Experiments were conducted in 1989 and 1990 to investigate the influence of 220 g ai ha–1 AC 263,222, 840 g ai ha-4 glufosinate, 560 g ai ha–1 glyphosate, and 840 g ai ha–1 paraquat applied at R5, R6, R7, and R8 soybean growth stages as harvest-aid treatments on soybean seed quality. Soybean yield was severely reduced by all herbicides applied at R5. Only paraquat and glufosinate reduced soybean yield when applied at R6, and none of the herbicides reduced yield when applied at R7 or R8. Paraquat and glufosinate reduced seed weight when applied at RS and R6. Glyphosate and AC 263,222 reduced seed germination when applied at RS, R6, and R7 growth stages, and normal seedling percentages were also reduced by glyphosate at these growth stages. Glufosinate and AC 263,222 affected normal seedlings only at R5 and R6. Soybean hypocotyl and primary root lengths were reduced by glyphosate and AC 263,222 applications at R5 and R6, whereas glufosinate and paraquat did not affect these variables. Glyphosate applied at R5 reduced shoot weight in 1-mo-old soybean plants. No effects were observed on soybean yield, seed germination or seedling development when herbicides were applied at R8.

The tolerance of canola to soil applied flurtamone was investigated in greenhouse and field studies. In the greenhouse, the dosage of flurtamone required to reduce canola fresh weight by 50% was 7.1- to 8.4- and 4.4- to 6.1-fold higher for B. napus and B. campestris cultivars, respectively, than that required to reduced wild mustard fresh weight by 50%. B. campestris cultivars tended to be more sensitive to flurtamone than B. napus cultivars. In the field, flurtamone applied at 0.4 to 0.5 kg ai ha-1 controlled 80% of wild mustard in canola (B. napus cv. ‘Westar’). In 1991 canola plant densities were reduced by increasing rate of flurtamone, but seed yields were unaffected by rate of application in either year.

Tolerance of eight processing sweet corn hybrids to nicosulfuron was evaluated in field studies conducted at Arlington, Wis. in 1988 and 1989. Magnitude of sweet corn vigor reduction varied between years. Greater vigor reduction occurred to ‘Jubilee’ sweet corn than to the other seven hybrids. Injury to the hybrids increased as nicosulfuron rate increased. In 1988, some of the hybrids were stunted slightly by all of the herbicide rates, but within a hybrid there was no significant difference among herbicide rates. In 1989 none of the hybrids, including Jubilee, was stunted by even 140 g ai ha–1 nicosulfuron compared with the corresponding check. Effects of nicosulfuron on yields of the eight hybrids in 1988 and in 1989 are best described by a quadratic regression equation.

Largeseed dodder is the most troublesome weed in alfalfa fields in the high desert of Southern California. Preemergence treatment with trifluralin controls dodder early in the season, but, as the season progresses, control declines. A method was needed to control attached dodder plants that escaped preemergence treatment. Flail mowing was compared to burning with a handheld propane-fueled weed burner. These methods were equally effective for controlling attached dodder, but flail mowing was more economical, and less injurious to alfalfa yield and stand density. Burning dodder patches at the end of the season reduced dodder seed viability by an average of 99%. Thus, we propose the use of a three tiered integrated approach consisting of PRE herbicide treatment followed by flail mowing in mid-season to control escaped dodder and burning at the end of the season to reduce dodder seed.

Field experiment were conducted to determine interactions of chlorimuron or imazaquin with fomesafen, lactofen, or acifluorfen on three-leaf and eight-leaf common cocklebur, hemp sesbania, pitted morningglory, and prickly sida. Antagonism was the most common interaction with common cocklebur, and was most severe with chlorimuron combined with fomesafen or acifluorfen, whereas lactofen did not antagonize common cocklebur control. Reductions in control were greater when low rates of chlorimuron were used. On three-leaf prickly sida, control synergistically increased when imazaquin was combined with fomesafen or acifluorfen, but the majority of these combinations were additive on eight-leaf prickly sida. Three-leaf pitted morningglory control synergistically increased when 36 g ai ha–1 imazaquin was combined with 210 g ai ha–1 fomesafen or 110 or 220 g ai ha–1 lactofen. With eight-leaf pitted morningglory, synergism occurred when 2 g ai ha–1 chlorimuron was combined with the high rate of any diphenylether herbicide tested, and when 36 g ha–1 imazaquin was combined with 110 g ha–1 lactofen or 210 g ai ha–1 acifluorfen; however, at higher rates of chlorimuron or imazaquin, several antagonistic interactions occurred. Hemp sesbania was controlled over 90% by all combinations, and no interactions occurred.

Studies were conducted to determine the effectiveness of 11 multiple treatment combinations of bensulide in controlling a perennial and an annual subspecies of annual bluegrass. Bensulide controlled 97% of the annual subspecies with annual applications of 11 kg ai ha–1 (Jan.) + 6 kg ha–1 (Feb.) + 6 kg ha–1 (Mar.) totaling 92 kg ha–1 in 4 yr. The annual subspecies appeared to have a germination period from mid November to early January. None of the bensulide treatments controlled the perennial subspecies acceptably. The common occurrence of these two subspecies in mixed stands may account for the erratic weed control reported by many researchers. Bentgrass showed good tolerance to bensulide totals over 4 yr of 160 kg ha–1 applied in a U.S. Golf Association rootzone green.

Temperature, soil moisture, green foxtail density, relative emergence dates, and soil fertility effects on green foxtail and spring wheat competition were evaluated in controlled environments. Green foxtail competition was highest at 30 C and without moisture stress. Early green foxtail emergence increased competition with wheat more than changes in temperature, soil moisture, or green foxtail density. At 30 C, wheat fresh weight was reduced 50% by green foxtail seeded 4 d before wheat, but only 13% by foxtail seeded 4 d after wheat. Doubling the nitrogen and total nutrient concentration did not increase wheat growth, but increased foxtail weight 41 and 75%, respectively.

Catclaw mimosa, an exotic member of the Leguminosae, occurs in three areas of Florida. Propagation is by seed only. Seeds collected from Florida were used for germination, growth, and herbicide evaluation studies. Seeds germinated at 75 to 94% but were not influenced by different environmental conditions under which they were stored. Greenhouse-grown plants cut or burned off at ground level failed to regrow. However, plants cut at 2 cm or more above ground level regrew from lateral shoots. Sixteen herbicides were evaluated to determine their effects on 6- to 8-wk-old plants grown in the greenhouse. Catclaw mimosa was killed by picloram, tebuthiuron, hexazinone and sulfometuron at 0.4, 0.07, 0.14, and 0.56 kg ha-1, respectively. Dicamba at 1.12, triclopyr at 1.12 (Garlon 3A and 4), linuron at 4.48, and glyphosate at 8.96 kg ha-1 were also effective. Chlorsulfuron and metsulfuron killed 9 out of 10 plants at the highest rates tested. Four herbicides, imazapyr, thifensulfuron, DPX-L5300, and atrazine killed 50% or less of the plants at the highest rates of each compound tested. Fosamine did not kill catclaw mimosa at the rates tested.

Clopyralid at 0.3 or 0.6 kg ae ha–1 applied once or twice during the asparagus harvest season for two consecutive years did not significantly reduce the number of spears or total weight of asparagus harvested. In a second study, clopyralid applied at 0.3 kg ha–1 twice during the harvest season and once at layby for two consecutive years did not reduce asparagus yield in the first year of treatment. In the second year, the number and weight of asparagus spears was reduced. Clopyralid applied during the harvest season caused some epinastic growth of asparagus after layby. Clopyralid applied to emerged asparagus spears slightly increased the number of cull spears harvested, but was less damaging than 2,4-D or dicamba.

Chinese milkvetch is the most important green manure crop in the rice producing regions of China. The tolerance of Chinese milkvetch to 29 herbicides approved for other legume crops was determined in the greenhouse. Chinese milkvetch was tolerant to bentazon, diclofop-methyl, and EPTC at 2.0, 1.6, and 6.0 kg ai ha–1, respectively. Barban, bromoxynil, 2,4-DB, dinoseb, fluazifop, quizalofop, sethoxydim, and triallate at 0.5, 0.6, 1.0, 1.5, 0.3, 0.3, 0.5, and 1.0 kg ai ha–1, respectively, slightly injured Chinese milkvetch but did not substantially reduce biomass. Trifluralin, propham, DCPA, acifluorfen, and MCPA were moderately phytotoxic to Chinese milkvetch at 0.5, 3.0, 5.0, 0.5, and 0.5 kg ai ha–1, respectively.

Field studies were conducted to study the interaction of sethoxydim or fluazifop-P with clopyralid and/or ethametsulfuron applied as tank mixtures to canola. Control of the indicator species barley, broadbean, and wild mustard with the tank mixtures was comparable to, or sometimes better than, that attained with each herbicide alone. Canola tolerated all herbicides applied individually and all tank mixtures of these herbicides except fluazifop-P and ethametsulfuron. Tank mixtures of fluazifop-P and ethametsulfuron, with or without clopyralid included in the mixture, suppressed early growth of canola in two of four tests and reduced seed yield in one. Sethoxydim, clopyralid, and ethametsulfuron combined in tank mixtures provide an effective POST alternative for selective control of grass and broadleaf weeds in canola.

In recent years considerable research in the private and public sectors has been directed toward introducing herbicide tolerance into normally susceptible crop species (9). Interest in developing herbicide-tolerant crop cultivars, clones, or hybrids (HTCs)3 has been spurred by the reduction in the rate of discovery of new herbicidal compounds, the rising expense of developing new herbicides, and new tools of biotechnology that greatly increased our ability to develop HTC genotypes. Potential benefits of developing HTCs include: a) an increased margin of safety with which herbicides can be used with subsequent reduced crop losses due to herbicide injury, b) reduced risk of crop damage from residual herbicides from rotational crops, and c) introduction of new herbicides for use on normally susceptible crops. The last objective can be considered to be similar to breeding for resistance to diseases or insects. The most serious weed problems for a crop can be solved by developing crop tolerance to herbicides that control the weeds. This approach is particularly promising for minor crops for which new herbicide development is essentially lacking. However, the reluctance of herbicide manufacturers to register their products for minor crops may impede this approach. By developing tolerance to nontoxic, nonpolluting herbicides that are suitable for conservation tillage, the negative environmental effects of weed control can be reduced.

Field studies were conducted from 1986 through 1988 to evaluate various herbicides for yellow nutsedge control and peanut yields. Three applications of pyridate provided control comparable to two applications of bentazon with yellow nutsedge regrowth beginning 3 to 4 wk after application depending on moisture conditions. Crop oil concentrate did not improve the activity of pyridate. Flurtamone provided control comparable with that of metolachlor. Nutsedge control with fomesafen was erratic with peanut injury noted. Peanut yields did not reflect the competitive nature of nutsedge.

Multiple applications of fenoxaprop (0.027, 0.036, and 0.045 kg ai ha–1) were field-applied on either 2-, 3-, or 4-wk intervals to ‘Penncross' creeping bentgrass maintained at putting green height in Easton, MD and Silver Spring, MD during 1989 and 1990. At both locations, yearly averaged creeping bentgrass quality ratings decreased with increasing fenoxaprop rate. Creeping bentgrass discoloration and thinning were minimal at 0.027 kg ha–1 fenoxaprop and did not reduce season-long turf quality below acceptable levels at either site in 1989 or 1990. Substantial discoloration and thinning was observed at 0.045 kg ha–1 fenoxaprop and acceptable season-long quality was limited to Easton in 1990. Significant spray frequency treatment effects were noticed at both sites in 1989 but not 1990. Increasing the spray interval from 2- to 4-wk improved creeping bentgrass quality from unacceptable to acceptable in two of the final four evaluation dates at Easton and five of the final six dates at Silver Spring.

Control of southern crabgrass by quinclorac was influenced by plant growth stage. A three-parameter nonlinear regression was used to describe the influence of quinclorac concentration on each growth stage and to compare growth stages. A SAS® program for these comparisons is described. Pseudo R2 values for fit were above 0.98 for all tests. Flowering crabgrass plants had the highest GR50 value (50% growth reduction on a dry weight basis) whereas preemergence, three- to five-true-leaf, and two- to four-tiller stages were lower.

Greenhouse studies were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Kinetic, a silicone adjuvant that appeared to increase the efficacy and rainfastness of the isopropylamine salt of glyphosate on velvetleaf, sicklepod, barnyardgrass, guineagrass, yellow foxtail, and yellow nutsedge. Simulated rainfall of 1.3 cm in 5 min at 15 and 60 min after herbicide treatment reduced glyphosate efficacy on all weeds. Kinetic enhanced glyphosate efficacy when yellow nutsedge and guineagrass were subjected to post-spray rainfall at 60 min. On velvetleaf, sicklepod, and yellow foxtail, Kinetic improved glyphosate efficacy when the critical rain-free period was reduced to 15 min. Kinetic failed to provide rainfastness for barnyardgrass, thereby indicating a specificity of Kinetic for certain weed species.

At least 57 weed species, including both dicots and monocots, have been reported to have biotypes selected for resistance to the triazine herbicides. In addition, at least 47 species have been reported to have biotypes resistant to one or more of 14 other herbicides or herbicide families. These herbicides include the aryloxyphenoxypropionics, bipyridiliums, dinitroanilines, phenoxys, substituted areas, and sulfonylureas, with two or more resistant biotypes each, as well as several other herbicides in which resistance is less well documented. Although evolved resistance presents a serious problem for chemical weed control, it has also offered new potential for transferring herbicide resistance to crop species. Mechanisms of resistance that are due to single or a few genes have become the focus of biotechnology, as the probability of their successful transfer to crop species is high.

CGA 163935, paclobutrazol, and paclobutrazol plus mefluidide were evaluated for their growth regulating effect on centipedegrass over 3 yr. Paclobutrazol did not effectively suppress seedhead production or vegetative growth. Paclobutrazol plus mefluidide at 1.1 + 0.3 kg ai ha–1 in each of two applications at a 2-wk interval suppressed seedhead development 77% (average of 3 yr) at 10 wk after the initial treatment without severe injury or loss of stand, but duration of vegetative growth suppression was variable (0 to 6 wk). CGA 163935 applied at 0.4 kg ai ha–1 and followed by 0.2 kg ai ha–1 2 wk later suppressed vegetative growth of mowed and nonmowed centipedegrass for 10 wk, while suppressing seedhead production for 3 to 5 wk. CGA 163935 caused severe injury and stand loss of centipedegrass.

Tebuthiuron, picloram, hexazinone, and bromacil were evaluated at 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 g ai or ae per plant for sacahuista control on gravelly loam soils in western Texas. Tebuthiuron applied at 2.0 g per plant killed 87% of the sacahuista, which was significantly greater mortality than that achieved with the same rate of bromacil (62%) and hexazinone (44%). The 2.0 g plant-1 rate of tebuthiuron, bromacil, and hexazinone reduced live canopies of sacahuista 88 to 98%. Picloram did not control sacahuista. Sacahuista mortality increased curvilinearly with increasing rates of tebuthiuron and bromacil, whereas the response to hexazinone was linear.