1997 WEED SCIENCE WORKGROUP REPORT

University of California, Davis
November 12-13, 1997

The morning session included an introduction to the status of the "Weeds of California" text, and talks from three new University of California (Steve Fennimore and Albert Fischer) California Department of Food and Agriculture (Fred Hrusa) scientists, and Chad Hutchinson from UC Riverside (postdoc with Milt McGiffen).

Joe DiTomaso introduced Evelyn Healy, who was hired in July to organize and write much of the weed text. A handout was distributed (Appendix A), outlining the format for each main species covered in the text. In addition, the data acquisition program (written in Access) was demonstrated. Thus far, the project has received $90,000 in support from the California Weed Science Society, $15,000 from Smith-Lever, and a portion of $9,000 from the California Exotic Pest Plant Council (CalEPPC) for the development of a brochure on weedy Cortaderia in California. Fred Hrusa indicated that the CDFA herbarium contained over 20,000 specimens, most of which are weeds or native plants of California. The herbarium and seed labs are open to the public. Fred's major responsibilities include identification of plant material. The majority of identification requests come through the County Ag Commissioners office. Many are also border confiscation of noxious weeds. These identifications are accumulated in a database. Also included in a database are known localities of A and B rated noxious weeds. Maps, however, are hand produced by township and section. Anyone can have access to this information. CDFA will download the entire database (7000 entries) or provide maps on request. Fred's email address is fhrusa@smtpl.cdfa.ca.gov. However a better address to reach him is gfhrusa@ns.net. This address will not scramble attachments.

Steve Fennimore is the new Vegetable Weed Specialist in Salinas. He indicated that his major areas of research interests include germination and growth characteristics, reproduction, seed longevity, and weed patchiness. He is currently involved in establishing weed control projects in artichokes, celery, cole crops, lettuce, and strawberries. Down the road, he will also work with carrots, onions, peppers, spinach, and vines. From a more physiological perspective, Steve hopes to continue his research on seed dormancy as a way to predict weed emergence patterns. In addition, he will evaluate allelopathic germplasm of Brassica species, and aspects related to weed dispersal.

Albert Fischer is the new Rice Ecophysiologist at UC Davis. He has a research/teaching appointment. He reviewed some of his research work while with CIAT in Columbia. This included projects designed to predict rice yield losses by mixed weed infestations, strategies for controlling junglerice in various rice cultivars, identifying the mechanism of propanil resistance in Echinochloa colona. More recently, he has been working on Kochia resistance with scientists from North Dakota State University. In his new position, he will focus his research efforts on rice, including continued work on weed resistance, testing for new herbicides as alternative control methods, development of weed suppressive cultivars, develop models for weed loss prediction, examine physiological responses to habitat modification, and investigate rice-weed interference.

Chad Hutchinson is a post-doc working with Milt McGiffen at UC Riverside. He is currently working with alternative strategies to methyl bromide, such as methyl iodide, but described his Ph.D. project at Purdue University. His work there focused on developing a soil borne pathogen biocontrol agent (Gliocladium virens) for control of annual ryegrass. Under conditions were nutrients are not lacking (chicken manure), this fungus produces high levels of several antibiotics, including viridiol. In the field, 15% inoculated compost at ¾ in depth provided 80% weed control and 67% reduction in growth.

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