A fine-grained analysis of a Monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus) nest suggests a nonhomogeneous internal structure

We report first data on the fine-grained structure (branch diameter, length and diversity) in three different sectors [core (central side), buffer (peripheral side), and nest chamber)] of a nest of Monk Parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) from a non-native breeding site located in an urban park (Rome, central Italy). The central core sector was characterized by longer and thicker branches capable of supporting the nest. The peripheral part (buffer) was characterized by less long and less thick branches with the function of completing the structure. Branches building the nest chamber were shorter and less thick but very diversified in size, because they included both small branches supplied inside the chamber and longer branches covering it. This diversification of the internal chamber (nest chamber) could be functional to maintain stable temperatures of incubator chambers compared to large fluctuations outside the nest. The presence of leaves of herbaceous species (Hordeum leporinum) could play a bactericidal role for the nest plant material.

Indicative Value of the Dominant Plant Species for a Rapid Evaluation of the Nutritional Value of Soils

A study was conducted on 14 grassland communities located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula and their edaphology, which is identified as specific plant associations. The edaphic study of each association allows a rapid evaluation of the nutrient content in the soil without the need for laboratory edaphic analysis. For each phytosociological relevé and soil, samplings were carried out. The field data were subjected to various statistical analysis—canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), Bayesian networks, and decision trees—to establish nutrient content. When the abundance value of the species is 9 in the Van der Maarel scale, there is an increase in the values of several soil parameters. In the case of Hordeum leporinum, when the Van der Maarel index is 9, the Kc (exchangeable potassium in cmol/kg) undergoes the greatest variation, to a value of up to 0.729 cmol/kg. The application of the decision tree to this species reveals that the soil attributes with the greatest influence in the classification are conductivity, %_si (silt texture), pH, and pF 15 atm (pressure at 15 atmospheres (water retention capacity) in %). Indeed, this interlaced edaphic and phytosociological study provides us with a high-value tool to obtain quick information on the content of nutrients in the soil.

Target-Site Point Mutations Conferring Resistance to ACCase-Inhibiting Herbicides in Smooth Barley (Hordeum glaucum) and Hare Barley (Hordeum leporinum)

Acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase)-inhibiting herbicides affect fatty acid biosynthesis in plants and are widely used to control smooth and hare barley in dicot crops in Australia. Recently, growers have experienced difficulty in controlling smooth and hare barley with herbicides from this mode of action. Dose–response experiments conducted on five suspected resistant populations confirmed varying levels of resistance to quizalofop and haloxyfop. The level of resistance in these populations was greater than 27-fold to quizalofop and greater than 15-fold to haloxyfop. The quizalofop dose required to reduce shoot biomass by 50% (GR50) for the resistant populations varied from 52.6 to 111.9 g ha−1, and for haloxyfop from 26.5 to 71.3 g ha−1. Sequencing the CT domain of the ACCase gene from resistant plants of different populations confirmed the presence of previously known mutations Ile1781Leu and Gly2096Ala. Amino acid substitution at the 2096 position conferred a greater level of resistance to haloxyfop than the substitution at the 1781 position. This study documents the first known case of field-evolved target-site resistance to ACCase-inhibiting herbicides in Australian populations of smooth barley.

Effects of perennial species on the demography of annual grass weeds in pastures subject to seasonal drought and grazing

A field experiment was established in a southern Australian temperate pasture to investigate the effects of identity and proximity of perennial grasses on the demography of the annual grasses Vulpia spp. (V. myuros, V. bromoides) and Hordeum leporinum (barley grass). Annual grasses were grown either alone or in mixtures, at different distances from rows of Dactylis glomerata (cocksfoot) and Phalaris aquatica (phalaris). Dactylis had a greater suppressive effect than Phalaris on Vulpia and Hordeum. Biomass, tiller production, and panicle production of annual grasses increased linearly with increasing distance from the perennial row. Tiller and panicle production were greater for Vulpia than Hordeum. The estimated rate of population growth (λ) for annual grasses was greater in Phalaris than in Dactylis and in Vulpia than in Hordeum, and increased with sowing distance from perennial grass rows. It was estimated that λ, when seeds were sown directly adjacent to a row of perennial grasses, was 1 and 0.4 for Vulpia and Hordeum, respectively, within Dactylis stands, and 7 and 3, respectively, within Phalaris stands. However, 15 cm from the row, λ reached 50 and 39 for Vulpia and Hordeum, respectively, within Phalaris stands, and 39 and 16, respectively, within Dactylis stands. In grazed, dryland pastures, perennial competition alone is therefore unlikely to prevent population growth of annual grasses, especially in systems heavily disturbed by grazing or drought. However, Dactylis showed more promise than Phalaris in limiting the abundance of these weeds.

Pollen-mediated gene flow between paraquat-resistant and susceptible hare barley (Hordeum leporinum)

Pollen movement between individuals can increase the rate of herbicide resistance evolution by spreading resistance alleles within or between populations and by facilitating the rapid accumulation of resistance alleles within individuals. This study investigated the level of pollen-mediated gene flow between paraquat-resistant and paraquat-susceptible populations of the self-pollinated weed species hare barley. The experiment was conducted in both directions, from resistant to susceptible and susceptible to resistant, across 2 yr. To maximize the potential for pollen flow, individual plants were grown in a single pot. The level of gene flow was similar across years and between genotypes. The level of pollen-mediated gene flow ranged from 0.06 to 0.15%. Gene flow from resistant to susceptible plants was confirmed by demonstrating segregation for resistance in the progeny of suspected crosses. This study suggests that pollen-mediated gene flow will occur in this species at frequencies less than 0.16% and could assist the accumulation of resistance alleles within a population. These low levels of gene flow through pollen movement suggest that cross-pollination over larger distances would be unlikely and pollen movement probably does not contribute to gene flow between populations.

Seed dormancy release in three common pasture grasses from a Mediterranean-type environment under contrasting conditions

Pastures in the Mediterranean region of Australia are typically comprised of a mixture of winter annuals, including grasses and legumes, which utilise a seed bank to survive the long, dry summer. The risk of out-of-season summer rain requires species from such environments to adopt appropriate strategies to protect their seed banks. The seed bank strategies of the grasses from these environments have, so far, received little attention. We conducted an experiment to observe the dormancy release characteristics of 3 grasses common to these environments when stored under contrasting thermal regimes. The grasses studied were great brome grass (Bromus diandrus Roth), annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaud.), and barley grass (Hordeum leporinum Link). The different species displayed contrasting dormancy release characteristics over the summer. Two of the species examined (great brome grass and annual ryegrass) displayed relatively late release from dormancy which gave high levels of protection from false breaks. The other (barley grass) displayed earlier release from dormancy which would enable it to better exploit earlier true breaks but make it more sensitive to false breaks. Unlike pasture legumes, high and fluctuating temperatures were not necessary for the seeds of these grasses to become germinable. In fact, exposure to high temperatures appeared more likely to suppress release from dormancy.

Root production of a barrel medic (Medicago truncatula) pasture, a barley grass (Hordeum leporinum) pasture, and a faba bean (Vicia faba) crop in southern Australia

Total root biomass production of a grazed annual legume pasture (Medicago truncatula), a grazed annual grass pasture (Hordeum leporinum), and a grain legume crop (Vicia faba) was estimated using a sequential coring and summation technique with corrections made for root death and decomposition during the season. Distribution of live root biomass with depth and C: N ratios of roots were also determined. Both in a dry season and in a season of average rainfall, total root biomass production of the 2 pasture species was similar and always greater than the faba beans. Total root biomass production estimated using this technique was 60-200% greater than the maximum live root biomass, suggesting that there was significant root turnover during the season. In the dry season, the ratios of total root production to total shoot production were 0·55, 0·57, and 0·32 for the barrel medic, barley grass, and faba beans, respectively, and in the wetter season, the ratios were 0·40, 0·42, and 0·25, respectively. Potential errors in the technique related to the recovery of root material and the decomposition of dead roots and old organic material are discussed, as are the implications of this information for soil organic matter dynamics.