The effect of planting system and cover crop residues on weed emergence in irrigated vegetable row crops was studied in field experiments from 1995 through 1997. Vegetable crops were either no-till planted (NTP) through cover crop residues or conventionally planted (CP) into soil with cover crop residues incorporated. NTP reduced emergence of hairy nightshade by 77 to 99% and Powell amaranth emergence by 50 to 87% compared with CP. Cover crop treatments were much less important than planting system in regulating weed emergence. Tillage in the spring did not increase the number of viable seeds near the soil surface. Hairy nightshade emergence ranged from 0.6 to 9.8% of the intact seeds in CP compared with 0 to 0.1% emergence of the seeds in the NTP plots. Powell amaranth emergence ranged from 4.9 to 6.5% of the intact seeds in CP contrasted with only 0.4 to 0.9% emergence of the seeds in NTP plots.

Efficacy of trifloxysulfuron with and without surfactant was evaluated against balsamapple, cat's claw vine, Florida beggarweed, hairy beggarticks, ivyleaf morningglory, johnsongrass, prickly sida, redroot pigweed, sicklepod, strangler vine, tall morningglory, and yellow nutsedge at 21, 42, and 63 g ai/ha applied at the four- or six-leaf stages and compared with glyphosate at 280, 560, and 840 g ae/ha. Delayed application from the four- to six-leaf stage significantly reduced trifloxysulfuron efficacy; reduction was less with glyphosate. Trifloxysulfuron plus 0.25% X-77 was more effective on the four-leaf stage than on the six-leaf stage plants of redroot pigweed, johnsongrass, hairy beggarticks, strangler vine, and prickly sida; effect was similar on yellow nutsedge, sicklepod, Florida beggarweed, balsamapple, ivyleaf morningglory, and tall morningglory. Trifloxysulfuron at 63 g/ha plus surfactant reduced the fresh weight of all test plants more than 80% compared with control, except prickly sida, strangler vine, and cat's claw vine. Glyphosate was less effective than trifloxysulfuron plus surfactant against tall morningglory, sicklepod, ivyleaf morningglory, and yellow nutsedge but was significantly better against balsamapple, prickly sida, and cat's claw vine. None of the herbicides provided satisfactory control of cat's claw vine, strangler vine, and prickly sida.

The efficacy of imazethapyr in drill-seeded imidazolinone-resistant rice was evaluated in Louisiana in 2000 and 2001. Imazethapyr was applied preemergence (PRE), or no PRE, followed by a postemergence (POST) application of imazethapyr alone, or in a mixture with bensulfuron, bentazon plus aciflurofen, carfentrazone, halosulfuron, propanil plus molinate, triclopyr, or V-10029. Imazethapyr applied PRE followed by a POST application of imazethapyr controlled barnyardgrass equivalent to or higher than other treatments evaluated. Red rice control at 35 days after postemergence treatment (DAT) was 66 to 81% with imazethapyr applied PRE followed by any POST application, but a reduction in control was observed with a POST application of imazethapyr. Although alligatorweed control increased with POST applications, these treatments suggested only suppression. Hemp sesbania control never exceeded 10% with imazethapyr-only treatments and at 35 DAT, all POST applications, except bensulfuron, increased control above 84%. Rice yield increased with treatments receiving a PRE application of imazethapyr compared with no imazethapyr applied PRE.

Field experiments were conducted at Kalispell, MT, and Corvallis, OR, to determine the optimum rate and application timing of imazamox for downy brome control in winter wheat. Crop injury occurred as a reduction in plant height and was minimal at Kalispell, never exceeding 10%. Crop injury at Corvallis was more severe and was dependant on application timing. No injury was observed with spring applications, but fall applications resulted in as much as 33% injury at the highest rate of imazamox. Fall applications generally provided more consistent control of downy brome, as evidenced by the lower dosage required to reduce downy brome dry weight by 50% (lower I50 values). Nonetheless, spring applications generally provided control comparable with that of fall applications when imazamox was applied at the highest rate. The one exception was at Corvallis during 1997 to 1998, where spring applications failed to provide adequate control of downy brome even at the highest rate applied. Although imazamox generally provided excellent control of downy brome, wheat yield response to downy brome interference was negligible, declining by less than 10% in the absence of imazamox. The absence of a yield response to downy brome interference was attributed to the lack of competition for soil moisture from downy brome under the high-rainfall conditions of the experiment.

Three field studies were conducted at Lewiston Woodville, NC, in 2001 and 2002 to evaluate crop tolerance, weed control, grain yield, and net returns in glyphosate-resistant corn with various herbicide systems. Crop injury, weed control, and grain yield were not influenced by glyphosate formulation. Atrazine preemergence (PRE) and atrazine plus metolachlor PRE, averaged over postemergence (POST) systems, controlled Texas panicum at least 80 and 87%, respectively. Sequential glyphosate applications (early postemergence [EPOST] followed by [fb] POST) provided at least 99% control of Texas panicum compared with at least 86 and 88% control with glyphosate EPOST and glyphosate plus halosulfuron EPOST, respectively. Atrazine plus metolachlor PRE fb any glyphosate system controlled large crabgrass and goosegrass 89 to 100% and 94 to 100%, respectively. Sequential glyphosate treatments controlled large crabgrass and goosegrass at least 99 and 95%, respectively. Regardless of PRE system, glyphosate plus halosulfuron EPOST and sequential applications of glyphosate controlled common ragweed and common lambsquarters at least 99%, whereas glyphosate EPOST alone provided at least 88 and 96% control, respectively. Glyphosate plus halosulfuron EPOST and glyphosate sequentially controlled yellow nutsedge similarly and more consistently than glyphosate EPOST. Regardless of PRE treatment, sequential glyphosate applications provided at least 98% control of entireleaf and pitted morningglory, whereas glyphosate EPOST controlled at least 64 and 62%, respectively. Glyphosate EPOST and the sequential glyphosate EPOST fb POST systems yielded similarly at all three locations. Net returns were highest at all three locations with the glyphosate sequential system, with similar net returns obtained with glyphosate EPOST and glyphosate plus halosulfuron EPOST at two and one locations, respectively.

Three field studies were conducted during 1998 to 2002 at Stoneville, MS, to examine the efficacy of glufosinate and glyphosate on redvine and trumpetcreeper control in glufosinate- and glyphosate-resistant soybean. Glyphosate at 2.52 kg ae/ha applied approximately 3 wk before planting soybean reduced trumpetcreeper density (45 to 52%) but not redvine compared with no glyphosate in both glufosinate- and glyphosate-resistant soybean. However, glyphosate applied preplant reduced biomass of both species in glufosinate-resistant soybean. Glyphosate early postemergence (EPOST) followed by (fb) late postemergence (LPOST) had no effect on redvine density but reduced trumpetcreeper density (70%) compared with the no-herbicide control. There were no differences in densities and biomass of redvine and trumpetcreeper and soybean yield among isopropylamine, diammonium, and aminomethanamide dihydrogen tetraoxosulfate salts of glyphosate. Overall, trumpetcreeper is more susceptible to glyphosate than redvine. Glufosinate EPOST with or without acifluorfen or glufosinate EPOST fb LPOST had no effect on densities of redvine and trumpetcreeper but reduced biomass 45 to 76% and 35 to 58%, respectively, compared with the nontreated control. These results show that glyphosate preplant and POST in-crop applications can reduce trumpetcreeper density but not redvine, and glufosinate POST applications can suppress growth of both species.

Herbicides with residual activity more effectively control infestations of yellow starthistle, a facultative winter annual, because seed banks quickly furnish replacement plants after nonresidual herbicide treatments. Picloram has been applied to rosettes in fall or spring, but new infestations of yellow starthistle are often discovered when plants are more noticeable in bud or flower stages. Eradication, containment, and revegetation are facilitated if weed seed rain can be stopped. This study evaluated whether registered rates (0.14, 0.28, and 0.42 kg ae/ha) of picloram, alone and with 2,4-D at 1.12 kg ae/ha, can prevent seed production when applied to yellow starthistle at bud or flower stage. Picloram applied at bud stage curtailed both seed production and germination, reducing seed production by 42 to 86% and viability by 80 to 99%. Neither the picloram rate nor the addition of 2,4-D to the spray solution affected the percentage of nonviable seeds. The addition of 2,4-D further decreased germination of developed seeds only at the lowest picloram rate. At flower stage, picloram and 2,4-D neither killed mature plants nor consistently reduced the quantity and quality (viability) of seeds. Bud stage was the phenological limit for effective reduction of viable seed by picloram, which caused both bud abortion and lower seed germination.

Bensulide and dithiopyr may be used in late summer–fall as a preventative treatment to reduce the potential of annual bluegrass encroachment onto newly constructed or renovated creeping bentgrass putting greens. In 1999, no herbicide treatment reduced bentgrass cover or root mass 1 mo after treatment (MAT). In April of 2000, root mass was lower with bensulide applied at 11.2 kg/ha in October and 22.4 kg/ha applied at both timings or by dithiopyr applied at all rates and timings compared with the untreated bentgrass. In April, bentgrass cover was reduced by bensulide applied at 22.4 kg/ha and dithiopyr applied at 0.4 and 0.8 kg/ha at both timings. In contrast to 1999, significant reductions in root mass were observed 1 MAT in 2000 with bensulide applied at 22.4 kg/ ha and all rates of dithiopyr. Reductions in root mass and bentgrass cover continued into April of 2001 with dithiopyr at 0.4 or 0.8 kg/ha applied at either application timing. Bentgrass cover was lower than the untreated with dithiopyr applied at 0.8 kg/ha until August of 2001. These results suggest that bensulide may be used on creeping bentgrass greens in late summer–fall with a greater degree of safety than dithiopyr.

Field experiments were conducted from 1999 to 2001 to evaluate preemergence (PRE) activity of cloransulam on broadleaf weed species and to determine the effectiveness of cloransulam as a PRE herbicide in glyphosate-resistant soybean weed management systems. Cloransulam PRE controlled prickly sida, velvetleaf, and morningglory species even at reduced rates (recommended rate 36 g ai/ha) but only suppressed growth of Palmer amaranth, hemp sesbania, and sicklepod. Cloransulam applied PRE provided initial control or suppression of most weeds, but late-season control declined appreciably. Adding metribuzin to cloransulam PRE generally improved control of hemp sesbania, Palmer amaranth, annual grasses, and morningglory species, leading to soybean yield increases. Control of weeds was greater on a silt loam soil compared with a silty clay soil. Delayed herbicide activation by rainfall or irrigation reduced control of hemp sesbania and prickly sida and affected efficacy more than soil texture. Single postemergence (POST) applications of glyphosate or fomesafen plus fluazifop-P provided 90% or less control of most weed species. When glyphosate POST or fomesafen plus fluazifop-P POST followed PRE applications of cloransulam or cloransulam plus metribuzin PRE, control of all weeds was generally greater than 85%. The highest soybean yields were recorded from treatments that contained sequential PRE followed by (fb) POST herbicide applications. Composition of weed flora determined the effect of herbicide program on soybean seed yield. No yield benefit was gained from the sequential program when the dominant species was Palmer amaranth, which was controlled by glyphosate. When hemp sesbania was the dominant species, PRE herbicides fb glyphosate POST increased yield compared with total POST glyphosate.

Herbicide treatments (4:1 ratio of 2,4-D amine:picloram) at 0.7 and 1.4 kg ae/ha at early postemergence (10- to 15-cm horsenettle height), midpostemergence (early flower), and late postemergence (fruit initiation) applied both early and late in the growing season provided >80% horsenettle control. Horsenettle density at season's end in all treated plots was less than 0.25 stems/m2, whereas untreated plots contained about 5 stems/m2. Horsenettle control the next spring was between 47 and 66% for all rates and application timings, and horsenettle density in treated plots was less than 3 stems/m2 as opposed to about 6 stems/m2 in the untreated plots. Clover drilled into the treated area the year after herbicide application was injured, indicating clover establishment the season after application of this package mixture would be difficult.

A study was conducted in 2001 and 2002 in Texas to evaluate red rice control and crop response of imidazolinone-tolerant rice with imazethapyr on coarse-textured soils. Because imazethapyr was not registered for use on imidazolinone-tolerant rice on coarse-textured soils in Texas, crop response was evaluated to determine whether imidazolinone-tolerant rice yields would be reduced with sequential applications of imazethapyr on soils having greater than 50% sand content. The treatment factors consisted of preemergence (PRE) applications of imazethapyr at 50, 70, or 87 g ai/ ha followed by (fb) preflood (PREFLD) applications of 35 or 50 g/ha. Imazethapyr at 70 g/ha PRE fb 70 g/ha PREFLD was added as a seventh treatment. PRE applications were activated by rainfall or surface irrigation after application, and PREFLD applications were sprayed 1 to 2 d before application of the permanent flood. In both years, 100% red rice control was achieved with all rate combinations. Early-season visual rice injury ranged from 5 to 21% and did not result in yield losses, indicating that imazethapyr is safe on coarse-textured soils.

Field experiments were conducted on two North Carolina research stations in 1999, 2000, and 2001; on-farm in Lenoir, Wayne, and Wilson counties, NC, in 2002; and on-farm in Port Royal, VA, in 2000, 2001, and 2002 to evaluate possible gains from site-specific herbicide applications at these locations. Fields were scouted for weed populations using custom software on a handheld computer linked to a Global Positioning System. Scouts generated field-specific sampling grids and recorded weed density information for each grid cell. The decision aid HADSS™ (Herbicide Application Decision Support System) was used to estimate expected net return and yield loss remaining after treatment in each sample grid of every field under differing assumptions of weed size and soil moisture conditions, assuming the field was planted with either conventional or glyphosate-resistant (GR) soybean. The optimal whole-field treatment (that treatment with the highest expected net return summed across all grid cells within a field) resulted in average theoretical net returns of $79/ha (U.S. dollars) and $139/ha for conventional and GR soybean, respectively. When the most economical treatment for each grid cell was used in site-specific weed management, theoretical net returns increased by $13/ha (conventional) and $4.50/ha (GR), and expected yield loss after treatment was reduced by 10.5 and 4%, respectively, compared with the whole-field optimal treatment. When the most effective treatment for each grid cell was used in site-specific weed management, theoretical net returns decreased by $18/ha (conventional) and $4/ha (GR), and expected yield loss after treatment was reduced by 27 and 19%, respectively, compared with the whole-field optimal treatment. Site-specific herbicide applications could have reduced the volume of herbicides sprayed by as much as 70% in some situations but increased herbicide amounts in others. On average, the whole-field treatment was optimal in terms of net return for only 35% (conventional) and 57% (GR) of grid cells.

Field studies were conducted in Arkansas in 1999, 2000, and 2001 to evaluate mesotrione applied preemergence (PRE) and postemergence (POST) for weed control in corn grown in the Mississippi Delta region of the United States. Mesotrione was applied PRE (140, 210, and 280 g/ha) alone and POST (70, 105, and 140 g/ha), alone or in tank mixtures with atrazine (280 g/ha). Standard treatments for comparison were S-metolachlor/atrazine PRE and S-metolachlor plus atrazine PRE followed by atrazine POST. All PRE treatments controlled velvetleaf, pitted morningglory, entireleaf morningglory, prickly sida, and broadleaf signalgrass 95% 2 wk after emergence (WAE). Mesotrione controlled velvetleaf 89% or more 4 and 6 WAE. Control of morningglory species by mesotrione POST averaged 92% 6 WAE. Prickly sida was controlled at least 90% by all treatments 4 WAE. Mesotrione applied alone PRE and POST controlled broadleaf signalgrass 83 to 91% 4 WAE. All treatments controlled broadleaf signalgrass less than 90% 6 WAE, except treatments that contained S-metolachlor, which gave 94% or greater control. Corn yield ranged from 10.5 to 12.4 Mg/ha and did not differ among treatments. Mesotrione PRE and POST provided excellent control of broadleaf weeds, but S-metolachlor was needed for broadleaf signalgrass control.

Field studies were conducted near Knoxville, TN, during late March and early April 2002 and 2003, respectively, for star-of-Bethlehem control in dormant bermudagrass turf that was established over 25 yr ago. Halosulfuron, imazaquin, metsulfuron, 2,4-D plus dicamba plus mecoprop, and triclopyr plus clopyralid controlled star-of-Bethlehem 35% at most 35 d after treatment (DAT). Bromoxynil alone or mixed with halosulfuron, imazaquin, or metsulfuron controlled star-of-Bethlehem at least 80% at 35 DAT. Imazaquin and imazaquin plus bromoxynil injured bermudagrass 51% 35 DAT. This injury was characterized by decreased bermudagrass postdormancy transition and was transient.

Tropical soda apple samples were collected from 31 populations across the southeastern United States and from four populations in a portion of its native range in Brazil. The genetic relationships among these populations were examined by single primer amplification reactions (SPAR) and by sequencing a portion of the chloroplast genome. SPAR revealed no variation among the 132 individuals and only two chloroplast haplotypes were detected in the 50 individuals sequenced. The most common haplotype was present in all samples from the United States and most of the Brazilian samples, whereas the second haplotype was only found in one of the Brazilian populations. Within the limitations of these data, we conclude that Brazil is the best location to seek a potential biological control agent for tropical soda apple, and that, if identified, this agent should prove useful for populations throughout the United States.

Crop injury caused by drift of auxin-like herbicides has been a concern since their development. Research was conducted to describe a method of quantifying injury from auxin-like herbicides as a first step in determining crop damage. Reduced rates of 2,4-D, dicamba, and triclopyr were applied to cotton and soybean plants in the three- to six-leaf stage in field and greenhouse studies. Injury to leaves and stems were evaluated separately, and the values were combined so that one injury estimate was obtained for each individual plant rated. Injury symptoms were typical for auxin-type herbicides and ranged from slight bending of stems or petioles and wrinkled leaves to necrosis. Specific descriptions of leaf and stem injury levels were used to describe plant injury consistently. These descriptions were very detailed for the lower injury levels, but the characterizations became more general as the injury increased because of the prominence of factors such as necrosis. The injury evaluation method provided repeatable results for each herbicide and herbicide rate used. This injury evaluation method has many possible uses in auxin-like herbicide research and lays the foundation for forecasting the impact of early-season injury to cotton and soybean yield.

Volatility and drift are problems commonly associated with auxin-like herbicides. Field and greenhouse studies were conducted at Texas A & M University to develop a method of quantifying volatility and subsequent off-target movement of 2,4-D, dicamba, and triclopyr. Rate–response curves were established by applying reduced rates ranging from 4 × 10−1 to 1 × 10−5 times the normal use rates of the herbicides to cotton and soybean and recording injury for 14 d after treatment (DAT) using a rating scale designed to quantify auxin-like herbicide injury. Injury from herbicide volatility was then produced on additional cotton and soybean plants through exposure to vapors of the dimethylamine salt of 2,4-D, diglycolamine salt of dicamba, and butoxyethyl ester of triclopyr using air chambers inside a greenhouse and volatility plots in the field. Injury resulting from this exposure was evaluated for 14 d using the same injury-evaluation scale that was used to produce the rate–response curves. Volatility-injury data were then applied to the rate–response curves so that herbicide rates corresponding with observed injury could be calculated. Using this method, herbicide volatility rates estimated from greenhouse-cotton injury were determined to be 3.0 × 10−3, 1.0 × 10−3, and 4.9 × 10−2 times the use rates of 2,4-D, dicamba, and triclopyr, respectively. Greenhouse-grown soybean developed injury consistent with 1.4 × 10−2, 1.0 × 10−3, and 2.5 × 10−2 times the normal use rate of 2,4-D, dicamba, and triclopyr, respectively. Under field conditions, cotton developed injury symptoms that were consistent with 4.0 × 10−3, 2.0 × 10−3, and 1.25 × 10−1 times the recommended use rates of 2,4-D, dicamba, and triclopyr, respectively. Field soybean displayed injury symptomology concordant with 1.6 × 10−1, 1.0 × 10−2, and 1.1 × 10−1 times the normal use rates of 2,4-D, dicamba, and triclopyr, respectively. This procedure provided herbicide volatility rate estimates that were consistent with rates and injury from the rate–response injury curves. Additional research is needed to ascertain its usefulness in determining long-term effects of drift injury on crop variables such as yield.

Weed scientists are facing research problems, such as invasive weeds, that may require multidisciplinary approaches to solve. One example is jointed goatgrass, a winter annual grass invading winter wheat fields and not easily managed with conventional control tactics. A national research program was started in 1994 to develop jointed goatgrass management strategies. Involving more than 35 scientists with diverse scientific expertise, this national approach fostered cooperative research projects across 11 states. Research involved entomology, economics, plant breeding, plant physiology, genetics, and weed science, leading to successful management systems for jointed goatgrass. To help other scientists organize regional or national programs, we describe development and performance of the jointed goatgrass program as well as suggest ideas for possible improvement. Pivotal to the success of the program was a Steering Committee, whose role was to establish research priorities and coordinate research across the western United States.

Weed science is an important component of pest management. Weeds cause approximately 12% loss in United States crop production, reduce crop quality, poison livestock, and adversely affect human health, recreation, and transportation. Herbicides comprise approximately 65% of pesticide expenditures, whereas insecticides and fungicides each comprise less than 20%. The total effect of weeds, including crop losses and costs of control, in the United States was estimated in 1994 to be $20 billion annually. A survey was prepared and mailed to weed scientists at universities and experiment stations in the northeastern United States to determine the number of faculty positions and course offerings devoted to weed science. There are approximately five times as many entomologists and more than three times as many plant pathologists as weed scientists at universities in the northeast. There are more than six times as many graduate students currently in entomology and more than four times as many in plant pathology compared with weed science. Few undergraduate courses in weed science are taught, and most universities have no graduate classes in weed science. There are almost seven times as many undergraduate entomology courses and more than twice as many plant pathology courses as weed science classes in this region. There are more than 17 times as many graduate entomology courses and more than 15 times as many plant pathology courses compared with weed science graduate classes. There are no departments devoted solely to weed science in the northeast, whereas entomology and plant pathology departments are both common. Most universities have little to no faculty assigned to aquatic, forestry, noncrop weed control, weed ecology, or laboratory trials, and numbers assigned to agronomic and horticultural crop weed management are limited. Additional university resources are needed if weed science research, teaching, and extension efforts are to meet the priority needs in weed management.

Identification of the appropriate use rate is a critical first step in the herbicide development process because use rates affect product utility, market value, and the various risk assessments within the regulatory review process prior to registration. For a given herbicide to be commercially successful, it must provide consistent and sustained efficacy based on a use rate structure that meets customer requirements over a wide range of conditions. Recently, recommendations have been made that advocate the use of herbicide use rates below those outlined on registered product label text. Such advice tends to be based on field work and predictive models designed to identify specific conditions where reduced herbicide use rates are theoretically optimized as dictated by threshold values with assumed levels of commercially acceptable weed control. Unfortunately, many other studies indicate that the use of reduced herbicide rates is not without variability of herbicide efficacy and economic risk. Consequently, reduced use rate theories and related predictive models are often of limited practical value to growers. Aside from inconsistent performance, weed control strategies based on reduced herbicide use rates are not a solution to prevent or even delay target site resistance. In fact, prolonged use of sublethal use rates may select for metabolic resistance and add future weed management challenges by replenishing the weed seed bank. Much effort in terms of development time and resources are invested before product commercialization to ensure that product labels are easily understood and provide value to growers. In this regard, every effort is made to identify the lowest effective use rate that will consistently control target weeds and lead to economic optimization for both the grower and manufacturer.