Medusahead is an aggressive, nonnative, winter annual grass that infests rangelands in the western United States. Its ability to rapidly spread, outcompete native vegetation, and destroy forage potential is a primary concern for landowners and land managers exposed to this weed. Prescribed burns were conducted at a low- and high-litter site in northern Utah prior to conducting experiments to evaluate the effects of fall and spring applications of sulfometuron at 39 or 79 g ai/ha and imazapic at 70 or 140 g ai/ha on medusahead and associated perennial grasses, annual and perennial forbs, and bare ground cover. Large differences in pretreatment medusahead litter between the sites resulted in less surface area burning at the low-litter site (∼10%) compared to the high-litter site (∼80%). Higher herbicide rates significantly increased medusahead control and bare ground cover; however, this rate affect largely depended on site, season, and herbicide. The low- and high-litter sites did not differ significantly in perennial grass cover 2 yr after burning. Annual forb cover was greater, but perennial forb cover was lower at the low-litter site compared to the high-litter site. Several treatment combinations were identified as having the potential to maintain greater than 50% medusahead control in the second year after herbicide applications. These results collectively demonstrate that potential exists to successfully control medusahead and produce a window of opportunity to reintroduce a greater abundance of perennial species back into the plant community via seeding.

No-till production systems coupled with decreased use of soil residual herbicides has led to increased populations of winter annual weeds. Therefore, research was conducted to quantify the effect of henbit interference and crop stand loss on soft red winter wheat grain yield and grain volume weight. The main-plot effect consisted of weed-free versus weedy plots. The subplot effect was winter wheat stand loss treatments of 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%. Henbit interference did not affect test weight; however, test weight decreased as percentage of stand loss increased. Henbit did not reduce crop yield at 18 plants/m2; however, at 82 and 155 plants/m2, crop yield was reduced 13 and 38%, respectively, when averaged across all stand loss treatments. Yield estimates based on wheat tiller or spike density decreased linearly as crop stand loss increased. Our results indicated that henbit interference coupled with crop stand loss may significantly decrease crop yield and profitability of wheat production systems.

There is little information on the sensitivity of dry beans to flumioxazin. Tolerance of eight cultivars of dry beans representing four market classes (black, cranberry, kidney, and white beans) to preplant incorporated (PPI) and preemergence (PRE) applications of flumioxazin at the rate of 52.5, 70, and 140 g ai/ha were studied in three field experiments in Ontario in 2002 and 2003. There were no differences (P < 0.05) between two cultivars within a market class in their responses to flumioxazin. However, the four market classes differed in their responses to flumioxazin. Black and white beans were more sensitive to the PRE application of flumioxazin than cranberry and kidney beans. Flumioxazin applied PRE at 140 g/ha caused as much as 34% visual injury and reduced plant height by 23 to 28%, shoot dry weight by 35 to 39%, and yield by 20 to 30% in black and white bean market classes. Flumioxazin-applied PPI did not injure any market class. On the basis of this research, there is an acceptable margin of crop safety in these black and white bean cultivars only when flumioxazin is applied PPI. The two cranberry and kidney bean cultivars were tolerant to all rates of flumioxazin applied both PPI and PRE.

Greenhouse and growth chamber experiments were conducted to investigate the sprouting potential of rootstock; the effect of temperature, burial depth, and length of rootstock on sprouting; and the effect of shoot removal on resprouting ability of rootstock in redvine and trumpetcreeper. Glyphosate translocation along the rootstock of redvine was also measured. Higher sprouting was observed at 20 to 40 C in trumpetcreeper (60 to 73%) and at 30 to 40 C in redvine (45 to 47%) compared with other temperatures. Redvine sprouting was totally inhibited at 15 C, whereas trumpetcreeper had a sprouting of 12%. Emergence of shoot from a 28-cm planting depth was completely inhibited in redvine, whereas trumpetcreeper had 23% sprout emergence. After shoot removal treatments applied every 3 wk, redvine rootstock segments ≤2 cm long were totally depleted after fifth shoot removal treatment (15 wk after planting [WAP]). In trumpetcreeper, total depletion was not reached by 15 WAP, regardless of rootstock length. 14C-glyphosate was translocated from the treated shoot attached to the apical end of a 35-cm rootstock to the untreated end with slightly less 14C-glyphosate recovered at the untreated end compared with 5 to 10 cm from the treated shoot. These results indicated that vegetative reproduction in redvine is more sensitive to cool temperatures, deep burial depth, and short rootstock segment than trumpetcreeper. Variable control of redvine with glyphosate could be due to inadequate herbicide translocation within the rootstock.

A field study was conducted in 2002 and 2003 to evaluate tolerance of eight rice cultivars to clomazone at 896 g ai/ha impregnated onto urea fertilizer. Rice foliar bleaching was 16 to 20% at 14 d after rice rooting (DAR) for long-grain cultivars ‘Ahrent’, ‘Cheniere’, ‘Cocodrie’, ‘Cypress’, ‘Francis’, and ‘Wells’ and 23 and 30% for medium-grain ‘Bengal’ and short-grain ‘Pirogue’, respectively, when clomazone was impregnated onto urea. Clomazone reduced the number of tillers/ m2 21 DAR for all cultivars. Early season height reductions occurred for all cultivars; however, Pirogue was the only cultivar shorter than the nontreated at harvest. There were no yield reductions with regard to the medium and long-grain cultivars when compared with respective nontreated cultivars. However, yield of short-grain Pirogue treated with clomazone was 1,740 kg/ha less than the nontreated.

Field bindweed is a major weed problem for wheat producers across the Great Plains and for Oklahoma hard red winter wheat producers. Herbicides have demonstrated limited efficacy, with retreatment often suggested on labels. However, little data are available to verify efficacy with repeated treatments in Oklahoma wheat fields. Annual treatment with dicamba + 2,4-D, the prepackaged mixture (premix) glyphosate + 2,4-D, premix quinclorac + 2,4-D at two different rates, or picloram + 2,4-D to actively growing field bindweed for three consecutive years reduced stem density up to 88% at Lahoma and up to 96% at Stillwater for several months after treatment. However, by 12 to 14 mo after the last treatment, stem densities returned to 47% or more of the nontreated. Treatments applied in June or July were not more effective than treatments applied in September. These results suggested a need to shift the intent of herbicide application from multiyear control to single-year control with treatments designed to control field bindweed throughout one growing season. To field test this approach, nine farmer cooperators in 1998 to 1999 and seven cooperators in 1999 to 2000 applied either premixed glyphosate + 2,4-D or dicamba in late summer or early fall after the field bindweed was allowed to grow 5 wk or more without disturbance. Of the participants, 88% reported little field bindweed present at wheat harvest, whereas 12% reported considerable field bindweed present at harvest. Cooperators were generally satisfied with the reduction in field bindweed canopy through harvest.

The agrestal field violet, a pervasive weed in Europe, has been identified in reduced-tillage cereal fields in Alberta. The efficacy of herbicides in direct-seeded spring wheat was assessed on natural field violet infestations in Alberta in 2002 and 2003. Only fluroxypyr + 2,4-D, applied postemergence, provided control of field violet in 2002 when rainfall was limiting. Over both years, this herbicide combination reduced biomass by 59 to 69% and plant density by 83 to 91%, relative to nontreated plots. The herbicides metsulfuron, sulfosulfuron, and thifensulfuron + tribenuron only suppressed weed growth under drought conditions in 2002 but controlled the weed in 2003 when rainfall was greater, reducing plant density by 82 to 92% and rendering remaining plants sterile. Suppression was also observed with MCPA + mecoprop + dicamba in 2002 and 2003 and with metribuzin only in 2003. Effective control of field violet was conferred by a pre–crop emergence application of glyphosate at 445 g ae/ha in 2003, the only year that this treatment was evaluated. Activity of herbicides on three- to four-leaf seedlings was also evaluated in a greenhouse dose– response assay. All herbicides had greater efficacy in the greenhouse, and those that provided control in situ reduced field violet dry weight by 85% at less than the recommended rate used in field experiments. Management of field violet is possible with herbicides registered for use on spring wheat in Alberta. However, the weed does not appear to cause significant crop production losses; hence, herbicide selection should be based on knowledge of all weed species present within the field.

Isoxaflutole, a preemergence herbicide for use in corn, causes bleaching of plant tissue and plant death at low rates. A concern regarding widespread use of isoxaflutole is the unintentional exposure of high-value, minor hectareage crops that may be sensitive. Unintentional exposure could occur because of carryover from a previous application, spray drift, or contamination of irrigation water. The objective of this study was to determine the potential for injury to nine minor hectareage Michigan crops. Crops evaluated were: adzuki bean, alfalfa, carrot, cucumber, dry bean (navy and black beans), onion, sugar beet, and tomato. Experiments were conducted in the greenhouse to evaluate injury from low rates of isoxaflutole applied to soil to simulate carryover as well as low concentrations of isoxaflutole in 2.54 cm of irrigation water applied over the course of 1 h to 15-cm-tall plants. Isoxaflutole rates and concentrations that cause 20% injury (I20) were calculated using Seefeldt's log-logistic dose–response model. Regardless of application type, onion was always the least sensitive plant to isoxaflutole (I20 = 37 g/ha applied to soil and 194 μg/L in irrigation water), whereas navy bean and black bean were the most sensitive (I20 = 9 g/ha applied to soil and 5 μg/ L in irrigation water). The remaining plants exhibited intermediate sensitivity. All of the rates that resulted in injury were substantially less than the rates used for weed control in corn. Carryover from isoxaflutole applications in corn production may require plant back restrictions for certain sensitive crops.

Japanese stiltgrass is a nonnative invasive grass that occurs in a variety of habitats and is widely distributed throughout the eastern United States. In natural areas such as forests, herbicide options that selectively control Japanese stiltgrass while preserving native herbaceous and woody vegetation may be desired. The efficacy of three selective postemergence herbicides (fenoxaprop-P, imazapic, and sethoxydim) applied early season, midseason, or late season on monoculture understory stands of Japanese stiltgrass in forests was examined in an experiment conducted at a site in North Carolina and a site in Virginia from 2002 to 2004. The herbicides, averaged across application timings, controlled Japanese stiltgrass at the end of the growing season 83 to 89% and seedhead production 79 to 94% compared with nontreated plants. Seedling emergence was reduced in the spring of 2004 by 89, 70, and 78% by fenoxaprop-P, imazapic, and sethoxydim, respectively, applied in 2003. In another experiment at the North Carolina site in 2002 and 2003, fenoxaprop-P or sethoxydim applied twice (4 wk apart) at half-registered rates controlled Japanese stiltgrass. This study demonstrates that land managers have multiple POST herbicide and application timing, rate, and frequency options for Japanese stiltgrass control.

The fate of imazamox, imazethapyr, and imazaquin in soil was evaluated at various soil moisture levels and at soil pH levels of 5 and 7. The percentage of each herbicide sorbed, desorbed, dissipated, and metabolized over time was compared. Soil was kept at its field pH (pH 7) or modified to a lower pH (pH 5) and equilibrated to field moisture contents ranging from 0.27 to 0.21 g water/ g soil, at and below the field capacity of the soil. Soil moisture in the range studied did not affect the fate of the herbicides. The percentage of applied herbicide found in soil solution was greatest for imazamox and least for imazaquin (imazamox > imazethapyr > imazaquin) and was greater at pH 7 than at pH 5 for all three herbicides. Over time, less herbicide was in the soil solution and less was desorbed. Metabolism followed the same pattern. Among the herbicides, metabolism followed the following sequence, imazamox > imazethapyr > imazaquin with metabolism greater at pH 7 than at pH 5 for all three herbicides. At pH 7, the half-life for imazamox was 1.4 wk and for imazethapyr was 16 wk, and the estimated half-life for imazaquin was 191 wk.

Experiments were conducted in the 2000 to 2001 and 2001 to 2002 growing seasons to evaluate the efficacy of AE F130060 03 plus AE F107892 with nonionic surfactant (NIS) or methylated seed oil (MSO) plus urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) applied in November (early postemergence, EP), January (middle postemergence, MP), and March (late postemergence, LP) for control of Italian ryegrass in barley. AE F130060 03 plus AE F107892 was also combined with MSO and UAN and various postemergence (POST) small grain herbicides at the three application timings. All AE F130060 03 plus AE F107892 treatment combinations controlled Italian ryegrass at least 84% at the three application timings. Treatment combinations of AE F130060 03 plus AE F107892 applied LP generally resulted in lower yields because of increased duration of Italian ryegrass competition, increased barley injury, and insufficient time for barley to recover from the injury. Transient phytotoxicity to barley occurred after EP and MP applications of all AE F130060 03 plus AE F107892 treatment combinations. LP applications of MSO and UAN or other POST small grain herbicides combined with MSO and UAN increased barley injury compared with injury from AE F130060 03 plus AE F107892 applied with NIS. Results indicate that AE F130060 03 plus AE F107892 treatments are an effective method for control of Italian ryegrass in barley; however, treatments should be applied either EP or MP to reduce early Italian ryegrass competition and allow sufficient time for barley recovery from injury before harvest.

Because of a previously reported antagonism of clethodim activity by other herbicides, greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine goosegrass control with clethodim and glufosinate postemergence alone, in tank mixtures, and as sequential treatments. Herbicide treatments consisted of glufosinate at 0, 290, or 410 g ai/ha and clethodim at 0, 105, or 140 g ai/ha, each applied alone, in all possible combinations of the above application rates, or sequentially. Glufosinate at either rate alone controlled goosegrass at the two- to four-leaf growth stage <44%, and control was less for goosegrass at the one- to two- and four- to six-tiller growth stages. Clethodim controlled two- to four-leaf and one- to two-tiller goosegrass 91 and 99% at application rates of 105 and 140 g/ha, respectively, and controlled four- to six-tiller goosegrass 68 and 83% at application rates of 105 and 140 g ai/ha, respectively. All tank mixtures of glufosinate with clethodim reduced goosegrass control at least 52 percentage points when compared to the control with clethodim alone. Glufosinate at 290 or 410 g/ha when applied sequentially 7 or 14 d prior to clethodim reduced goosegrass control at least 50 percentage points compared to the control obtained with clethodim applied alone. Clethodim at rates of 105 or 140 g/ha when applied 7 or 14 d prior to glufosinate controlled goosegrass equivalent to the control obtained with each respective rate of clethodim applied alone at the two- to four-leaf and one- to two-tiller growth stage. Clethodim should be applied to goosegrass no larger than at the one- to two-tiller growth stage at least 7 d prior to glufosinate application or 14 d after a glufosinate application for effective goosegrass control.

Limited information exists on the tolerance of processing tomato to postemergence (POST) application of thifensulfuron-methyl. The tolerance of 13 processing tomato varieties, ‘CC337’, ‘H9144’, ‘H9314’, ‘H9478’, ‘H9492’, ‘H9553’, ‘H9909’, ‘N1069’, ‘N1082’, ‘N1480E’, ‘N1480L’, ‘N1522’, and ‘PETO696’, to POST applications of thifensulfuron-methyl at the maximum use rate (6 g ai/ha) and twice the maximum use rate (12 g/ha) for soybean was evaluated at two Ontario locations in 2001 and 2002. At 7 days after treatment (DAT), thifensulfuron applied POST caused 0.2 to 1% visible injury to CC337, H9144, N1082, N1522, and PETO696 at the high rate. H9553, H9909, N1069, and N1480E were the most sensitive to POST thifensulfuron-methyl, with visible injury ranging from 1 to 6% at the high rate. There was no visible injury to H9314, H9478, H9492, or N1480L at either application rate of thifensulfuron-methyl. By 28 DAT, no visible injury was noted to any variety, except for H9909, N1069, and N1480L, which showed minimal (<2%) visible injury. There were no adverse effects on shoot dry weight and marketable yield for any variety at either rate. Although thifensulfuron-methyl applied POST caused minimal and transient injury to the varieties tested, more tolerance trials with other fresh and processing tomato varieties are required to confirm these initial results.

Field experiments were conducted in southwestern Oklahoma near Colony in 2000 and near Ft. Cobb in 2001 to quantify the effect of time of removal of a natural population of crownbeard on peanut yield. Weed densities and dry weed weights were measured at eight weed-removal times, and in-shell peanut yields were determined at harvest. Crownbeard was removed at 0 (the weed-free check), 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 wk (full season) after crop emergence (WAE). Weed density was a poor predictor for dry weed weight and peanut yield; however, dry weed weight and time of removal were good predictors for peanut yield. Weed growth was minimal up to 4 WAE and increased linearly after that time. For each week of weed growth, a 0.52 kg/plot increase in dry weed weight was measured. Peanut yield decreased linearly because of crownbeard competition. For each kilogram per plot increase in dry weed weight, a 129 kg/ha or 5.1% peanut yield reduction took place. For each week of weed interference, a 75 kg/ha or 2.8% peanut yield reduction occurred. Crownbeard removal by or before 4 WAE will minimize losses in peanut yield because of interference.

The effect of application technology on efficacy has been thoroughly investigated for sprays of chemical pesticide but not biological pesticides. This study investigates the effect of applying conidia of Microsphaeropsis amaranthi, a candidate bioherbicide for Amaranthus spp., with a range of different hydraulic nozzle tips. The nozzle tips were selected to deliver sprays with different spectra of droplet sizes deployed at different angles. We found that sprays of large droplets gave poor coverage of the target and resulted in low levels of disease severity on common waterhemp. The most effective nozzle tip tested was a hollow cone nozzle tip, such as is commonly used for the application of fungicides. This nozzle tip deployed large numbers of fine droplets that swirled within the plant canopy, provided good coverage of all plant parts, and resulted in the highest levels of disease severity, particularly on stems.

Field studies were conducted in 2000, 2001, and 2002 at Brownstown, DeKalb, Perry, and Urbana, IL, to evaluate weed control and corn tolerance from postemergence (POST) applications of foramsulfuron in sequential and total-POST herbicide programs. Foramsulfuron applied alone controlled giant foxtail, fall panicum, and redroot pigweed 88, 99, and 99%, respectively, 28 d after treatment (DAT), which was comparable with the standard treatment of nicosulfuron. However, control of common cocklebur, velvetleaf, and common lambsquarters was significantly higher with foramsulfuron compared with nicosulfuron. Sequential herbicide programs of atrazine, S-metolachlor, or isoxaflutole applied preemergence (PRE) followed by a POST application of foramsulfuron provided greater than 85% control of giant foxtail, fall panicum, common cocklebur, velvetleaf, common waterhemp, and redroot pigweed. Of the sequential herbicide treatments, atrazine applied PRE followed by a POST application of foramsulfuron provided the greatest Pennsylvania smartweed control. A PRE application of either atrazine or isoxaflutole was needed before a POST application of foramsulfuron to control common lambsquarters. POST tank mixtures of foramsulfuron with atrazine, dicamba, and dicamba plus diflufenzopyr improved control of Pennsylvania smartweed, common cocklebur, velvetleaf, common lambsquarters, and common waterhemp when compared with foramsulfuron applied alone. The tank mixture of foramsulfuron with mesotrione improved control of all species, except Pennsylvania smartweed, common lambsquarters, and common cocklebur. Foramsulfuron tank mixtures with carfentrazone did not improve control of any weed species to commercial acceptance. Adjuvant selection was important for POST tank mixtures. Control of giant foxtail and fall panicum was reduced when atrazine was tank mixed with foramsulfuron and crop oil concentrate (COC). However, when methylated seed oil (MSO) was added to the atrazine–foramsulfuron tank mixture instead of COC, giant foxtail and fall panicum control were similar to foramsulfuron applied alone.

The transfer of herbicide resistance genes from crops to related species is one of the greatest risks of growing herbicide-resistant crops. The recent introductions of imidazolinone-resistant wheat in the Great Plains and Pacific Northwest regions of the United States and research on transgenic glyphosate-resistant wheat have raised concerns about the transfer of herbicide resistance from wheat to jointed goatgrass via introgressive hybridization. Field experiments were conducted from 2000 to 2003 at three locations in Washington and Idaho to determine the frequency and distance that imidazolinone-resistant wheat can pollinate jointed goatgrass and produce resistant F1 hybrids. Each experiment was designed as a Nelder wheel with 16 equally spaced rays extending away from a central pollen source of ‘Fidel-FS4’ imidazolinone-resistant wheat. Each ray was 46 m long and contained three rows of jointed goatgrass. Spikelets were collected at maturity at 1.8-m intervals along each ray and subjected to an imazamox screening test. The majority of all jointed goatgrass seeds tested were not resistant to imazamox; however, 5 and 15 resistant hybrids were found at the Pullman, WA, and Lewiston, ID, locations, respectively. The resistant plants were identified at a maximum distance of 40.2 m from the pollen source. The overall frequency of imazamox-resistant hybrids was similar to the predicted frequency of naturally occurring acetolactate synthase resistance in weeds; however, traits with a lower frequency of spontaneous mutations may have a relatively greater risk for gene escape via introgressive hybridization.

2,4-D is the most widely used herbicide for weed control in grain sorghum in northern Tamaulipas, Mexico. Crop injury caused by 2,4-D drift to nontarget crops commonly occurs because of prevailing high winds. Field experiments were conducted from 2001 to 2003 to evaluate an integrated weed management program in grain sorghum with alternative postemergence herbicides to 2,4-D at registered and reduced rates. Bromoxynil applied at 480 (registered rate), 360, and 240 g/ha provided excellent broadleaf weed control when adequate rainfall occurred. Prosulfuron at 14.2 g/ha applied broadcast without cultivation provided excellent weed control and sorghum yield comparable with 28.5 g/ha (registered rate). This treatment represented a 32% cost reduction and 50% reduction in herbicide input compared with prosulfuron applied at registered rate without cultivation, and 31% cost reduction compared with 2,4-D at the registered rate (590 g ae/ha) plus cultivation, considered the commercial standard.

The value of glyphosate has been compromised in some fields where weed populations have developed resistance or tolerant species increased. Three case studies related to reduced control from glyphosate are: (1) a weed population that has become resistant to glyphosate, with horseweed in Tennessee as an example; (2) a weed population increases due to lack of control in “glyphosate only” systems, with tropical spiderwort in Georgia cotton used as an example; and (3) the hypothetical resistance of common waterhemp to glyphosate in Illinois. For each of these case studies, an economic analysis was performed using a partial budget approach. This economic analysis provides the cost of control to the farmer when glyphosate fails to control these weeds and gives a critical time in years to compare different glyphosate resistance management philosophies (applicable only before resistance has evolved). The cost of glyphosate-resistant horseweed in cotton-soybean-corn rotation in Western Tennessee was calculated to be $30.46/ha per year. The cost of tropical spiderwort in cotton in southern Georgia was calculated to be $35.07/ha per year. The projected cost if common waterhemp were to develop glyphosate resistance in a corn-soybean rotation in southern Illinois was projected to be $44.25/ha per year, and the critical time was determined to be greater than 20 yr, indicating that a resistance management strategy would extend the value of glyphosate-resistant crops.

Full canopy closure and light interception are critical to obtaining full yield potential of ultra-short–season soybean in the midsouthern United States. We hypothesized that herbicide applications that resulted in soybean leaf injury would reduce season-long light interception and yield of ultra-short–season soybean grown in this environment. Experiments were conducted in 2001, 2002, and 2003 at Fayetteville, AR, to determine the effect of the diphenylether herbicides acifluorfen and lactofen on light interception and yield of maturity group (MG) 0 and II soybean. Factors evaluated included soybean MG, herbicide rate, treatment timing, and soybean seeding density. When applied at soybean growth stage (GS) V3, 0.2 kg ai/ha lactofen reduced green leaf area immediately after application and final canopy closure relative to soybean treated with 0.6 or 0.2 kg/ha acifluorfen and untreated soybean. Herbicide application did not affect yield of well-watered soybean when applied at GS V3 in 2001 or at early reproductive development in 2003. In 2002, an irrigation problem resulted in a period of water-deficit stress during seed fill of MG II soybean. Under these conditions, treatment with acifluorfen at GS V3 reduced soybean yield, and treatment with lactofen during early reproductive development reduced soybean yield, relative to untreated soybean. This research indicates that diphenylether herbicides can be safely applied to well-watered ultra-short–season soybean, but yield reduction can occur when applied to soybean that is not well watered.