Experiments were conducted to determine tobacco tolerance to CGA-362622 applied pretransplant (PRE-T) and postemergence (POST) to tobacco and applied the previous year preemergence (PRE) and POST to cotton. CGA-362622 applied at 3.75 or 7.5 g ai/ha PRE-T injured ‘K326’ flue-cured tobacco 1%, whereas POST treatments resulted in 4 to 5% injury. Tobacco injury was transient with no mid- or late-season injury noted. Tobacco yields from all CGA-362622 POST treatments were not different from the nontreated weed-free check. Tobacco treated with 7.5 g/ha CGA-362622 PRE-T yielded greater than nontreated weed-free tobacco or tobacco treated with CGA-362622 POST. When grown in rotation, tobacco was not injured, and yields were not influenced by CGA-362622 applied PRE or POST to cotton the previous year.

The persistence and efficacy of acetamide herbicides at application timings from fall to preemergence (PRE) were studied in 1998 and 1999 on mollisols (1.1 to 2.8% organic carbon). Metolachlor, s-metolachlor, acetochlor (as an emulsifiable concentrate [EC] formulation and two encapsulated formulations, capsule suspension [CS] and microencapsulated [ME]), and the combination of flufenacet + metribuzin were evaluated at five application times including late fall, 60 and 30 d early preplant (EPP), preplant incorporated, and PRE. Soil bioassays 180 d after application indicated flufenacet + metribuzin, metolachlor, s-metolachlor, and the acetochlor CS had 62 to 74% giant foxtail control, whereas acetochlor EC and ME had 43 to 46% control. Applications at 60 EPP of metolachlor, s-metolachlor, and acetochlor CS provided 70 to 75% giant foxtail control in greenhouse bioassays, whereas flufenacet + metribuzin, acetochlor ME, and acetochlor EC provided 38 to 57% control. At the 30 EPP timing, metolachlor and acetochlor CS had 80 to 82% control, whereas acetochlor EC provided 46% control, and acetochlor ME, flufenacet + metribuzin, and s-metolachlor had 65 to 74% control. Quantitative soil analysis (0 to 6 cm) 10 d after planting (DAP) indicated metolachlor, s-metolachlor, and acetochlor CS concentrations ranged from 12 to 16% and 32 to 47% of applied herbicide for the fall and PRE application timings, respectively, whereas acetochlor (ME and EC) were from 1 to 3% and 16 to 21% of applied for the fall and PRE application timings, respectively. Bioassay reduction was correlated (R2 = 0.68) with soil-herbicide concentrations at 10 DAP.

Broad-spectrum weed control options for pea are limited. Field experiments conducted from 1998 to 2000 evaluated reduced rates of imazethapyr for selective control of grass and broadleaf weed species in pea. Imazethapyr was applied preemergence (PRE) and postemergence (POST) at 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% of the PRE rate of 75 g ai/ha currently labeled in Ontario. A rate of 45 g/ha or greater was required to maintain consistent control of common lambsquarters and wild mustard when imazethapyr was applied PRE. Green foxtail and redroot pigweed control was excellent at all PRE rates 56 d after treatment. The 75-g/ha rate was required to maintain effective and consistent control of common ragweed. No injury or yield reductions were observed for any of the PRE application rates of imazethapyr. Reduced rates as low as 30 g/ha of imazethapyr applied POST maintained high levels of weed control. Pea tolerance to low rates of imazethapyr applied POST was acceptable except when applied in a year of low rainfall when peas experienced moisture stress.

Based on field surveys and evaluations in the greenhouse, two fungal pathogens, Bipolaris sacchari and Drechslera gigantea, were identified as promising biological control agents for cogongrass. In greenhouse trials, the application of spore suspensions of these fungi containing 105 spores/ ml in a 1% aqueous gelatin solution to cogongrass plants and their incubation in a dew chamber for 24 h resulted in disease symptoms that ranged from discrete lesions to complete blighting of leaves. Disease severity (DS), based on a rating scale for southern corn leaf blight with 50% as the maximum DS rating, ranged from 42 to 49%. In greenhouse experiments, the application of spores formulated in an oil emulsion composed of 4% horticultural oil, 10% light mineral oil, and 86% water resulted in higher levels of foliar blight with no dew exposure or shorter periods of dew exposure (4, 8, or 12 h) as compared with the application of spores formulated in 1% gelatin. Field trials demonstrated that under natural conditions, the application of a spore and an oil emulsion mixture containing 105 spores/ml of either fungus could cause foliar injury from disease and phytotoxic damage from the oil emulsion. Depending on the application rate (100 or 200 ml/plot), the level of foliar injury ranged from 40 to 86% (based on a field assessment scale of 0 to 100% foliar injury) with B. sacchari as the test fungus. However, with D. gigantea as the test fungus, foliar injury ranged from 9 to 70% depending on the application volume and the oil concentration used. Although B. sacchari and D. gigantea were capable of causing foliar blight on cogongrass, the regenerative ability of the rhizomes allowed cogongrass to recover from the damage caused by these fungi. However, the level of injury caused by these fungi is sufficient to support their use as components for integrated management of cogongrass.

Michigan soybean producers have observed that glyphosate efficacy is sometimes reduced in tank mixtures with foliar manganese (Mn) fertilizers. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of Mn formulation, Mn application timing, tank mixture adjuvants, and Mn rate on glyphosate efficacy. Three Mn formulations, manganese sulfate and ethylaminoacetate chelate (Mn-EAA), manganese sulfate and lignin sulfonate chelate (Mn-LS), and manganese sulfate monohydrate (MnSO4) reduced glyphosate efficacy in greenhouse and field bioassays, but Mn ethylenediaminetetraacetate (Mn-EDTA) did not. Mn-EAA applied less than 3 d before glyphosate reduced glyphosate efficacy on velvetleaf but not giant foxtail or common lambsquarters. The antagonism increased as the interval between treatment applications was shortened but did not appear when Mn was applied to velvetleaf 1 d or more after glyphosate. Including the adjuvants ammonium sulfate (AMS), EDTA, or citric acid in the glyphosate–Mn tank mixture increased control of giant foxtail and velvetleaf but only matched the efficacy of the glyphosate plus AMS control in three combinations: AMS with Mn-LS on velvetleaf, citric acid with MnSO4 on giant foxtail, and EDTA with Mn-EAA on giant foxtail. AMS increased the glyphosate efficacy in Mn tank mixtures as much as, or more than, citric acid and EDTA, with two exceptions: EDTA with Mn-EAA on giant foxtail and citric acid with MnSO4 on velvetleaf. Control of velvetleaf declined as the amount of Mn from Mn-EAA, Mn-LS, and MnSO4 in the tank mixture increased.

Field studies were conducted in 2001 in Lewiston, NC, and in 2002 at Clayton and Lewiston, NC, to investigate the response of nontransgenic cotton to simulated glyphosate drift in a weed-free environment. Nontransgenic cotton variety ‘Fibermax 989’ was planted in a conventional seedbed at all locations. Glyphosate treatments were applied early postemergence (EPOST) at the four-leaf growth stage of cotton at 0, 8.7, 17.5, 35, 70, 140, 280, 560, and 1,120 g ai/ha and represent 0, 0.78, 1.55, 3.13, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, and 100% of the commercial use rate, respectively. Rates as low as 140 g/ha caused lint yield reductions depending on year and location. When averaged over all locations, lint yield reductions of 4, 49, 72, and 87% compared with nontreated cotton were observed with glyphosate rates of 140, 280, 560, and 1,120 g/ha, respectively. Visual injury and shikimic acid accumulation were evident at glyphosate rates greater or equal to 70 g/ha. Collectively, visual injury and shikimic acid accumulation at 7 d after EPOST treatment might be used as a diagnostic indicator to predict potential yield reductions from simulated glyphosate drift.

Turfgrass managers often desire to overseed thin areas during midsummer or late summer, but seeding desirable species too soon after a preemergence herbicide application can interfere with seedling growth. This study was conducted to compare the effects of three herbicides on Kentucky bluegrass seedling growth and to determine whether seeding method affects the interval before seeding can safely occur. Dithiopyr, prodiamine, and pendimethalin were applied to ‘Kentucky 31’ tall fescue plots in late April at 0.56, 0.84, and 3.36 kg ai/ha, respectively. At 2, 4, 8, 12, and 16 wk after treatment, soil cores were extracted from each plot, the existing turf was killed, and the cores were either broadcast seeded or slit seeded with Kentucky bluegrass. Slit seeding resulted in greater and more extended seedling growth suppression than broadcast seeding for all herbicides. Prodiamine suppressed Kentucky bluegrass seedling growth longer than dithiopyr and pendimethalin. Unacceptable seedling growth suppression occurred unless broadcast seeding was delayed for about 6, 8, and 14 wk after dithiopyr, pendimethalin, and prodiamine application, respectively. The required interval between herbicide application and slit seeding was approximately 11, 10, and 16 wk, respectively. Use of dithiopyr or pendimethalin rather than prodiamine and broadcast seeding instead of slit seeding allows earlier overseeding with Kentucky bluegrass.

Chinese privet is a nonnative shrub that has invaded mesic forests throughout the southeastern United States during the past century. Foliar sprays of glyphosate and triclopyr were tested in three factorial experiments that included wide ranges of application rate, timing, and formulation to refine methods for controlling Chinese privet. For spring (April) and fall (October and December) applications, percentage control of privet cover averaged 93 to 100% and 49 to 70% for glyphosate and triclopyr treatments, respectively, whereas for summer (June and August) applications, control averaged 67 to 69% and 14 to 26%, respectively (study 1). However, privet control was not influenced by variation in herbicide rates of 1.7, 3.4, 5.0, or 6.7 kg ae/ha compared with each of the five application timings. No differences were found in August comparisons of liquid vs. dry glyphosate products or water-soluble vs. oil-soluble triclopyr products for each of the four rates (study 2). In a comparison of low rates of glyphosate applied in August with or without trenching of plot perimeters to isolate privet clumps (study 3), control increased from 12 to 65% as rate increased from 0 to 0.8 kg ae/ha, suggesting that rate responses may occur at lower values than those tested in studies 1 and 2. Isolation of privet clumps by trenching did not have a statistically detectable effect on privet susceptibility to glyphosate. Low rates of glyphosate (1.7 kg ae/ha or possibly lower) will provide effective control of privet when applied in the spring or fall.

Greenhouse experiments were conducted to examine the effect of glyphosate on reproductive development in sicklepod. Glyphosate was applied postemergence over the top at 112 and 280 g ai/ha to sicklepod at 4-leaf stage (L), 8-L, 4-L followed by 8-L, and 12-L. A nontreated control was included. Immediately after the 12-L application, number of flowers was recorded for all treatments twice per week for 8 wk. Pollen viability was measured on 1 open flower/plant/sampling time using Alexander stain. The number of pods, pod length, seeds per plant, 50-seed weight, total seed weight, seed germination, seed viability, and dry weight of aboveground biomass were also recorded. No significant differences among the treatments were found for average pod length, 50-seed weight, seed germination, seed viability, and aboveground biomass. The nontreated had 18 flowers counted over 8 wk. Glyphosate applied at 12-L and sequentially at 4-L and 8-L, averaged over glyphosate rates, reduced cumulative flower production after 8 wk by 65 and 54%, respectively, compared with the nontreated. Similarly, glyphosate at 280 g/ha, averaged over treatment timings, reduced flower production by 58% compared with the nontreated. Because the number of flowers produced was limited by glyphosate treatment due to flower abscission, pollen viability measurements could not be analyzed because of large numbers of missing data points. The number of pods, seeds, and total seed weight were reduced by 79, 80, and 81%, respectively, with 280 g/ha of glyphosate compared with the nontreated.

Sustainable invasive weed management must address treatment effects on desired vegetation. Our objective was to determine the influence of clopyralid plus 2,4-D, glyphosate, and fosamine, at various application rates and timing, on the density and biomass of Russian knapweed and desired plant groups growing in association with this invasive weed. In a randomized complete block design with four replications, three herbicides by three herbicide rates by three herbicide application timings and a nontreated control were factorially applied to two sites located along the Missouri River riparian corridor in Montana. Clopyralid plus 2,4-D, glyphosate, and fosamine were applied during the spring rosette stage of Russian knapweed (June), the bud to bloom stage of Russian knapweed (July), or the flowering stage of Russian knapweed (August). Herbicide rates were considered low, medium, and high based on label rates of clopyralid plus 2,4-D, glyphosate, or fosamine. Density and biomass of all species were sampled 3 yr after treatment. Russian knapweed biomass decreased from 125 to about 25 g/m2 using clopyralid plus 2,4-D, irrespective of rate or timing of application. Russian knapweed density was reduced by about half by this mixture of herbicides. Nonnative grass density and biomass were maintained, whereas native grasses increased using clopyralid plus 2,4-D at medium or high rates. Neither glyphosate nor fosamine provided substantial Russian knapweed control or increases in grasses. Too few forbs were present to analyze their response to the treatments. We believe that herbicides must be combined with revegetation in areas lacking a diverse mixture of desired species capable of capturing resources made available by controlling Russian knapweed.

Recent research at Mississippi State has shown that eastern gamagrass, switchgrass, and tall fescue grown as filter strips reduce herbicide losses in runoff from cotton. Field experiments were conducted in 1997 and 1998 to evaluate the response of these perennial grasses to postemergence drift and registered rates of glyphosate and paraquat in mid-April and clethodim, fluazifop-P, glyphosate, MSMA, pyrithiobac, quizalofop-P, and sethoxydim in early June. Results indicate that filter strip implementation will not simply involve establishment and maintenance. In most instances, reductions in harvested biomass were as high or higher than visual injury assessments in mid-June. This finding suggests an inability of these perennial grasses to recover from an accidental overspray or drift, within the year of the event. Management decisions must be made to protect the filter strips from contact with herbicides used in the production system to ensure filter strip integrity and survival.

Spray drift to unintended areas is more of a concern as applications of nonselective herbicides associated with herbicide-resistant crops and the proximity of residential land to agricultural land increase. This research evaluated the benefit of three commercial drift control agents for effectiveness in reducing drift in 19 to 24 km/h wind and their potential effect on weed control. The drift control agents were added to a spray mixture of glyphosate at 0.8 kg ae/ha applied in 140 L/ ha and applied with either flat-fan or flood nozzles. None of the drift control agents reduced drift compared with the spray mixture without drift control agent over a distance of 6 m, as measured by water-sensitive cards or grain sorghum bioassay, regardless of nozzle type used. In a separate study, drift control agents did not reduce the weed control of glyphosate or acifluorfen.

The importance of spray retention to the biocontrol of green foxtail with Pyricularia setariae was characterized using airbrush and broadcast sprayers at variable application volumes. Spray retention was determined by measuring amounts of a tracer dye solution on treated plants using fluorescence spectrophotometry. Depending on the droplet size, broadcast spraying at 1,000 to 2,000 L/ha produced a level of retention equivalent to that of airbrush spraying until runoff. The trend of P. setariae spore retention on green foxtail was similar to that of liquid retention. Broadcasting P. setariae at volumes producing equivalent spray retention to that of airbrush inoculation resulted in a similar level of weed control under greenhouse conditions. Reducing broadcast volume from 2,000 to 250 L/ha lowered biocontrol efficacy only slightly, when the concentration of P. setariae was increased proportionally to keep the applied fungal dose the same. A nozzle with a fine droplet spectrum (volume median diameter [VMD] 207 μm) had a significantly greater retention efficiency than a coarse spray (VMD 325 μm), but this retention difference was not translated into consistent enhancement of biocontrol efficacy. Higher retention increases may be necessary for more substantial improvement in biocontrol of green foxtail by P. setariae.

Yellow starthistle is an aggressive annual forb that has invaded millions of hectares of California's annual range. Control efforts such as burning and herbicides have been effective for short-term management. However, recruitment from the seedbank or reinvasion of the annual grassland system results in a rapid return to yellow starthistle dominance. Establishing perennial grasses would be ideal for suppression of yellow starthistle. However, a lack of effective weed control options in California during a seeding program has limited perennial grass establishment. Clopyralid was used to control yellow starthistle annually for 1, 2, or 3 yr to provide a window of reduced competition for pubescent wheatgrass establishment. Total plant cover, yellow starthistle density, biomass, and seedhead number were quantified for 6 yr. Clopyralid treatment significantly reduced yellow starthistle and allowed pubescent wheatgrass establishment with a single treatment. Both clopyralid treatment and pubescent wheatgrass establishment significantly affected the range plant community composition. Annual grasses and forbs increased in plots only treated with clopyralid for 2 or 3 yr, whereas clopyralid-treated pubescent wheatgrass plots maintained lower annual grass and forb cover. Integrating pubescent wheatgrass seeding with clopyralid treatment provided long-term yellow starthistle suppression, whereas clopyralid treatment alone resulted in a plant community susceptible to repeated invasion. These findings support the establishment of competitive perennial grasses in annual grasslands as an important component of long-term yellow starthistle management.

A 2-yr experiment repeated at five locations across the northeastern United States evaluated the effect of weed density and time of glyphosate application on weed control and corn grain yield using a single postemergence (POST) application. Three weed densities, designed to reduce corn yields by 10, 25, and 50%, were established across the locations, using forage sorghum as a surrogate weed. At each weed density, a single application of glyphosate at 1.12 kg ai/ha was applied to glyphosate-resistant corn at the V2, V4, V6, and V8 growth stages. At low and medium weed densities, the V4 through V8 applications provided nearly complete weed control and yields equivalent to the weed-free treatment. Weed biomass and the potential for weed seed production from subsequent weed emergence made the V2 timing less effective. At high weed densities, the V4 followed by the V6 timing provided the most effective weed control, while maintaining corn yield. Weed competition from subsequent weed emergence in the V2 application and the duration of weed competition in the V8 timing reduced yield on average by 12 and 15%, respectively. This research shows that single POST applications can be successful but weed density and herbicide timing are key elements.

Field trials were conducted at the Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton, GA, from 2000 to 2003 to study the effects of herbicide placement on weed control and cantaloupe injury. Herbicides halosulfuron (0.036 kg ai/ha), sulfentrazone (0.14 and 0.28 kg ai/ha), clomazone (0.6 kg ai/ha), and a nontreated control were evaluated. Methods of herbicide application were preplant incorporated (PPI) under the polyethylene mulch before transplanting, posttransplanting over-the-top (POST-OTT), and posttransplanting-directed (POST-DIR) to the shoulders of polyethylene-covered seedbeds. Across all herbicide treatments, PPI and POST-DIR applications were the least injurious, with POST-OTT applications the most injurious. In general, sulfentrazone (0.28 kg ai/ha) was the most injurious herbicide and halosulfuron the least injurious, regardless of herbicide placement. Halosulfuron effectively controlled yellow nutsedge and provided versatility in methods of application, with minimal injury to transplanted cantaloupe.

Greenhouse and field studies were conducted to evaluate potential interactions between glyphosate and trifloxysulfuron on barnyardgrass, browntop millet, hemp sesbania, seedling johnsongrass, pitted morningglory, prickly sida, sicklepod, and velvetleaf control as well as cotton injury and yield. In the greenhouse, glyphosate at 840 g ae/ha controlled all weed species 62 to 99%, which was better than trifloxysulfuron at 2.5 or 5 g ai/ha. Control of four-leaf pitted morningglory and hemp sesbania was 80 to 88% when glyphosate and trifloxysulfuron were mixed compared with 62 to 66% control with glyphosate alone. Mixing trifloxysulfuron with glyphosate did not affect control of other species compared with glyphosate alone. In the field, glyphosate controlled barnyardgrass, prickly sida, sicklepod, seedling johnsongrass, and velvetleaf 68 to 100%. Trifloxysulfuron controlled hemp sesbania, seedling johnsongrass, and sicklepod 65 to 88%. All other species were controlled 36 to 72% with glyphosate and 10 to 60% with trifloxysulfuron. Combinations of glyphosate (840 g/ha) and trifloxysulfuron (5 g/ha) were applied postemergence over-the-top and postemergence-directed to three-, six-, and nine-leaf glyphosate-resistant cotton in the field. Cotton injury at 2 wk after treatment (WAT) was less than 13% for all herbicide treatments and less than 5% by 3 WAT. Herbicides did not affect the percent of open bolls or nodes per plant. Seed cotton yield ranged from 1,430 to 1,660 kg/ha, and only the sequential over-the-top applications of trifloxysulfuron reduced cotton yield compared with the weed-free, nontreated cotton.

Cogongrass is an aggressive perennial weed, which causes severe yield losses in major crops of the moist savanna of West Africa. Field studies were conducted from 2000 to 2002 at Alabata and Ilorin, Nigeria, to evaluate the influence of dosage and time of nicosulfuron application on the control of cogongrass and corn grain yield. Nicosulfuron dosages were 50, 100, 150, and 200 g ai/ha applied 1, 2, 3, or 4 wk after planting (WAP) corn. Hand-weeded and nonweeded treatments were the controls. Three to 4 wk after treatment and at final harvest, all plots that received nicosulfuron had significantly lower cogongrass shoot dry matter (DM) than the nonweeded control across locations in all years (P ≤ 0.01). Nicosulfuron increased corn grain yield at Alabata by 96% in 2000, 100% in 2001, and 34 to 54% in 2002, and at Ilorin by 79 to 83% in 2001 and 60 to 69% in 2002 when compared with the nonweeded control. The weeded control had corn grain yield similar to plots that received nicosulfuron at 200 g/ha at Alabata in 2001, 150 g/ha at Ilorin in 2001, 50 to 200 g/ha at Alabata in 2002, and 150 and 200 g/ha at Ilorin in 2002. There were negative linear relationships between corn DM, grain yield, and cogongrass shoot DM. Application of nicosulfuron at 1 or 2 WAP, when cogongrass was 22 to 27 cm tall, gave better grain yield and lower cogongrass shoot DM than at 3 or 4 WAP, when cogongrass was 36 to 45 cm tall. The study concludes that 150 to 200 g/ha of nicosulfuron applied at 1 or 2 WAP is effective for cogongrass control without adverse effect on corn grain yield.

Bifra is an annual noxious broadleaf weed of winter-sown crops in the Central Anatolia and Middle Black Sea regions of Turkey. This species has become more prevalent in wheat fields in the past three decades because of poor chemical control. Field experiments were conducted in Havza and Kavak, Samsun, Turkey, to evaluate the effect of cultivar and seeding rate on the competitive interaction between bifra and wheat at four bifra densities. Wheat grain yield increased with seeding rate, either in the presence or in the absence of bifra in both locations. Decreasing the seeding rate from 250 to 200 kg/ha or 150 kg/ha decreased wheat yield in the presence of bifra in all cultivars. The percentage yield decreases were different according to cultivars, although yields decreased in all cultivars. On the basis of the analysis of yield variables, data suggest that the relative competitiveness was ‘Bezostaja’ > ‘Momtchill’ > ‘Kate A-1’ = ‘Panda’. Bifra biomass and seed numbers were reduced not only by an increase in the wheat seeding rate but also by cultivars. Bifra seed production in Bezostaja, Kate A-1, Momtchill, and Panda were diminished 60, 53, 54, and 46%, respectively, at the seeding rate of 250 kg/ha compared with bifra alone at a density of 350 plants/ m2.

A study was conducted to compare the effect of 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) + chloropicrin (Pic) in a 83:17 ratio (C-17) used alone or in combination with herbicides on tomato. Treatments evaluated included 1,3-D (325 kg ai/ha) plus Pic (67 kg ai/ha) used either alone or with pebulate (4.5 kg ai/ha), napropamide (4.5 kg ai/ha), metolachlor (1.1 and 2.3 kg ai/ha), lactofen (2.3 kg ai/ha), or flazasulfuron (0.4 kg ai/ha). Pebulate was consistently more effective in controlling purple nutsedge than the other herbicides tested. Purple nutsedge was more effectively controlled with C-17 in combination with pebulate than with the fumigant alone. Shallow incorporation of pebulate failed to improve weed control and tomato fruit yield.