Jimsonweed (Datura stramonium) is a weed in many agricultural crops. Due to tropane alkaloids, the species is considered highly toxic, posing considerable risk when consumed. Contamination of harvested crops with tropane alkaloids originates from the presence of jimsonweed in the fields at the time of harvest. Its seeds and plant parts are harvested along with the crop, leading to contamination. Control measures for jimsonweed are urgently needed to ensure safe and high-quality feed and food.
The StopDatura project focuses on raising awareness, developing control measures for jimsonweed, and minimizing contamination of harvested crops with tropane alkaloids.
Soybean cultivation in some regions of Austria is particularly affected by jimsonweed. Analysis of drone images has revealed infestations ranging from a few plants to several hundred jimsonweed plants per hectare.
Follak S., Reiter E., Riegler-Nurscher P., Treiblmeier M. (2024): Stechapfelerkennung mittels Drohnen. Der Pflanzenarzt 77(6-7), 14–15.
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Chinese mugwort (Artemisia verlotiorum) originally comes from East Asia. This thermophilic species is spreading in Austria, as shown by the increase in the number of records in recent years. Until now, its occurrence was mainly restricted to ruderal sites and riverbanks, but there are increasing local reports of its occurrence in agricultural crops.
The species forms large clonal nests through vegetative reproduction and therefore has the potential to infest large areas. Due to its growth height and dense stands, the plant is a strong competitor to other plant species and yield losses are therefore to be expected. The species can easily be confused with common mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris). Chinese mugwort smells aromatic when crushed and flowers very late (from October).
(c) Swen Follak
See also: Follak S. (2023): Der Kamtschatka-Beifuß – ein Problemunkraut mehr? Der Pflanzenarzt 76(9-10), 24–25
Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L.) occur in various forms in the landscape. There is the wild sunflower, which is a widespread ruderal plant in North America and has been introduced into some European countries. There is the hybrid sunflower, which is cultivated in the fields, and the volunteer sunflower, which originates from seeds lost during a previous harvest. However, there are also weedy sunflowers. These are morphologically distinct from the cultivated sunflower and the volunteer sunflower.
The main characteristics of the weedy sunflowers are the following: strong branching, the production of many small flower heads and heights of individuals of up to over 300 cm, reddish pigmentation, a longer flowering phase and patchy seed shedding. Weedy sunflowers are very competitive and can cause high yield losses and can therefore be a problem for farmers.
(c) Swen Follak
The study by Follak et al. (2024) showed, that weedy sunflowers occur in Austria and may cause harvest losses locally.
Horse nettle (Solanum carolinense) is native to North America. The species is a major problem in agriculture because it is very competitive and poisonous. The plant has an extensive root system consisting of a taproot, which in turn forms several meters long, horizontally growing lateral roots with numerous regenerative buds. This means that large areas can be colonized by horse nettle in a few years. Successful mechanical or chemical control is therefore very difficult.
In south-eastern Austria, horse nettle is spreading and is mainly found in crops such as soybean, maize and oil pumpkin. A species distribution model shows that although only a relatively small part of Austria is currently climatically suitable, most of it is used for agriculture. Climate change will further increase the potential distribution area in Austria. This underlines the need to take effective measures to stop the further spread of horse nettle and avoid yield losses.
(c) Swen Follak
The study by Follak et al. (2023) investigated the current occurrences of the horse nettle in Austria and its spread potential: Follak S. Chapman D., Schwarz M., Essl F. (2023): An emerging weed: rapid spread of Solanum carolinense in Austria. BioInvasions Records 12, 649–658, https://www.reabic.net/journals/bir/2023/3/BIR_2023_Follak_etal.pdf
Climate change affects many aspects of agriculture, from altered planting and harvesting times to herbicide efficacy. Rising temperatures can directly reduce the effectiveness of herbicides while favoring the growth of weeds from warmer regions. Increased CO2 concentrations, the driving force behind climate change, also have a fertilizer-like effect on some weeds. In short, climate change can make weeds more competitive and cause herbicides to become less effective.
(c) Swen Follak
As environmental changes due to climate change accelerate, farmers need to be informed about how to adapt their practices. AgriWeedClim aims to communicate the often complex findings from climate and biodiversity research more clearly, through articles in agricultural journals and on the project’s homepage.
Ziska et al. (2016) showed that climate change can significantly reduce the efficacy of certain herbicides by altering plant physiology.
Ziska, L. H. (2016). The role of climate change and increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide on weed management: Herbicide efficacy. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 231, 304–309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2016.07.014
In Europe, species such as Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia spp.), Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera), and Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) have become significant invasive weeds. In many areas, they damage not only agriculture but also local biodiversity, making their control even more important. This primarily involves curbing new populations to prevent further spread.
(c) Swen Follak
Early detection and control of these invasive weeds are critical to stopping their expansion. Measures such as mechanical removal or the use of biological control methods offer sustainable solutions. Early detection is also the most cost-effective control method in the long run, both for invasive species and for weeds.
Vilà et al. (2011) have extensively documented the impacts of invasive species on ecosystems, showing that they can have significant negative effects on biodiversity and agriculture.
Early weed monitoring can help control weeds before they become a problem. In its simplest form, it involves regular field inspections—documenting with photos can help keep track of the population development of new weeds. Recently, drones and artificial intelligence have been used to assist with this task. These technologies enable more precise and efficient weed control, benefiting both the environment and the economy.
By identifying problematic weeds early, targeted actions can be taken before they spread significantly and threaten crop yields. This is especially important for new weed species, as they may not be easily controlled with traditional methods, requiring adjustments in management.
Studies like that of Mahajan et al. (2020) show that using drone technology in combination with AI significantly improves the efficiency of weed monitoring.
– Mahajan, G., Singh, S., & Chauhan, B. S. (2020). Drone-integrated smart farming solutions for sustainable agriculture in post-COVID-19 era: global overview and research opportunities. Remote Sensing, 12(24), 4085. Article available here: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/24/4085
The development of herbicide resistance poses a major challenge in modern agriculture. The excessive and repeated use of the same herbicides causes many weed species to develop resistance, meaning they respond less effectively to an active ingredient. This leads to a cycle of increasing herbicide use, which in turn creates even more resistant weeds, resulting in higher costs and greater crop losses.
(c) Swen Follak
Resistant weeds such as Waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus) in the USA or Blackgrass (Alopecurus myosuroides) in Europe are examples of how quickly this problem can escalate. In Austria, recent cases of resistance have been found in Redroot Pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus) and Lamb’s Quarters (Chenopodium album). A solution is to diversify weed control strategies, as applied in Integrated Weed Management.
In suspected cases of resistance, documenting all control measures, even those beyond herbicides, is crucial. This allows advisors to suggest more effective management adjustments and communicate the resistance regionally. Resistance cases are documented in databases such as the „International Herbicide-Resistant Weed Database“: https://www.weedscience.org/Home.aspx.
Powles und Yu (2010) haben gezeigt, dass der Einsatz von mehreren Mechanismen der Herbizidresistenz in einer Population zu einem schnellen Anstieg von Resistenzen führen kann, wenn keine ausreichenden Wechselstrategien angewendet werden.
Rissel, D., Petersen, J., & Ulber, L., 2024. Ergebnisse des Herbizidresistenz-Verdachtsmonitoring 2022. Herbizidresistenz-Verdachtsmonitoring. Link zur Studie: https://doi.org/10.5073/20240710-110752-0.
Integrated Weed Management (IWM) is a holistic approach that sustainably reduces weed populations on agricultural land. It combines various methods, such as mechanical, biological, and chemical weed control, tailored to the specific needs of a farm. The goal is to make weed control more efficient and environmentally friendly in the long term by utilizing many available methods together—this allows the weaknesses or gaps of individual approaches to be overcome. Although the initial implementation might require more effort, the work needed for weed control can be sustainably and significantly reduced over time.
(c) Swen Follak
A key component of this approach is the use of indirect management methods that prevent weeds from emerging in the first place. Crop rotation is a great example, as it disrupts weed populations by altering the growing conditions. By using a variety of such indirect methods, the remaining weeds can be targeted with specific herbicides.
A well-known example of the benefits of IWM is the study by Harker and O’Donovan (2013), which shows that integrated weed management can reduce herbicide dependency while maintaining stable yields.
Harker, K. N., & O’Donovan, J. T. (2013). Recent advances in weed management in North American conventional and organic cropping systems. *Canadian Journal of Plant Science*, 93(5), 901-910. Link to summary: https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.4141/cjps2013-088.
