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.

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.

Virginia buttonweed is a difficult-to-control weed in southern turfgrass. Typically, auxin-type herbicides are considered to be the standard treatment for this species. Field experiments were conducted to compare the efficacy of flazasulfuron, a sulfonylurea herbicide, to pyridine herbicides on Virginia buttonweed. Treatments included single and sequential applications of flazasulfuron (0.05 or 0.08 kg ai/ha). The sequential applications were applied 3 and 6 wk after initial treatment (WAIT). Three applications of 0.05 and 0.08 kg/ha flazasulfuron controlled Virginia buttonweed greater than 93% at 10 WAIT. Both treatments were comparable to 0.6 kg ai/ha triclopyr + 0.2 kg ai/ha clopyralid (80% control). These studies indicated that increased application of flazasulfuron increased Virginia buttonweed control regardless of application rates evaluated.

The comparison of incorporation vs no incorporation on a mid-October application of the granular formulation of trifluralin to control infestations of wild oat and green foxtail was evaluated in spring barley, wheat, and canola in west central Saskatchewan over a 3 yr period. Incorporation treatments consisted of: no incorporation, one incorporation in fall, one incorporation in fall and a second in spring, one incorporation in fall and two additional incorporations in spring. All treatments eliminated green foxtail. In all three crops wild oat panicle counts were equivalent from incorporated and non-incorporated trifluralin. Wild oat fresh weights in crops grown on stubble were similar for incorporated and non-incorporated trifluralin. In fallow crops, wild oat fresh weight reductions were greater in three of nine site years with incorporation. There was little difference in crop yields from incorporated and non-incorporated trifluralin.

Experiments were conducted in the greenhouse to determine the effects of adjuvant and herbicide concentrations on imazamox, imazethapyr, nicosulfuron, and ICIA 0604 phytotoxicity, independent of spray retention. Equal amounts of herbicide were applied to oat in a single 0.5-μl drop or four 0.5-μl drops. Changes in adjuvant concentration influenced herbicide phytotoxicity more with application in one concentrated drop rather than in four dilute drops. Overall, herbicide phytotoxicity was greater when low adjuvant concentrations were applied in four dilute drops compared with a single concentrated drop. But when the same total amount of adjuvant was applied in one or four drops, herbicide phytotoxicity in a single drop was generally equal to or greater than in four drops. These results suggest that high herbicide phytotoxicity with high herbicide and adjuvant concentrations in low spray volumes in the field was primarily because of increased herbicide absorption rather than spray retention.

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.

A field study was conducted in 2014 and 2015 in an established 5-yr old commercial blackberry planting to determine the effect of vegetation-free strip width (VFSW) on ‘Navaho’ blackberry vegetative growth, yield and fruit quality parameters, identify the optimum VFSW for blackberry plantings in the southeastern USA, and provide practical groundcover management recommendations that can increase the productivity of blackberry plantings. In Fall 2013, tall fescue was seeded in-row and allowed to establish. In Spring 2014, VFSW treatments (0, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2, and 1.8 m) were established in a randomized complete block statistical design with four replications. Blackberry growth measurements included primocane and floricane number, cane diam, individual fruit weight and yield. Fruit quality measurements included, soluble solids concentration (SSC), titratable acidity (TA) and pH. Primocane number increased with increasing VFSW in both years. Floricane number increased with increasing VFSW in 2014. Primocane diam decreased with increasing VFSW in 2014 but had a quadratic response in 2015. Berry weight and cumulative yield increased with increasing VFSW in both years. The only berry quality component affected by VFSW was pH, which decreased as VFSW increased. Results indicate that widening the VFSW in blackberry from the current recommendation of 1.2 m to 1.8 m could provide growers a means to increase plant growth, berry weight, and cumulative yield blackberry of a planting.

Management of volunteer glyphosate-resistant (GR) corn may be problematic in soybean resistant to glyphosate and 2,4-D or dicamba, as auxinic herbicides often antagonize graminicide efficacy. Field and greenhouse trials were conducted using mixtures of 2,4-D or dicamba in combination with glyphosate and clethodim-A (formulated without an adjuvant) or clethodim-SM (adjuvant-inclusive formulation) to determine the effect on volunteer GR corn control. Neither auxinic herbicide reduced clethodim efficacy, regardless of clethodim rate or formulation in field trials. However, the addition of glyphosate to these mixtures at the 35 g ai ha−1 clethodim dose reduced control from clethodim-A and clethodim-SM by 62% to 75% and 27% to 47%, respectively. Increasing the clethodim dose to 105 g ha−1 or greater in combination with glyphosate and either auxinic herbicide generally restored clethodim efficacy (74% to 98% control); in one site-year, the addition of glyphosate plus dicamba to clethodim-A at 140 g ha−1 still reduced control by 34%. In greenhouse experiments, clethodim-A efficacy was reduced by 17% and 28% when applied with glyphosate plus 420 and 1,680 g ae ha−1 2,4-D, respectively, in the absence of crop oil concentrate (COC). Increasing the dose of dicamba in a similar mixture had a negligible effect. Irrespective of auxinic herbicide dose, the inclusion of COC to clethodim-A mixtures with glyphosate plus 2,4-D or dicamba resulted in ≥ 90% control. These results specify an enhanced risk of reduced clethodim efficacy on volunteer GR corn when glyphosate is added to mixtures containing 2,4-D or dicamba. To optimize control from these mixtures, clethodim should be applied at ≥ 105 g ha−1 and should include an activator adjuvant in the form of COC and/or an adjuvant-inclusive clethodim formulation. This recommendation contrasts with several labels of clethodim that do not require COC when applied with adjuvant-loaded glyphosate products.

‘Replay' and ‘JS501’ perennial ryegrass cultivars have been conventionally bred for reduced sensitivity to glyphosate, potentially allowing the herbicide to be used for selective weed control in overseeded bermudagrass. Field experiments were conducted to evaluate optimal glyphosate application rate, regime (single and sequential applications), and timing for annual bluegrass control in bermudagrass overseeded with these cultivars. Additionally, greenhouse experiments were conducted to compare the sensitivity to glyphosate of Replay and JS501 to susceptible cultivars ‘Caddy Shack' and ‘Top Gun II' through log-logistic rate-response analysis. In field experiments, only two treatments resulted in > 90% annual bluegrass control and < 25% perennial ryegrass injury. These two treatments were a single application of 280 g ae ha−1 glyphosate in January and 140 g ha−1 followed by an additional 140 g ha−1 applied in January. Perennial ryegrass cultivars were compared using 50% inhibition (I50) values, i.e. 50% visible estimates of injury or 50% reduction in clipping weight. I50 values obtained 6 wk after treatment from injury data were 2.56, 2.64, 0.81, and 0.84 g ha−1 glyphosate for Replay, JS501, Caddy Shack, and Top Gun II, respectively. Replay and JS501 were similar in sensitivity to glyphosate and were up to four times more tolerant than Caddy Shack and Top Gun II across rating dates and data types.

Field studies were conducted to determine if POST applications of the p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) inhibitors mesotrione (105 g ai/ha), topramezone (18 g ai/ha), and tembotrione (92 g ai/ha) applied alone and in mixtures with the photosystem-II (PSII) inhibitors atrazine (560 g ai/ha), bentazon (560 g ai/ha), or bromoxynil (280 g ai/ha) would control volunteer potato. Mesotrione alone controlled potato 62%, but topramezone and tembotrione only provided 10 to 22% control by 6 wk after treatment (WAT). All PSII inhibitors applied alone provided less than 36% control of potato. Overall, mixtures of PSII inhibitors plus mesotrione improved initial potato control by 2 WAT; however, by 6 WAT, few differences were observed between mesotrione applied alone or in mixtures with PSII inhibitors. PSII inhibitors did not always improve activity of topramezone or tembotrione on potato, and in some instances appeared to antagonize control. HPPD inhibitors applied alone or in combinations with PSII inhibitors reduced potato yields in comparison to the untreated check.

Field experiments were conducted from 2011 to 2013 near Ridgetown and Exeter, Ontario, Canada to evaluate the tolerance of seven identity-preserved (IP) soybean cultivars to protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO)-inhibiting herbicides flumioxazin, saflufenacil/dimethenamid-P, and sulfentrazone applied PRE; fomesafen applied POST; as well as PRE followed by (fb) POST application. Ridgetown sites demonstrated excellent tolerance (< 10% injury) to PRE treatments, whereas PRE sulfentrazone caused up to 36% injury at 1 and 2 wk after application (WAA) at Exeter. Of the PRE fb POST treatments evaluated, those containing saflufenacil/dimethenamid-P and sulfentrazone were most injurious to soybean, with cultivar being a further determinant of injury. At Exeter 1 WAA, cultivars ‘S03W4’ and ‘S23T5’ showed 23 to 27 and 45 to 46% injury for saflufenacil/dimethenamid-P and sulfentrazone when followed by POST fomesafen, respectively. Sulfentrazone application (PRE alone or fb fomesafen) consequently reduced S03W4 yield up to 38% and S23T5 up to 25%, whereas saflufenacil/dimethenamid-P fb fomesafen reduced S03W4 by 18%. In general, PRE fb POST caused more injury than PRE treatments; however, injury diminished over time and no significant reduction to soybean yield could be attributed to adding POST fomesafen. On the basis of this study, the injury from PPO herbicides applied PRE is active ingredient, cultivar, and environment specific. Although PPO herbicides have the potential to cause unacceptable crop injury in some IP soybean cultivars, selecting a tolerant cultivar will minimize yield losses.

Hair fescue is a common tuft-forming perennial grass weed that reduces yields and hinders mechanical harvest in lowbush blueberry fields. PRE terbacil applications traditionally controlled hair fescue but currently only provide suppression in most fields. Terbacil use has not, however, been evaluated in conjunction with other currently registered herbicides in lowbush blueberry. The objective of this research was to evaluate a range of terbacil-based herbicide treatments for hair fescue management in lowbush blueberry. The experiment was conducted at three lowbush blueberry fields in Nova Scotia, Canada. Spring nonbearing-year terbacil applications (2,000 g ai ha–1) exhibited variable efficacy on hair fescue with reduced total tuft density at one site and reduced flowering-tuft density and flowering-tuft inflorescence number at two sites. Suppression was limited to the year of application only. Terbacil followed by (fb) foramsulfuron (35 g ai ha–1) did not improve suppression. A terbacil tank mixture with glufosinate (750 ai ha–1), however, reduced flowering-tuft density and flowering-tuft inflorescence number at each site and reduced total tuft density at one site, suggesting improved suppression with terbacil + glufosinate relative to terbacil alone. Terbacil + glufosinate fb foramsulfuron gave additional reductions in total tuft density at two sites and reduced bearing-year flowering-tuft density at two sites, indicating that hair fescue suppression with this herbicide combination extends into the bearing year. Although less effective than the industry standard pronamide applications, terbacil + glufosinate or terbacil + glufosinate fb foramsulfuron could be used as part of a weed management program for hair fescue in lowbush blueberry.

Methiozolin is a new isoxazoline herbicide that has scarcely been tested in Kentucky bluegrass turf. A field trial was conducted in Blacksburg, VA, to determine response of 110 Kentucky bluegrass varieties and winter annual weeds to sequential fall applications of methiozolin. At 1.5 and 6 mo after initial treatment (MAIT), Kentucky bluegrass injury I30 values (predicted methiozolin rate that causes 30% Kentucky bluegrass injury) ranged between 3.4 to more than 10 times the recommended methiozolin rate for annual bluegrass control. Methiozolin at all rates reduced cover of annual bluegrass, common chickweed, corn speedwell, hairy bittercress, mouseear chickweed, and Persian speedwell but increased cover of parsley-piert. For all varieties, methiozolin at 2 kg ai ha−1 increased Kentucky bluegrass cover, turf quality, and turf normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) relative to the nontreated check at 6 MAIT. Kentucky bluegrass relative cover change (RCC) was attributed primarily to weed control but was inversely correlated with methiozolin rates because of increased weed control and reduced Kentucky bluegrass growth. Despite the decline in RCC with increasing methiozolin rates, most Kentucky bluegrass varieties treated with the highest methiozolin rate (6 kg ha−1) still had greater Kentucky bluegrass cover than the nontreated check at 6 MAIT. Results from this study indicate that two fall applications of methiozolin at rates beyond that previously reported for annual bluegrass control can safely be applied to a broad range of Kentucky bluegrass varieties spanning most of the known genetic classifications.

Palmer amaranth is one of the most troublesome weeds in the southeast. Significant reductions in cotton yield because of Palmer amaranth competition warrant intense control efforts consisting of both PRE and POST herbicides. Flumioxazin is a soil-active, protoporphyrinogen oxidase-inhibiting herbicide that is labeled for use in cotton 14 to 21 d before planting; however, shorter preplant application intervals could increase the duration of control from this herbicide. Flumioxazin was applied at 3 rates (0.03 and 0.06 kg ai ha−1 in 2009 and an additional rate of 0.09 kg ai ha−1 in 2010 and 2011) and 6 application timings (30, 20, 15, 10, 5, and 0 d before planting cotton). Cotton emergence, height, and yield were documented. In 2009, at the Jay and Citra, FL, sites, cotton emergence, plant height, and yield were not affected by any herbicide rate or timing. At Dawson, GA, in the same year, significant reduction in cotton stand counts were observed with application timings < 10 d before planting. Cotton height was reduced similarly at Dawson, GA, but recovered to levels equal to the control by 45 d after planting (DAP). It is believed that rainfall during cotton emergence resulted in this significant level of injury at Dawson, GA. In 2010 and 2011, at Citra, FL, cotton emergence was only reduced when 0.06 and 0.09 kg ha−1 were applied at planting. Cotton height showed a similar pattern with additional reductions in height at 0.03 kg ha−1 applied at planting and 0.09 kg ha−1 applied 5 d before planting. In 2010 and 2011, at Citra, FL, yield was reduced when 0.09 kg ha−1 flumioxazin was applied 5 d before planting and when 0.06 and 0.09 kg ha−1 were applied at planting. These results indicate that flumioxazin application intervals can be shortened with little crop impact likely to be seen at lower use rates. However, rainfall at crop emergence has the potential to significantly injure cotton and reduce yield.

Giant ragweed is one of the most competitive annual broadleaf weeds in corn and soybean crop production systems in the United States and eastern Canada. Management of giant ragweed has become difficult due to the evolution of resistance to glyphosate and/or acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibitor herbicides and giant ragweed’s ability to emerge late in the season, specifically in the eastern Corn Belt. Late-season herbicide application may reduce seed production of weed species; however, information is not available about late-season herbicide applications on giant ragweed seed production. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of single or sequential late-season applications of 2,4-D, dicamba, glyphosate, and glufosinate on inflorescence injury and seed production of glyphosate-resistant (GR) giant ragweed under greenhouse and field conditions (bare ground study). Single and sequential applications of glufosinate resulted in as much as 59 and 60% injury to giant ragweed inflorescence and as much as 78 and 75% reduction in seed production, respectively, under field and greenhouse conditions. In contrast, single or sequential applications of 2,4-D or dicamba resulted in ≥ 96% inflorescence injury and reduction in seed production in the field as well as in greenhouse studies. The results indicated that 2,4-D or dicamba are effective options for reducing seed production of glyphosate-resistant giant ragweed even if applied late in the season. Targeting weed seed production to decrease the soil seedbank will potentially be an effective strategy for an integrated management of GR giant ragweed.

Tolpyralate is a new 4-hydroxyphenyl-pyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD)–inhibiting herbicide for weed control in corn. Previous research has reported efficacy of tolpyralate + atrazine on several annual grass and broadleaf weed species; however, no studies have evaluated weed control of tolpyralate + atrazine depending on time-of-day (TOD) of application. Six field experiments were conducted over a 2-yr period (2018, 2019) near Ridgetown, ON, to determine if there is an effect of TOD of application on tolpyralate + atrazine efficacy on common annual grass and broadleaf weeds. An application was made at 3-h intervals beginning at 06:00 h with the last application at 24:00 h. There was a slight TOD effect on velvetleaf, pigweed species, and common ragweed control with tolpyralate + atrazine; however, the magnitude of change throughout the day was ≤3% at 2, 4, or 8 wk after application (WAA). There was no effect of TOD of tolpyralate + atrazine on the control of lambsquarters, barnyardgrass, and green foxtail. All weed species were controlled ≥88% at 8 WAA. There was no effect of TOD of tolpyralate + atrazine application on corn yield. Results of this study show no evidence of a TOD effect on weed control efficacy with tolpyralate + atrazine.

Foliar delivery of herbicides is a common means for plant management in aquatic environments. Though this technique is decades old, little is known about vegetative spray retention relative to this application method. A more complete understanding of maximizing herbicide retention could lead to improved plant management while simultaneously decreasing pesticide load in aquatic environments. Therefore outdoor mesocosm experiments were conducted in 2020 to evaluate the effect of adjuvant type on foliar spray retention in waterhyacinth [Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms]. Additionally, the effect of carrier volume on spray retention in waterhyacinth, waterlettuce (Pistia stratiotes L.), and giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitchell) was documented. Spray deposition did not differ among the nine adjuvants tested; however, spray retention was reduced 6% to 11% when an adjuvant was excluded from the spray solution. The effect of carrier volume on spray retention in waterhyacinth, waterlettuce, and giant salvinia was also investigated. Decreases in spray retention were most sensitive to increased carrier volume in waterhyacinth, followed by giant salvinia and waterlettuce. Among species, spray retention potential, as determined by intercept estimates, was greatest in waterlettuce and giant salvinia regardless of carrier volume. Asymptotes estimates for waterhyacinth, waterlettuce, and giant salvinia were 33%, 46%, and 79% spray retention, respectively. In other words, spray retention was the lowest and remained relatively constant at these values for the high carrier volumes tested (935 and 1,870 L ha−1), which were likely due to the presence of pubescence on leaves and flatter leaf architecture represented by waterlettuce and giant salvinia compared to the glabrous vertical leaves of waterhyacinth. Future research will evaluate these concepts under field conditions.

Glyphosate is an important component of herbicide programs in orchard crops in California. It can be applied alone or in tank-mix combinations under the crop rows or to the entire field and often is used multiple times each year. There has been speculation about the potential impacts of repeated use of glyphosate in perennial crop systems, because of uptake from shallow root systems or indirectly because of effects on nutrient availability in soil. To address these concerns, research was conducted from 2013 to 2020 on key orchard crops to evaluate tree response to glyphosate regimens. Almond, cherry, and prune were evaluated in separate experiments. In each crop, the experimental design was a factorial arrangement of two soil types, four glyphosate rates (0, 1.1, 2.2, and 4.4 kg ae ha−1, applied three times annually), and two post-glyphosate application irrigation treatments. In the first 2 yr of the study, there was no clear impact of the glyphosate regimens on shikimate accumulation or leaf chlorophyll content, which suggested no direct effect on the crop. In the seventh year of the study, after six consecutive years of glyphosate application to the orchard floors, there were no negative impacts of glyphosate application on leaf nutrient concentration or on cumulative trunk growth in any of the three orchard crops. Lack of a negative growth impact even at the highest treatment rate, which included 18 applications of glyphosate totaling nearly 80 kg ae ha−1 glyphosate over the course of the experiment suggest there is not likely a significant risk to tree health of judicious use of the herbicide in these production systems. Given the economic importance of orchard crops in California, and grower and industry concerns about pesticides generally and specifically about glyphosate, these findings are timely contributions to weed management concerns in perennial specialty crops.

Annual bluegrass is a cosmopolitan, cool-season grass that adapts to different environmental conditions. It is one of the main weeds of turfgrass, and its control is mainly achieved through chemical and cultural practices, although little importance is given to the competitive ability of turfgrass species or cultivars. A field study was performed in northeastern Italy from October 2012 to June 2014 to evaluate the competitive ability of selected perennial ryegrass cultivars to suppress emergence and establishment of annual bluegrass seedlings. Two creeping perennial ryegrasses (‘CSI' and ‘PPG-PR171’) and two traditional cultivars (‘Azimuth' and ‘Presidio') were compared. In late autumn in both years, annual bluegrass was sown in a marked area (30 cm by 30 cm) in the turfgrass. Emerged seedlings were counted weekly, and emergence dynamics were modeled. In the second year, final density of annual bluegrass allowed to grow in turfgrass was also evaluated in summer. Results showed that both seedling emergence and density of annual bluegrass were significantly reduced by creeping perennial cultivars, supporting the hypothesis that these cultivars may reduce annual bluegrass establishment in turfgrass. Seedling emergence pattern of annual bluegrass did not differ in creeping and traditional cultivars of perennial ryegrass, suggesting the possibility of creating a general emergence model suitable in any turfgrass to help turfgrass managers in the control of this weed species.

Wild oat is a herbicide resistance-prone global weed species that causes significant economic losses in dryland and horticultural agriculture. As a result, there has been a significant research effort to control this species. A major impediment to this research is the seed coat-mediated dormancy of wild oat, which requires a labor-intensive incision or puncturing of the seed coat to initiate seed germination. This study defines the most efficient settings of a mechanical thresher to overcome wild oat seed dormancy and then validates these settings using multiple populations collected from the Western Australian grain belt. We also compare the effects of rapid mechanical scarification and known germination stimulus tactics such as scarification with sulfuric acid (H2SO4), partial endosperm removal, sandpaper scarification of the seed coat, and immersion in sodium nitroprusside (NO donor SNP) solution on wild oat seedling growth rate. Threshing treatment of 1,500 rpm for 5 s provides equivalent germination compared with manually puncturing individual wild oat seeds, with no difference in seedling relative growth rate. The mechanical scarification of seeds using the thresher resulted in greater germination (66%) than H2SO4 scarification (0%), partial endosperm removal (10%), sandpaper seed coat scarification (25%), and exposure to NO donor SNP (34%). This study demonstrates that the physical dormancy of wild oat can be rapidly overcome using a commercially available mechanical thresher.