Broomrapes (Orobanche and Phelipanche spp.) are parasitic weeds that significantly impact the productivity of major crops in the Mediterranean region, like tomato (Solanum spp.) and faba bean (Vicia faba) species. This review article extensively discusses management strategies to control broomrapes, which range from preventive measures to curative approaches. Additionally, it includes meaningful information on the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying the broomrape–host interaction, focusing on the host recognition of parasitic plant molecular patterns and the hormonal crosstalk that regulates the establishment of parasitism. Moreover, this article highlights the potential of breeding for resistance in cultivated crops, such as tomato and faba bean, as a sustainable, long-term solution to combat broomrape infestation. This review serves as a valuable resource for both researchers and farmers, offering insights for developing, implementing, and adapting effective and environmentally sustainable management practices for broomrape in Mediterranean agricultural systems.

One of the main abiotic factors affecting agricultural productivity in semi-arid regions is salinity. Seed priming is a frequently used method to enhance plant growth under saline environments. The aim of this work was to demonstrate the differences in eight agronomical characteristics of two grass pea varieties under two salinity regimes (80 and 160 mM NaCl) when pre-exposed to seed priming (hydropriming, biopriming with Bacillus subtilis and their combination). The two varieties responded well to the priming treatments, with more beneficial effects monitored for the local variety. Evaluating the root characteristics that are most affected by stress, it was found that, at 80 mM NaCl, the combination of biopriming and hydropriming increased the fresh root weight by 36.8% and root length by 70% in the commercial variety, and by 124% and 47%, in the local variety, respectively. At 160 mM NaCl, biopriming increased the fresh root weight by 40.3% and root length by 50.3% in the commercial variety, while in the local variety, the combination of biopriming and hydropriming increased the fresh root weight by 124% and root length by 47%, respectively. Overall, biopriming and the combination of biopriming and hydropriming significantly enhanced plant growth characteristics of the two grass pea genotypes.

Broomrapes (Orobanche & Phelipanche spp.) are parasitic weeds that significantly impact the productivity of major crops in Mediterranean region, like tomato (Solanum spp.) and faba bean (Vicia faba) species. This review article discusses extensively management strategies to control broomrapes, ranging from preventive measures to curative approaches. Additionally, it includes meaningful information to intricate molecular mechanisms underlying the broomrape-host interaction, focusing on host recognition of parasitic plant molecular patterns and the hormonal crosstalk that regulates the establishment of parasitism. Moreover, the article highlights the potential of breeding for resistance in cultivated crops such as tomato and faba bean as a sustainable, long-term solution to combat broomrape infestation. This review serves as a valuable resource for both researchers and farmers offering insights to develop, implement and adapt effective and environmentally sustainable management practices for broomrape in Mediterranean agricultural systems.

Lolium rigidum is among the most prevalent and noxious weeds in cereal and perennial cropping systems worldwide and has developed resistance to several herbicide modes of action. This study employed a sensor-based smart farming method for the early screening of herbicide resistance across three L. rigidum accessions in Greece, followed by dose–response experiments with clodinafop-propargyl, glyphosate, and mesosulfuron-methyl + iodosulfuron-methyl. In the preliminary screening, herbicides were applied at their highest recommended rates, whereas the dose–response experiments included five application rates (0, 1/4X, X, 2X, and 4X). The EM2 accession exhibited confirmed resistance to mesosulfuron-methyl + iodosulfuron-methyl, with a resistance index of 5.31 and a five-fold increase in the herbicide rate required compared to the susceptible EM1 accession. For clodinafop-propargyl, the GR50 value of the resistant EM3 accession (147.97 g a.i. ha⁻¹) was approximately 2.5-fold higher than that of the susceptible EM2 accession (60.28 g a.i. ha⁻¹). Glyphosate application provided only partial biomass reduction in resistant accessions, indicating reduced susceptibility. In parallel, TaqMan assays were developed and validated to detect target-site mutations linked to resistance against EPSPS-, ACCase-, and ALS-inhibiting herbicides, supporting the molecular interpretation of the observed resistance patterns. Overall, the results demonstrate that sensor-based smart farming approaches can provide a rapid and reliable tool for the early screening of herbicide resistance, enabling more informed crop protection strategies and supporting sustainable weed management. Further research across diverse soil types and climatic conditions is warranted to validate and extend the applicability of these approaches.

Direct-seeded industrial tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) systems are highly vulnerable to early-season interference, yet the role of seed vigor as a competitive determinant remains under-quantified. This study evaluated the performance of high-vigor (HV; 91% germination) and accelerated-aged low-vigor (LV; 60% germination) tomato seeds against two weeds: green foxtail (Setaria viridis) and jimsonweed (Datura stramonium). While mean emergence timing was statistically comparable between HV and LV cohorts (6.0 vs. 7.2 days), LV seedlings entered the post-emergence phase with a numerical deficit in initial seedling dry weight (7.1 mg vs. 8.5 mg for HV; difference not statistically significant), suggesting a potential early competitive disadvantage. In replacement series experiments, HV tomatoes maintained stable leaf and root biomass within the 0.76–1.24 relative yield (RY) confidence interval when competing with jimsonweed. In contrast, LV plants were significantly suppressed at low weed proportions (25%), where root RY dipped below the 0.76 threshold. Against the aggressive below-ground strategy of S. viridis (which produced ~1200 mg of root mass by 40 DAE), LV tomato root RY collapsed to 0.10–0.15, whereas HV plants maintained significantly higher niche occupancy. Physical separation of above- and below-ground competition confirmed that HV seeds provide a “physiological buffer”; specifically, in below-ground treatments, HV plants achieved a root mass of 0.25 g/plant compared to only 0.15 g/plant for LV plants. These results identify seed vigor as a primary driver of the “priority effect” and suggest that high-vigor lots are essential for Integrated Weed Management (IWM) strategies to mitigate early-season resource pre-emption. These findings suggest that seed vigor assessment should be integrated into seed quality standards for direct-seeded tomato systems as a component of Integrated Weed Management. Future field-based studies are needed to validate these greenhouse findings under variable agronomic conditions.