Over 175 growers in each of six states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska, and North Carolina) were surveyed by telephone to assess their perceptions of the benefits of utilizing the glyphosate-resistant (GR) crop trait in corn, cotton, and soybean. The survey was also used to determine the weed management challenges growers were facing after using this trait for a minimum of 4 yr. This survey allowed the development of baseline information on how weed management and crop production practices have changed since the introduction of the trait. It provided useful information on common weed management issues that should be addressed through applied research and extension efforts. The survey also allowed an assessment of the perceived levels of concern among growers about glyphosate resistance in weeds and whether they believed they had experienced glyphosate resistance on their farms. Across the six states surveyed, producers reported 38, 97, and 96% of their corn, cotton, and soybean hectarage planted in a GR cultivar. The most widely adopted GR cropping system was a GR soybean/non-GR crop rotation system; second most common was a GR soybean/GR corn crop rotation system. The non-GR crop component varied widely, with the most common crops being non-GR corn or rice. A large range in farm size for the respondents was observed, with North Carolina having the smallest farms in all three crops. A large majority of corn and soybean growers reported using some type of crop rotation system, whereas very few cotton growers rotated out of cotton. Overall, rotations were much more common in Midwestern states than in Southern states. This is important information as weed scientists assist growers in developing and using best management practices to minimize the development of glyphosate resistance.

A phone survey was administered to 1,195 growers in six states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska, and North Carolina). The survey measured producers' crop history, perception of glyphosate-resistant (GR) weeds, past and present weed pressure, tillage practices, and herbicide use as affected by the adoption of GR crops. This article describes the changes in tillage practice reported in the survey. The adoption of a GR cropping system resulted in a large increase in the percentage of growers using no-till and reduced-till systems. Tillage intensity declined more in continuous GR cotton and GR soybean (45 and 23%, respectively) than in rotations that included GR corn or non-GR crops. Tillage intensity declined more in the states of Mississippi and North Carolina than in the other states, with 33% of the growers in these states shifting to more conservative tillage practices after the adoption of a GR crop. This was primarily due to the lower amount of conservation tillage adoption in these states before GR crop availability. Adoption rates of no-till and reduced-till systems increased as farm size decreased. Overall, producers in a crop rotation that included a GR crop shifted from a relatively more tillage-intense system to reduced-till or no-till systems after implementing a GR crop into their production system.

A telephone survey was conducted with growers in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, Mississippi, and North Carolina to discern the utilization of the glyphosate-resistant (GR) trait in crop rotations, weed pressure, tillage practices, herbicide use, and perception of GR weeds. This paper focuses on survey results regarding herbicide decisions made during the 2005 cropping season. Less than 20% of the respondents made fall herbicide applications. The most frequently used herbicides for fall applications were 2,4-D and glyphosate, and these herbicides were also the most frequently used for preplant burndown weed control in the spring. Atrazine and acetochlor were frequently used in rotations containing GR corn. As expected, crop rotations using a GR crop had a high percentage of respondents that made one to three POST applications of glyphosate per year. GR corn, GR cotton, and non-GR crops had the highest percentage of growers applying non-glyphosate herbicides during the 2005 growing season. A crop rotation containing GR soybean had the greatest negative impact on non-glyphosate use. Overall, glyphosate use has continued to increase, with concomitant decreases in utilization of other herbicides.

Corn and soybean growers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska, and North Carolina, as well as cotton growers in Mississippi and North Carolina, were surveyed about their views on changes in problematic weeds and weed pressure in cropping systems based on a glyphosate-resistant (GR) crop. No growers using a GR cropping system for more than 5 yr reported heavy weed pressure. Over all cropping systems investigated (continuous GR soybean, continuous GR cotton, GR corn/GR soybean, GR soybean/non-GR crop, and GR corn/non-GR crop), 0 to 7% of survey respondents reported greater weed pressure after implementing rotations using GR crops, whereas 31 to 57% felt weed pressure was similar and 36 to 70% indicated that weed pressure was less. Pigweed, morningglory, johnsongrass, ragweed, foxtail, and velvetleaf were mentioned as their most problematic weeds, depending on the state and cropping system. Systems using GR crops improved weed management compared with the technologies used before the adoption of GR crops. However, the long-term success of managing problematic weeds in GR cropping systems will require the development of multifaceted integrated weed management programs that include glyphosate as well as other weed management tactics.

Field studies were conducted from 2005 through 2007 to determine the response of three rice cultivars (‘Cocodrie’, ‘Wells’, and ‘Lemont’) to three application timings and two formulations of pendimethalin in a stale seedbed rice production system. Pendimethalin formulated as an emulsifiable concentrate and capsule suspension was applied to rice 0, 3, and 7 d after planting. No visual injury was detected for any cultivar. Seedling density, days to 50% heading, and rice yield were not affected by pendimethalin formulation or application timing. The practice of planting cultivars with excellent seedling vigor into nondisturbed soils with greater available moisture could provide an opportunity to use pendimethalin as a preemergence herbicide for rice production.

Field trials were conducted during 2006 and 2007 and a container study was performed twice in 2007 at the Dean Lee Research and Extension Center in Alexandria, LA to evaluate the interaction of glyphosate and zinc coapplied to selected weeds. Across all experiments, no differences in either visible weed control or weed fresh weight were detected among glyphosate formulations. In the field studies, weed control was greatest when glyphosate was applied alone, in which case control of barnyardgrass, browntop millet, and Palmer amaranth ranged between 93 and 95%. When glyphosate was coapplied with formulations of zinc, control of the aforementioned weed species was reduced to 39, 39, and 45%, respectively. Visual estimates of weed control in the container studies showed glyphosate performance to be the highest (82 to 98%) in the absence of zinc for control of barnyardgrass, browntop millet, johnsongrass, ivyleaf morningglory, and redroot pigweed. Across all weed species, control was reduced 43 to 59% when zinc was coapplied with glyphosate. Similar results were noted in reduction of weed fresh weights. Results indicate that glyphosate-based weed control is reduced when coapplied with the zinc products at their current use rates. Producers should be aware of this antagonism and these coapplications should not be recommended.

Swamp dodder continues to spread through Wisconsin carrots, reducing crop yield and quality. Greenhouse research was conducted to evaluate the effect of swamp dodder infection timing on carrot development and to evaluate carrot cultivar tolerance to the parasite. Data collection included measurement of carrot processing qualities such as root length, root diameter, and fresh weight, as well as quantification of carrot leaf biomass and swamp dodder biomass. Carrot processing qualities were reduced the most in carrots infected 14 d after emergence (DAE). Carrots infected 70 DAE were similar to the noninfected carrots for all processing qualities. Carrot cultivars differed in tolerance of swamp dodder parasitism. All parameters for cultivar tolerance were significantly reduced by swamp dodder infection; however, ‘Enterprise’, ‘Sweet Bites’, ‘Sugar Snax 54’, ‘Topcut 93’, and ‘Mokum’ were most tolerant of parasitism and exhibited minimal reductions in root length, diameter, and fresh weight compared with other cultivars. ‘7626B’, ‘Bolero’, ‘Legend’, and ‘Imperial Cuts’ cultivars grew poorly when parasitized.

Control of goosegrass is difficult in the pan-Pacific region. No herbicides are currently labeled for selective control of goosegrass in seashore paspalum turf, a species used regularly on golf courses throughout the tropics. Sequential granular applications of sodium chloride (99% sodium chloride, 1% sodium silicoaluminate, 83% 0.5 to 0.25 mm diam) at 488 kg/ha did not effectively (> 70%) control goosegrass in this study. Goosegrass injury following sequential granular applications of sodium chloride, at 488 kg/ha, subsided at 6 wk after initial treatment (WAIT). A single application of MSMA at 2.40 kg/ha plus metribuzin at 0.56 kg/ha provided 96 and 83% control of goosegrass 8 WAIT in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Sequential applications of MSMA plus metribuzin at lower rates yielded similar results. Applications of foramsulfuron did not effectively control (> 70%) goosegrass in this study, suggesting a possible tolerance to this treatment. Applications of MSMA plus metribuzin controlled goosegrass (> 70%), but induced phytotoxic injury to seashore paspalum turf. Additional research is needed to evaluate strategies for POST control of goosegrass in seashore paspalum turf that do not induce phytotoxic turfgrass injury after application.

Virginia creeper and wild grape are troublesome perennial vines that often infest Christmas tree plantations. Field studies were conducted to evaluate Fraser fir injury and Virginia creeper and wild grape control with directed applications of triclopyr (1,680 g ai/ha) alone and in combination with 2,4-D (1,120 g ai/ha), clopyralid (280 g ai/ha), and halosulfuron (36 g ai/ha). Additional treatments included 2,4-D, clopyralid, glyphosate (1,120 g ai/ha), halosulfuron, hexazinone (560 g ai/ha), mesotrione (105 g ai/ha), and sulfometuron (71 g ai/ha) applied alone; and a mixture of hexazinone plus mesotrione. In the triclopyr-containing treatments, Fraser fir injury ranged from 6 to 13% at 1 mo after treatment (MAT) and was 4 to 8% at 11 MAT. Leader growth was not impacted by the herbicide treatments. At 11 MAT, all triclopyr-containing treatments controlled Virginia creeper 93 to 98% and wild grape 98 to 100%, which was greater than the control observed with glyphosate at 63 and 59%, respectively. Virginia creeper and wild grape control with 2,4-D was 88 to 90%. Clopyralid, halosulfuron, hexazinone, hexazinone plus mesotrione, mesotrione, and sulfometuron provided less than 66% control of both perennial vines. Directed applications of triclopyr-containing treatments or 2,4-D were effective management tools for selective removal of wild grape and Virginia creeper from Fraser fir Christmas tree plantations. Additional research is needed on the potential sensitivity of other commonly grown Christmas tree species to triclopyr-containing treatments.

Field trials were conducted in Georgia in 2007 to 2008 to evaluate the tolerance of three imidazolinone-resistant sunflower cultivars to POST applications of imazapic. There was no interaction between sunflower cultivar and herbicide treatment. When averaged over sunflower cultivars, imazapic, at 70 and 140 g ai/ha and applied at 30 d after planting, had no effect on sunflower above-ground biomass, plant height, seed-heads per meter row, and seed-head weights. Sunflower response to imazapic was similar to that of imazamox. Imazapic could be used in imidazolinone-resistant sunflower production systems without risk of unacceptable crop injury.