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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Agron.
Sec. Weed Management
Volume 6 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fagro.2024.1496841
This article is part of the Research Topic Innovative Technology and Techniques for Effective Weed Control View all 6 articles

Exploring germination thresholds and seed properties of Ambrosia artemisiifolia populations from different European regions for improving control strategies

Provisionally accepted
Nebojša Nikolić Nebojša Nikolić 1,2*Valentina Šoštarčić Valentina Šoštarčić 3Maja Šćepanović Maja Šćepanović 3Roberta Masin Roberta Masin 2
  • 1 University of Padua, Padua, Italy
  • 2 Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and the Environment, School of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Padua, Legnaro, Veneto, Italy
  • 3 Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Introduction: Ambrosia artemisiifolia, a highly invasive weed species, poses significant challenges to agriculture and human health. This study investigated the germination thresholds and physical properties of A. artemisiifolia populations from diverse regions in Europe, encompassing Serbia, Croatia, Italy, and France. Results: Results revealed intriguing variations in germination thresholds among the populations. The Italian population exhibited the lowest base temperature (Tb) of 0.58°C, closely followed by the Croatian population (1.49°C), statistically similar to the Serbian (1.46°C) and French (2.74°C) populations. In contrast, the Serbian population displayed the lowest base water potential (Ψb) of -1.44 MPa, followed by the French population (-1.23 MPa), with no significant differences observed between the Italian (-0.78 MPa) and Croatian (-0.80 MPa) populations. Analysis of physical seed properties unveiled notable disparities in size, weight, and shape. The Italian population boasted the smallest, lightest, and most spherical seeds, while the French population harboured the largest and most elongated seeds. Interestingly, the seeds of the Croatian population were the heaviest. Conclusions: This study underscores the adaptability of A. artemisiifolia populations to diverse climatic conditions, showcasing varied responses across regions. These findings elucidate the intricate interplay between environmental factors and seed traits, offering valuable insights for the development of effective weed management strategies.

    Keywords: invasive species, Germination thresholds, Seed properties, climate adaptation, Weed management strategies

    Received: 15 Sep 2024; Accepted: 09 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Nikolić, Šoštarčić, Šćepanović and Masin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Nebojša Nikolić, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.