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Plants
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Advances in Weed Control and Management
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Advances in Weed Control and Management

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 2988

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Elson S. Alvarenga

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), Vicosa, Brazil
Interests: organic synthesis; natural products; theoretical calculation; spectrometric methods; structure identification; pesticide science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural products, particularly plant-derived secondary metabolites, have received increased attention as promising sources of herbicidal agents. These compounds often exhibit high biological activity and structural diversity, making them attractive candidates for the development of environmentally benign herbicides. Moreover, the exploration of synthetic analogues of these natural scaffolds allows for the fine-tuning of their efficacy, stability, and selectivity. Advances in phytochemistry, molecular biology, and mode-of-action studies have facilitated a deeper understanding of how these compounds exert their phytotoxic effects. Together, these efforts contribute to the discovery and rational design of novel herbicidal agents that align with current demands for agricultural sustainability and reduced environmental risk.

Prof. Dr. Elson S. Alvarenga
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • herbicides
  • natural products
  • docking
  • bioassay
  • bioactive compounds

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 7282 KB  
Article
Evaluation of Phenolic Acids as Selective Bioherbicides: A Preliminary Study on Their Effects on Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. Germination and Soil Beneficial Bacteria
by Maja Šćepanović, Irina Tanuwidjaja, Laura Pismarović, Valentina Šoštarčić and Mirna Mrkonjić Fuka
Plants 2026, 15(7), 1127; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15071127 - 7 Apr 2026
Viewed by 398
Abstract
The aim of this in vitro study was to investigate the effects of six phenolic acids applied individually and in combination at concentrations of 0–20 mM on Ambrosia artemisiifolia and soil bacteria. Chlorogenic acid (CGA), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA), and protocatechuic acid (PKA) [...] Read more.
The aim of this in vitro study was to investigate the effects of six phenolic acids applied individually and in combination at concentrations of 0–20 mM on Ambrosia artemisiifolia and soil bacteria. Chlorogenic acid (CGA), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA), and protocatechuic acid (PKA) were tested on both plants and bacteria, whereas p-coumaric (PCA), vanillic (VA), and ferulic (FA) acids were tested only on soil bacteria. The estimated EC50 for radicle inhibition were 4.9 ± 0.1 mM for PHBA, 4.1 ± 0.7 mM for CGA, 6.6 ± 0.7 mM for PKA, 10.1 ± 0.9 mM for CGA + PHBA + PKA, 4.6 ± 0.4 mM for ferulic, vanillic, and p-coumaric acids (FA + VA + PCA), and 2.5 ± 0.3 mM for the combination of all six phenolic acids. Bacterial strains were less susceptible to individual phenolic acids compared to their combinations. PKA and CGA showed the strongest antibacterial activity, with PKA inhibiting 78% and killing 74% of strains at ≤10 mM, while CGA inhibited 61% and killed 57%. Conversely, PCA and VA had the weakest antibacterial effects, requiring ≥20 mM for complete inhibition. Among test genera, Stenotrophomonas, Bacillus, Peribacillus, and Pseudomonas were more susceptible than Enterobacter and Lelliottia. Subinhibitory concentrations of individual phenolic acids did not affect bacterial motility, except for PKA. The study suggests that VA, PCA and FA alone or combined and PHBA alone, appear promising for weed management. Reduced herbicide strategies may safely incorporate CGA and PKA at concentrations below 2.5 mM. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Weed Control and Management)
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18 pages, 2525 KB  
Article
More than a Thickener: Xanthan Gum as a Vehicle for the Herbicidal Extract of Saussurea lappa and Its Rheological Characterization
by Shafiu Mustapha, Bryan N. S. Pinto, Ângelo M. L. Denadai and Elson S. Alvarenga
Plants 2026, 15(2), 337; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15020337 - 22 Jan 2026
Viewed by 624
Abstract
The increasing demand for food is the driving force behind the search for novel, more selective, and less hazardous agrochemicals. Natural products are gaining prominence recently due to the promise of being green agrochemicals, but many natural products are poorly soluble in water, [...] Read more.
The increasing demand for food is the driving force behind the search for novel, more selective, and less hazardous agrochemicals. Natural products are gaining prominence recently due to the promise of being green agrochemicals, but many natural products are poorly soluble in water, which reduces their applicability. In this work, we successfully formulated a water-insoluble Saussurea lappa root extract into a stable aqueous suspension using xanthan gum. The colloidal suspension was characterized by rheology, dynamic light scattering, and zeta potential. The results demonstrated that the suspension is a stable, sprayable, shear-thinning viscoelastic system (weak gel). A series of S. lappa solutions with xanthan gum were prepared and tested against five plant species, observing the inhibitory effect on the shoots and roots. The results were also compared with the commercial herbicide Dual. The S. lappa extract presented results comparable to or even greater than Dual for Lactuca sativa, Cucumis sativus, Brachiaria decumbens, and Bidens pilosa. However, it showed low inhibitory activity for Sorghum bicolor, highlighting its potential for selective weed control. This work illustrates xanthan gum as an effective vehicle for formulating insoluble natural products and demonstrates that S. lappa extract is a promising candidate for developing novel herbicides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Weed Control and Management)
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11 pages, 444 KB  
Article
Efficiency of Glyphosate to Control Crabgrass in Different Phenological Stages and Soil Water Potentials
by Ricardo Fagundes Marques, Antonio Carlos Silva Junior, Francielly Rodrigues Gomes, Cibele Chalita Martins and Dagoberto Martins
Plants 2026, 15(1), 111; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15010111 - 31 Dec 2025
Viewed by 536
Abstract
Herbicide efficacy on weeds under water deficit conditions may be reduced because water stress decreases cuticle hydration, thereby limiting the penetration of herbicides such as glyphosate. This study evaluated the efficiency of the herbicide glyphosate to control crabgrass (Digitaria nuda Schumach.) in [...] Read more.
Herbicide efficacy on weeds under water deficit conditions may be reduced because water stress decreases cuticle hydration, thereby limiting the penetration of herbicides such as glyphosate. This study evaluated the efficiency of the herbicide glyphosate to control crabgrass (Digitaria nuda Schumach.) in different phenological stages of development and when submitted to distinct soil water potentials. A completely randomized design with four replicates was adopted. The treatments were arranged in a 3 × 3 × 2 factorial scheme, consisting of three soil water conditions (−0.03, −0.07, and −1.5 MPa), three glyphosate doses (0.0, 270.0, and 540.0 g a.e. ha−1, corresponding to 0, 50, and 100% of the label-recommended dose, respectively), and two phenological stages (4–6 leaves and 1–3 tillers). The following were evaluated: the specific leaf area, stomatal conductance, the difference between environmental and leaf temperature, and shoot and root dry matter. There is a decrease in crabgrass morphophysiological components according to the increase of water restriction, regardless of the phenological stage evaluated. The 4–6 leaves stage of crabgrass plants influences the control provided by the herbicide glyphosate, irrespective of the dose used. The different water deficits studied reduced the efficiency of the herbicide glyphosate in the two development stages of crabgrass plants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Weed Control and Management)
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20 pages, 769 KB  
Article
Morphophysiological and Nutritional Responses of Bean Cultivars in Competition with Digitaria insularis
by Leandro Galon, Carlos Daniel Balla, Otilo Daniel Henz Neto, Lucas Tedesco, Germani Concenço, Ândrea Machado Pereira Franco, Aline Diovana Ribeiro dos Anjos, Otávio Augusto Dassoler, Michelangelo Muzell Trezzi and Gismael Francisco Perin
Plants 2025, 14(17), 2684; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14172684 - 28 Aug 2025
Viewed by 956
Abstract
Studies exploring the competitive interactions between common beans and weeds are essential to adopt more efficient management strategies in the field, thereby reducing production costs. This study aimed to evaluate the competitive ability of bean cultivars in the presence of sourgrass (Digitaria [...] Read more.
Studies exploring the competitive interactions between common beans and weeds are essential to adopt more efficient management strategies in the field, thereby reducing production costs. This study aimed to evaluate the competitive ability of bean cultivars in the presence of sourgrass (Digitaria insularis), using different plant proportions in associations. The experiments were conducted in a greenhouse, arranged in a randomized block design with four replications, from October 2020 to February 2021. Treatments were organized in the following plant proportions of beans and sourgrass: 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100%. The competitiveness analysis was carried out using replacement series diagrams and relative competitiveness indices. At 50 days after emergence (DAE), measurements were taken for leaf area, plant height, gas exchange, shoot dry mass, and nutrient concentration in bean leaves. The results show that interference between common bean cultivars and sourgrass involves equivalent competition mechanisms. Increasing sourgrass density negatively affects physiological traits and gas exchange in beans by about 10%. Beans show about 15% higher relative growth than sourgrass, based on competitiveness indices. Nutrient levels vary by cultivar and competitor ratio. Intercropping harms species more than intraspecific competition. Further field studies should determine critical control stages and economic impacts, aiding weed management decisions in bean production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Weed Control and Management)
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