We build a Shannon orbit equivalence between the universal odometer and a variety of rank-one systems. This is done in a unified manner using what we call flexible classes of rank-one transformations. Our main result is that every flexible class contains an element which is Shannon orbit equivalent to the universal odometer. Since a typical example of flexible class is $\{T\}$ when T is an odometer, our work generalizes a recent result by Kerr and Li, stating that every odometer is Shannon orbit equivalent to the universal odometer. When the flexible class is a singleton, the rank-one transformation given by the main result is explicit. This applies to odometers and Chacon’s map. We also prove that strongly mixing systems, systems with a given eigenvalue, or irrational rotations whose angle belongs to any fixed non-empty open subset of the real line form flexible classes. In particular, strong mixing, rationality or irrationality of the eigenvalues are not preserved under Shannon orbit equivalence.

Farming developed in Britain during the Neolithic period but across much of England the earliest good archaeological evidence for fields and enclosures in which crops were grown and livestock kept dates from the Middle Bronze Age, c. 1600/1500 bc. While these Bronze Age sub-divided agricultural landscapes are widespread across southern and eastern England, Suffolk and Norfolk were, until recently, essentially a ‘blank’ in their distribution. Over the last 15 years an increasing number of such field systems have been excavated, particularly in Norfolk, and some have started to appear in print. This article adds to this developing picture by briefly describing parts of seven additional Bronze Age – and probable Bronze Age – field systems that have been investigated through recent development-led excavation in south-east Suffolk. Currently published and unpublished evidence from elsewhere in the county is also considered, with the aims of identifying how widespread such land divisions were and establishing the current state of knowledge regarding the location, date, development, layout, and agricultural function of Bronze Age fields in the county. Some of the implications are of wider interest for understanding Bronze Age landscape organisation and land use in lowland England.

Globally, Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) continue to be sold and kept in small, barren jars or tanks, with little concern for their welfare. This study aimed to examine the impact of housing size and furnishings (i.e. live plants, refuges) on the behaviour of Siamese fighting fish, to understand optimal tank conditions. Thirteen male Siamese fighting fish were rotated between five different housing conditions: ‘jar’ (1.5 L); ‘small’ (3.3 L); ‘medium’ (5.6 L); ‘large’ (19.3 L); and ‘large-barren’ (19.3 L). All tanks had gravel and furnishings, except the large-barren tank which was devoid of these. Overall, tank size influenced behaviour. Fish were significantly more active and spent significantly less time resting and performing ‘abnormal’ behaviours (hovering and stereotypic swimming), in the large tank compared to the smaller tanks. Tank furnishings also influenced behaviour. Fishes in the large-barren tank performed more ‘abnormal’ behaviours (hovering, stereotypic swimming, interaction with the walls), compared to the large tank which had furnishings. These results suggest that the small, barren jars and tanks that Siamese fighting fish are often housed in are detrimental to their welfare, and larger, furnished tanks are more optimal. Behavioural variations were observed between the fish in this study, highlighting individual fish personality. We recommend a minimum tank size of 5.6 L for the display and sale of Siamese fighting fish, and tanks larger than this for keeping Siamese fighting fish at home. All tanks should contain gravel, live plants and refuges.

Novel management strategies for controlling smutgrass have potential to influence sward dynamics in bahiagrass forage systems. This experiment evaluated population shifts in bahiagrass forage following implementation of integrated herbicide and fertilizer management plans for controlling smutgrass. Herbicide treatments included indaziflam applied preemergence (PRE), hexazinone applied postemergence (POST), a combination of PRE + POST herbicides, and a nonsprayed control. Fertilizer treatments included nitrogen (N), nitrogen + potassium (N+K), and an unfertilized control. The POST reduced smutgrass coverage regardless of PRE or fertilizer application by the end of the first season and remained low for the three-year duration of the experiment (P < 0.01). All treatments, including nontreated controls, reduced smutgrass coverage during year 3 (P < 0.05), indicating that routine harvesting to remove the biomass reduced smutgrass coverage. Bahiagrass cover increased at the end of year 1 with POST (P < 0.01) but only the POST + fertilizer treatment maintained greater bahiagrass coverage than the nontreated control by the end of year 3 (P < 0.05). Expenses associated with the POST + fertilizer treatment totaled $348 ha-1 across the three-year experiment. Other smutgrass control options could include complete removal of biomass (hay production) and pasture renovation, which can cost threefold or greater more than POST + fertilizer treatment. Complete removal of biomass may reduce smutgrass coverage by removing mature seedheads, but at a much greater expense of $2,835 to $5,825 ha-1 depending on herbicide and fertilizer inputs. Bahiagrass renovation is $826 ha-1 in establishment costs alone. When pasture production expenses are included for two seasons post-renovation, the total increases to $1,120 ha-1 across three seasons. The importance of hexazinone and fertilizer as components of smutgrass control in bahiagrass forage was confirmed in this study. Future research should focus on the biology of smutgrass and the role of a PRE in a long-term, larger-scale forage system.

This trial assessed the effect of preemergence herbicides on newly transplanted blackberries. A two-year field trial was initiated in 2021 and conducted at two locations: Fayetteville, AR and Clarksville, AR. Seven treatments consisted of six preemergence herbicides (flumioxazin, mesotrione, napropamide, oryzalin, pendimethalin, and S-metolachlor) and one nontreated check. Preemergence herbicide treatments were applied to field plots of newly-transplanted blackberry plugs (var. ‘Ouachita’), using a CO2 backpack sprayer at 187 L ha-1 covering a 1 m swath, ensuring spray pattern overlap over newly planted blackberries in 2021 and reapplied in the same manner to established blackberries of the same plots in 2022. Data were collected on crop injury and plant height of blackberry plants in each plot. Yield data was collected in the second year, and fruit were analyzed for soluble solids content, pH, and average berry weight. In the first year mesotrione and flumioxazin treatments caused injury to newly transplanted blackberries, and mesotrione-treated blackberries (58% - Fayetteville, 29% - Clarksville) did not fully recover by 84 days after treatment (DAT). Napropamide, S-metolachlor, oryzalin, and pendimethalin did not cause crop injury over 6% throughout the 2021 season. In the second year (2022), no crop injury was caused by any herbicide treatments. Results from these trials verify that flumioxazin, napropamide, oryzalin, and pendimethalin at the tested rates would be appropriate options for weed control in newly planted blackberries. These results corroborate regional recommendations against the use of mesotrione in first year blackberry plantings. The findings from this trial indicate S-metolachlor would be safe for registration for use in blackberries, regarding crop injury and blackberry yield.

Weed management in California water-seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.) is challenging due to herbicide-resistant weeds. Research on additional herbicide options is necessary to control herbicide-resistant weeds. Pendimethalin is a dinitroaniline herbicide commonly used in dry-seeded rice; however, it is not registered in water-seeded rice. This study was conducted to determine the pendimethalin fate in water-seeded rice after application at 1-, 3-, and 5-leaf stage rice. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was utilized to quantify pendimethalin and degradants in the water, soil and rice seedling tissue at 1, 5, and 14 days after treatment. Over 50% of recovered pendimethalin was observed in the rice tissue and over 25% in the soil and least observed in the water at all application timings and sampling dates. Three pendimethalin degradants were observed at low concentrations: p36 [1-(1-ethylpropyl)-5,6-dimethyl-7-nitro-1H-benximidazole], p44 [4-[(1-ethylpropyl) amino]-2-methyl-3,5-ditrobenzoic acid] and p48 [4,5-dimethyl-3-nitro-N2-(pentan-3-yl) benzene-1,2-diamine]. The degradant p36 was observed in all samples and most abundant in the soil. The degradants p36 and p44 increased in concentration in the water by 14 days after treatment. The degradants p44 and p48 were at low concentrations or below the lowest level of quantification in water, soil, and tissue samples. The pendimethalin parent molecule remained intact and was not readily metabolized in rice tissue. The crown region and shoots of the rice seedlings demonstrated greater pendimethalin concentrations compared to the roots at all rice stages; however, pendimethalin concentrations remained similar across the three sample timings. Rice root and shoot reduction was 16 and 13%, respectively, after the 1-leaf stage application averaged over sample timings, and 6 and 4% after the 5-leaf stage application. The results suggest the rice stage at the application timing is an important factor for pendimethalin tolerance; therefore, encouraging early root development can be beneficial for pendimethalin tolerance in water-seeded rice.

The widespread adoption of multiple herbicide-resistant corn and soybean often causes the problem of volunteers in corn-soybean rotation, which necessitates alternative herbicides for effective management. The objective of this research was to evaluate preemergence (PRE) and postemergence (POST) herbicides labelled in corn for control of dicamba/glufosinate/glyphosate-resistant volunteer soybean. Field experiments were conducted from 2021 to 2023 near Clay Center, Nebraska. Two separate field experiments were conducted to evaluate 12 PRE and 14 POST herbicides to control volunteer soybean in Enlist corn. Soybean resistant to dicamba/glufosinate/glyphosate was planted perpendicular to corn rows to mimic volunteer soybean. Among PRE herbicides tested, acetochlor/clopyralid/flumetsulam (1,190; 1,050/106/34 g ai ha–1) and acetochlor/clopyralid/mesotrione (2,304; 1,961/133/210 g ai/ae ha–1) provided 97% and 99% control of volunteer soybean, respectively, in 2021, and 68% and 89% control, respectively, in 2023 at 42 d after PRE. Among POST herbicides tested, 2,4-D choline (1,064 g ae ha–1), acetochlor/clopyralid/mesotrione (2,304; 1,961/133/210 g ai/ae ha–1), atrazine/bicyclopyrone/mesotrione/S-metolachlor (2,409; 700/42/168/1,499 g ai ha–1), clopyralid/flumetsulam (192; 146/46 g ai ha–1), nicosulfuron + atrazine (34 + 1,120 g ai ha–1), and thiencarbazone-methyl/tembotrione + atrazine (76; 12/63 + 896 g ai ha–1) provided ≥ 97% volunteer soybean control, ≥ 94% density reduction, and ≥ 97% biomass reduction 28 d after POST herbicide application. Corn yield did not differ from the weed-free control in these treatments. The results of this study suggest that PRE and POST herbicides are available for control of dicamba/glufosinate/glyphosate-resistant volunteer soybean in Enlist corn, and careful selection of herbicide is required based on the herbicide-resistant soybean planted previous year.