku, Japan

Abstract

This research was conducted from 1994 through 2002 in the northern Tohoku region of Japan to determine the influence of herbicide application and timing and inter-row cultivation on the control of 3 invasive plant species from Europe, namely, Barbarea vulgaris R. Br., Matricaria inodora L., and Anthemis cotula L. that have invaded the winter wheat fields of Japan. In this region, A. cotula emerges most frequently in the fall and spring. The overwintering adult plants arising from the seedlings that emerge in fall cause serious problems in the fields. In the wheat fields, 3 weed species were effectively controlled by the application of linuron (1,000g a.i. ha⁻¹) to the soil immediately after sowing, the application of ioxynil (600g a.i. ha⁻¹) in early November, which is the time period close to the end of the annual emergence period of these plant species, and by employing either inter-row cultivation or application of ioxynil (600g a.i. ha⁻¹) in early May. The emergence and spread of the 3 weed species could be controlled using a combination of any 2 of the 3 above-mentioned methods. The foliar application of thifensulfuron-methyl (75g a.i. ha⁻¹) is highly effective for the control of A. cotula and M. inodora.