Field trials were conducted in Georgia and South Carolina in 2000 and 2001 to evaluate the effects of glyphosate, diflubenzuron, and boron combinations on crop injury and soybean yield. No interactions among glyphosate, diflubenzuron, and boron were observed. Both glyphosate and boron caused significant foliar injury (chlorosis and leaf burn) ranging from 7 to 10% in one of three locations. Diflubenzuron did not cause significant soybean injury at any location. Soybean injury symptoms observed in these experiments were transient and did not negatively affect yield.

A simple, labor-efficient screening procedure was developed for identifying metribuzin [4-amino-6-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-3-(methylthio)-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one] tolerant southernpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] germplasm in the greenhouse. Of 1241 southernpea plant introduction (PI) accessions screened, two (PI 293569 and PI 427221) tolerated metribuzin. In additional greenhouse experiments, the two selected southernpea accessions were slightly more tolerant than the susceptible cultivar ‘Lady’ or the moderately tolerant cultivar ‘Big Boy’. However, several accessions from related Vigna species tolerated 1.5 ppmw metribuzin, twice the concentration that killed the southernpea selections.

Field studies were conducted in 1999, 2000, and 2001 to evaluate mesotrione at 105 and 210 g ai/ha alone and in mixtures with imazethapyr at 70 g ai/ha and the prepackage mixture of imazethapyr at 47 g/ha plus imazapyr at 16 g ai/ha postemergence. Mixtures of mesotrione with imazethapyr and imazethapyr plus imazapyr controlled common ragweed, common lambsquarters, and morningglory species better than imazethapyr or imazethapyr plus imazapyr alone. Similarly, mixtures of mesotrione with these imidazolinone herbicides improved the control of giant foxtail over that by mesotrione alone. Crop injury did not exceed 11% with all treatments and appeared as transient stunting. Yields of corn treated with mixtures of mesotrione plus imidazolinone herbicides were highest in 2000 and 2001, when rainfall was higher than in 1999.

Farmers typically use three applications of glyphosate to control weeds in no-till fallow. Some are now experimenting with an unconventional modification to this widely used approach. This modified approach is based on an intentional delay in the time of the first spraying. Farmers delay their first spraying because they want to rely on competition from winter annual grasses to suppress the growth of Russian thistle and eliminate the need for a third application. Optimism for this kind of weed-control program is tempered by concerns related to soil water storage. The objective of this research was to evaluate effects of delayed control of downy brome and volunteer winter wheat on the plant-available water content of, and loss of water from, no-till fallow. Treatments, applied to plots arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications, were distinguished by the time of the initial glyphosate application. The initial early-season treatment was applied as soon as possible after emergence of downy brome and volunteer winter wheat. Initial mid-season and late-season treatments were applied 4 and 6 wk later, respectively. The amount of plant-available water in the soil profile ranged from 71.8 to 153.7 mm in May and 16.5 to 80.9 mm in September. Water loss was usually minimized in plots treated with the initial early-season treatment. An exception to this trend occurred at a site where the density of downy brome and volunteer winter wheat was greater than average. Abated water loss from the initial late-season treatment, at this site, may have been a consequence of reduced evaporation caused by a decrease in near-surface wind speed and deflection of solar radiation away from soil. Estimated impacts of water loss on grain yield of winter wheat, produced the year after fallow, range from 269 to 600 kg ha−1.

Field studies were conducted in Powell, WY, in 2006 and 2007 to determine the influence of season-long interference of various Venice mallow densities and duration of interference on sugarbeet. Sucrose concentration was not affected by Venice mallow interference. The effect of Venice mallow density on sugarbeet root and sucrose yield loss was described by the rectangular hyperbola model. Root and sucrose yield loss increased as Venice mallow density increased. The estimated asymptote, A (percent yield loss as density approaches infinity) was 61% for both root and sucrose yield loss, and the estimated parameter, I (percent yield loss per unit weed density as density approaches zero) was 6% for both root and sucrose yield loss. Sugarbeet root yield decreased as the duration of Venice mallow interference increased. The critical timing of weed removal to avoid 5 and 10% root yield loss was 30 and 43 d after sugarbeet emergence, respectively. Results show that Venice mallow is competitive with sugarbeet implying that it should be managed appropriately to reduce negative effects on yield and prevent seed bank replenishment and re-infestation in subsequent years.

In 1998, Indian regulatory agencies approved the registration of CGA 184927, MON 37500, and fenoxaprop for postemergence control of isoproturon-resistant littleseed canarygrass. Herbicides used in rice and wheat before 1998 were generally mixed with sand or urea and were applied by hand. Foliar pesticide spray applications consisted primarily of insecticides and fungicides that were applied to high-value crops. These pesticides were often sprayed to runoff with backpack sprayers that were equipped with single hollow-cone or flood nozzles. Applicators walked through the fields, swinging the wands in sweeping motions resulting in uneven pesticide distribution and overapplication. The newly registered postemergence herbicides were applied with the same equipment and in the same fashion. After these applications, control of littleseed canarygrass was strikingly inconsistent, and the growers blamed the lack of control on the manufacturers. It was later clear that basic understanding of the application techniques was lacking. In response to this, an application training workshop was organized and conducted in India and Nepal in 2000. The workshops focused on teaching the participants how to use and fabricate multiple-nozzle booms, the importance of flat-fan nozzles, calibration, drift avoidance, and applicator safety. To date, approximately 3,000 farmers, extension agents, scientists, and industry representatives have attended more than 30 workshops. The participants were unanimously enthusiastic about the value of the workshops. Although simplistic, the adoption of this technology will significantly decrease the amounts of herbicides applied and will increase efficacy and efficiency.

In field experiments over a 3-yr period, quizalofop {(±)-2-[4-[(6-chloro-2-quinoxalinyl)oxy)phenoxy] propanoic acid} at 100 to 150 g ae/ha effectively controlled several annual grass weeds and volunteer barley (Hordeum vulgare L. # HORVX) in flax (Linum usitatissimum L. ‘Linott’). Quizalofop applied when flax was 10 cm tall generally was more effective on wild oats (Avena fatua L. # AVEFA) and green foxtail [Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv. # SETVI] than when flax was 4 cm tall. Volunteer barley was controlled at both stages of flax growth. Weed interference in untreated plots adversely affected flax quality factors such as seed size, seed weight, percent oil, and iodine value of the oil but not in quizalofop-treated plots.

Two relatively new methods for analyzing herbicide efficacy data are described. Weighted multiple regression using the logit transformation for plant mortality data is illustrated and compared with the more accurate maximum likelihood logistic regression procedure. A partial data set evaluating the effects of increasing application rates of picloram (0, 1.1, 2.2 and 4.5 kg ae ha–1) for control of tall larkspur is used to illustrate the methods. Suggestions are made for using logistic regression to monitor herbicide efficacy over several years.

Based on bermudagrass ground cover 2 wk prior to sugarcane planting, tillage plus glyphosate applied postemergence sequentially at 3.4 followed by 2.2 kg ai/ha or a single application at 3.4 kg/ha during the summer fallow period was more effective than tillage alone. Effectiveness of tillage was enhanced when less rainfall was received during the summer fallow period the first year. Rainfall of less than 1 cm 20 d after preemergence application of sulfometuron at 0.2 kg ai/ha in June resulted in 100% bermudagrass ground cover the first year compared with 37% the second year with 15 cm of rainfall during the same period. Terbacil applied after sugarcane planting and metribuzin applied in February resulted in bermudagrass ground cover in May or June of 62% (experiment 1) and 2% (experiment 2) when sulfometuron was used during the fallow period, but no more than 5% when terbacil and metribuzin followed glyphosate plus tillage or tillage alone. In most cases, bermudagrass ground cover at that time was greater when the same glyphosate/tillage treatments were followed by atrazine after planting and pendimethalin plus atrazine in February compared with terbacil after planting and metribuzin in February. When after-planting and February herbicide treatments were applied, sugarcane stalk population, height, and yield each was equivalent regardless of the previous fallow treatment.

Field experiments were conducted from 1986 to 1988 at Lacombe and Lethbridge, Alberta and Scott, Saskatchewan to determine growth and yield response of canola to mixtures of ethametsulfuron with specific grass herbicides. Ethametsulfuron did not usually cause canola injury when mixed with sethoxydim. However, ethametsulfuron mixtures with the following grass herbicides listed in decreasing order of injury potential, often caused canola injury and yield loss: haloxyfop > fluazifop > fluazifop-P > quizalofop > quizalofop-P. Canola yield losses were severe in some experiments, ranging from 59% with quizalofop mixtures to 97% with haloxyfop mixtures; in other experiments, the same mixtures did not cause significant yield losses. ‘Tobin,’ a Brassica rapa cultivar, tended to be more susceptible to injury than the B. napus cultivars ‘Pivot’ and ‘Westar.’ Canola injury symptoms were consistent with those expected from sulfonylurea herbicides. Therefore, we suggest that specific grass herbicides differentially impair the ability of canola to metabolize ethametsulfuron to inactive forms.

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.

Turf managers use prodiamine to control annual grasses in mature turfs. Earlier, evaluations of prodiamine have indicated it has an elevated soil persistence and high activity on susceptible species. This persistence raises concern for prodiamine's effect on juvenile turf. An experiment was established to evaluate the effect of prodiamine on juvenile Kentucky bluegrass turf. Significant loss of quality occurred on turf less than one year old receiving a single application of prodiamine at ≥ 1.4 kg/ha. Split applications of prodiamine did not significantly decrease turf quality. Prodiamine at 0.8 and 2.2 kg ai/ha and DCPA at 23.5 kg ai/ha, applied in the fall the previous three years, significantly reduced the number of overseeded Kentucky bluegrass seedlings two years after planting. In a subsequent study, prodiamine at ≥ 0.8 kg/ha and DCPA at 23.5 kg/ha applied once the previous fall significantly reduced the number of overseeded Kentucky bluegrass dlings 56 d after planting. An analysis of prodiamine rate versus seedling density was found to be significantly correlated (r2 = 0.79).

Greenhouse studies were conducted to determine the effect of 1-aminomethanamide dihydrogen tetraoxosulfate (AMADS) as a spray adjuvant on the efficacy of three different glyphosate formulations, the isopropylamine salt (glyphosate-IPA), potassium salt (glyphosate-K), and the acid of glyphosate dissolved in AMADS (glyphosate-A). All formulations were tested at multiple rates with and without AMADS (2% v/v) on greenhouse-grown corn, and growth inhibition was determined by measuring the elongation of the newest emerging leaf between 1 and 7 d after treatment. AMADS increased the efficacy of all three glyphosate formulations by threefold to fourfold. The IC50 values for glyphosate-IPA, glyphosate-K, and glyphosate-A without AMADS on corn were 77, 54, and 53 g ae/ha, respectively; and with AMADS the values were 20, 18, and 21 g/ha, respectively. AMADS was more effective than ammonium sulfate (2% w/v) in overcoming the antagonism of hard water (200 parts per million Ca+2) on glyphosate-K efficacy on corn. The rainfastness of glyphosate-IPA, glyphosate-A, and glyphosate-K was improved with AMADS.

Chlorimuron applied postemergence at 2.2, 4.4, 8.8, 18, and 35 g ai/ha to cotton at either the 4-leaf, pinhead-square, first-bloom, or full-bloom growth stage was evaluated for potential as a plant growth regulator. Chlorimuron did not reduce bolls per plant at any rate or time of application, but the proportion of open to closed bolls decreased as rate increased. Seed cotton yields decreased with increasing chlorimuron rate and cotton age. The use of chlorimuron as a plant growth regulator for cotton appears limited.

A soilless unit was devised in which host plant (carrot, tomato) roots can be readily infected with broomrape. The simple, inexpensive and reusable unit consists of two glass plates, synthetic cloth, and foam rubber. The host plants are placed (or grown) between the glass plates, being held against one of the plates by foam rubber. The unit provides proper growing conditions, convenient visibility of host roots and parasite from an early stage of infection, and nondestructive access to the roots and parasite. Exposure of the broomrape seeds to a synthetic germination stimulant (GR 24) prior to their application to the host roots, generally, but not always, caused some increase in the number of parasitic infections and/or the rate of broomrape growth.

Experiments were conducted in weed-free environments to determine corn tolerance to trifloxysulfuron applied PRE or POST, and to determine the potential for trifloxysulfuron applied PRE or POST to cotton to injure corn grown in rotation the following year. Trifloxysulfuron at 3.75, 7.5, or 15 g ai/ha applied PRE or POST resulted in 98% stand reduction of imidazolinone-tolerant (IT) corn and 100% stand reduction in conventional corn. No injury occurred to imidazolinone-resistant (IR) corn. A corn cultivar yield response was observed, with conventional nontreated corn yielding 8,850 kg/ha and greater than nontreated IT corn at 7,900 kg/ha. Nontreated IR corn yielded the least, at 6,400 kg/ha, and these yields were equivalent to trifloxysulfuron-treated IR corn at 6,590 kg/ha. Cotton treated with trifloxysulfuron PRE at any rate was injured less than 8%. Both trifloxysulfuron at 7.5 g/ha POST and pyrithiobac at 70 g ai/ha POST injured cotton 11% early in the season. Neither trifloxysulfuron nor pyrithiobac influenced weed-free cotton lint yields. When grown in rotation, corn was not injured by trifloxysulfuron or pyrithiobac applied the previous year to cotton, and yields were not influenced.

Field studies were conducted in 1991 to 1993 to determine the effects of PRE and POST herbicides alone and in factorial combinations on sicklepod control, weed biomass, and soybean seed yields. Herbicides evaluated were metribuzin PRE, metribuzin + chlorimuron PRE, imazaquin PRE and POST, chlorimuron POST, and AC 263,222 POST POST herbicides alone provided better sicklepod control than PRE herbicides alone. However, sequential (SEQ) treatments [PRE followed by (fb) POST] provided better sicklepod control than single herbicide treatments. Metribuzin and metribuzin + chlorimuron alone or used in a SEQ program provided similar PRE control of sicklepod, and both controlled sicklepod better than imazaquin in 1991 and 1992. Chlorimuron alone or in a SEQ program provided better POST control than AC 263,222 or imazaquin alone when soil moisture levels at planting favored weed seed germination. When soil moisture levels at planting were unfavorable for weed seed germination, the residual activity of imazaquin provided the best season-long control. SEQ herbicide applications allowed soybean to attain higher seed yields than single (PRE or POST) herbicide treatments all 3 yr. However, only metribuzin fb chlorimuron in 1991 and 1992 and imazaquin fb imazaquin and imazaquin fb chlorimuron in 1993 allowed soybean to achieve seed yields similar to weed-free soybean. Soybean seed yields were greater with POST than with PRE herbicides 2 of 3 yr, but no single herbicide treatment provided soybean seed yields similar to weed-free soybean.

Field experiments showed that quackgrass could be controlled by glyphosate applied preharvest to barley. In separate experiments, field mint was controlled by glyphosate applied pre- and postharvest to barley and wheat. Suppression of quackgrass regrowth one year following treatment was 90% or greater when glyphosate was applied at 0.9 kg ai/ha alone or at 0.45 kg ai/ha in combination with both tallow amine ethoxylate at 0.5% of total spray volume and ammonium sulfate at 3 kg/ha. Field mint shoot counts were reduced 84% the year following treatment when glyphosate was applied at 0.25 kg ai/ha and 95% when applied at 1.0 kg ai/ha. Suppression of field mint shoot regrowth the following year was 84% when glyphosate was applied postharvest and 93% when applied preharvest. Addition of tallow amine ethoxylate did not improve field mint control. Glyphosate applied preharvest to barley and wheat at less than 30% grain moisture content had no effect on grain yield.

Growing public concern for pesticide residues in drinking water has resulted in tighter federal and state regulations to prevent ground-water contamination. There are many uncertainties in estimating human exposure risk, yet standards are being set to protect human health. In the last several years, drinking water health standards have been developed for a number of pesticides, often at levels of a few μg L−1 or less. Ground-water monitoring studies, first required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1984, have now become an integral requirement to support registration of pesticides shown to have leaching potential. Regulators are now faced with deciding the extent to which pesticides can still be used while continuing to meet legal requirements to protect the public and preserve ground-water resources. The implications are that pesticide use may be severely limited in regions with ground-water resources considered especially vulnerable to contamination, dramatically affecting the type of agricultural practices and crops grown in these regions.

The experimental sulfonylurea herbicide ASC-67040 was evaluated preemergence (PRE) and postemergence (POST) at 25 to 100 g ai/ha and PRE at 50 g/ha followed by ASC-67040 POST at 50 g/ha for broadleaf weed control in potato and tomato. In Virginia, ASC-67040 POST at 50 and 100 g/ha gave 70 to 98% control of common lambsquarters, common ragweed, and jimsonweed with slight (0 to 6%) ‘Superior’ potato and moderate (0 to 23%) ‘Agriset’ tomato injury. This crop injury was present primarily as chlorosis in terminal growth and disappeared by 3 wk after treatment (WAT). Potato tuber and tomato fruit yields were high in ASC-67040-treated plots. In North Carolina, ASC-67040 PRE and POST at 50 and 100 g/ha controlled 10 species of annual broadleaf weeds and grasses, and at 25 g/ha ASC-67040 gave greater than 90% control of most species. ASC-67040 injured ‘Fontenot’ potato more than Superior and caused 10 to 13% injury to ‘Mountain Spring’ tomato but did not injure ‘Mountain Pride’ tomato. Mountain Spring tomato recovered rapidly and produced high yields. In the greenhouse, yellow nutsedge control by ASC-67040 POST at 25 to 100 g/ha was 59 to 86% 3 WAT and yellow nutsedge height, dry weight, and regrowth dry weight were reduced by all rates. Lower rates of ASC-67040 might control weeds and cause less injury to potato and tomato.