Presence of two quarantine broadleaf weeds in imported vegetable seed and grain samples

摘要

Bindweed (= field bindweed) (Convolvulus arvensis) (Convolvulaceae) and carelessweed (= redroot pigweed) (Amaranthus retroflexus) (Amaranthaceae) are broadleaf weeds of quarantine concern to Cuba (Official List of Quarantine 2004), and both are present in cultivations of economic importance at a world level. These weeds compete with crops, and also serve to spread various pests and diseases (Montemurro & Tei, 1998).Bindweed is troublesome in temperate and Mediterranean environments, and is often found in tropical regions. Annual crops, such as cereals and grain legumes, appear particularly susceptible to yield loss following bindweed infestations, with reductions of 20-80% reported (Black et al., 1994). Carelessweed is an aggressive and competitive weed of many crops, and has become naturalized throughout the temperate regions of both the northern and the southern hemispheres.