Fall applications of pronamide [3,5-dichloro(N-1,1-dimethyl-2-propynyl)benzamide] control or suppress quackgrass [Agropyron repens (L.) Beauv.] in established alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Studies were initiated to evaluate benefits of pronamide usage in areas where quackgrass is a problem. Alfalfa swards severely infested with quackgrass were treated with pronamide. Forage quality of first cutting alfalfa was significantly improved with pronamide usage, but second and third cutting forage quality was not greatly affected. First cutting hay from pronamide-treated and untreated areas was fed to goats and dairy cows in feeding trials. Animal intake of total forage dry matter, digestible dry matter, and digestible crude protein was increased with pronamide usage. A reduction in need for supplemental protein, an increase in efficiency in dry matter conversion into milk, and a 20% increase in milk production resulted from controlling quackgrass in alfalfa with pronamide.

Viable cutleaf groundcherry (Physalis angulata L. var. angulata) seed were produced 4 weeks after flowering began. Constant temperatures of 10 and 40 C totally inhibited germination. Varying photoperiods had no effect on the germination. Seedling emergence decreased (89% to 0%) as planting depth increased (0 to 10 cm). Greater than 97% preemergence control of cutleaf groundcherry was obtained with metribuzin [4-amino-6-tert-butyl-3-(methylthio)-as-triazin-5(4H)-one], linuron [3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1-methoxy-1-methylurea], alachlor [2-chloro-2′,6′-diethyl-N-(methoxymethyl)acetanilide], oxadiazon [2-tert-butyl-4-(2,4-dichloro-5-isopropoxyphenyl)-δ2 -1,3,4-oxadiazolin-5-one], oxyfluorfen [2-chloro-1-(3-ethoxy-4-nitrophenoxy)-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzene], and bifenox [methyl 5-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)-2-nitrobenzoate]. Postemergence applications of dinoseb (2-sec-butyl-4,6-dinitrophenol), chloroxuron {3-[p-(p-chlorophenoxy)phenyl]-1,1-dimethylurea}, naptalam (N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid) plus dinoseb, oxyfluorfen, and acifluorfen {sodium 5-[2-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]-2-nitrobenzoate} linuron plus 2,4-DB [4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)butyric acid], metribuzin plus 2,4-DB, and bifenox resulted in 96 to 100% control of cutleaf groundcherry. When confined to the soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] drill, no significant reductions in soybean leaf area index (LAI), plant height, dry weight accumulation, crop growth rate (CGR), or seed yield were obtained from cutleaf groundcherry competition at densities as high as 60 plants/m of row. Presently, cutleaf groundcherry does not appear to be a major weed problem in soybean production.