Jointed goatgrass is a winter annual grass weed which is believed to have been introduced into North America as a contaminant in winter wheat seed. Although jointed goatgrass was first discovered in some states early in the 20th century, changing wheat production practices during the past 25 yr have encouraged its spread and increase. Winter wheat producers in the western United States are concerned about the lack of adequate selective control measures for this weed. Jointed goatgrass and wheat share the D chromosome in common and have similar growth habits. Jointed goatgrass lowers winter wheat yield by competing for growth requirements, reducing harvesting efficiency, and lowering crop quality by contaminating harvested grain. Jointed goatgrass is well adapted to stubble-mulch or reduced tillage crop production, particularly in regions where climate limits cropping options to the winter wheat-fallow rotation or continuous wheat. This review summarizes jointed goatgrass seed germination, dormancy, physiology, yield loss estimates in winter wheat, and both herbicidal and non-chemical methods of managing jointed goatgrass.

Ammonium sulfate enhanced the initial control of johnsongrass by glyphosate and SC-0224 applied in the fall or summer. Glyphosate at 0.42 kg ha-1 in combination with ammonium sulfate at 3.33 kg ha-1 provided levels of fall johnsongrass control and spring regrowth control comparable to glyphosate at 0.84 kg ha-1. Spring applications to mixed populations of seedling and rhizome johnsongrass showed that ammonium sulfate added to glyphosate or SC-0224 afforded little enhancement of herbicide efficacy. Glyphosate or SC-0024 at 0.42 kg ha-1 applied in combination with logarithmically decreasing rates of ammonium sulfate demonstrated reduced weed control with ammonium sulfate rates above 9.7 kg ha-1.

Imazethapyr at 0.07 and 0.10 kg ai ha-1 applied preplant incorporated (PPI), preemergence (PRE), and postemergence (POST) was evaluated at two locations in 1988 and 1989 for safety to dry edible beans. Bean stunting, leaf crinkling, and interveinal chlorosis were evident from imazethapyr and varied from 1 to 57%. Imazethapyr significantly reduced bean height and delayed maturity. PPI and POST applications of imazethapyr at 0.07 and 0.10 kg ha-1 did not reduce bean seed yields compared to yields of the untreated control. Bean cultivar by herbicide interactions were significant for bean injury but varied with year and location.

Postemergence grass weed control in turf-type bermudagrass is currently available only with repeated applications of organic arsenicals and/or with combinations of metribuzin which decrease turf quality. Research was conducted to determine tolerance of the turf-type bermudagrass cultivars, Tifway, Ormond, and common, to diclofop rates ranging from 0.54 to 4.48 kg ai ha-1 with and without MSMA (2.2 kg ai ha-1) and metribuzin (0.2 kg ai ha-1). Bermudagrass cultivars tolerated diclofop well. When injury was evident, a rate response was noted, with higher rates (3.4 and 4.5 kg ha-1) resulting in increased phytotoxicity. However, this level of phytotoxicity was acceptable and the turf soon recovered (3 to 14 d). The addition of crop oil concentrate (1.25% v/v) did not affect turf quality. Addition of MSMA resulted in slightly lower turf quality than diclofop alone. However, these responses were acceptable and usually the turf recovered by 14 d after treatment. Metribuzin applied alone or in combination with diclofop damaged turf to unacceptable levels and up to 21 d were required for turf recovery.

Addition series field experiments were conducted near Moscow, ID, in 1987 and 1988 to determine the relative aggressiveness of spring barley and wild oat and to determine the effect of barley and wild oat density and proportion on barley grain yield and wild oat seed rain. Regression analysis was used to describe the relationship of the aboveground biomass and grain yield to species density. Barley was more aggressive than wild oat. Barley biomass was affected most by intraspecific competition, while wild oat biomass was affected most by interspecific competition. Barley aggressiveness changed little throughout the growing season. Wild oat aggressiveness varied but was always less than barley aggressiveness. Increasing wild oat density had a negative, asymptotic-type effect on barley grain yield at all barley densities. However, the effect of wild oat was greatest at the lower density of barley. Increasing barley density decreased wild oat seed rain.

Experimental plots treated with 2,4-D amine at 2.2 kg ae ha-1 in 1968 and 1969 to control California false-hellebore were evaluated in July 1989 to determine long-term control of California false-hellebore, changes in foliar cover, and increases in production of desirable species. Control of California false-hellebore was 100% on all treated plots. The foliar cover on treated plots averaged 78% grasses and sedge, 20% broadleaf plants, and no California false-hellebore. Control plots averaged 85% California false-hellebore, 10% grasses and sedge, and 4.5% broadleaf plants. Vegetative production of grasses and sedge was 3.8 times greater on treated plots compared with controls.

Experiments were conducted at 12 locations in North Carolina and Virginia to determine soybean response to postemergence application of 2,4-DB in combination with 420 g ae ha-1 of sodium salt of acifluorfen, 13 g ae ha-1 of ethyl ester of chlorimuron, and 70 g ae ha-1 of ammonium salt of imazethapyr. Adding dimethylamine salt of 2,4-DB at 35 or 70 g ae ha-1 to acifluorfen, chlorimuron, or imazethapyr increased soybean injury 2 to 14% 7 d after application. Soybean quickly recovered and no injury was observed 21 d after application. Acifluorfen, chlorimuron, or imazethapyr alone or in combination with 2,4-DB at 35 g ha-1 did not reduce soybean yield. Adding 2,4-DB at 70 g ha-1 reduced yield at four of the 12 locations.

Runoff and sediment yield were monitored from 1983 through 1986 on a range site dominated by creosotebush. The site was rootplowed and seeded, treated with tebuthiuron at 36 kg ai ha-1, or left untreated. Runoff from rootplowed and herbicide-treated plots was no different from untreated plots for 1 yr, but sediment yield from treated plots was lower than that from the untreated plots. Rootplowing and seeding increased sediment yield in the second year (1984), whereas treating with herbicide decreased sediment yield. Runoff and sediment yield during 1985 and 1986 were greatest from the untreated areas and least from the rootplowed and herbicide-treated areas. Total cover was nearly the same for each treatment. The untreated plots had 13% shrub cover; the others had none. Between shrubs in untreated plots, bare ground occupied large interconnected areas that contributed to the higher runoff and erosion rates.

Field experiments in 1984 and 1985 near Headland, AL involved the influence of 18 integrated weed management systems incorporated from nine herbicide-tillage systems (H-T) and two row patterns on control of large crabgrass and Texas panicum, crop yield, and net returns in grain sorghum. The conventional-tillage system plus herbicide combinations; alachlor preplant incorporated (PPI), atrazine postemergence (POST), and paraquat POST directed, provided 90% or greater control of large crabgrass throughout the season and high sorghum yields in one of two years; and 90% or greater control of Texas panicum from mid-June through mid-August and high sorghum yields in both years. Results in 1984 and 1985 similar to those above were obtained with strip tillage plus herbicide combinations; alachlor PPI, atrazine POST, and paraquat POST directed; alachlor PPI and tridiphane plus atrazine POST; and tridiphane plus atrazine POST and paraquat POST directed. Row patterns did not consistently influence control of large crabgrass, Texas panicum, or sorghum yield. Economic net returns ranged from – $20 to $210 per hectare for the large crabgrass control systems in 1984; however, low sorghum yields in 1985 resulted largely in negative returns. Similar net returns were obtained in the Texas panicum experiment.

Greenhouse and field experiments were conducted to identify alternative herbicide treatments for the control of a biotype of American black nightshade which has been shown to tolerate paraquat. In greenhouse experiments the combination of paraquat and the metal chelator diethyldithiocarbamate at either 1% w/v or 3% w/v, and diquat alone significantly lowered I50 values, based on dry weight, when compared with paraquat alone. None of these treatments provided acceptable control (>90%) in field experiments. Treatments that controlled American black nightshade under field conditions were: monocarbamide dihydrogensulfate at 9 kg ai ha-1, monocarbamide dihydrogensulfate at 9 kg ha-1 + paraquat at 0.6 kg ha-1, lactofen at 0.6 kg ha-1, oxyfluorfen at 0.6 kg ha-1, and acifluorfen at 0.6 kg ha-1. Addition of tridiphane at 1.7 kg ha-1 to paraquat at 0.6 kg ha-1 did not improve control of American black nightshade under field conditions.

Field research was conducted at Arlington, WI in 1984 and 1985 to determine the influence of application timing on weed control with atrazine and metolachlor in conservation tillage corn production systems. Early preplant treatments controlled fewer weeds than preemergence or early preplant/preemergence sequential treatments in a chisel plow system. Velvetleaf control was only 50% late in the growing season with early preplant atrazine compared with 88% with an early preplant/preemergence sequential treatment of the same amount of atrazine. In the no-till system, early preplant applications of atrazine and/or metolachlor had reduced weed control late in the growing season compared with preemergence and early preplant/preemergence sequential treatments of the same amount of herbicide. Giant foxtail control 110 d after corn planting was only 73% with an early preplant treatment compared with 99% when the same amount of herbicide was evenly divided between early preplant and preemergence applications.

Reduction of initial top growth of quackgrass with haloxyfop at 0.13 kg ai ha-1 and above in the greenhouse was comparable at the 2-, 4-, and 6-leaf stages. Quackgrass control was not affected by rhizome length in plants grown from 2-node and 10-node rhizome pieces. Removal of quackgrass shoots 6 h after treatment resulted in increased initial topgrowth, regrowth, and rhizome weight at all application rates when compared to treatments with no removal of shoots; however, growth decreased with increasing rates of haloxyfop. Later removal at 24 or 96 h after treatment did not affect quackgrass control, indicating rapid translocation. In field-grown potato, haloxyfop applied at 0.25 kg ha-1 at the 4- to 5-leaf stage controlled more than 80% of quackgrass. Lower rates controlled less than 80% when used alone; but adding cultivation improved control. No adverse effect on potato yield was noted with haloxyfop.

Continuous corn was grown for 5 consecutive yr using conservation tillage methods in the Maryland Piedmont. Herbicide treatments were applied annually at common usage rates and were compared for their effects on weed cover, species stability, and grain production. Weed flora dominance shifted from giant foxtail the first year to smooth pigweed the following year. Smooth pigweed then dominated the flora for the duration of the study. Horsenettle was ubiquitous in all treatments but never became competitive. Canada thistle occurred in measurable densities in all plots that had not received atrazine applied preemergence. Grain yields were correlated negatively with densities of smooth pigweed in 1983 (r = −0.58, P = 0.01), and Canada thistle in 1983 and 1984 (r = −0.63 and −0.62, respectively; P = 0.05). Grain yields were correlated positively with midseason precipitation (r = 0.85, P = 0.01).

The influences of pH, surfactants, and nutrients on germination were investigated to develop a basis for improvement of Alternaria cassiae mycoherbicide formulations. In vitro results indicated that a formulation with a pH of approximately 6.5 containing 0.1 to 1% Tween 80, 0.02 M potassium phosphate buffer, and 1% dehydrated potato dextrose broth best promoted germination. Sicklepod plants at the 2 to 3 true-leaf stage were sprayed with test solutions, incubated in the dark at 100% relative humidity (28 C) for 6 h, and placed in a growth chamber maintained at 30 C. Assessment of the plants after 2 d indicated that the ability of the formulation components to induce germination of Alternaria cassiae in vitro corresponded well with their ability to improve infection of sicklepod seedlings.

Field studies were conducted in 1987 and 1988 at Fayetteville and Clarkedale, AR, to evaluate various herbicide treatments for johnsongrass control in soybeans. Herbicide treatments were postemergence applications of sethoxydim, fenoxaprop, fluazifop-P, haloxyfop, quizalofop, imazethapyr, and clethodim. No significant soybean injury was noted in 1987 or 1988 at either location in the johnsongrass experiments. All treatments except those with fenoxaprop and imazethapyr, provided 70 to 90% johnsongrass control. Generally, soybean yields were reduced from treatments that controlled less than 60% of the johnsongrass.

Adjuvants enhanced DPX-V9360 control of green foxtail in the greenhouse and field as follows: methylated sunflower oil > petroleum oil > nonionic surfactant WK > nonionic surfactant X-77. DPX-V9360 applied at rates that controlled weeds did not injure corn. Green foxtail control with DPX-V9360 decreased as the amount of simulated rainfall after application increased from 0 to 4 mm and control increased as a 2 mm simulated rainfall was delayed up to 24 h. The influence of simulated rainfall differed with adjuvants, but adjuvants did not overcome the lower green foxtail control with simulated rainfall. DPX-V9360 was more phytotoxic to green foxtail and redroot pigweed at 95 to 100% than 45 to 50% relative humidity and at 20 or 30 C than 10 C after treatment.

Velvetleaf control in sugarbeet by clomazone and commercially available sugarbeet herbicides was investigated in greenhouse and field studies. In greenhouse studies, clomazone at 0.07 and 0.04 kg ai ha-1 controlled 97 and 69% of velvetleaf, respectively, with little visible sugarbeet injury. Adding clomazone to pyrazon, TCA, ethofumesate, pyrazon plus TCA, or TCA plus ethofumesate increased velvetleaf control but increased visible sugarbeet injury. In field studies, clomazone at 0.07 kg ha-1 did not enhance sugarbeet injury. However, velvetleaf was not controlled by clomazone alone or clomazone plus pyrazon, ethofumesate, combinations of pyrazon plus TCA, pyrazon plus ethofumesate, or pyrazon plus TCA plus ethofumesate. Cycloate preplant incorporated plus pyrazon preemergence followed by postemergence herbicides controlled velvetleaf in all 3 yr of research. Postemergence herbicides increased velvetleaf control from soil-applied herbicides in 1987 and 1988.

Field studies were conducted for four consecutive years to determine if repeated applications of trifluralin (preplant incorporated), metolachlor (preemergence), and fluazifop (postemergence) herbicides alone or combined could be utilized in soybean to effectively control grass weed populations and maintain optimum yield in an irrigated environment where metribuzin plus dinoseb (preemergence) and 2,4-DB plus linuron (postemergence) were used as a standard weed control system. After repeated applications each year, all treatments maintained similar yields that were no different from yields obtained from the standard system. Grass weed infestation did not increase significantly in the treatment that received only the standard weed control herbicides over the duration of the study.

There were no differences in johnsongrass rhizome winter survival at central and southeastern locations in Pennsylvania in 1988 or 1989. At a 6-cm depth of burial, survival rates of 5 and 25% were found for rhizome segments 7.5 and 15.0 cm in length, respectively. Survival rates for rhizomes buried 25 cm averaged 86%, with no difference in survival between rhizome lengths. The majority of rhizome biomass produced by the biotype used in these studies was found at soil depths allowing a high percentage of survival.