title: Fluridone: a combination germination stimulant and herbicide for problem fields?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Problem weeds in agriculture, such as Lolium rigidum Gaud., owe some of their success to their large and dormant seed banks, which permit germination throughout a crop-growing season. Dormant weed seed banks could be greatly depleted by application of a chemical that stimulates early-season germination and then kills the young seedlings. Fluridone, a phytoene desaturase-inhibiting herbicide that can also break seed dormancy, was assessed for its efficacy in this regard.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The germination of fluridone-treated Lolium rigidum seeds was stimulated on soils with low organic matter, and almost 100% seedling mortality was observed, while the treatment was only moderately effective on a high-organic-matter potting mix. Seedlings from wheat, canola, common bean and chickpea seeds sown on fluridone-treated sandy loam were bleached and did not survive, but lupins and field peas grew normally.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This proof-of-concept study with fluridone suggests that it may be possible to design safe and effective molecules that act as germination stimulants plus herbicides in a range of crop and soil types: a potentially novel way of utilising herbicides to stimulate seed bank germination and a valuable addition to an integrated weed management system.
authors.affiliation: Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative, School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia.
authors.forename: Danica E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Goggin
authors.forename: Stephen B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Powles
mesh_terms: D029741:Brassica rapa / Q000254:growth & development / Q000633:toxicity; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000633:toxicity; D018525:Germination / Q000187:drug effects*; D006540:Herbicides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008129:Lolium / Q000187:drug effects; D057445:Plant Dormancy / Q000187:drug effects; D057685:Plant Weeds / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D011728:Pyridones / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D036226:Seedlings / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D012639:Seeds / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000633:toxicity; D012987:Soil; D014908:Triticum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D006540:Herbicides; D011728:Pyridones; D012987:Soil; C013351:fluridone
keywords: Lolium rigidum; fluridone; germination; seed dormancy