This study was designed to develop a protocol for using a biologically-based system to detect and tract airborne herbicides. Common bean, lentil, and pea were selected for their quasi-diagnostic sensitivity to chlorsulfuron, thifensulfuron, metsulfuron, tribenuron, paraquat, glyphosate, bromoxynil, 2,4-D, and dicamba. Plants were grown in the greenhouse at Prosser, WA, and placed at 25 exposure sites at weekly intervals between Apr. 2 and Oct. 15, 1991. After 1 wk of field exposure plants were brought back and observed for herbicide symptoms over a 28-d period. Symptoms that developed were compared with symptoms caused by disease, insects, adverse weather conditions, and herbicides applied at different rates under controlled conditions on these species. In addition, if herbicide symptoms were observed, herbicide spray records and weather data in the area were used in a computer model to determine the source of potential herbicide drift. This study demonstrates that indicator plant species selected for high sensitivity to herbicides can be used to monitor the occurrence of herbicide movement.

Quackgrass biotypes collected from 15 locations exhibited differential response to primisulfuron at 20 g ha−1 in field experiments at Hudson, NY during 1990 and 1991. Quackgrass control ranged from 23 to 100% 77 days after application (DAA) in 1990 and from 38 to 100% 88 DAA in 1991. The biotype from Montpelier, OH was the most tolerant both years. Differential response of quackgrass biotypes from five locations was confirmed in greenhouse experiments. The primisulfuron rate required to reduce shoot regrowth by 50% in the greenhouse was estimated at 15, 15, 17, 17, and 37 g ha−1 for biotypes from Amherst, MA; Mahnomen MN; Fargo, ND; State College, PA; and Montpelier, OH, respectively. Quackgrass shoot regrowth was reduced more when primisulfuron was applied with the linear alcohol ethoxylate additive 1412-70 compared with Scoil, Sylgard 309, Agridex, or X-77.

When formulated and sprayed in an invert emulsion (IE), conidia of the mycoherbicide, Colletotrichum truncatum, controlled hemp sesbania in the absence of dew. To optimize hemp sesbania control, formulation droplet size influence upon the pathogen's germination and pathogenicity was investigated. Conidia germination in manually produced IE droplets decreased from 46% to 5% as droplet diameter decreased from 2700 to 900 μm. Droplet size did not affect appressoria formation. On a per conidium basis, 900-μm droplets were more pathogenic to detached hemp sesbania leaves than were 2100-μm droplets. An air-assist spray system produced droplet spectra with volume median diameters of 421 and 104 μm, respectively. The spectrum of smaller droplets covered the target better than did that of larger droplets. When applied to whole hemp sesbania plants in greenhouse trials, conidia in the smaller and larger droplet spectra gave 90 and 94% control, respectively. Sufficient conidia germinated in IE droplets of a variety of sizes to control hemp sesbania excellently.

Field experiments were conducted in central Missouri in 1989 and 1990 to evaluate weed control practices in conjunction with cover crops and cover management systems in reduced tillage corn. There was no difference in weed control among soybean stubble, hairy vetch, and rye soil cover when averaged over cover management systems and herbicide treatments. However, mowed hairy vetch and rye covers provided greater weed control in the no-till plots than soybean stubble when no herbicide was used. Differences in weed control among cover management systems were reduced or eliminated when a PRE herbicide was applied. corn population and height were reduced by hairy vetch and rye soil cover. Corn grain yield was reduced in rye plots both years. There was no difference in grain yield between tilled and no-till plots.

Studies were conducted for 3 yr to evaluate herbicides and herbicide combinations for triazine-resistant smooth pigweed (TR-AMACH) control in field corn. Of the PRE treatments, combinations of atrazine plus acetochlor, metolachlor plus dicamba, and atrazine plus alachlor provided the most complete control of this weed (77 to 81%). The best early postemergence (EP) combination was pendimethalin plus atrazine plus dicamba (93% control). Pyridate plus atrazine applied POST provided a four-site average of 98% control. The most effective sequential herbicide treatments consisted of either metolachlor or pendimethalin PRE followed by POST treatments containing either pyridate, thifensulfuron, bromoxynil, or dicamba.

The functional relationships between rainfall intensities and amounts, and the washoff of dicamba and 3,6-DCSA from turfgrass foliage were determined. Dicamba was applied to Kentucky bluegrass field plots and the turfgrass was subjected to 2 to 58 mm of simulated rainfall 18 to 48 h later. Rainfall was applied at an average intensity of 20.6 or 39.9 mm h−1. The 39.9 mm h−1 intensity reduced dicamba washoff by 10% for a given amount of rainfall. Washoff of 3,6-DCSA was independent of rainfall intensity. When averaged over intensities, washoff of dicamba was best described by the equation y = 1 − 0.341x0.187, and 3,6-DCSA washoff by the equation y = exp(-0.210x), where x represents millimeters of rainfall and y, the proportion of compound remaining on the foliage after rainfall.

Field experiments were conducted from 1979 to 1989 to determine the influence of conventional, reduced, and no-tillage systems and different herbicide combinations on weed species and population, weed control, and soybean injury, population, and yield. In no-till (NT) non-treated plots, there was an abrupt shift from horseweed as the dominant early spring emerging weed to gray goldenrod in 1985. Following its initial observation, gray goldenrod became the dominant species within 2 yr, with giant foxtail as the only other species observed in these plots. Giant foxtail was the dominant weed species from 1980 to 1989 in conventional till (CT) and reduced-till (RT) plots. There also was a shift in the frequency of occurrence and in density of several broadleaf weed species during the 11-yr study. Most herbicides provided excellent control of all weeds in all tillage systems, especially those that included POST herbicides. There was little difference between glyphosate and paraquat in controlling weeds present at the time of planting in NT. PRE herbicides caused 2 to 9% soybean injury with slightly greater injury occurring in CT and RT than in NT. The POST broadleaf herbicides did not significantly increase soybean injury. There were no differences in soybean population or yield among the herbicide treatments regardless of tillage. There also was no difference in soybean population or yield in NT compared with CT when averaged over all herbicide treatments.

Field studies were conducted in 1988 through 1990 to determine the effect of soil pH, over a 4.5 to 6.5 range, on imazethapyr persistence and on imazaquin and imazethapyr carryover to ‘Pioneer 3377’ corn in a Crosby silt loam (1.6% organic matter) and a Hoytville clay (3.3% organic matter). Imazethapyr appeared to be more persistent in Hoytville clay than in Crosby silt loam. In Crosby silt loam, imazethapyr persistence increased as pH decreased, whereas soil pH did not affect persistence in Hoytville clay. Imazaquin or imazethapyr did not affect corn grown the year following application to Crosby silt loam. Imazethapyr applied to Hoytville clay did not cause significant injury or yield reduction to corn. Carryover of imazaquin in Hoytville clay caused corn injury and yield reduction, increased as pH decreased, and was more evident at 280 g ai ha−1 than at 140 g ha−1.

In field experiments, wheat row spacing, seeding rate, and herbicide treatment affected cheat seed content of harvested wheat, wheat yield, and net returns. No individual practice or combination of practices consistently increased net returns from cheat-infested wheat. Net returns frequently were increased and never decreased by applying metribuzin at 420 g ha−1 or chlorsulfuron + metsulfuron at 21.9 + 4.4 g ha−1 or by increasing the seeding rate compared to baseline inputs. The data indicate that herbicide rates should not be reduced when row spacing is decreased and/or seeding rates increased.

2,4-DB ester had been widely used for winter annual broadleaf weed control in seedling alfalfa in the western United States, but was replaced commercially by the amine formulation in 1990. Field studies conducted in the high desert region of southern California confirmed previous reports that 2,4-DB amine is not as effective as the ester formulation. Two methods were found to improve the weed control performance of 2,4-DB amine: 1) application at earlier alfalfa growth stages and 2) the addition of adjuvant. Applications made at the three-trifoliate leaf stage of the alfalfa were more than three times as effective as applications made at the eight-trifoliate leaf stage. When adjuvants were added to the amine formulation, weed control was improved 50 to 97%.

Excellent agreement between a two-year replicated study relative to chlorosis development by clomazone in thirty-six cabbage cultivars and development of chlorosis in a production field was obtained. The cultivars ‘Bravo’, ‘Cheers', and ‘Genesis' developed the most severe chlorosis symptoms and ‘Bently’, ‘Carlton’, ‘Cecile’, ‘Gourmet’, ‘King Cole’, ‘Ocala’, ‘Red Acre’, ‘Rio Verde’, ‘Roundup’, ‘Sombrero’, ‘Stonehead’, ‘Straton’, ‘Titanic’, and ‘Tristar’ the least chlorosis. During a dry soil period chlorosis symptoms were more pronounced. Yield reduction at an application rate exceeding the suggested use rate for weed control varied positively with level of chlorosis in 1992 for the cultivars Bravo, Cheers, Genesis, ‘Krautman’, and ‘Marvelon’.

POST control of cowpea in cotton was evaluated in 1990 and 1991. Early POST-directed (EPD) application of fluometuron + MSMA provided 89% cowpea control 2 wk after treatment. Cowpea control 4 wk after the early treatments was similar with fluometuron + MSMA EPD and sequential directed applications of MSMA followed by (fb) MSMA, methazole + MSMA fb cyanazine + MSMA, and fluometuron + MSMA fb cyanazine + MSMA. The average reduction in cowpea biomass 12 wk after planting with these treatments was 93%. MSMA fb MSMA POST-directed was the only treatment with a lint cotton yield similar to that of weed-free cotton. Lint cotton yields with fluometuron + MSMA, methazole + MSMA fb cyanazine + MSMA, and fluometuron + MSMA fb cyanazine + MSMA were similar to those obtained with MSMA fb MSMA.

The long-term effect of repeated late-fall versus early-spring imazethapyr, hexazinone, terbacil, metribuzin, dichlobenil, or chlorsulfuron treatments, when applied on dormant stands of alfalfa was investigated at three sites for weed management of alfalfa grown for seed. Dichlobenil applied at 1.2 to 2.4 kg ha−1 and chlorsulfuron applied at 11 to 22 g ha−1 in fall or spring were the only herbicides to injure alfalfa at one location. Hexazinone provided the most consistent weed control of the herbicides evaluated. Average control of Canada thistle, catchweed bedstraw, dandelion, perennial sowthistle, quackgrass, Russian pigweed, and scentless chamomile was 80%. When averaged over three sites, weed control by hexazinone resulted in a 33% increase in seed yield.

Field experiments were conducted from 1986 to 1988 to evaluate giant foxtail control at four plant heights by six POST grass herbicides. Clethodim, fenoxaprop, fluazifop-P, haloxyfop, quizalofop, and sethoxydim controlled 95% or more of 60-cm giant foxtail all three years at the labeled herbicide application rates. Control of 7-, 15-, and 30-cm giant foxtail with fenoxaprop, fluazifop-P, quizalofop, and sethoxydim was dependent upon soil moisture conditions at application. Clethodim and haloxyfop provided the greatest control (89 to 99%) regardless of plant height or soil moisture conditions. No herbicide injured soybean. Soybean seed yield with POST grass herbicides was equal to or greater than yield in the hand-weeded plots.

Field experiments were conducted during 1981 to 1984 to evaluate paraquat for weed control in alfalfa established for less than one year. Treatments were applied in March to alfalfa up to 4 cm tall and/or after cuttings to alfalfa up to 10 cm tall. Weeds were up to 20 cm tall. Paraquat applied in March controlled common chickweed and shepherd's-purse in some experiments. It did not control birdsrape mustard when applied after cuttings. Paraquat suppressed growth of perennial broadleaf weeds and grasses and reduced pressure from annual grasses in some experiments. March treatments generally did not increase, but sometimes decreased alfalfa yields. Paraquat applied after cuttings did not affect alfalfa yields in the majority of the experiments.

Field studies were conducted in 1991 and 1992 at the Faculty Farm of the U.A.E. Univ., Al-Ain, to evaluate the effectiveness of soil solarization for weed management in naturally infested plots of lettuce, and on subsequent planting of garlic. Solarization for 2 mo during the hottest summer period effectively suppressed weeds during the growing season of head lettuce. In subsequently-planted garlic, no significant effect was observed between solarized and nonsolarized treatments.

The response of potted ‘Cleopatra’ mandarin citrus seedlings to metalaxyl applied as a mixture with metolachlor, simazine, or bromacil, or as a sequential application after the herbicides was investigated under screen house conditions. The soils were drenched with herbicides at 2.5 ppmw (mg kg−1 soil dry wt basis) in tank-mixes with metalaxyl or metalaxyl was applied as a soil drench at 5, 50, and 250 ppmw 1, 2, 3, and 4 wk after herbicide application. Citrus seedling response to treatment was dependent on the presence or absence of herbicide, metalaxyl concentration, and the time following application. Fresh weights of citrus treated with 5 ppmw metalaxyl after herbicide application were no different from those treated with the mixture. Metalaxyl at 5 and 50 ppmw alone or with metolachlor did not affect citrus seedling fresh weight. However, delaying metalaxyl application at 50 ppmw by 3 or 4 wk after simazine and bromacil increased citrus seedling fresh weight as compared with the tank-mix. Separate applications of metalaxyl at 250 ppm reduced citrus seedling fresh weight less than the mixture for all the herbicides.

A brief evolutionary description is given of the development of the discipline of weed science in the United States. Topics discussed include public recognition of weed science, losses from weeds, allocation of resources, herbicide usage, and future predictions of the development of the discipline. Weed scientists have had a major impact during the past four decades in increasing crop yields and reducing labor requirements for controlling weeds in crop production systems. Weed scientists have been so effective that recognition of their contributions and impact have often been overlooked in academic institutions but not in private industries that have staffed for herbicide development.

A method to rapidly identify acetolactate synthase/acetohydroxyacid synthase (ALS/AHAS)-resistant weeds is described based upon the differential accumulation of acetoin in the presence and absence of an ALS/AHAS inhibitor herbicide. Acetoin accumulation is induced by inhibition of ketol-acid reductoisomerase (KARI), the enzyme immediately following ALS/AHAS in the biosynthesis of branched-chain amino acids. Inhibition of ALS/AHAS prevents the build up of acetoin and forms the basis for distinguishing between sensitive and resistant biotypes. A new inhibitor of KARI, 1,1-cyclopropanedicarboxylic acid (CPCA), is described and was found to cause acetoin accumulation in velvetleaf leaf disks over the concentration range of 2 to 100 000 μM. In the presence of CPCA, a number of species important to monitor for ALS/AHAS resistance were found to accumulate acetoin at rates sufficient for resistance diagnosis in 2 to 8 h. In velvetleaf, the youngest apical leaf was found to be the most active in acetoin accumulation. The resistance diagnosis method was validated by clearly distinguishing between imazaquin-sensitive and imazaquin-resistant cocklebur biotypes.

Serrated tussock [(Nassella trichotoma (Nees) Hack. # STDTR] is a clump-forming, perennial, cool season grass. It is native to South America, where it occurs in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay. In the past century, it has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, and also occurs in small acreages in France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Serrated tussock occurs in fields, wastelands, and pastures, but rarely in wet or shaded areas.