At 10.4 mM bentazon treatment, the tolerance index of susceptible (S) inbred corn, line TN89, at one-leaf stage decreased to 27% of that of the control, whereas > 90% of tolerance index of control was maintained in tolerant (T) line LU21. More than fourfold of malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulated in S line within 7 d after treatment (DAT), but only a slight accumulation of MDA was found in T line. 14C-Bentazon application experiment indicated that there was no difference in bentazon absorption between T and S lines. However, bentazon metabolism in T line was more active than that in susceptible TN89. The metabolite, 6-glucose-bentazon in T line rapidly accumulated to the maximum 3 DAT, whereas this conjugate actually decreased in S line. Assay of in vitro activity of bentazon-6-hydroxylase showed that it was decreased in both lines with development and that this activity in T line at two-leaf stage was ca. 50% higher than that in S line. It is suggested that the higher bentazon tolerance in LU21 is primarily associated with an active bentazon metabolism, partially due to a higher bentazon-6-hydroxylase activity coupled with glucosylation.

Research was designed to reduce herbicide use by replacing POST herbicides with readily available ocean water to control weeds in turfgrasses. Sensitivity to salt stress was evaluated for large crabgrass, goosegrass, mimosa-vine, alyceclover, and yellow nutsedge, as well as the turfgrasses such as seashore paspalum, bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass, and centipedegrass. Three different salinity levels, (55, 37, and 19 dS/m) and two salt-stress durations (3 and 6 d) were tested. Mimosa-vine was fully controlled at 55 and 37 dS/m. Alyceclover showed maximum injury at 95% when treated at 55 dS/m for 6 d and 90% when treated for 3 d. Large crabgrass was controlled at 55 dS/m. Goosegrass injury was up to 90% at 55 dS/m, but injured plants recovered to 48% at 30 d. Yellow nutsedge showed a maximum of 38% injury but showed 0% injury at 30 d. Among tested turfgrasses, seashore paspalum showed tolerance to pure ocean water at 55 dS/m, with maximum injury at 18%. At the same level of stress, maximum injury for bermudagrass was 30%, for St. Augustinegrass 60%, and for centipedegrass 100%. Lower levels of salt stress resulted in less injury but were still excessive for St. Augustinegrass and centipedegrass. Ocean water was shown to be an effective method to control mimosa-vine, and large crabgrass in seashore paspalum and bermudagrass turfs.

Although water is crucial to the performance of preemergence herbicides, pesticide performance has rarely been related to irrigation management. This 2-yr study investigated the effect that amount of irrigation water applied had on activity of simazine. Three rates of simazine at 0, 1.12, and 2.24 kg/ha were applied to a 3-yr-old nectarine orchard that was irrigated with microsprinklers. The performance of simazine was compared between irrigation treatments initially targeted to provide water at 110 (efficient) and 175% (overwatered) of crop water requirements. Simazine effectiveness was based on the survival of oat and cucumber plants that were seeded at 0, 14, 28, 56, and 84 d after herbicide application. A longer time interval to 50% survival indicated prolonged herbicidal activity. Results were consistent between years in that simazine's performance was consistently greater in efficient irrigation treatments. The greatest increases were measured at the higher simazine application rate (2.24 kg/ha); overall averages for the length of time to reach 50% survival for cucumber were 50 and 23 d and for oats were 55 and 15 d for efficient and overwatered irrigation treatments, respectively. Use of an efficient irrigation management technique could have enhanced simazine's performance through a decreased leaching of residues from the weed root zone or less chemical or biological degradation (or both). Adoption of efficient irrigation management has been identified as a best management practice to mitigate leaching of pesticide residues to groundwater in coarse soils in California. This study indicates that efficient irrigation improves simazine performance and that both factors, pesticide application and irrigation management, should be considered when developing a weed management system.

Model simulations predict that lowering herbicide efficacy by reducing the application rate would slow the rate of enrichment of herbicide-resistant individuals in a weed population, but the resulting increase in density of susceptible plants would reduce crop yield and increase the weed seed bank. A study was conducted at three sites in Saskatchewan, Canada, from 1997 to 2000 to examine the implication of reduced rates of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase) inhibitors in a diverse 4-yr crop rotation, in conjunction with variable crop seeding rates, on the enrichment of resistant wild oat in a mixed (resistant and susceptible) population. Main-plot treatments were crop (barley, canola, field pea, and spring wheat), subplot treatments were crop seeding rate (recommended and high), and sub-subplot treatments were ACCase inhibitor rate (0, 0.33, 0.67, and 1.0 times the recommended rate). Herbicide rate frequently interacted with seeding rate in affecting wild oat seedling density, seed return, the viable fraction of the weed seed bank, and crop seed yield. As simulation models predict, reduced herbicide efficacy decreased the proportion of resistant individuals in the population. The high crop seeding rate compensated for a one-third reduction in herbicide rate by limiting total wild oat seed return and by reducing the number of resistant seedlings recruited from the seed bank. The level of resistance in the seed bank can be reduced without increasing the total (resistant plus susceptible) seed bank population by manipulating agronomic practices to increase crop competitiveness against wild oat when ACCase inhibitor rates are reduced to a maximum of two-thirds of that recommended.

MON 37500 is a sulfonylurea herbicide that selectively controls Bromus spp. in winter wheat. Field studies were conducted near Sidney, NE, and Archer, WY, to determine the sensitivity of corn, foxtail millet, grain sorghum, proso millet, and sunflower to soil residues of MON 37500. MON 37500 was applied to winter wheat at 0, 35, 69, and 139 g/ha in the autumn of 1997. Rotational crops were no-till seeded into the standing residues of the previous year's crop from 1999 through 2001. Grain yields for corn, foxtail millet, and proso millet planted 18 to 20 mo after herbicide application were not affected by soil residues of MON 37500. In contrast, average grain yields of grain sorghum were reduced from 1,760 to 30 kg/ha at Archer and from 4,480 to 390 kg/ha at Sidney as MON 37500 rates increased from 0 to 139 g/ha. Thirty to 32 mo after herbicide application, average grain yields of grain sorghum were reduced from 2,360 to 620 kg/ha at Sidney and average aboveground biomass was reduced from 4,000 to 1,800 kg/ha at Archer as MON 37500 rates increased from 0 to 139 g/ha. Nineteen to 20 mo after herbicide application, average sunflower seed yields were reduced from 1,450 to 20 kg/ha at Archer and from 1,830 to 540 kg/ha at Sidney as MON 37500 rates increased from 0 to 139 g/ha. Visual injury was observed 31 to 32 mo after herbicide application, but drought in 2000 prevented collection of seed yield data. In the High Plains, foxtail millet, proso millet, and corn may be successfully grown 18 to 20 mo after the application of MON 37500 to winter wheat. Successful production of grain sorghum and sunflower may require a minimum recrop interval between treatment and planting of >36 mo.

Field experiments were conducted at Lacombe, Lethbridge, and Vegreville, Alberta, Canada and Kalispell, MO, over several years to determine the influence of recommended (minimum label) and lower-than-recommended tralkoxydim rates on wild oat seed production, spring wheat yield, and economic return. Wild oat seed production as a function of tralkoxydim rate varied considerably among locations and years. For example, at the recommended rate, wild oat seed production varied from none at both Lethbridge and Vegreville in 1994 to over 800 seeds/m2 at Vegreville in 1995. At 50% of recommended rate, seed production varied from none at Lethbridge in 1994 to over 3,000 seeds/m2 at Vegreville in 1995. In most cases, wheat yield response to tralkoxydim rate was curvilinear. Yields generally increased exponentially as rates increased up to about 40 or 50% of the recommended rate, but then plateaued as rates were increased further. In some cases economic returns tended to plateau or decrease at rates higher than this, but reductions in economic returns at the recommended herbicide rates were, in most cases, relatively slight. In contrast, at Lethbridge in 1993 and 1995 and at Kalispell in 1994 and 1996, yield and economic returns generally increased as herbicide rate increased, and there was an economic disadvantage to reducing the tralkoxydim rate below that recommended. In view of the variable effects on wild oat seed production, and the questionable economic benefit, our study suggests that reducing the rate of tralkoxydim below that recommended may not be without risk. Further studies are necessary to determine the long-term implications of returning relatively large amounts of wild oat seed to the soil seedbank at reduced herbicide rates.

Response of glyphosate-resistant cotton to various rates of topically applied glyphosate was investigated in growth chamber experiments to determine the relationship between glyphosate rate and boll abscission. Glyphosate at 0, 0.56, 1.12, or 2.24 kg ai/ha was applied to all exposed foliage at the 12-leaf growth stage. Immediately after this treatment, 14C-glyphosate was applied to the three uppermost fully expanded leaves at 0, 37, 74, or 148 kBq per leaf for the 0, 0.56, 1.12, or 2.24 kg/ha treatment, respectively. After glyphosate application, glyphosate accumulated in reproductive tissue, and bolls were abscised. Abscission increased as the amount of glyphosate translocated to fruiting sites increased.

Adjuvants that increase the pH of the spray mixture and solubilize nicosulfuron can enhance biological activity under specific conditions. These conditions include high nicosulfuron rates, difficult-to-control weeds, low spray volumes, and initially acidic spray conditions. The most effective pH adjusters are tribasic potassium phosphate, sodium carbonate, and triethanolamine. In low spray volumes, these adjusters make the spray mixture alkaline and often enhance the activity of nicosulfuron on common cocklebur and large crabgrass. Alkaline conditions rapidly dissolve the sulfonylurea particles and enhance activity with crop oil concentrate, modified seed oil, and hydrophilic nonionic surfactants. pH adjusters did not enhance activity with lipophilic surfactants. Ammonium sulfate slightly increases the pH of spray mixtures and increases nicosulfuron activity depending on species, adjuvant type, and pH adjuster. These results generally support the concept that herbicide solubilization is necessary to maximize the foliar activity.

Field studies were conducted in 1999 and 2000 at seven locations in south Texas to evaluate flufenacet plus metribuzin for weed control and corn tolerance. Texas panicum control with flufenacet plus metribuzin was variable with less than 70% control in 1999 and greater than 75% control in 2000. Palmer amaranth and pitted morningglory control ranged from 41 to 100%. Corn stunting (4 to 13%) was noted in soils with greater than 75% sand. Corn yields with flufenacet and metribuzin combinations were increased up to 19% over the untreated check where stunting was not observed.

At 14 d after treatment (DAT), glufosinate-resistant CPRS PB-13 rice was injured with early- and late-season glufosinate applications in 1998 and 1999. At 35 DAT, injury was less than 5%. Glufosinate delayed CPRS PB-13 heading by 7 to 15 d and reduced plant height at harvest but did not affect grain moisture and yield compared with the nontreated CPRS PB-13. But yield was reduced compared with conventional Cypress. At 14 DAT, glufosinate-resistant BNGL HC-11/62 rice was injured with early- and late-season applications. Treated BNGL HC-11/62 reached 50% heading 3 to 5 d later than did the nontreated. An application of glufosinate reduced plant height and increased grain moisture compared with the nontreated. Rice treated at the three- to five-leaf, preboot, and boot timings resulted in reduced yields compared with the nontreated BNGL HC-11/62.

Glyphosate and glufosinate are now options for postemergence weed control in herbicide-resistant corn and soybean. Velvetleaf is one of the more difficult to control annual weeds with these herbicides at commonly used rates. Ammonium sulfate (AMS) is generally used with these herbicides to overcome hard water antagonism and to increase herbicide activity. Greenhouse and field trials were conducted with commercial adjuvants that might substitute for AMS. The adjuvants were evaluated in deionized water, tap water, and deionized water containing 500 mg/L CaCO3. In the absence of AMS, hard water reduced velvetleaf control with both herbicides. Regardless of water source, AMS increased velvetleaf control with both glyphosate and glufosinate. Several adjuvants increased velvetleaf control with either herbicide; however, none were superior to 2% w/v AMS. Other adjuvants decreased velvetleaf control with either herbicide.

Calcium ion in the spray water can reduce glyphosate efficacy. Ammonium sulfate (AMS) is commonly added to the spray tank to overcome the reduced efficacy. However, it is sometimes claimed that ethoxylated tallow amine surfactant (EA) is also efficacious, provided that calcium concentration is moderate (= 5 mM, 200 ppm). On response curves of ‘Plaisant’ barley treated with glyphosate, the presence of calcium ion increased the glyphosate dose needed to obtain 50% (ED50) barley growth reduction. The addition of AMS to the spray tank overcame the antagonistic effect of the calcium ion and restored glyphosate efficacy. EA was less effective than AMS at 5 or 10 mM calcium ion concentration as measured by ED50. However, at 90% growth reduction (ED90), EA was more effective than AMS at the 5 mM calcium ion concentration but less effective at the 10 mM concentration. Hence, at a moderate (= 5 mM) calcium concentration, EA would be an effective adjuvant. Calcium ion decreased the foliar uptake of glyphosate but did not affect the rate of uptake. AMS but not EA restored foliar uptake to values observed without calcium ion. EA increased spray retention, and this probably accounted for the increased glyphosate efficacy at low calcium concentration.

Laboratory and greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine quinclorac efficacy as influenced by surfactants, methylated seed oil (MSO), basic pH compounds, and salts in the spray carrier water. Quinclorac efficacy for green foxtail control generally increased with an increase in linear alcohol ethoxylate (LAE) surfactant carbon-chain length and percentage of ethoxylation. With LAE surfactants, quinclorac phytotoxicity to green foxtail was nearly doubled (average from 44 to 81%) when triethanolamine (TEA) was included in the spray mixture. Combination of LAE surfactants with TEA also enhanced quinclorac absorption. Enhancement of quinclorac absorption and phytotoxicity by LAE surfactants and TEA was related to spray deposits that had close contact with the cuticle and without apparent quinclorac crystals. Sodium and calcium ions strongly antagonized quinclorac efficacy when applied with a block copolymer surfactant or MSO. Ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrate adjuvants were more effective than urea–ammonium nitrate liquid fertilizer in overcoming antagonism from salts in spray carrier waters. These results demonstrate the potential for maximizing quinclorac efficacy by careful selection of surfactants, nitrogen fertilizer, and basic pH additives.

Management of volunteer potato is difficult and requires an integrated approach. Soil fumigation is one tactic known to reduce population densities of certain weeds and may be a method to improve the management of volunteer potato. The effect of 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) and metham sodium on potato tuber viability was tested in sealed glass jars at various doses, incubation temperatures, and times of exposure. Tuber viability data were fitted to a logistic model, and I90 doses (90% suppression) were calculated for each combination of temperature and time of exposure. I90 doses for 1,3-D ranged from 41 to 151 kg/ha and from 96 to over 480 kg/ha metham sodium. Both nondormant and dormant tubers were injured by exposure to metham sodium. Soil fumigation with 1,3-D and metham sodium has the potential to greatly reduce the number of viable potato tubers.

A 4-yr field study was conducted during 1998 through 2001 at Stoneville, MS, to determine the effects of narrow-row transgenic cotton and soybean rotation on purple nutsedge populations and crop yield. Crop rotations over 4 yr included cotton and soybean sown in the following patterns: CCSS, CSCS, SCSC, SSCC, and continuous cotton (CCCC) and soybean (SSSS), where cotton is denoted as (C) and soybean as (S), all with herbicide programs that were glyphosate based, non–glyphosate based, or no purple-nutsedge control (NPNC). Purple nutsedge populations and shoot dry biomass were reduced in cotton and soybean rotation and continuous soybean by 72 and 92%, respectively, whereas in continuous cotton, purple nutsedge populations increased by 67% and shoot dry biomass was reduced by 32% after 4 yr. Reductions in purple nutsedge populations also occurred in soybean when cotton was rotated with soybean (CSCS and SCSC), compared with continuous cotton. Among herbicide programs, the glyphosate-based program was more effective in reducing purple nutsedge populations, compared with the non–glyphosate-based program. Seed cotton yield was greater with cotton following soybean (SCSC) than with cotton following cotton (CCCC, CCSS) in 1999. However, seed cotton yields were similar regardless of crop rotation systems in 2000 and 2001. Seed cotton yields were equivalent in the glyphosate-based and non–glyphosate-based programs in 1999 and 2001. During 1999 to 2001, seed cotton yields were reduced by 62 to 85% in NPNC compared with yields in glyphosate- and non–glyphosate-based programs. Soybean yields were unaffected by crop rotation systems in all the 4 yr. Among herbicide programs, non–glyphosate-based program in all 4 yr and glyphosate-based program in 1999 and 2000 gave higher soybean yield compared with NPNC. After 4 yr of rotation, purple nutsedge tubers and plant density were highest in continuous cotton and lowest in continuous soybean. Both herbicide programs reduced tubers per core and plant density compared with NPNC, and the glyphosate-based program was more effective than the non–glyphosate-based program. These results show that in cotton production, severe infestations of purple nutsedge can be managed by rotating cotton with soybean or by using glyphosate-based herbicide program in glyphosate-resistant cotton.

Imazamox is an imidazolinone herbicide being developed for weed control in imidazolinone-resistant wheat (IMI-wheat) cultivars and various legume crops. In a series of studies conducted under a range of dryland cropping environments in the Pacific Northwest United States, imazamox applied to IMI-wheat or pea injured barley and canola grown 1 yr after imazamox treatment in low-rainfall, low–soil pH locations of Oregon. Injury was not observed in higher rainfall locations near Pullman, WA. Non–herbicide-resistant wheat planted 1 yr after IMI-wheat treated with imazamox was not injured. Of particular concern for imazamox carryover are low-rainfall areas with low-pH soils. Reduced soil moisture appears to limit imazamox degradation. Imazamox sorption is reduced in low-pH soils, which increases its bioavailability, thereby increasing the potential for injury to rotational crops such as barley, canola, and spring wheat.

A perceived limitation to incorporating herbicide application decision support system (HADSS) into routine peanut weed management decisions is efficient scouting of fields. A total of 52 peanut fields were scouted from 1997 through 2001 in North Carolina to determine the weed density in a 9.3-m2 section for each 0.4-ha grid of the field. These weed populations and their spatial distributions were used to compare theoretical net return (TNR) over herbicide investment for various scouting methods and weed management approaches. HADSS was used to determine the expected net return for each treatment in each 0.4-ha section of every field under differing assumptions of weed size, soil moisture conditions, and pricing structures. The treatment with the highest net return averaged across all 0.4-ha grids was considered to be the optimal whole-field treatment. For all 52 fields, TNR for the best whole-field treatment and for site-specific weed management (applying the most economical recommendation on each 0.4-ha grid) averaged $414 and $435/ha, respectively. Estimated return from the commercial postemergence herbicide program of aciflurofen plus bentazon plus 2,4-DB followed by clethodim (where grass was present) averaged $316/ha across all 52 fields. For fields of 5 ha or more (17 fields) in which 12 or more samples were taken, TNR was $500, $510, and $516/ha for three-sample (one pass through the middle of the field with samples taken on both ends and the center of the field), six-sample (two passes through the field with three stops per pass), and full-sample (one stop for each 0.4 ha) approaches, respectively.

Field experiments were conducted to examine the influence of spray volume on glyphosate efficacy in relation to glyphosate rate, formulation, ammonium sulfate addition, and type of sprayer nozzle. Using several grass species it was shown that glyphosate efficacy increased as spray volume decreased from 190 to 23 L/ha. To obtain equal efficacy, glyphosate rates can be reduced by at least one-third when glyphosate is applied in 23 or 47 L/ha spray volume compared with 94 or 190 L/ha. The amount of surfactant in formulated glyphosate at 35 to 140 g ae/ha rates was insufficient when glyphosate was applied in 94 or 190 L/ha spray volumes. Additional surfactant enhanced glyphosate efficacy at these rates when applied in 94 or 190 L/ha spray volume, but efficacy was still less than when applied in 23 or 47 L/ha without additional surfactant. Thus, low spray volumes maximized glyphosate efficacy primarily through high herbicide concentration in the spray deposit and reduced salts from the carrier to antagonize efficacy. Glyphosate applied in 23 L/ha spray volume with drift-reducing nozzles provided control equal to that provided by glyphosate applied with standard flat-fan nozzles. Grass control also was equal from several glyphosate formulations that contained surfactants, regardless of spray volume.

At locations in Argentina and the United States, solaria (miniature, portable, plastic greenhouses or a plastic sheet approximately 1 m2) were placed on field soils in autumn or late winter in an attempt to predict summer annual weed densities. Initial emergence of summer annual weeds covered by solaria commenced weeks before that of weeds in exposed seedbeds. Cumulative emergence of many species in solaria reached asymptotes before crops were sown. At asymptotic cumulative emergence, densities of dominant weeds in solaria (common lambsquarters, green foxtail, and large crabgrass) were correlated with weed densities occurring 4 wk after sowing, the typical time for making postemergence weed control decisions. These results indicate that solaria may supplement seedbank-sampling techniques for predicting weed densities in crops.

Mapping weed infestations in an annual crop has implications not only for site-specific herbicide applications but also for planning future management strategies and understanding weed ecology. A controlled laboratory experiment, involving detached leaves, was conducted to investigate the potential to discriminate two crop and five weed species using hyperspectral and multispectral remote sensing. Stepwise discriminant function analyses showed that reflectance in the visible and “red-edge” regions of the spectrum were consistently required for species discrimination. The seven species were correctly identified 90 and 89% of the time using the hyperspectral and multispectral data, respectively, and the classification rules derived from discriminant function analyses. Errant species prediction with the hyperspectral data resulted in a grass being predicted as a grass and a broadleaf as a broadleaf. However, for multispectral data, incorrect classifications were more serious because errant predictions sometimes resulted in a grass being classified as a broadleaf and vice-versa. Further studies using plants at a variety of growth stages, from a variety of environments, and at the canopy level are warranted.