Velvetleaf is an economically important weed in agronomic crops in Nebraska and the United States. Dicamba applied alone usually does not provide complete velvetleaf control, particularly when velvetleaf is taller than 15 cm. The objectives of this experiment were to evaluate the interaction of dicamba, fluthiacet-methyl, and glyphosate applied alone or in a mixture in two- or three-way combinations for velvetleaf control in dicamba/glyphosate–resistant (DGR) soybean and to evaluate whether velvetleaf height (≤12 cm or ≤20 cm) at the time of herbicide application influences herbicide efficacy, velvetleaf density, biomass, and soybean yield. Field experiments were conducted near Clay Center, NE in 2019 and 2020. The experiment was arranged in a split-plot with velvetleaf height (≤12 cm or ≤20 cm) as the main plot treatment and herbicides as subplot treatment. Fluthiacet provided ≥94% velvetleaf control 28 d after treatment (DAT) and ≥96% biomass reduction regardless of application rate or velvetleaf height. Velvetleaf control was 31% to 74% at 28 DAT when dicamba or glyphosate was applied alone to velvetleaf ≤20 cm tall compared with 47% to 100% control applied to ≤12-cm-tall plants. Dicamba applied alone to ≤20-cm-tall velvetleaf provided <75% control and <87% biomass reduction 28 DAT compared with ≥90% control with dicamba at 560 g ae ha−1 + fluthiacet at 7.2 g ai ha−1 or glyphosate at 1,260 g ae ha−1. Dicamba at 280 g ae ha−1 + glyphosate at 630 g ae ha−1 applied to ≤20-cm-tall velvetleaf resulted in 86% control 28 DAT compared with the expected 99% control. The interaction of dicamba + fluthiacet + glyphosate was additive for velvetleaf control and biomass reduction regardless of application rate and velvetleaf height.

Glyphosate-resistant (GR) Palmer amaranth is a troublesome weed that can emerge throughout the soybean growing season in Nebraska and several other regions of the United States. Late-emerging Palmer amaranth plants can produce seeds, thus replenishing the soil seedbank. The objectives of this study were to evaluate single or sequential applications of labeled POST herbicides such as acifluorfen, dicamba, a fomesafen and fluthiacet-methyl premix, glyphosate, and lactofen on GR Palmer amaranth control, density, biomass, seed production, and seed viability, as well as grain yield of dicamba- and glyphosate-resistant (DGR) soybean. Field experiments were conducted in a grower’s field infested with GR Palmer amaranth near Carleton, NE, in 2018 and 2019, with no PRE herbicide applied. Acifluorfen, dicamba, a premix of fomesafen and fluthiacet-methyl, glyphosate, or lactofen were applied POST in single or sequential applications between the V4 and R6 soybean growth stages, with timings based on product labels. Dicamba applied at V4 or in sequential applications at V4 followed by R1 or R3 controlled GR Palmer amaranth 91% to 100% at soybean harvest, reduced Palmer amaranth density to as low as 2 or fewer plants m−2, reduced seed production to 557 to 2,911 seeds per female plant, and resulted in the highest soybean yield during both years of the study. Sequential applications of acifluorfen, fomesafen and fluthiacet premix, or lactofen were not as effective as dicamba for GR Palmer amaranth control; however, they reduced seed production similar to dicamba. On the basis of the results of this study, we conclude that dicamba was effective for controlling GR Palmer amaranth and reduced density, biomass, and seed production without DGR soybean injury. Herbicides evaluated in this study had no effect on Palmer amaranth seed viability.

Velvetleaf is an economically important weed in popcorn production fields in Nebraska. Many PRE herbicides in popcorn have limited residual activity or provide partial velvetleaf control. There are a limited number of herbicides applied POST in popcorn compared with field corn, necessitating the evaluation of POST herbicides for control of velvetleaf. The objectives of this study were to (1) evaluate the efficacy and crop safety of labeled POST herbicides for controlling velvetleaf that survived S-metolachlor/atrazine applied PRE and (2) determine the effect of velvetleaf height on POST herbicide efficacy, popcorn injury, and yield. Field experiments were conducted in 2018 and 2019 near Clay Center, Nebraska. The experiments were arranged in a split-plot design with four replications. The main plot treatments were velvetleaf height (≤15 cm and ≤30 cm) and subplot treatments included a no-POST herbicide control, and 11 POST herbicide programs. Fluthiacet-methyl, fluthiacet-methyl/mesotrione, carfentrazone-ethyl, dicamba, and dicamba/diflufenzopyr provided greater than 96% velvetleaf control 28 d after treatment (DAT), reduced velvetleaf density to fewer than 7 plants m−2, achieved 99% to 100% biomass reduction, and had no effect on popcorn yield. Herbicide programs tested in this study provided greater than 98% control of velvetleaf 28 DAT in 2019. Most POST herbicide programs in this study provided greater than 90% control of up to 15 cm and up to 30 cm velvetleaf and no differences between velvetleaf heights in density, biomass reduction, or popcorn yield were observed, except with topramezone and nicosulfuron/mesotrione 28 DAT in 2018. On the basis of contrast analysis, herbicide programs with fluthiacet-methyl or dicamba provided better control than herbicide programs without them at 28 DAT in 2018. It is concluded that POST herbicides are available for control of velvetleaf up to 30-cm tall in popcorn production fields.

Flax yield can be severely reduced by weeds. The combination of limited herbicide options and the spread of herbicide-resistant weeds across the prairies has resulted in a need for more weed control options for flax producers. The objective of this research was to evaluate the tolerance of flax to topramezone, pyroxasulfone, flumioxazin, and fluthiacet-methyl applied alone as well as in a mix with currently registered herbicides. These herbicides were applied alone and in mixtures at the 1X and 2X rates and compared with three industry standards and one nontreated control. This experiment was conducted at Carman, MB, and Saskatoon, SK, as a randomized complete block with four replications. Data were collected for crop population, crop height, yield, and thousand-seed weight. Ratings for crop damage (phytotoxicity) were also taken at three separate time intervals: 7 to 14, 21 to 28, and 56+ d after treatment. Crop tolerance to these herbicides varied between site-years. This was largely attributed to differences in spring moisture conditions and the differences in soil characteristics between sites. Herbicide injury was transient. Hence, no herbicide or combination of herbicides significantly impacted crop yield consistently. Flumioxazin was the least promising herbicide evaluated, as it caused severe crop damage (>90%) when conditions were conducive. Overall, flax had excellent tolerance to fluthiacet-methyl, pyroxasulfone, and topramezone. Flax had excellent crop safety to the combination of pyroxasulfone + sulfentrazone. However, mixing fluthiacet-methyl and topramezone with MCPA and bromoxynil, respectively, increased crop damage and would not be recommended.

The development of a linuron-free weed management strategy for carrot production is essential as a result of the herbicide reevaluation programs launched by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency in Canada for herbicides registered before 1995 and the discovery of linuron-resistant pigweed species in Ontario. Field trials were conducted in one of Ontario’s main carrot-growing regions on high organic soils in 2016 and 2017. Pigweed species seedlings were effectively controlled with PRE treatments of prometryn, pendimethalin, S-metolachlor, or glufosinate. POST treatments of pyroxasulfone and metribuzin followed by predetermined biologically effective dose (≥90% control of pigweed seedlings) of acifluorfen, oxyfluorfen, fluthiacet-methyl, and fomesafen achieved excellent crop selectivity and commercially acceptable pigweed species seedling control under field conditions. Carfentrazone-ethyl or fomesafen applied PRE severely reduced seedling emergence and yield in the wet growing season of 2017. This study demonstrated clearly that an alternative linuron-free strategy can be developed for carrots. The strategy of exploring the potential to use the biologically effective dose of selected herbicides to achieve crop selectivity and control of pigweed species seedlings was verified.

Due to depressed corn and soybean prices over the last few years in the United States, growers in Nebraska are showing interest in no-tillage (hereafter referred to as no-till) conventional (non–genetically engineered [non-GE]) soybean production. Due to the increasing number of herbicide-resistant weeds in the United States, weed control in no-till non-GE soybean using POST herbicides is a challenge. The objectives of this study were to compare PRE-only, PRE followed by (fb) POST, and PRE fb POST with residual (POST-WR) herbicide programs for Palmer amaranth and velvetleaf control and soybean injury and yield, as well as to estimate the gross profit margins and benefit–cost ratio of herbicide programs. A field experiment was conducted in 2016 and 2017 at Clay Center, NE. The PRE herbicides tested in this study resulted in ≥95% Palmer amaranth and velvetleaf control at 28 d after PRE (DAPRE). Averaged across the programs, the PRE-only program controlled Palmer amaranth 66%, whereas 86% and 97% control was obtained with the PRE fb POST and PRE fb POST-WR programs, respectively, at 28 d after POST (DAPOST). At 28 DAPOST, the PRE fb POST herbicide programs controlled velvetleaf 94%, whereas the PRE-only program resulted in 85% control. Mixing soil-residual herbicides with foliar-active POST programs did not improve velvetleaf control. Averaged across herbicide programs, PRE fb POST programs increased soybean yield by 10% and 41% in 2016 and 2017, respectively, over the PRE-only programs. Moreover, PRE fb POST-WR programs produced 7% and 40% higher soybean yield in 2016 and 2017, respectively, compared with the PRE fb POST programs. The gross profit margin (US$1,184.3 ha−1) was highest under flumioxazin/pyroxasulfone (PRE) fb fluthiacet-methyl plus S-metolachlor/fomesafen (POST-WR) treatment; however, the benefit–cost ratio was highest (6.1) with the PRE-only program of flumioxazin/chlorimuron-ethyl.

The widespread occurrence of Palmer amaranth resistant to acetolactate synthase inhibitors and/or glyphosate led to the increased use of protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO)-inhibiting herbicides. This research aimed to: (1) evaluate the efficacy of foliar-applied fomesafen to Palmer amaranth, (2) evaluate cross-resistance to foliar PPO inhibitors and efficacy of foliar herbicides with different mechanisms of action, (3) survey the occurrence of the PPO Gly-210 deletion mutation among PPO inhibitor–resistant Palmer amaranth, (4) identify other PPO target-site mutations in resistant individuals, and (5) determine the resistance level in resistant accessions with or without the PPO Gly-210 deletion. Seedlings were sprayed with fomesafen (263 gaiha−1), dicamba (280 gaiha−1), glyphosate (870 gaiha−1), glufosinate (549 g ai ha−1), and trifloxysulfuron (7.84 gaiha−1). Selected fomesafen-resistant accessions were sprayed with other foliar-applied PPO herbicides. Mortality and injury were evaluated 21 d after treatment (DAT). The PPX2L gene of resistant and susceptible plants from a selected accession was sequenced. The majority (70%) of samples from putative PPO-resistant populations in 2015 were confirmed resistant to foliar-applied fomesafen. The efficacy of other foliar PPO herbicides on fomesafen-resistant accessions was saflufenacil>acifluorfen=flumioxazin>carfentrazone=lactofen>pyraflufen-ethyl>fomesafen>fluthiacet-methyl. With small seedlings, cross-resistance occurred with all foliar-applied PPO herbicides except saflufenacil (i.e., 25% with acifluorfen, 42% with flumioxazin). Thirty-two percent of PPO-resistant accessions were multiple resistant to glyphosate and trifloxysulfuron. Resistance to PPO herbicides in Palmer amaranth occurred in at least 13 counties in Arkansas. Of 316 fomesafen survivors tested, 55% carried the PPO Gly-210 deletion reported previously in common waterhemp. The PPO gene (PPX2L) in one accession (15CRI-B), which did not encode the Gly-210 deletion, encoded an Arg-128-Gly substitution. The 50% growth reduction values for fomesafen in accessions with Gly-210 deletion were 8- to 15-fold higher than that of a susceptible population, and 3- to 10-fold higher in accessions without the Gly-210 deletion.

Concern over the development of herbicide-resistant weeds has led to interest in integrated weed management systems that reduce selection pressure by utilizing mechanical and cultural weed control practices in addition to herbicides. Increasing crop seeding rate increases crop competitive ability and thus can enhance herbicide efficacy. However, it is unknown how increasing the seeding rate affects an herbicide’s efficacy. The objective of this study was to examine the interaction between increasing seeding rate and herbicide dose to control weeds. To meet this objective, the herbicide fluthiacet-methyl was applied to field-grown lentil, with Indian mustard, a proxy for wild mustard, used as a model weed. The experiment was a factorial design with four lentil seeding rates and seven herbicide rates. Overall the herbicide dose response was altered by changing lentil seeding rate. Increasing lentil seeding rate decreased the weed biomass production when herbicides were not applied. In two of the four site-years, increasing lentil seeding rate lowered the herbicide ED50, the dose required to result in a 50% reduction in weed biomass. Increasing the crop seeding rate altered the dose response to provide greater weed control at lower herbicide rates compared with normal crop seeding rates. Increased seeding rates also resulted in higher and more stable crop seed yields across a wider range of herbicide dosages. These results suggest that dose–response models can be used to evaluate the efficacy of other weed management practices that can interact with herbicide performance.

Field and greenhouse experiments were conducted in Nebraska to (1) confirm the 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD)-inhibiting resistant-waterhemp biotype (HPPD-RW) by quantifying the resistance levels in dose-response studies, and (2) to evaluate efficacy of PRE-only, POST-only, and PRE followed by POST herbicide programs for control of HPPD-RW in corn. Greenhouse dose-response studies confirmed that the suspected waterhemp biotype in Nebraska has evolved resistance to HPPD-inhibiting herbicides with a 2- to 18-fold resistance depending upon the type of HPPD-inhibiting herbicide being sprayed. Under field conditions, at 56 d after treatment, ≥90% control of the HPPD-RW was achieved with PRE-applied mesotrione/atrazine/S-metolachlor+acetochlor, pyroxasulfone (180 and 270 g ai ha−1), pyroxasulfone/fluthiacet-methyl/atrazine, and pyroxasulfone+saflufenacil+atrazine. Among POST-only herbicide programs, glyphosate, a premix of mesotrione/atrazine tank-mixed with diflufenzopyr/dicamba, or metribuzin, or glufosinate provided ≥92% HPPD-RW control. Herbicide combinations of different effective sites of action in mixtures provided ≥86% HPPD-RW control in PRE followed by POST herbicide programs. It is concluded that the suspected waterhemp biotype is resistant to HPPD-inhibiting herbicides and alternative herbicide programs are available for effective control in corn. The occurrence of HPPD-RW in Nebraska is significant because it limits the effectiveness of HPPD-inhibiting herbicides.

Glyphosate-resistant common waterhemp is a difficult-to-control annual broadleaf weed that has become a serious management challenge for growers in Nebraska and other states in the United States. The objectives of this study were to confirm glyphosate-resistant common waterhemp in Nebraska by quantifying level of resistance in a dose-response study, and to determine the sensitivity and efficacy of POST soybean herbicides for controlling suspected glyphosate-resistant common waterhemp biotypes. Seeds of suspected glyphosate-resistant common waterhemp biotypes were collected from seven eastern Nebraska counties. Greenhouse dose-response experiments were conducted to evaluate the response of common waterhemp biotypes to nine rates of glyphosate (0 to 16×). Common waterhemp biotypes were 3- to 39-fold resistant to glyphosate depending on the biotype being investigated and the susceptible biotype used for comparison. Results of the POST soybean herbicides efficacy experiment suggested that glyphosate-resistant biotypes, except a biotype from Pawnee County, had reduced sensitivity to acetolactate synthase (ALS)–inhibiting herbicides (chlorimuron-ethyl, imazamox, imazaquin, imazethapyr, and thifensulfuron-methyl). Glufosinate and protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO)–inhibiting herbicides (acifluorfen, fluthiacet-methyl, fomesafen, and lactofen) provided ≥ 80% control of glyphosate-resistant common waterhemp at 21 d after treatment (DAT). This study confirmed the first occurrence of glyphosate-resistant common waterhemp in Nebraska, and also revealed reduced sensitivity to ALS-inhibiting herbicides in most of the biotypes tested in this study.