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Notes: Hedenström H, Wegener T, Boman G, Wåhlander L, Melander B. Effect of inhaled formoterol versus terbutaline on respiratory function in moderate bronchial asthma.In a double-blind cross-over study comparing the duration of action of 12 μg and 24 μg formoterol, 500 μg terbutaline and placebo, lung function tests were performed in 12 never-smokers with non-allergic bronchial asthma. All the patients were hyperreactive to methacholine, had normal serum IgE level, and negative skin or RAST results. The lung function tests were carried out over an 11-h period and included measurements of lung volumes, airway resistance, dynamic spirometry, nitrogen single breath wash-out test and single breath diffusion capacity for CO. The airway resistance and maximal forced expiratory flow tests indicated a pronounced bronchodilator effect without adverse effects of 12 μg and 24 μg formoterol on both large and peripheral airways. Improved intrapulmonary gas distribution measured by the nitrogen wash-out test and more even distribution of the lung volumes indicating more homogeneous ventilation was seen for approx. 3h after terbutaline and approx. 11 h after 24 μg formoterol. Measurement of the CO diffusion capacity indicates more effective gas diffusion and a better ventilation-perfusion ratio for at least 11 h, especially after inhalation of 24 μg formoterol.

Notes: Steaming the soil prior to crop establishment can be a very effective method of preventing weed seedling emergence on raised beds of vegetable crops. However, current mobile steaming technology for outdoor vegetables is characterized by an extremely high energy consumption and a low work rate. This has led to the concept of band-steaming, where only a limited soil volume is steamed corresponding to the intrarow area of a row-grown vegetable crop. Weeds growing in the intrarow area are difficult to remove by traditional non-chemical means, usually involving substantial input of manual labour in organic cropping. This paper presents the initial results from laboratory studies with steaming a limited soil volume simulating a band. The investigations describe the relationship between maximum soil temperature achieved from soil steaming for different periods and effects seen on subsequent weed seedling emergence. The relationships obtained were generally sigmoid and could appropriately be described by a common dose–response function. Seedling emergence from natural weed species was reduced by 90% when the maximum soil temperature reached 61°C, and a further 10°C rise in temperature gave 99% reduction. Added and non-imbibed seeds of Lolium perenne and Brassica napus generally required higher temperatures to achieve the same control level as the natural weeds in the soil samples.

Notes: Three field experiments were conducted in lupin in 1997, 1998 and 1999 to study two aspects of selectivity of post-emergence weed harrowing; the ability of the crop to resist soil covering (the initial damage effect), and the ability of the crop to tolerate soil covering (the recovery effect). Each year soil covering curves and crop tolerance curves were established in three early growth stages of lupin. Soil covering curves connected weed control and crop soil cover in weedy plots, and crop tolerance curves connected crop yield and crop soil cover in weed-free plots. The experiments showed that both resistance and tolerance were unaffected by the growth stage of lupin within the range from the cotyledon to the 7–8 leaf growth stages. Tolerance to soil covering was also unaffected by year whereas the ability of the crop to resist soil covering was highly affected by year. Lupin showed high tolerance to soil covering but a rather low ability to resist soil covering. Harrowing at multiple growth stages supported the finding that lupin is fairly tolerant to soil covering. Advantages and disadvantages of using soil covering as a measure of crop damage is discussed. In conclusion, weed harrowing in lupin showed positive prospects because of high tolerance to crop soil cover.

Notes: Inter-row hoeing is known to control tap-rooted and erect weed species more effectively in winter wheat than weed harrowing. However, little is known about its effectiveness for use in the spring in winter wheat grown at wide row spacing (240 mm) under the influence of different placement of fertilizer. Two field experiments, one in 1999 and one in 2000, were conducted to study the influence of fertilizer placement, timing of inter-row hoeing, and driving speed on the weeding effect on different weed species and crop growth. Placement of fertilizer below the soil surface improved crop growth and grain yield in both years compared with placement on the surface, but the more vigorous crop did not give any better suppression of the weeds surviving hoeing. Timing was not important in one experiment, whereas hoeing twice beginning in early April was more effective in the other experiment where weed growth over the winter had been vigorous. Driving speed had no influence on either the weeding effect or the yield, except for one case where increasing speed reduced the control of well-developed weeds. Compared with unweeded reference treatments, inter-row hoeing reduced total weed biomass by 60–70% and tap-rooted and erect weed species in particular by 50–90%. Sowing at 240 mm row spacing yielded less than 120 mm (Danish standard), and inter-row hoeing for winter wheat needs to be adapted to narrower row spacing to avoid such yield decreases.

Notes: Field trials were carried out at a single Danish and two Spanish locations. In Denmark, winter wheat was sown at 24-cm row spacing allowing hoeing in the inter-row area. Hoeing speeds of 2, 5 and 8 km h−1 were tested at the end of tillering, at the beginning of stem elongation or on both occasions. The crop was harrowed immediately after hoeing at the same speed. At the Spanish locations the winter barley was sown at a 12-cm row spacing and harrowed only, at either pre-emergence plus post-emergence, or once post-emergence at mid-tillering at 2, 4, 6 and 8 km h−1. The depth of the soil layer thrown into the cereal row was measured at all locations. This layer ranged between 0.4 and 1.4 cm, depending on the site and on the treatment, but was generally higher following a single harrow treatment at all sites. The soil layer only tended to increase with faster speeds at the Danish location. On a more sandy soil and soil rolled prior to treatment, less soil was thrown into the cereal row. When two hoe + harrowing treatments were made, a finer soil structure was achieved. However, this did not affect the weed control. At the Danish location, initial intra-row weeding efficacy of Brassica napus, based on plant number before and 7 days after treatment, was found to be low (21–41%) but increased to 74–79% when assessed after 45 days. Partial burial and bending of B. napus, together with crop competition, probably suppressed weed growth and enhanced final mortality. Uprooting was probably a more important cause of mortality for Stellaria media. At the Spanish locations, weeding efficacy of Papaver rhoeas was similar, ranging between 58% and 83% and this was achieved soon after harrowing. A thicker soil layer did not result in a greater weed kill. It was therefore suggested that burial alone could not be the main factor responsible for weed control in any of the cases studied. No reduction in wheat biomass, measured at the end of May, was found with increasing speed, or with repeated passes of the harrow. The results suggested that faster harrowing, which is economically more attractive for farmers, could be recommended. The soil layer thrown into the row was not found to be a useful parameter to predict the weed control efficacy in the cases presented.

Notes: The impact of drilling date on Apera spica-venti and Alopecurus myosuroides in winter cereals was investigated in field trials in 1991 and 1992. Two drilling dates were considered with an inter val of 14 to 16 days between dates. Generally, drilling date had an inconsistent effect on weed plant populations in spring, but seedling emerg ence of both species appeared to be delayed at the later drilling compared with the earlier date. This delay may partly explain the reduced com petitive ability of A. myosuroides in wheat in 1991 and 1992 and of A. spica-venti in wheat in 1991 at the later drilling date. The seed popula tion per plant of both species was lower at the later date in some instances, whereas in others drilling date had no effect. Reduced seed produc tion was mainly caused by a reduction of the number of inflorescences per plant. The poten tial of utilizing drilling dates as a cultural control measure against grass weeds is discussed.

Notes: Manual weeding of intrarow weeds in direct-sown leek and bulb onion crops grown organically can be very labour-intensive. Four field experiments, two in direct-sown leek and two in direct-sown bulb onion were made in this investigation to study the effects of physical and cultural methods on intrarow weed numbers, time consumption for hand-weeding and marketable yield parameters. The physical methods considered were: pre-emergence flaming and harrowing, and post-emergence hoeing close to the row (only leek) and vertical brush weeding. The cultural methods were: seed priming, slurry placement and cultivar choice (only leek). Generally, flaming plus brush weeding gave the highest intrarow weed control at 92% and 87%, respectively, in the two leek experiments and 39% (only brush weeding was effective) and 74%, respectively, in the two onion experiments. Time consumption for hand-weeding after the different treatments was linearly related to the remaining numbers of intrarow weeds, with no significant influences of the experimental factors on the general relationship. Generally, the cultural methods had no significant influence on the effects of physical weeding in terms of their effect against intrarow weeds. They did not affect the tolerance or robustness of the crop plants against negative impact from the physical control methods. However, generally, seed priming and cultivar choice did improve yield in the leek experiments and seed priming also did so in the one experiment with onion.

Notes: Effects of Elymus repens (L.) Gould competition on yield of winter rye (Secale cereale L.), winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), peas (Pisum sativum L.), and spring oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) were studied in field trials conducted on the same location through 3 years. The competitiveness of the five crops against E. repens could be ranked as follows, with the most competitive crop mentioned first: rye wheat, barley rape, peas. Yield losses ranged from 8% in rye to around 35% in peas and rape at a density level of 100 primary shoots m−2 in spring. The different prevailing climatic conditions in the growing seasons had no effect on the yield-density relationships in rye, peas, and barley, whereas significant interactions were found in wheat and rape. The cumulative emergence patternsof primary shoots were described in the spring-sown crops, and models were derived to simulate the sensitivity of competition parameters to the actual time of shoot recording. The importance of choosing the right time for shoot emergence counts in relation to threshold recommendations and other aspects is discussed. Modélisation de l'effet de la concurrence de Elymus repens (L.) Gould sur les rendements de céréales, de pois et de colzaNous avons étudié au champ les effets de la concurrence de Elymus repens (L.) Gould sur le rendement du seigle d'hiver (Secale cereale L.), du blé d'hiver (Triticum aestivum L.), de l'orge de printemps (Hordeum vulgare L.), du pois (Pisum sativum L.) et du colza de printemps (Brassica napus L.). Les essais ont été conduits durant trois ans sur le même site. L'aptitude à la concurrence des cinq cultures à l'égard de E. repens peut être classée ainsi, en ordre décroissant: seigle blé et orge colza et pois. Les pertes de rendement allaient de 8% chez le seigle à environ 35% chez le pois et le colza, à un densité de pousses primaires 100 m−2, mesurée au printemps. Les différentes conditions météorologiques ayant régné lors des périodes de croissance n'ont eu aucun effet sur les relations densité-rendement chez le seigle, le pois et l'orge, alors que des interactions significatives ont été observées chez le blé et le colza. Le patron cumulatif de l'émergence des pousses primaires a été décrit pour les cultures de printemps, et des mode les en ont été déduits pour simuler la sensibilité des paramètres de concurrence à la date à laquelle les levées sont enregistrées. L'importance est discutée du choix d'une date correcte pour les comptages de levées dans l'optique de recommandations de seuils de densité. Modellierung der Wirkung der Konkurrenz von Elymus repens (L.) Gould auf den Ertrag von Getreide, Erbse und RapsDie Wirkung der Konkurrenz der Gemeinen Quecke (Elymus repens) auf Winterroggen (Secale cereale L.), Winterweizen (Triticum aestivum L.) Sommergerste (Hordeum vulgare L.), Saat-Erbse (Pisum sativum L.) und Sommerraps (Brassica napus L.) wurde in Feldversuchen über drei Vegetationsperioden am selben Ort untersucht. Für die Konkurrenzkraft der fünf Kulturen gegenüber der Quecke ergab sich folgende Reihenfolge: Roggen Weizen, Gerste Raps, Erbse. Die Ertragsverluste lagen bei einer Dichte von 100 Queckenhalmen m2 im Frühjahr zwischen 8 % beim Roggen und rund 35 % bei Erbse und Raps. Die verschiedenen Witterungsbedingungen in den Versuchsjahren blieben ohne Einfluß auf die Ertrags-Dichte-Beziehungen bei Roggen, Erbse und Gerste, während bei Weizen und Raps eine signifikante Beeinflussung gefunden wurde. Das Austriebsverhalten der Queckentriebe wurde in den Sommerkulturen festgehalten, und es wurden Modelle entwickelt, um die Empfindlichkeit der Konkurrenzparameter in Abhängigkeit vom Zeitpunkt der Zählung der Triebe zu simulieren. Die Bedeutung der Wahl des richtigen Zeitpunkts für die Erfassung des Austriebs der Quecke hinsichtlich der Empfehlung von Schwellenwerten und anderen Aspekten wird diskutiert.